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As an ex-Oracle employee, I 100% agree. I became a "lazy developer". Despite doing a lot of things, the pace of dev was so slow that I felt I did nothing. There was also a year when the entire team of 7 people fixed just 10 production issues. Would I join Oracle again? Yep definitely. The colleagues that I worked with were out of the world. Oracle added a lot of weight to my resume eventually helping me to get into a better position. I won't be staying there for 5 years as I did previously.

Great video! Hiring manager at a tech startup and those are exactly the "stereotypes" when looking at different resumes!

This man is holy and must be protected at all cost.

Promotions and leveling up usually involves company bureaucracy along with performance of the individual. Not everyone will get away lucky. But if you can back your work with data and proven skills, changing after a long time should not be a concern IMO.

This is excellent , thanks for sharing. Great insight, great information

this is very helpful, thanks for making it!

I didn't know those levels. Thanks for sharing.

Thanks for the vid, really good to know about this view point starting out. I also wonder if these considerations go into who's called back and who's not🤔.

Hello Rahul, you're very articulate about the Software trek to someone who's not even in tech lol Keep up the great work!

Interesting video this has helped me understand quite a lot actually. I had backlogs during my engineering so it was hard to get a job but I got recruited at a start up that primarily worked on splunk. Fast forward 2.8 years I'm off that company and working at a decent company that outsources their employees to different clients as a contractor. What I learnt in my previous company admin and dev is the same work again. I don't feel challenged or I'm learning anything new as well. What should I do ? I wish to learn SOAR and AWS and I plan to do it personally in my free time but would learning those without practical usage in a company help to get into companies that utilize those technologies ? I don't want to quit this client without completing a year since I believe relationships matter a lot.

Really nice video. I was having a conversation about that with my manager telling me that we would rather hire someone that may stick with our company for 5y (semiconductor industry) but is not a top performer than a genius job hopping.

Awesome content yet again Rahul. Thanks for sharing this with us.

'...long enough to see the damage you have done' rings true for me. I've learned so much just thinking about the code i wrote and maintained it. So many learnings and you ramp up exponentially.

Thanks Rahul, really good insights

I was planning on leaving my first non-intern position after a year, then the pandemic happened and i decided to stay here until it ended since i have good job security here and i prefer going into the office if i'm going to start working somewhere new. Turns out the pandemic hasn't ended and i'm at this place for 3 and a half years now lol, hope it isn't too long.

Very insightful Pandeyji!

Insightful video, Rahul. Thank you for constantly providing value to us. Even though I'm not in the US and the industry culture around is vastly different from that of in the States, I still learn quite a lot from these videos.

This is really great insight, Rahul. I own a tech recruitment business, and we often have to have this conversation with potential candidates (and HM's!); it's such an emotionally charged area for some reason.

At 6:13, the example of Oracle that you gave surprised me because it was quite similar to my reason for leaving Oracle (although I left it after 1.5 years). I eventually joined Microsoft where I obviously got better work to do. Thanks for sharing such meaningful insights about these not so discussed topics.

Another good explanation for a long stay is that you wanted stability while your children were growing.

Thanks , Rahul Pandey Could you please make a video on "communicating and collaboration with team members", it's difficult for me to have like a general discussion whenever we plan to go out to eat something. (Like when I'm not doing office work)

Great advice!

Great video!

I would like you to make one video on whether one should focus on breadth or depth during early periods of their software engineering career? On one hand we have core distributed system teams like Azure/AWS and on other hand we have other teams which are focused more towards business problems by using some of these services like ML infra teams, video/live events teams, data engineering etc... Is it advisable to have short stints (around 2-2.5 years) in atleast 2 of these domains during first 4-5 years of career and then decide on the specialisation? I personally prefer having experience with multiple domains during the initial phases but there are some obvious cons to this like slower growth (slower w.r.t promotion but not learning). I would like to know your opinion.

If people need you and your skills, They won't care

Just love how you composed and clearly you explain everything 🙏❤️ Do you give one on one coaching?

What you do think about burn out. And how long of a break do you think is ok?? Maybe working on a side project during the break?

These videos are rare and very helpful.

Hi Rahul, can you share your thoughts on how to deal with below average cost-of-living raises (or even no raises)? It seems that employers are surprised when engineers want to leave when the employees take home pay is effectively reduced at the end of each year when given low raises. Financially it seems to make sense to jump ship as soon as possible. This does put some control back in the employers hands (to offer competitive pay year over year). I agree that it is beneficial to stay for at least a year. I just think much of the responsibility, however, is on the employer if they want to retain good engineers. Especially when their pay raises are not competitive. I think jumping ship for 10-20% raises each year or two should be done until a noticible limit has been reached on compensation. Then they should consider settling down for a bit. Any thoughts on that as well in regards to the average company (not faang)?

Very good points. I actually clicked on this b/c I've been at Lyft for 4 years and wanted to know if that counts as too long. I think I'm ok :)

Idk forming assumptions without speaking to a candidate may not be accurate. We’re trying to move towards being more open and accepting of individuals and their journey. If someone is able to do the job and happy to why not.Maybe interview them and ask them any concerns you might have before making your mind up. You could be wrong, and you are definitely shunning others because of your biases

I like how you break things down. Do you teach Data Structures and Algorithms by any chance?

Hi Rahul, this insight which you have talked about was very helpful to me. I have one question which I want to get it clarified. is it okay to leave a job where you don't get promoted even though you worked hard to learn a skill required for a specific role?

What about Business Analyst in a tech organization of a bank?

I left my 3D job after 6months with 1 month notice period which i gave. When i joined i got my offer letter after 1month. Its been 1 week i left i haven't got my documents. Idk wtf the HR is doing. If you're gonna shove _'company policies'_ down I expect you to be professional enough to give the employee all the required documents

I work in supply chain and am about 3 months and 3 weeks in. I finish my MBA in December. Should I find a higher paying role even though by then, I'll only be at my current company for 8 months? The role doesn't pay great but could be much better.

I have 1.25 years experience. At the 2 year mark I plan to jump & upgrade.

I don’t know maybe currently I’m living in a country which is not English speaking so sometime I do have some language barrier and some cultural differences. Last two years I changed more than couple of companies maybe do I need to change the field ? I’m in tech industry for more than 10 years. I never find hard to get a new job in tech but I must improve this part to grow as a leader Can you give me some advice on it ?

Well. I can tell you given corona i had to switch jobs twice and where i am now is fine but very very hierarchical and slow. So i am slowly but surley activley lookong for a new job and i know this is not ideal. But staying 3 years for the sake of it is not helping anyone

How would you look at someone who stayed within a company for about 5 years, but switched teams internally every year and a half? Just curious.

For contractual jobs each for year what to do resume will be look nasty but no choice

You should make it clear you're talking about enterprise companies.. in startup land jumping between roles is much more normal. Staying in a role purely not to "be judged" is bullshit

Thanks a lot for this video. May I ask how 5 years at one company(faang) is regarded? Joined as a new grad, promoted once. I'm wondering if I should switch if I can't get promoted within a year.

I have been with GE aviation for 5 years, i wonder what should I do now ? I have become pretty comfortable here.

Lot's of good points, well made. But I don't think it applies to software engineers only.

Do you think this applies to tech sales as well?

yea you meet people on discord/reddit who are "miserable" but they've also been at their place 7, 9 years etc. it's like, its your own damn fault for being miserable and not risking taking a new job, even if its same or less money, you'd be happier

This employer/employee ROI conversation has been going on like this for over 30 years with no real solution implemented. Defining the problem from the perspective of a fallible human being is an exercise in futility, but worse then that second guessing what a brain farting hiring manager thinks causes great amounts of anxiety. Are you familiar with yin and yang. The solution is balance. Unfortunately, there can be no balance with dealing with a Borg collective. Resistance is futile. Prepare to be assimilated. Look at the ciaos that being out of balance creates. You cannot get a job without 5 years of experience, but you cannot get 5 years experience without a entry level job. Employers don't offer entry level jobs because the return on investment is not there if applicants job hop after a year. Of course, the Borg collective wants to maximize it returns all the time and to do that externalizes all the costs onto the job seeker. "We are the Borg. Lower your shields and surrender your ships. We will add your biological and technological distinctiveness to our own. Your culture will adapt to service us. Resistance is futile." This is the one sided perspective in a nut shell. 30 years from now we will still be having the same conversation because balance is never achieved.

One of the issues is the American immigration system where thousands of employees are stuck with an archaic system. Even if you want to leave the company, there are instances where you are stuck working for your horrible team/manager due to visa issues and delays in your PERM/Green Card processes.

Although I agree with the, this probably pretty toxic thinking from management. Not everyone should be promoted to a new job even if they’re doing well. This is exactly what causes endless mediocrity in a lot of roles. People keep getting promoted when they’re good at the job, until.. they’re no longer good at their job and now they’re stuck in a role. That’s why you get so many crappy managers!! Although I do think you should watch out for lazy developers who coast and only want to do the bare minimum. It might be worthwhile to think about if they’re just really good in the role and don’t want to move up. Who knows they could be the ideal candidate. Just something to think about.

With the exception of long tenure at big tech. I get endless head hunting calls despite my long tenure.

Is leaving every 2 years bad?

Job hopping is such a big trend now that companies are just not gonna waste time hiring people who look like they're just looking for a bigger salary every few years

Sorry, I don't mean to jibe at your content since it's actually good, detailed and articulate. But the entire concept of it makes me barf - "staying long enough, but not too long", "earning trust", "having impact because of that trust", "ROI as an employee" ... The whole thing is so dehumanizing. Software devs, as human beings who have a right to exist and to fund that existence shouldn't have to quantify who they are, turn it into different metrics and then optimize in return for a salary that can only range between $60,000 to $200,000 a year. The amount of time and effort it takes to be a "successful employee in the eyes of a hiring manager" is way too much. The same time could have been used to make side hustles, alternate streams of income and add value to the world around you in a way that makes you happy rather than ways that burn you out. This is the cost of "being successful employee", then I think it's wrong to work in the first place. Therefore, my approach to the whole job search thing would be this. 1. Apply, do the tests, etc. Takes about a week's work just to get the job. 2. Stay there for 2 years. If your salary didn't jump by 200%, leave. 3. While doing the job, invest invest and invest. Either your time or your money. Do not invest time in the same job unless it's commission based or has potential to give you a cut of the profits/equity.

What would you say it the optimal amount of time a software engineer should stay at a tech company?

You job hopp for more pay & benefits . Why should anybody stay anywhere if they post your position open the next hour you die . You are thinking from employee perspective

When somebody offer you minimum 30% it's time to leave

This guy is probably an Amazonian

I leave every year. Oh wait

I have 8+ years at Oracle 😅

Very relatable ;) :D

Anyone notice he's in a new room

I am seeking some investment guidance. I am looking for a simple reproducible passive income strategy, have been working for people all my life and have been treated like trash. I've saved enough already and it's time I go into investment.

Your eyes are so white. How do you do that?