Learn enough about product that you can be a "product engineer". Automation is coming for the industry, and routine jobs will suffer. Engineers who can make sound product decisions are and will be hot shit.
Ask HN: How can a junior dev maximize their income?
21–30 of 91 posts
Re: Ask HN: How can a junior dev maximize their income?
#22I know this question is situated around the tech, but the real answer is to leave every couple of years. There is always more money to be made, and the more experience you have the easier it is to get it. I'm not saying this is what somebody should do, but if you're only indexing for income, then it's the only answer IMO.
To a point. People who move around too much will not get the job if there's a comparable candidate that has stayed around longer at previous jobs.
Re: Ask HN: How can a junior dev maximize their income?
#23Are they trying to maximize their income in the next year or in their lifetime?
I would honestly advice them to change their mindset from trying to maximize income, to maximizing learning. So instead of finding a job that pays a lot, find a job where you learn a lot. Over the long term you will earn more if you are highly skilled.
Re: Ask HN: How can a junior dev maximize their income?
#24Learn Java or C++, get good at leetcode, and work in finance. You don't need to be a good engineer – these places are messes of legacy code created in fiefdoms run by people who care more about money than the engineering. You'll make a ton of money and feel poor because the quants will make far more than you ever will. In my opinion this is a truly terrible path to choose, but you will earn more than anyone in tech w…
isn't it risky to work on finance related code... i don't want to get shouted out by a bunch of coked up psychopaths.
Finance is a large field with a lot of different personalities and cultures. Paying top dollar for devs is inversely correlated with getting shouted at by coked up lunatics, although there are exceptions…
Re: Ask HN: How can a junior dev maximize their income?
#25Learn Java or C++, get good at leetcode, and work in finance. You don't need to be a good engineer – these places are messes of legacy code created in fiefdoms run by people who care more about money than the engineering. You'll make a ton of money and feel poor because the quants will make far more than you ever will. In my opinion this is a truly terrible path to choose, but you will earn more than anyone in tech w…
isn't it risky to work on finance related code... i don't want to get shouted out by a bunch of coked up psychopaths.
I think this culture has changed a hell of a lot. When I started there were eating contests on the floor and someone got fired for being sexually harassed. People would break keyboards and bring water pistols onto the floor, and there would be free dinner each night for anyone willing to listen to salespeople.
Nowadays, it's quite different. Gifts have to be logged so people don't do it much anymore, metoo happened, and I can't really imagine another burger eating contest, even though that last one is fairly tame.
Re: Ask HN: How can a junior dev maximize their income?
#26Learn Java or C++, get good at leetcode, and work in finance. You don't need to be a good engineer – these places are messes of legacy code created in fiefdoms run by people who care more about money than the engineering. You'll make a ton of money and feel poor because the quants will make far more than you ever will. In my opinion this is a truly terrible path to choose, but you will earn more than anyone in tech w…
For people actually working in FinTech today, what does a day-to-day workday look like? What types of problems does your code solve?
Re: Ask HN: How can a junior dev maximize their income?
#27The least relevant or interesting part of this question is what tech to focus on, as you can learn anything enough to be helpful in a few weeks.
The second least relevant part of this question is how geopolitics and current "layoffs" factor into this, as those are largely a product of bad management, and extremely isolated. They won't matter in 6 months, let alone 10 years.
If you are a smart and driven person, then software development is not going to be the best way to maximize your income. Get out of software and into finance, and/or get an advanced degree (MBA or law) from a prestigious university (M7 or T14). Ideally combine finance with an advanced degree, and work at an investment banking firm.
You won't be able to compete with the best individual contributors in software if you only care about cash, and in a hard(er) science field that becomes obvious relatively quickly. In finance, caring about cash is the passion, so that drive to make money will serve you better there.
Re: Ask HN: How can a junior dev maximize their income?
#281) I think 10yrs is too short of a timeframe if you want to maximize your income
On a 10yr timeframe the decisions you make will be very different than 20yrs. For 10yrs, your best bet is probably finding the highest paying Senior/Staff role you can then staying there. For 20yrs, even if it takes you 15yrs to become a Director you will probably earn more than your high paying IC role.
20yrs gives you time for things to compound (Skills, network, etc). 10yrs does not really afford you the same time. You'll probably be jumping around jobs to maximize short-term TC instead of building and compounding on long term things.
2) Considering you are talking about tech stacks, I don't think you have a good framework for thinking about this question
What dictates compensation? Generally the scope and responsibility of your role. Nothing to do with tech stacks unless you have an incredibly niche skillset.
I don't think this question is that interesting. Play long term games and build long term skills. On a long enough timescale things like tech stacks are effectively fads. Relationships with other people and skills like being able to lead people are always going to be valuable.
Re: Ask HN: How can a junior dev maximize their income?
#29Build interesting things, meet great people, keep a curious mind and focus on building great products instead of chasing what might look good on a CV. Tech changes fast and nobody has a crystal ball which can tell you what will be hype in 3 years. But everyone knows that having a solid professional network and proof that you are able to deliver great products will greatly benefit your career as an engineer.
This is the best advice.
It's totally inactionable though. "Build interesting things", "meet great people". It sounds nice but it's completely hollow. Not to mention "what looks good on a CV" is actually a really important thing to consider.
Re: Ask HN: How can a junior dev maximize their income?
#30Find a new job with a significant pay rise every couple of years. Think hard about the next jump each time you make a jump. All the best pay rises I've ever had involved finding someone willing to pay me a lot more for basically the same thing as I was already doing for someone else. Barring winning the "pick the exact stupidly-overpaid technology of the future", banking on any particular technology would have done m…
You can price yourself out of the market with this strategy. Because every overpaying technology normalizes over time. Someone who is willing to pay more at this point in time, will always find someone cheaper in time next few years.
You can always lower your price back to market. Pricing yourself out means you've spent the last N years getting paid top dollar. I'll take it.