Earlier quoted context omitted.
My dentist is a principal dentist
Are they a rockstar dentist tho?
Mine's a 10x dentist.
Ask HN: Any jobs that don't force you to always be advancing career wise?
31–40 of 152 posts
Re: Ask HN: Any jobs that don't force you to always be advancing career wise?
#32Dentist
If you're an expert with FLOSS software.
Re: Ask HN: Any jobs that don't force you to always be advancing career wise?
#33Re: Ask HN: Any jobs that don't force you to always be advancing career wise?
#34Lots of large tech firms have defined career ladders with a concept of terminal levels - typically senior level beyond which there is no up-or-out expectation of growth. I think small and midsize companies that focus on fast growth will often carry this expectation, so I'd avoid those. Alternatively: small non-startups or large companies beyond their prime (again, lack of company-wide focus on rapid growth is key her…
Even there giving the impression of not wanting to advance is often a good way to mark yourself as a "low performer". A savvy understanding of politics is required in these circumstances.
Re: Ask HN: Any jobs that don't force you to always be advancing career wise?
#35Government. Though US Federal is a mess right now.
Second this. Public administration or sth. like that has no real growth targets and will therefore probably be more "relaxed" on that matter. Also that can be very valuable work if you provide good services to the people that live there.
Re: Ask HN: Any jobs that don't force you to always be advancing career wise?
#36Get the same job working for government. Work stability in government is unparalleled, and there is so much cruft and technical debt that you will literally spend up until your last breath fixing legacy code and trying to get people off ancient software systems.
You will stagnate, and nobody will give a shit. People will come and go next to you, but you will be stable through the ages, like a pillar in an ancient Roman temple... Seasons will leave behind memories, but the winds will not take you with them. You will prevail, no matter what. Maybe forgotten, maybe overlooked, but more certainly not underestimated.
Re: Ask HN: Any jobs that don't force you to always be advancing career wise?
#37Earlier quoted context omitted.
Startups though, ugh. Maybe tomorrow you will end up a millionaire with stock, or you're eating catfood and hoping the grocery bill difference will be enough to pay the mortgage next month while you desperately look for a job in the worst economy since 2008. If there's an in-between, I've never seen it personally.
You'll work 60hrs a week "hardcore" for a Musk type for stock with a blackout period and multiple risks of massive dilution in any or all funding rounds. Most startups will fail or "exit" with a sale that profits only a few key investors and insiders. But eating catfood is always an good idea no matter your net worth.
As a cat owner I'd suggest that dog food is likely closer to a complete diet for humans. Cats are obligate carnivores, dogs are omnivores like us.
Also, most cat food smells pretty bad
Re: Ask HN: Any jobs that don't force you to always be advancing career wise?
#38> Has anyone worked somewhere that they felt they could just do their job without worrying about the career advancement aspect? That's every place I've ever worked, to be honest, including tech megacorps. Lots of places will put a lot of emphasis on career advancement, but I've never seen anyone punished for not doing it. I'm not counting "won't get promoted" as a punishment, for obvious reasons.
FB (10 years ago atleast) had a timelimit to go from L4 to L5
Re: Ask HN: Any jobs that don't force you to always be advancing career wise?
#39Get the same job working for government. Work stability in government is unparalleled, and there is so much cruft and technical debt that you will literally spend up until your last breath fixing legacy code and trying to get people off ancient software systems. You will stagnate, and nobody will give a shit. People will come and go next to you, but you will be stable through the ages, like a pillar in an ancient Rom…
I wouldn't be so sure considering what's happening with federal govt offices in the US right now..
Re: Ask HN: Any jobs that don't force you to always be advancing career wise?
#40Become a contractor. They don’t get promotions. Or any other benefit except pay. So become an expensive contractor.