Ask HN: Why would you accept a horizontal move in your career?

#1

Post by allfou » Fri, Dec 02, 2016, 10:31 PM UTC

What is the main reason why you would accept an offer and move horizontally from XYZ to ABC, without being promoted to the next level.

1- Salary?

2- Tired of your current job/employer?

3- Location?

4- Simply looking for a new place to work?

5- Other, specify.

Horizontal move = Sr. Software Engineer at XYZ => Sr. Software Engineer at ABC

Vertical move = Lead Software Engineer at XYZ => Engineering Manager at ABC

Re: Ask HN: Why would you accept a horizontal move in your career?

#2

Post by hellofunk » Fri, Dec 02, 2016, 10:32 PM UTC

Fear of heights.

Re: Ask HN: Why would you accept a horizontal move in your career?

#3

Post by kafkaesq » Fri, Dec 02, 2016, 11:12 PM UTC

Because you have no interest in "management" per se (and the pay raise and alleged gain in prestige aren't worth the headache).

And the only "upward" promotion you need is one that provides more time to spend with your family or on your outside projects, or more vacation time, etc.

Re: Ask HN: Why would you accept a horizontal move in your career?

#4

Post by cr0sh » Fri, Dec 02, 2016, 11:42 PM UTC

I did this once in my career - in order to move away from microsoft technologies and into open source technologies (LAMP specifically).

Since my at-the-time "professional" PHP/MySQL skills were non-existent (all I had to show anything was a few bits-n-pieces of personal stuff) - I also took a minor pay-cut doing it, which was easily made up and then some soon after starting the position.

YMMV

Re: Ask HN: Why would you accept a horizontal move in your career?

#5

Post by greenyoda » Sat, Dec 03, 2016, 7:23 AM UTC

Not all vertical moves are upward - I was actually happy to move downward. My latest career move was to go from management (at some point I had a couple of development managers reporting to me) to just being a developer again. The stress of being a manager was burning me out, and I realized that what I really wanted to do was write code, not manage people.

Re: Ask HN: Why would you accept a horizontal move in your career?

#6

Post by jetti » Sun, Dec 04, 2016, 7:09 AM UTC

I would accept a horizontal move because I ended up taking a job that is different than what was portrayed by the recruiter. I thought it was a .NET developer position but it is really an SSIS and SSIS ETL work.

Re: Ask HN: Why would you accept a horizontal move in your career?

#7

Post by malux85 » Mon, Dec 05, 2016, 5:57 PM UTC

ABC > XYZ

Being a Sr Software Engineer at Google is better than being a Sr Software Engineer at Ice Station Zebra Associates

Re: Ask HN: Why would you accept a horizontal move in your career?

#8

Post by cauterized » Tue, Dec 06, 2016, 11:49 AM UTC

Better culture