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I followed my dreams to get demoted to software developer

stackoverflow.blog

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Re: I followed my dreams to get demoted to software developer

#71

Post by 100011_100001 »

seankimdesign wrote: post #61

I love this story. I can intensely relate as I too have made the pivot from being a UX professional to software engineering a few years back. Sure I hadn't achieved anything close to being the director of design for a known tech firm; My design career was just starting to flourish when I'd made the move. But so much of the sentiment regarding confidence and self-doubt were the exact emotions that I had experienced .…

I went from a Sr. Manager to Jr. Developer. The pay cut sucked. The first year working as a developer was rough. Everyone assumed that I knew a lot because of my age, but I was mostly a newbie.

Fast forward 8 years later, I am a Lead Developer and making double what I made as a Sr. Manager. I am still learning, I am still behind compared to my peers. Technology feels like it's moving too fast.

But in the end, the best part is to open my IDE and write code. It makes me the happiest.

Re: I followed my dreams to get demoted to software developer

#72

Post by ballenf »

jbay808 wrote: post #6

Kind of frustrating to see this framed as a "demotion". But it's great to see someone starting over in a new career track that suits them better.

As someone who reached quite a high rung on the ladder (from outward appearances anyway) in a different career path prior to development, I think it's really healthy to see it as a demotion or step down.

If you stay in denial and hang on to your old title or status, you will struggle coming to terms. Having relatively little influence over strategic decisions is super difficult as one example. Also no one really respects you for expertise you bring from a prior career either since they don't really know how to judge your "stature" in that field. Not to mention that if you mention it much at all, it can raise questions in colleagues minds about your dedication to the new field.

All that being said, I couldn't be happier with my change and am so much happier as a person.

Re: I followed my dreams to get demoted to software developer

#73

Post by throwaway667555 »

skeeter2020 wrote: post #38
tharkun__ wrote: post #33

Earlier quoted context omitted.

If pay stayed the same, then something went wrong. And I get it. I've had some friends go through this, where they'd get offered a lead position but technically it's 'Lead in training' so he gets the old pay while they evaluate him etc. Complete BS. If they offer it to him, they think he would be a good fit and they're just trying to pay less. Contrast it with my experience, where I just stepped up to fill the gaps w…

I've always believed and practiced this too. You get the promotion & bump because you're already essentially doing the job. I'm OK with a trial without the promotion, but many (most?) seem to think you should get the opportunity to succeed or fail, with the rewards up front. I do't get this viewpoint.

This is mild exploitation widespread in employment, and I think you're identifying with the exploiter.

It's not the rewards up front, it's the rewards as-you-go. Or it's the rewards at the end of the previous rank.

Always having your pay 1yr behind your responsibilities is wrong. You're doing the job, you get the pay.

On day 1 of being a lead, you've never been a lead before, but you are now. Year 1 leads get lead pay.

"You've done great, you're at the top of your rank! No, I can't reward you for it yet, just start at the next rank and we'll wait and see pleasethankyou." No. We saw. Pay me.

Re: I followed my dreams to get demoted to software developer

#74

Post by draw_down »

austincheney wrote: post #57

> Most importantly, I was right: I thought I’d love writing code professionally, and it turns out, I do! She must clearly not be writing JavaScript. I love writing JavaScript applications, but not professionally. It’s a matter of actually building a product versus spinning your wheels with hundreds of megabytes of dependencies and stupidity and circular processes.

I truly love HN's ability to shit on Javascript -- even when no one was talking about it at all! Hats off to ya.

Re: I followed my dreams to get demoted to software developer

#75

Post by delecti »

kioleanu wrote: post #2

That’s a very clickbaity title. I was reading the article and sharpening my pitchfork up until the middle when I had to stop and put it down (the metaphorical pitchfork)

It seems clear to me from the title that the demotion was deliberate. The content of the article was more or less exactly what I expected from the title, which seems to contradict the notion that it's clickbait.

Re: I followed my dreams to get demoted to software developer

#76

Post by 100011_100001 »

CivBase wrote: post #70

Can someone explain to me why titles like Engineer, Architect, and Developer are perceived as having less value than titles like Manager or Director? Managing products requires a completely different skill set from managing people. Both skills are vital to the success of a business and neither are trivially developed or easily replaced. If you ask me, the "demotion" in this article is not going from Director of Desig…

In a lot of companies Managers and Directors make more money than being a Developer. On top of that the perception of status is higher from the outside if you are a Director vs a Developer.

Smart tech companies have two paths, the management and the engineer path. Where they both have certain expectations but there is no pay ceiling. Bad tech companies tend to disregard this and there is a point that you can no longer get a raise unless you "move up" and become a manager.

Re: I followed my dreams to get demoted to software developer

#77

Post by ballenf »

ysavir wrote: post #56
gumby wrote: post #26

Earlier quoted context omitted.

What about it makes you insecure? It's about someone who changed jobs because they decided they'd prefer to do something else. It isn't one of those "in six weeks I turned my side gig into a Nobel-prize winning web site and now I'm a billionaire" clickbait articles.

Probably due to the very poor and misleading article title, which frames the situation as a "demotion", something that happens to us, not something that we decide to do. The article has a good message, but the title is absolute click-bait. Many people might come across the title, and although not interested in reading it, walk away with the idea that following dreams leads to negative consequences. I hope the author…

> Probably due to the very poor and misleading article title, which frames the situation as a "demotion", something that happens to us, not something that we decide to do.

Not seeing the connection with that and feeling inferior. I agree with your point, just still can't figure out the top level comment.

Re: I followed my dreams to get demoted to software developer

#78

Post by arcturus17 »

jbay808 wrote: post #6

Kind of frustrating to see this framed as a "demotion". But it's great to see someone starting over in a new career track that suits them better.

It's tongue-in-cheek as a sibling commenter is saying, but I'd argue it's also quite literal.

She was running the Product Design team at SO, assumably managing people, and went on to work as a staff software developer.

I'm not making a judgement on the worth of the different jobs - I've been a manager, I'm now both a designer and a developer, and I personally prefer the latter above all else - and I don't think she is either. Maybe she even makes close to the same amount of money, who knows.

It's just that by most organizational standards it is a demotion. At any rate, I don't see any of it derogatory for neither developers nor product design managers.

Re: I followed my dreams to get demoted to software developer

#79

Post by kristinamay »

kodah wrote: post #7

An inspirational story that anyone, at any level, can always reinvent themselves given time, patience, and a plan. That said, "demotion" doesn't seem like the right word. Yes, going from Director to general population is technically a step down, but more realistically this is a lateral move. In a lateral move sometimes you get to keep your pay but almost never your rank.

Hi! Blog post author here. I didn't keep my old salary, nope. I took a substantial pay cut in order to do this.

Re: I followed my dreams to get demoted to software developer

#80

Post by giantg2 »

throwaway3699 wrote: post #53
gberger wrote: post #44

Earlier quoted context omitted.

So?

It's much less practical of a goal in some places. High taxes for example, make it harder to save as much.

It might be harder, but could still be possible. Just because the US has lower taxes, doesn't mean expenses are the same (tons of variables) - just look at our healthcare costs.
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