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The pool of talented C++ developers is running dry

efinancialcareers.com

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Re: The pool of talented C++ developers is running dry

#531

Post by jokoon »

lelanthran wrote: post #409
jokoon wrote: post #179

Earlier quoted context omitted.

My first real C++ job involved a bug in a largely technical indebted codebase, lines of code in the millions. I spent two months asking one guy who knew about it for help. I really understood the concept of "hostage taker" in a software team. It's the guy you cannot fire and will constantly arm-wrestle everybody where there is a problem, never really helping, and continuing to write bad code that allows him to keep h…

> Fortunately they did not hire me. I don't understand this, where you working for free?

paid trial period

Re: The pool of talented C++ developers is running dry

#532

Post by [deleted] »

jedberg wrote: post #142

There are plenty of talented C++ programmers. They just don't want to be abused by trading firms or work in that culture. Even paying them more won't work, because no amount of money is worth that abuse. I interviewed at a trading firm once, while I was working at Netflix (because Netflix encouraged us to interview for outside jobs at least once a year). The comp would have been double my Netflix salary. But I would…

[deleted]

Re: The pool of talented C++ developers is running dry

#533

Post by boppo1 »

easytiger wrote: post #475
jedberg wrote: post #142

There are plenty of talented C++ programmers. They just don't want to be abused by trading firms or work in that culture. Even paying them more won't work, because no amount of money is worth that abuse. I interviewed at a trading firm once, while I was working at Netflix (because Netflix encouraged us to interview for outside jobs at least once a year). The comp would have been double my Netflix salary. But I would…

> There are plenty of talented C++ programmers. They just don't want to be abused by trading firms or work in that culture. Even paying them more won't work, because no amount of money is worth that abuse. With all due respect you don't know what you are talking about. This doesn't represent my 15+ year experience in that domain. > But I would have had to work in their office in Manhattan, be in by 8:30am every day a…

Tell me more about your experience, please. I've been learning C++ with an interest in the field.

Re: The pool of talented C++ developers is running dry

#534

Post by elteto »

CapricornNoble wrote: post #520
sgt101 wrote: post #430

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I've worked on a trading floor before, a very nice one (by repute) but it is still a dreadful place to work. Imagine you are expected to do intensive knowledge work with high stakes and executive / management board oversight in the middle of a kindergarten which includes broadcast/loudspeaker announcements every 30 minutes. People shout, people run about, people stand on desks... Bedlam.

So....basically my previous work environment as a military officer in a high-level operations center, except with MASSIVELY better compensation? How do I get one these jobs if my C++ skills are "meh" at best and I haven't done finance/economics stuff since I was an undergrad? The stress and scope of responsibilities are almost a non-issue.

Hit the C++ books; pay for some training (there's plenty online). Then study hard for the interview. It's not rocket science to get some of these jobs.

Re: The pool of talented C++ developers is running dry

#535

Post by elteto »

jedberg wrote: post #359
mvuksano wrote: post #354

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I worked in a high frequency trading company before. They had similar concerns about secrecy but I loved it. Even today I think it was the best job ever. Now I moved to the States and thinking of going back down the high frequency trading route again. I learned so much about computers - probably more then in any uni. By the way, work life balance was way better then in any FAANG company (I worked for two FAANG compan…

> Now I moved to the States and thinking of going back down the high frequency trading route again.... Nobody ever expected me to be in before 930am and nobody ever expected me after 6pm. That's probably because you worked somewhere with decent employee protections, since it sounds like you worked outside of the USA.

You keep making these sort of statements on this thread while showing an obvious lack of knowledge about what is actually like working in the industry.

Re: The pool of talented C++ developers is running dry

#536

Post by PaulDavisThe1st »

tw1984 wrote: post #466
PaulDavisThe1st wrote: post #367

Earlier quoted context omitted.

WTF are you talking about. first of all, audio plugins come in a variety of formats, some of which are 100% platform specific (AudioUnits, Apple, I'm looking at you). You can be using the same toolchain across N platforms, but that won't make any difference to the fact that you're having to generate code that integrates with multiple syntactically and semantically distinct APIs. secondly, in the audio plugin space, S…

> You can be using the same toolchain across N platforms, but that won't make any difference to the fact that you're having to generate code that integrates with multiple syntactically and semantically distinct APIs. you also need to worry about which stdlib to use in C++ - too bad! > SIMD is often a vitally important tool. no cross-compiler or cross-architectural tools there, unless you opt for a common denominator…

> AVX512 was extensively used in our golang codebase, the support was added to golang like 6 years ago.

Well that's nice. What about ARM SIMD? And the M2 variant? You're suggesting that every SIMD instruction set should be accessible via the same language-invariant syntax or else a language is just broken?

> but there is just no reason how anything that can be done by a legacy language known as C++ that can't be fully handled in a more efficient way

the point is that it is NOT done by a legacy language known as C++, and it should not be done by the young languages that go by any other name, contrary to your claim that essentially everything should be a part of the language/compiler/toolchain itself.

Re: The pool of talented C++ developers is running dry

#537

Post by DrBazza »

jedberg wrote: post #142

There are plenty of talented C++ programmers. They just don't want to be abused by trading firms or work in that culture. Even paying them more won't work, because no amount of money is worth that abuse. I interviewed at a trading firm once, while I was working at Netflix (because Netflix encouraged us to interview for outside jobs at least once a year). The comp would have been double my Netflix salary. But I would…

You didn't take a job because it's 8.30 to 5 and because of some undefined 'abuse'? That's what you've written?

Maybe it really isn't for you. On the other hand I've worked in this industry for 30 years, and done those hours, and longer, for 30 years, and enjoyed more or less every minute of it. I've flown all over the world, and been to various events and conferences that I would not have had a chance to do in another career.

I'm not clear what 'abuse' you think you're going to get. We are in a fortunate position in life actually, that we're developers that can change jobs on a whim and there's a large marketplace for our skills.

My advice to you is that you should actually have taken the role, gained some experience of a different industry (the first 6 months will be low responsibility), and if it's not for you, leave.

> It was the fact that I would not be allowed to share my work internally

I've only heard of one company that's as mad as that and they start with 'G'.

Re: The pool of talented C++ developers is running dry

#538

Post by elteto »

andirk wrote: post #500
jedberg wrote: post #142

There are plenty of talented C++ programmers. They just don't want to be abused by trading firms or work in that culture. Even paying them more won't work, because no amount of money is worth that abuse. I interviewed at a trading firm once, while I was working at Netflix (because Netflix encouraged us to interview for outside jobs at least once a year). The comp would have been double my Netflix salary. But I would…

This is one of the best threads yet! - Guy says he turned down a bunch of money for work/life balance reasons - Nah - Guy has to respond to dozens of nay-sayers telling them he was perfectly happy with his current dump truck of money thank you very much

That is _not_ what he said at all, and many others have said as much. He said he was going to be _abused_. Really? Abused? Only someone with an extreme level of privilege and disconnect could use that word in that context.

And he complaints about abuse while working for... AMAZON. Seriously? The irony is palpable here.

I have yet to hear the stories about Citadel firing workers because they took a bathroom break.

Re: The pool of talented C++ developers is running dry

#539

Post by boppo1 »

franzb wrote: post #118
InfamousRece wrote: post #98

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I had an offer from robotics company: 80k and no benefits. I’m not sure where to find good paying C++ jobs outside of finance.

Computer graphics.

For what industry? How's the comp?

Re: The pool of talented C++ developers is running dry

#540

Post by marssaxman »

orf wrote: post #519
marssaxman wrote: post #518

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Perhaps it would have been helpful to actually say that given that this is not a forum aimed at or primarily populated by people who work in or around finance. In a general context, "8:30 to 5 and you can't work from home" sounds like a description of the standard 20th century business schedule.

Are you really, truly not familiar with the idea that the finance industry stereotypically requires long hours and values work over all else, at an institutional level? OP could have spelled it out, but in any communication there is a level of shared knowledge. When you read a comment that you understand to be complaining about making nearly a million dollars whilst working 9/5 in the office, a more charitable path w…

I do know that finance people tend to be insane workaholics, but I was not aware that "software engineer who happens to work for a finance company" is a fundamentally different kind of job from "software engineer in the tech industry", with a different culture and harsher expectations.

A blind spot, I suppose; I have spent my whole working life in the West Coast tech industry - though discussions on this site generally seem to share that cultural context.

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