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From web developer to database developer in 10 years

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Re: From web developer to database developer in 10 years

#21

Post by ChrisMarshallNY »

never_inline wrote: post #13

> But my background kept leading hiring managers to suggest putting me on cloud teams doing orchestration in Go around a database rather than working on the database itself. This is extremely annoying. This also means if your first job is doing X, it is very difficult to break into Y even if you know quite well about Y, and even have side projects. I have tried attaching cover letters indicating even if my current ex…

My entire career was switching from one discipline to another.

For me, the key was twofold:

1) Spend a lot of extracurricular (not work) time, exploring new tech that interests me. This often included purchasing expensive kit, and attending classes, on my own dime (but I could usually use the spend in my tax write-offs).

2) Be willing to accept being paid a lot less than my peers.

My career is a fairly eclectic one. I’m now retired, and spend a lot of time learning stuff, which is fun.

Re: From web developer to database developer in 10 years

#22

Post by MikeNotThePope »

dmoy wrote: post #15
never_inline wrote: post #13

> But my background kept leading hiring managers to suggest putting me on cloud teams doing orchestration in Go around a database rather than working on the database itself. This is extremely annoying. This also means if your first job is doing X, it is very difficult to break into Y even if you know quite well about Y, and even have side projects. I have tried attaching cover letters indicating even if my current ex…

To me it seems like the majority of recruiters barely read past company name and job title. I switched from Dev to SRE at the same company, and within like one week of remembering to update LinkedIn job title, the random recruiter messages switched from Dev to "oh we are looking for someone like you with lots of SRE experience" (having worked in SRE for So yea, it's difficult to get traction for something that isn't…

>> the majority of recruiters barely read past company name and job title

This is a failing of the hiring manager. If the recruiter can't tell who is and isn't a good fit, the hiring manager should have corrected the situation or not partnered with the recruiter.

Re: From web developer to database developer in 10 years

#23

Post by ramon156 »

ChrisMarshallNY wrote: post #21
never_inline wrote: post #13

> But my background kept leading hiring managers to suggest putting me on cloud teams doing orchestration in Go around a database rather than working on the database itself. This is extremely annoying. This also means if your first job is doing X, it is very difficult to break into Y even if you know quite well about Y, and even have side projects. I have tried attaching cover letters indicating even if my current ex…

My entire career was switching from one discipline to another. For me, the key was twofold: 1) Spend a lot of extracurricular (not work) time, exploring new tech that interests me. This often included purchasing expensive kit, and attending classes, on my own dime (but I could usually use the spend in my tax write-offs). 2) Be willing to accept being paid a lot less than my peers. My career is a fairly eclectic one.…

How do you have the time to do this? I already barely have free time, let alone time to attend classes

Re: From web developer to database developer in 10 years

#24

Post by ChrisMarshallNY »

ramon156 wrote: post #23
ChrisMarshallNY wrote: post #21

Earlier quoted context omitted.

My entire career was switching from one discipline to another. For me, the key was twofold: 1) Spend a lot of extracurricular (not work) time, exploring new tech that interests me. This often included purchasing expensive kit, and attending classes, on my own dime (but I could usually use the spend in my tax write-offs). 2) Be willing to accept being paid a lot less than my peers. My career is a fairly eclectic one.…

How do you have the time to do this? I already barely have free time, let alone time to attend classes

In my case, I'm a bit obsessed. I'm "on the spectrum," and that helps me to concentrate and understand stuff.

Also, I just like doing this stuff. My work is also my hobby. There's not that many things that I'd rather be doing.

I have also had a very good venue for doing volunteer work, and that has always provided a driving force.

Of course, now that I'm retired, I have the time.

Re: From web developer to database developer in 10 years

#25

Post by LRVNHQ »

ramon156 wrote: post #23
ChrisMarshallNY wrote: post #21

Earlier quoted context omitted.

My entire career was switching from one discipline to another. For me, the key was twofold: 1) Spend a lot of extracurricular (not work) time, exploring new tech that interests me. This often included purchasing expensive kit, and attending classes, on my own dime (but I could usually use the spend in my tax write-offs). 2) Be willing to accept being paid a lot less than my peers. My career is a fairly eclectic one.…

How do you have the time to do this? I already barely have free time, let alone time to attend classes

The overwhelming majority of people who work around 40 hours a week have plenty of free time.

"I don't have freetime" is usually a tell sign that people either don't know how to manage their time / prioritize free time activities, or have made choice that they refuse to see as choice but as obligations instead (which implicitely just means they prioritize this activity a lot)

Re: From web developer to database developer in 10 years

#26

Post by barddoo »

pmbanugo wrote: post #2

I enjoyed reading this. It could be because I'm thinking of doing more of system/network programming (and learning Zig). I've spent the last 6 years in the JavaScript land and bored of yet-another-bundling or SPA-like pattern. So there's hope that with consistency and patience, one could build expertise in a totally different area

Same. It’s good to know that other people feel the same way.

Re: From web developer to database developer in 10 years

#27

Post by vasco »

never_inline wrote: post #13

> But my background kept leading hiring managers to suggest putting me on cloud teams doing orchestration in Go around a database rather than working on the database itself. This is extremely annoying. This also means if your first job is doing X, it is very difficult to break into Y even if you know quite well about Y, and even have side projects. I have tried attaching cover letters indicating even if my current ex…

I find it's easier to prove that within a small company after you're in. You just fix a problem in the area you want to work in, then you fix another problem, and soon after people want you on their team or a team is created around you to fix that class of problem. But lots of engineers just wait to be picked while only doing the stories assigned to them. Or they are in big companies, of which I don't know about.

Re: From web developer to database developer in 10 years

#28

Post by matwood »

LRVNHQ wrote: post #25
ramon156 wrote: post #23

Earlier quoted context omitted.

How do you have the time to do this? I already barely have free time, let alone time to attend classes

The overwhelming majority of people who work around 40 hours a week have plenty of free time. "I don't have freetime" is usually a tell sign that people either don't know how to manage their time / prioritize free time activities, or have made choice that they refuse to see as choice but as obligations instead (which implicitely just means they prioritize this activity a lot)

Yeah. I worked 30 hours/week when I went to undergrad full time for CS. Later I went back to grad school while also working full time. There is a lot of free time in many people's day. I'm also not saying it all has to be productive, I know mine certainly isn't, but it should be deliberate. I love sitting down to watch a movie or play a game, and I hate when I get sucked into some social media for 30 mins or an hour without realizing it.

Re: From web developer to database developer in 10 years

#29

Post by znpy »

ramon156 wrote: post #23
ChrisMarshallNY wrote: post #21

Earlier quoted context omitted.

My entire career was switching from one discipline to another. For me, the key was twofold: 1) Spend a lot of extracurricular (not work) time, exploring new tech that interests me. This often included purchasing expensive kit, and attending classes, on my own dime (but I could usually use the spend in my tax write-offs). 2) Be willing to accept being paid a lot less than my peers. My career is a fairly eclectic one.…

How do you have the time to do this? I already barely have free time, let alone time to attend classes

Wild guess: gp is self-employed and can manage their own time. I’m assuming that with some planning you can carve “learning time” across contracts.

Re: From web developer to database developer in 10 years

#30

Post by fm2606 »

ChrisMarshallNY wrote: post #24
ramon156 wrote: post #23

Earlier quoted context omitted.

How do you have the time to do this? I already barely have free time, let alone time to attend classes

In my case, I'm a bit obsessed. I'm "on the spectrum," and that helps me to concentrate and understand stuff. Also, I just like doing this stuff. My work is also my hobby. There's not that many things that I'd rather be doing. I have also had a very good venue for doing volunteer work, and that has always provided a driving force. Of course, now that I'm retired, I have the time.

This is me to a big extent. Sometimes I feel like I to learn for learning's sake. Which is okay, or at least that is what my therapist tells me. I struggle with the fact that I "think about doing" vs actually doing.

My work is my hobby too, that is why I struggle sometimes wondering if I will ever retire. Why retire when what I'm doing is for the most part fun. Sure, there are days that I'd rather be "doing X", or more like "studying X" than actually working but I'm enjoying work so much lately that it soon passes.

Work also forces me to actually DO instead of thinking about doing. I have to perform. People are depending on me to get stuff done and that is a big motivator. With my personal projects, no one needs it or is expecting it so it is too easy to abandon.

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