Software engineering salaries come from one of three budgets
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Re: Software engineering salaries come from one of three budgets
#2Background is completely white and text unreadable, toggling 'modes' fixes this but I presume its related to OSX and dark/light mode.
Chrome Version 120.0.6099.109 (Official Build) (arm64)
Re: Software engineering salaries come from one of three budgets
#3In addition to knowing which bucket your salary comes from, I think it is also useful to know how your organization values building software. Because this affects your career just as much.
* Is your company selling software development hours (consulting)? I'm this car you'll be valued for client relations skills and the ability to bang out acceptable software.
* Is your company selling a software product (product company)? In this case you'll be valued for your ability to build and run software.
* Is your company selling something else that has a software component or that software enables (pretty much every other company)? In this case, you'll be valued for your ability to deliver on or below budget and you'll never be the star of the show.
Funnily enough, these seem to map well to the three categories the author mentioned. Consulting to sales/marketing, product to research and development, everyone else to maintenance.
Re: Software engineering salaries come from one of three budgets
#4What if you are one of the only few who know how to maintain a Cobol system for a bank? Aren't you very valuable?
Re: Software engineering salaries come from one of three budgets
#5I think profit center vs cost center is a better model.
Re: Software engineering salaries come from one of three budgets
#6What if you are one of the only few who know how to maintain a Cobol system for a bank? Aren't you very valuable?
There's nothing particularly difficult about Cobol, it can be learned, and with enough effort, all the undocumented existing code can be understood and reverse-engineered enough to be able to make changes. It's not pleasant work, but it's doable.
If there was value in it, salaries/consulting rates would reflect it and people would be queuing up to learn it and make good money. That isn't happening, so it seems like Cobol devs aren't actually that valuable to these companies.
Re: Software engineering salaries come from one of three budgets
#7What if you are one of the only few who know how to maintain a Cobol system for a bank? Aren't you very valuable?
You're valuable in a way where everyone really wants to get rid of you and is planning hard on how to do that.
Re: Software engineering salaries come from one of three budgets
#8It doesn't matter where you work at, when layoffs come, the executives will care about location, timezones, desire on finishing the current project you are working on, (maybe) performance etc. There are too many criteria and no clear pointer on what is safe and what isn't.
Being part of a layoff and also watching other colleagues coming from other Big Tech companies share their experiences, you'd see people laid off from literally everywhere: key projects, R&D (I was part of), sales, high-performing etc.
It's a financial decision, the cut NEEDS to happen once the higher ups have decided and you can be cut, for you as an employee, anything can happen.
Lots of R&D people end up being on the chopping block as well because you could be suddenly in a very promising project, but that the company no longer cares about, because some executive above even the boss of your boss told it isn't a priority.
Re: Software engineering salaries come from one of three budgets
#9In addition to knowing which bucket your salary comes from, I think it is also useful to know how your organization values building software. Because this affects your career just as much. * Is your company selling software development hours (consulting)? I'm this car you'll be valued for client relations skills and the ability to bang out acceptable software. * Is your company selling a software product (product com…
> * Is your company selling a software product (product company)
In the B2B world it is common to have a complex enough product that needs training services and tech support as well. Some vendors also add exams/certifications on top of it.
Re: Software engineering salaries come from one of three budgets
#10It doesn't matter where you work at, when layoffs come, the executives will care about location, timezones, desire on finishing the current project you are working on, (maybe) performance etc. There are too many criteria and no clear pointer on what is safe and what isn't. Being part of a layoff and also watching other colleagues coming from other Big Tech companies share their experiences, you'd see people laid off…
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