Grow your engineering career
Your code gets you to senior. To go further you need more than code — interviews, negotiation, picking the right problems, and knowing what the business actually pays you for. These essays cover the career side of software engineering.
Career essays
February 2024
Your resumé has a job
Is your resume a tech bingo card? Not great.
What interviewers look for in senior engineers
People are starting to cheat in interviews using ChatGPT. It's obvious, doesn't work, and wouldn't even be cheating if you did it right!
January 2024
When to stay at a company
Cap your down-side and think like an investor. Look for key metrics that can shape your career growth.
I'm a different engineer than I was 3 years ago
A reflection on engineering through The Hockeystick
December 2023
The 3 budgets
Software engineering salaries come from one of 3 budgets. Which budget pays your salary shapes your day-to-day and influences your career trajectory
November 2023
What to put on your resumé
Position yourself as an expert and stand out in the job market
How to go from Senior to Lead
Transitioning from Senior to Lead Engineer isn't just about technical prowess, but strategic thinking, soft skills, and going beyond your role. And remember, strong individual contributions matter!
September 2023
Trust your wings, not the market
Success in your career doesn't come from relying on the market or job stability. It comes from trusting your own wings - having a clear vision, treating work as a value exchange, leveraging your skills, and owning your path
August 2023
Why write
Regular writing is a secret superpower! Sharpens your thoughts, boosts your career, and helps you become an authority in your field. Don't pretend to be an expert, just share your experiences. Your insights are gold
How many years to senior engineer?
Becoming a senior engineer isn't about clocking years, but about depth and breadth of experience. Work in diverse teams, stick with a codebase for 3+ years, and take on projects with real stakes.
June 2023
Clarification on how ownership makes careers
Aa few readers wrote in with questions and objections to last week's Ownership makes careers email. Here's a few clarifications.
Ownership makes careers
Own shit. At least put your name on things. Yes, before it's successful.
May 2023
How one sentence guides your career
Unlock the secret to guiding your career with a powerful positioning statement. Learn to stand out in the job market and attract opportunities that align with your expertise and values.
How positioning makes you stand out from the crowd
Stand out in the job market with a strong positioning statement! Focus on the value you bring to organizations, not just tech skills. Be specific about what you do, for whom, and how.
Why a tech meltdown is the best time to invest in your career
Invest in your career growth. Seize the moment to develop new skills and prepare for a brighter future
April 2023
Your background won't get you the job
Skills and experience matter more than prestigious schools and employers.
Insights for interviews from Kahneman's Noise
everything people say is bad about modern tech interviews is actually good 🤯
March 2023
"If you're so good, why aren't you making 600k at BigTech?"
Swiz shares why he's not making the big bucks at a tech giant, from the soul-crushing grind of corporate to the funny money of tech compensation.
Own your career like an expert
You can achieve more with your career by leveraging your experience, advice, and ability to clear blockers, rather than just working hard. This approach of "force multiplying" your team can create more value than working alone
January 2023
Reader question: How to grow 10+ years into your career?
For those wanting to stay hands-on, we recommend solving bigger better challenges with higher stakes and new problems.
In case of layoffs
Advice on how to prepare for potential layoffs, how to support friends and colleagues who have been laid off, and how to find a new job after being laid off.
November 2022
Can you stay a senior engineer forever?
Here's an idea that can take the pressure off your career: Yes, you can stay a senior software engineer forever. But how?
On becoming tech lead
A few weeks ago I made tech lead, a type of staff engineer. Here are my thoughts on what that means, how it happened, and why you'd want such a thing.
October 2022
Reader question: Work at a big international or a local studio?
Fellow reader Frank writes in with a question about career moves and I thought my answer could help you too
Grow your career ... in this economy??
if you've been following tech news lately, things feel ... 😖 Between the layoffs, hiring freezes, investors suddenly caring about revenue, and whatever the heck stock markets are doing, we're in for a rough time. BUT!
July 2022
Always have 3 answers
How do you stand out as an expert amid tech layoffs?
April 2022
When to join and leave a company, project, or trend
Timing changes everything. Who do you think has better engineers? The team that built Google from 9 million daily searches in 2000 to 1 billion in 2009, or the team that launched Google's 10th chat app last year?
March 2022
Are you the engineer who scoffs at high salary numbers?
Engineering compensation falls into groups so different that neither group even realizes the others exist. And they fight about it.
Why experts charge more
Ever noticed how an expert's job isn't that different from an apprentice's? Yet they can charge way more 🤔
January 2022
Quick tip for system design interviews
What are system design interviews for anyway?