Ask HN: What career advice would you give your younger self?
What were your biggest wastes of time? What do you wish you spent more time on?
12 comments
Prioritize increasing your bill rate over saving money.
Savings are good, and compound interest is quite a thing to behold. But it's worth keeping in mind that you can put yourself in a position such that 40 year old you is pulling in over 10X what 25 year old you was. So beyond a certain point, killing yourself to sock away an extra few grand a year might not be the best plan.
Get a good six figure cushion socked away in your 20s so that you know you won't starve if the market goes south, and so that you can skip off on a year long round-the-world trip when the mood strikes. But after that, don't feel so bad about slacking off a bit. Go actually take that long trip (a few times). Just make sure you're always taking every opportunity you can find to bump up that bill rate.
Then take that new rate and double your lifetime savings in a single year at some point in your 40s.
Savings are good, and compound interest is quite a thing to behold. But it's worth keeping in mind that you can put yourself in a position such that 40 year old you is pulling in over 10X what 25 year old you was. So beyond a certain point, killing yourself to sock away an extra few grand a year might not be the best plan.
Get a good six figure cushion socked away in your 20s so that you know you won't starve if the market goes south, and so that you can skip off on a year long round-the-world trip when the mood strikes. But after that, don't feel so bad about slacking off a bit. Go actually take that long trip (a few times). Just make sure you're always taking every opportunity you can find to bump up that bill rate.
Then take that new rate and double your lifetime savings in a single year at some point in your 40s.
The advise that more experienced coders gave me at the time that I didn't listen to, and would probably not listen to even if my older self told me: You're better at this then you think you are, stop selling yourself short.
I think I've spent the first five years of my career drastically underselling myself imagining that everyone else is some epic programmer whose class interfaces spring fully formed from their fingertips when really a large number of the people who "talk the talk" turned out to be just full of a lot of air.
I think I've spent the first five years of my career drastically underselling myself imagining that everyone else is some epic programmer whose class interfaces spring fully formed from their fingertips when really a large number of the people who "talk the talk" turned out to be just full of a lot of air.
Try to become a freelance or a customer employee as soon as possible, being an employee for an intermediary company is mostly a dead end.
If someone assigns you to a project you really don't want to do, its better to search for a new opportunity sooner rather than later. When you want to go back to what you really want to do, you will have to answer a lot of questions about why you haven't been doing it lately.
Being assigned to the wrong projects early in ones career can effectively kill it or turn it a way you don't want it to go, so beware of that.
Try different jobs early in your career, stay at most two years early on. Growth is very much improved by seeing different projects, different teams.
Corporate training is usually limited and imposed by law, invest on your own training. Technical PDF books are affordable as well as many certifications. Take them in your own free time and don't wait for the company to pay/approve them.
Try to build something you like in your free time, learning is a continuous process and not something that you do once when you where 20.
If someone assigns you to a project you really don't want to do, its better to search for a new opportunity sooner rather than later. When you want to go back to what you really want to do, you will have to answer a lot of questions about why you haven't been doing it lately.
Being assigned to the wrong projects early in ones career can effectively kill it or turn it a way you don't want it to go, so beware of that.
Try different jobs early in your career, stay at most two years early on. Growth is very much improved by seeing different projects, different teams.
Corporate training is usually limited and imposed by law, invest on your own training. Technical PDF books are affordable as well as many certifications. Take them in your own free time and don't wait for the company to pay/approve them.
Try to build something you like in your free time, learning is a continuous process and not something that you do once when you where 20.
Wow great advice. I've noticed lately that most jobs out there are from intermediaries hiring and they often are really aggressive on getting salaries down with little wiggle room.
I might lead with an interrogative, how are you preparing yourself for professional & personal growth? What are you reading? Who are your coaches?
On advice, cut-out the mindless web surfing & TV. Cut back on the drinking, get outside, enjoy nature more.
On advice, cut-out the mindless web surfing & TV. Cut back on the drinking, get outside, enjoy nature more.
Spend more time getting and staying fit. Beyond functioning better, it really does change how people treat you and think of you.
Realize that business and political acumen is a learnable skill: read the classic business/interpersonal books like Crucial Conversations, 7 Habits of Highly Effective People, and others. Most business books are pure fluff, but there are truly great works out there.
You will probably stay at your first job too long. It feels safe and has some nice benefits, but you won't really grow unless you experience different workplaces.
Realize that business and political acumen is a learnable skill: read the classic business/interpersonal books like Crucial Conversations, 7 Habits of Highly Effective People, and others. Most business books are pure fluff, but there are truly great works out there.
You will probably stay at your first job too long. It feels safe and has some nice benefits, but you won't really grow unless you experience different workplaces.
Stop worrying about work. It will make you physically sick.
Also, stop playing those video games. Start doing stuff instead of reading and talking about it.
Also, stop playing those video games. Start doing stuff instead of reading and talking about it.
easy one: dont work so hard, its not a wise way to spend your youth anyway. also try to get big enough time frames to actually finish the project, estimates can be off by 400% all the time. dont ask for more money ask for understanding on a some days i cant make it in and some im late. work for big name companies, getting future jobs will be easier. never flake, having one job on ur resume where u cant use them as a reference really sucks. date chicks at work but not the hottest 2 they wont put out.
"I'm young. I'm healthy. Why do I need a job for?" -Raising Arizona. But for real. Get training to get a tech job in the medical field.
Apply to jobs in other cities.
When you have too much advice, it sounds like you have regret. That's terrible
Don't work so damn much; enjoy your youth.
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