Tag: Career

Changing Directions

I have two important announcements:

I’m leaving the tech industry. Hopefully “for good”; if not, at least “for now”.
As such, the content on this blog is going to shift, perhaps dramatically. I’m going to be writing about a broader range of topics that interest me (projects around my hobby farm, wilderness trips, emergency medicine) – more writing for me, less writing for some imagined audience. (I’ll probably still end up writing about some of the same topics as I’ve been covering since 2020, just less often.)

I’m writing this post mostly to give myself permission to make that change, and to give readers the opportunity to unsubscribe/unfollow if they’re not interested.

If you’re interested in more details about why I’m leaving the industry and what’s next for me and this blog, read on.

June 3rd, 2025 • career personal

Beware tech career advice from old heads

If you’re new to tech – say, less than 5 years in the field – you should take career advice from people who’ve been in the industry more than 10-15 years with enormous skepticism.

March 13th, 2025 • career jobs tech

🔗 Getting a job as an engineering executive. (#)

I’ve gone through this myself – unsuccessfully – and wish I’d had this guide. Great information about a confusing and opaque process.

January 8th, 2023 • career executive interviewing management

Your last one-on-one: what to do instead of an exit interview

Say you agree with me that exit interviews are dangerous for employees, but you’re a kind, empathetic manager who’s built a team with high trust. You’d never dream of retaliation, are open to feedback – even if it’s harsh. You don’t want to put your departing direct in an uncomfortable or threatening position, but you’d like to know what they have to say! What then?

April 7th, 2022 • career exit interviews jobs

Exit Interviews Are a Trap

It’s tempting to air your grievances at your exit interview. Don’t. There’s almost no upside to speaking up, and tremendous potential downside. Avoid exit interviews if you can. If you must go, be totally bland; say nothing negative.

April 4th, 2022 • career exit interviews hr jobs

Embrace the Grind

Sometimes, programming feels like magic: you chant some arcane incantation and a fleet of robots do your bidding. But sometimes, magic is mundane. If you’re willing to embrace the grind, you can pull off the impossible.

April 7th, 2021 • career grind jobs

Layoffs are Coming

It’s looking increasingly likely that the COVID-19 pandemic will cause a recession. It’s easy to think we might be immune from the effects of a global recession, but my experience is that tech companies are quick to cut staff, especially engineers, in the face of declining markets. I hope I’m wrong, but I don’t think I am. Either way, it’s not going to hurt to prepare.

March 13th, 2020 • career covid-19 hiring jobs layoffs