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      in Talent Acquisition

      Engineering Manager or IC? Which Tech Career is Best for Me? (Video)

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      Have you ever wondered whether to follow an Individual Contributor (IC) path or an Engineering Manager (EM)? According to the Hired State of Software Engineers report, one-third of engineers report they want to advance to become managers, while the remainder says they want to continue being ICs.

      What are the pros and cons of the Engineering Manager career path versus the Individual Contributor one? Let’s find out!

      Hired, along with our partner Exponent, recently completed a video series to explore engineering career advice. The series featured three of our talented engineers: Nico Thiebaut, Prakash Patel, and Dan Baker, discussing subjects such as:

      In this article, we recap Exponent’s conversation with Prakash Patel. Prakash is an Engineering Manager at Hired, a tech marketplace that matches talent with employers for roles around the world. He followed his passion for data engineering and solving complex data problems, spending two years as an Individual Contributor and one year as an Engineering Manager. 

      Although Engineering Managers currently command the highest salaries across all technology roles on Hired’s platform conventional wisdom says, 

      You should not become an Engineering Manager if you… 

      Want dedicated time to work on specific projects or hone in on programming skills Are uncomfortable managing team dynamics  Prefer to own your own code   Want to quickly build new technical skills Would rather your success be measured by your individual contributions.

      Here’s a quick summary of the conversation between Prakash Patel and Lucas from Exponent. To watch or listen to the full interview, scroll down to the bottom of the article.

      Engineering Managers often don’t get dedicated time to work on a specific project or hone their programming skills. What is your experience with the flip side of this: being focused on supporting your team and making them successful?

      Based on my time as an IC, I understand the pain points and problems my team faces and will face since I have already experienced it. Engineering Managers are responsible for the smooth execution of projects while minimizing the concerns that arise. 

      There are different phases of projects but every phase has a challenge. As an Engineering Manager, I support my team to succeed while minimizing all those concerns. I enjoy focusing on the vision of the company and blending it with the personal and professional growth of ICs.

      As an Engineering Manager, you’re working with an entire team’s dynamics, meaning you need to resolve conflicts when they arise. What do you think the upside is to managing the dynamics of a team?

      Conflicts are inevitable and as an EM, the more you handle them the better you’ll get. One upside is you help all Individual Contributors on the team succeed. Another upside is eventually you get better at saying no.

      There will be so many things to control as an EM. By managing these dynamics, I see I am helpIng my engineers wholly – both in their technical competence and project management abilities. 

      As an Individual Contributor, your code contributed to the codebase and you could point to what you owned. In your role as a manager, how does your involvement with the codebase change, and how does this impact your team’s work?

      Well, as an EM I don’t get a lot of opportunities to actively maintain the codebase but I do participate in the code reviews. I can always suggest ways to improve the tech stack and that’s where I help my team adjust the roadmap. WhIle I am not maintaining the codebase, I am motivating my team to participate in constructive code-based reviews to help make them better engineers. 

      Insight from Exponent 

      Your experience as an Individual Contributor helps here as you’ve developed the technical know-how and understand how to grow from progress from a junior to senior engineer in terms of coding ability.

      Related: Curious about tech salary trends? Check out the data in this review.

      As an EM, you’ll develop tech skills more slowly. You’ll be focused more on macro than learning new languages or libraries. What kind of skills do you build as an Engineering Manager?

      As an EM I developed a “think big” and “make it happen” attitude. On top of that, I learned to give constructive feedback and how to negotiate.

      When you’re an Engineering Manager, your team’s success determines your success. It can take longer to ship products and code. How is success measured as an EM, and what do you find fulfilling about it?

      My success is measured by the performance of my team and my individual reports. My goal is to develop technical excellence across the company as an EM. I enjoy driving project execution but I make sure my individual reports receive exciting, diverse responsibilities in a way that infuses the company’s culture with our team. 

      If you’re not sure whether to pursue an IC path or transition into an EM, here’s my advice: if you’re even a little interested in becoming an EM, talk about it with your manager. Ask them to provide more responsibilities that will help you become an EM. 

      From there, you can evaluate whether you enjoy the work and if that role feels like the right fit. If so, request more tasks. If you progress, you can eventually transition into an Engineering Manager role.

      Ultimately, the two paths are very different experiences so it’s all about what you enjoy. 

      How to use Hired to find Engineering Management roles

      Hired is completely free for jobseekers and it takes just minutes to create a profile. Once you upload your information, you’ll get interview requests from companies seeking talented candidates like you! Learn more about creating your Hired profile. 

      Already have a profile on Hired? Here are 5 Key Tips to Get Better Matches & More Interviews.

      Should you switch to an Engineering Manager role internally or seek out an EM role when looking for a new job?

      Transitioning within a company is a better and easier decision, especially since you are already familiar with your team. On the other hand, if you are an Individual Contributor seeking a job as an EM at a different company and you do not have that proven experience, it’s harder to make the jump.

      Eager to pursue a role as an Individual Contributor or Engineering Manager? Learn how Hired works for jobseekers!

      Click below to watch the full interview: 

      [embedded content] More

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      in Talent Acquisition

      What Does Your Tech Salary Look Like? A Review of Salary Trends

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      When thinking about how your tech salary stacks up in this current hiring environment you’d consider factors like your job title, years of experience, and company size. 

      In this article we dive into these characteristics in relation to tech salaries based on data from Hired’s 2022 State of Tech Salaries. 

      Related: Should I Stay or Should I Go? Workers Explore Relocation to Improve Quality of Life, Pay

      So, What Do You Do?

      If you’re an Engineering Manager, you are paid more than other tech roles across the US, UK, and Canada. The US pays the highest for this role with an average of $196,000 (remote salaries reach $198,000!).

      The runner up for highest salaries in 2022 is US Software Engineers with average salaries of $160,469. US Product Managers take third place with average salaries of $157,602.

      For those who are not in Engineering roles (Design, Data Analytics, and Quality Assurance), the good news is these positions saw the highest salary increases from 2021 to 2022.

      In 2022, salaries for:

      Design roles in the US increased by about 8% to an average salary of $153,005 USD. The same roles in Canada increased nearly 20% to $121,773 CAD.Quality Assurance (QA) roles in the UK rose almost 10% to £68,215 GBP.Data Analytics remote salaries in the US increased about 8% to $142,565 USD.

      How Long Have You Been On the Job? 

      Years of experience will certainly sway your pay. Generally, working in tech longer correlates with a higher salary.

      It may not be surprising that those with more than 2 years of experience saw major salary growth in the US and Canada. 

      Mid-level (4-6 years of experience) US candidates, in particular, had the greatest salary jump – a $8,000 increase from 2021 to 2022. 

      Again, excluding very junior level roles (0-2 years of experience), remote salaries across all experience levels also saw increased growth between this year and last at $7-8,000 USD.

      Junior candidate salaries (1-2 years of experience) remained steady with little changes compared to 2021 in the US. However, they increased in the UK and for remote roles but decreased in Canada. We might attribute the salary decline to the increase of junior level  jobseekers on the platform.

      How Big Is Your Company? 

      It’s easy to assume the largest companies are associated with the highest salaries. 

      Contrary to popular belief, our data this year found that mid-market sized companies (300-1,000 employees) offer the highest average salaries in the US ($163,623) and UK (£85,312). That means they are passing up SMB (75-300), eSMB (0-75), and even the enterprise ENT (1000+) sized companies.

      However, in Canada enterprise-sized companies did pay the highest salaries. While this conforms to that conventional notion, note the pay was only slightly higher.

      How Does Your Salary Compare? 

      Use Hired’s Salary Calculator to see how companies value your experience. The calculator determines salary benchmarks based on real interview requests to help jobseekers like you know your worth. 

      Say you’re a Software Engineer with 5 years of experience. You’re based in Boston and skilled at Java. Here’s what the output would look like: 

      Give the calculator a try and see what you could be making with a company on Hired!

      We’ve reviewed some common parameters that contribute to how tech earnings might look. Framing what you earn around these trends may lend some insight into how your salary compares in this current hiring environment. 

      There are a lot more factors to explore including location, benefits, and being remote versus local. Check out the new State of Tech Salaries Report for all of the insights into tech salary trends and some more resources to help you navigate the market.  More

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      in Talent Acquisition

      Tech Candidate Spotlight – Rodrigo Mejia Sanchez, Senior Software Engineer

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      We’re excited to learn about your story, Rodrigo! Can you start by sharing a little bit about your educational background?

      I have a Bachelor’s in Computer Science from Georgia Tech. I had a bit of experience in programming before, but for all intents and purposes, I essentially started from scratch my freshman year of college. I have done online courses on sites such as Pluralsight, but I don’t have any certifications and would consider most of my education to come from school and on-the-job experience.

      Related: Check out our partners who offer upskilling and certification opportunities.

      Which educational opportunities have made the biggest impact on your tech career?

      Definitely my formal education. It gave me a structured learning environment with lots of resources to advance my career. I also gained many non-technical soft skills, understood how to go about engaging potential employers, and learned the “how” and “why” behind common software engineering processes.

      What would you like to learn more about?

      I would like to learn more about hardware. I personally enjoy tinkering with small microcontrollers and bare-bones computers such as Raspberry Pis and Arduinos. I’m also currently enamored by the maker movement and am trying to expand my 3D modeling/printing skills, and eventually pick up some woodworking skills too.

      What led you to pursue a career in tech?

      I went to a programming summer camp in middle school. I learned to make video games through a drag-and-drop game engine and fell in love with it. I didn’t touch it much again until college, but that summer made me certain tech was what I wanted to study and pursue.

      Related: What are the Best Programming Languages to Get a Software Developer Job?

      How has your skillset evolved over the course of your career?

      Initially, my skillset centered around a lot of theoretical knowledge and I had a focus on making “clever” code. Over time, I’ve learned that readable and easily changeable code is much more valuable. It’s easy to write new code but it’s hard to refactor and maintain it. I have also broadened my skillset with lots of Linux knowledge and that has been really valuable for debugging difficult production issues.

      If you choose to specialize in one area, what was it and why?

      I haven’t decided to specialize, but automation is a common theme in my job roles. I particularly like it because it’s often about scaling up an existing process and understanding how many different systems come together to solve a problem. Plus, it’s needed in almost all industries, so the diversity of problems keeps me engaged.

      Is your new role different from previous ones?

      I went from a large corporate financial firm, Goldman Sachs, to a small insurance tech startup called Owl.co. My title is roughly the same, but my current team/company feels much more focused. I enjoy that the work we do is directly related to the core business model, and I enjoy that the smaller size allows for more flexibility when coming up with solutions to engineering challenges.

      What are some of the things you’re most excited about in your new role or company?

      The opportunity to work within a smaller and more focused organization is a major aspect that excited me. Additionally, the prospect of being able to contribute to making an industry slightly less biased and more consumer-friendly is another plus. I had a goal in mind when seeking my next role. I wanted to work somewhere I could be proud of the product and the impact it had on people.

      What was your job search experience like before you joined Hired?

      It mainly consisted of LinkedIn recruiters reaching out to me and me applying on my own to companies I thought would be interesting. I had many traditional financial roles that recruiters reached out to me for. It was difficult to peel away from the perception that because I worked at a large financial firm, I was mainly interested in finance. I was actually more interested in working for places with an exciting product or interesting engineering problems. I wanted to turn away from finance to avoid being pigeonholed into a certain skill set or role.

      Related: Build Confidence and Take Control of Your Tech Job Search Series

      What’s your best advice for job seekers registered on the Hired platform? 

      Contrary to the “spray and pray” approach on other platforms such as LinkedIn, it makes more sense to focus on roles that actually seem interesting. I noticed that companies reaching out on Hired actually had a substantial interest already. So, it was less about casting a wide net to identify leads, and more about deciding if I could actually see myself working at the companies that contacted me. Also, being really responsive on the platform was key. I felt more eager to proceed with interviews when a company reached out on Hired as opposed to another platform.

      What would you tell someone who’s curious about Hired?

      Try it out! There’s no cost and creating a profile is really easy so you have nothing to lose. I had a really positive experience with companies and with Hired employees as they assisted me through my job search. Also, know that you can conveniently pause your profile if you find yourself with many ongoing interviews.

      Any general advice you’d like to give other tech professionals?

      Don’t be discouraged by many rejections. The technical interview is not a good measure of how good of an engineer you may be. It is simply a tool used during the recruiting process. Focus more on finding the right company for what you are looking for and you may be surprised at what you find in places you weren’t originally looking.

      Related: Get more practice with technical interviews through events like coding challenges.

      About Owl.co

      Owl.co is an enterprise software company leading a change in how insurers verify the legitimacy of claims by replacing a bias-prone and labor-intensive process with a data-driven one. Founded in 2018, Owl.co has between 51-200 employees and is headquartered in Vancouver.

      Tech Stack

      TypeScript, Clojure, Python, TensorFlow, AWS

      Benefits

      Health/dental/vision/life/disability insurance, performance bonus, 401K matching, paid time off, mentorship opportunities, flexible working hours, and more. More

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      in Talent Acquisition

      What are the Best Programming Languages to Get a Software Developer Job?

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      Hired & Exponent partner for engineering career advice video series

      Hired, along with our partner Exponent, recently completed a video series exploring such as what the best programming languages for software developers to get a job. The series featured three of our talented engineers: Nico Thiebaut, Prakash Patel, and Dan Baker, discussing subjects such as:

      How to Become a Machine Learning EngineerTop Programming Languages to Land a Job (in 2022).Engineering Manager vs. Individual Contributor (IC) Path

      Dan Baker is a former boot camper, now an Engineering Manager at Hired, a tech marketplace that matches talent with employers for roles around the world. He’s currently leading the work on the Hired Assessments product, helping candidates show their skills and find their dream jobs. 

      Based on the Hired State of Software Engineers report, these “top” skills or languages are taken from data on more than 360,000 interactions between companies and candidates on the platform. 

      Here’s a quick summary of the conversation Dan Baker had with Lucas from Exponent. To watch the full interview, scroll down to the bottom of the article.

      First, what are the top programming languages for individual contributors (IC) in software development? 

      Based on the report data: Go, Ruby on Rails, Scala, Ruby, and React Native. 

      What are the most in-demand programming skills for managers?

      Ruby on Rails, Scala, AWS, Google Cloud, and Ruby. 

      What are engineers’ favorite programming languages and skills?

      According to survey data of tech talent on the Hired platform, it’s Python, Javascript, Java, Typescript, C-Sharp, and Go.

      What did you find the most interesting about the top programming languages among developers this year?

      Well-established technologies valuable to new programmers due to their staying power

      When I got started, Ruby was the main language that was normal. It was easy for people to understand. It was the first language for a lot of people. It’s no surprise to me that Ruby on Rails, as the first usable framework, has so much popularity. 

      Today there are probably not that many projects getting started in Ruby but there are many being maintained in it. That really speaks to the legacy nature of coding. 

      Trendy or not, programming languages on the rise help employability

      What stands out to me are languages like Go and Scala because they seem to be newer languages on the rise. People aren’t learning Go and getting Go engineers because they have to. It’s because they want to build new things with Go. 

      To an extent, that’s the truth with React Native but it’s more so the nature of React dominating the front-end framework landscape.

      Do you encourage your team to regularly learn new technical skills? What skills specifically? 

      I frame my advice to my direct reports around:

      How we can position the story for the resume for their next job? What’s the best way to sell this for you to get a promotion internally? How can you sell this for yourself for your next role? 

      Usually, it’s less about the technology and more about solving a business case. That’s what will matter to the hiring manager in the future. The technology is usually secondary. 

      One of my engineers is deep in Terraform right now, another knows more about React than anybody it seems, and then another knows the ins and outs of Django in a way that probably very few people know. When I’m suggesting people learn new skills it’s really catered to the use case, 100%.

      What programming language is best for someone just learning to code?

      If I was speaking to somebody who is just starting to code, I would recommend learning Rust. It’s exciting because it’s a new language approaching programming from a very type-centric point of view and is very low-level control while having high-level usability. 

      Insight from Exponent 

      There are often technologies probably best suited to solve a particular business case and are extremely important to learn for that reason. There are also technologies probably always very popular amongst engineers, maybe because they scratch an itch and they’re kind of technically interesting but maybe they are the wrong puzzle piece or are a bit too new for whatever you’re trying to solve on the job. 

      What’s a programming language mistake?

      Many times I’ve seen companies make the wrong decision by supporting engineers to do things they’re curious about that don’t align with the business case. Then, the current business case they need to move forward is not addressed so they have to pivot to something that does make sense. The engineer maybe gets a skillset but it isn’t even that sellable – why? It never was usable at the business.

      What about jobseekers who don’t know these ‘best programming languages?’ How do you recommend they stay competitive in their job search?

      The top five skills are interesting because you get an idea of the heavy hitters and what languages people for the most. It depends on where you are in your career and how much you understand about where you want your career to go. 

      For an engineer who has a little bit of experience but has a good idea of what they want to do, I would say, look in that subset and maybe it doesn’t matter which is the top language.

      Maybe it’s more so, which programming language do you have some experience in – and will it be viable to enough potential employers? Looking at this list, I guarantee the people who are best at Scala don’t know much about React Native. 

      Tip from Exponent

      Most engineers won’t become an expert in all of these. You definitely want to assess where your own experience is and take it based on that. 

      Can you describe how Hired Technical Assessments are designed to assess a candidate’s technical ability? How can jobseekers do well in technical assessments?

      Benefits of Hired Assessments

      My advice to any potential client using the product is to understand what an online technical assessment can do and what it can’t. The biggest value add is not that you’re going to get an automated answer to whether this candidate is right for the role. 

      You’re going to have an asynchronous interaction. A candidate’s going to do the assessment when it makes sense for them. The employer is going to review their work when it makes sense for them, that’s first and foremost. 

      Employers can review their work, and playback how they completed it. They can see if the candidate is within an acceptable range of performance, and how they executed problems. See what kind of approaches they took and if it makes sense to you (the employer). See if they are using coding patterns successfully demonstrating a level of expertise. 

      Benefits to jobseekers

      Candidates have the opportunity to show their thinking more than simply trying to solve the problem. In some cases, employers are looking, getting so many good candidates that they’re only able to look at the top one percent of them. 

      However, in these cases, no one really enjoys or does well in a game where only the top 1% are winning. You want to find a smaller pond where you can actually show a connection to the employer and show that you thought out your work. 

      For candidates, unfortunately, with the state of the industry and in online assessments, LeetCode reigns supreme. I recommend brushing up on that because that’s what most of these products are geared towards. 

      I do see a trend slowly moving away from purely LeetCode questions to framework-based questions that include a file system to find the bug, fix the bug, create a new file, and add a new pattern. 

      That’s where we see candidates thinking creatively and how they actually interact within an existing structure. That’s going to be more valuable – showing employers how you’re going to actually perform in the role. rather than you can do Fizz-buzz or bubble sort.

      Insight from Exponent

      In my own experience, I have seen more interviews where the company crafted a test case that more closely mirrored a real-world coding situation in which you had to diagnose a bug in a code base that probably looked like their actual code base.

      With that comes the impression that they care about your time and like to test skills that closely match what you’re going to do on the job. This is a bit different than the more esoteric LeetCode tests that you may be doing. I think it feels more valuable from a candidate’s perspective.

      Interviewing advice for software developers

      I think that’s something candidates need to be aware of as they choose which companies they engage with. As somebody interviewing a candidate I know I am selling as much as I am evaluating. Candidates should get a sense of how well the company they are interviewing with is selling them. 

      If they’re not selling you at all, what does that tell you about the company and the culture you’d enter? On the other hand, if they’re selling you 100%, they’re not really evaluating. What does that tell you about the mess you’d enter? 

      There’s a healthy balance where employers care about you and the experience you’re having, while also asking meaningful questions relevant to the role.

      Candidates should know who they want to interact with but it’s also really important for employers to ensure they’re creating an experience that makes a candidate feel safe in the context of their whole life cycle, from candidate to employee, to ex-employee. 

      Tip from Exponent

      The technical interview experience you go through is, to some degree, a proxy of the engineering culture you may enter. It can be the best signal you have before you sign the paper.

      Ask, where is the demand?

      One takeaway from looking at this is to understand where the demand is and how important it is to find the right demand/supply ratio. That could be one. If there’s one person that needs one engineer of one type, then there you go. You can get that role and you can be happily ever after at that company. 

      If you just choose the one most in demand, it also might be the most candidates going after that skill set as well. What you see yourself doing matters most because ultimately when you get the role you have to show up and do the work. So find something you’re interested in. That’s where you’re going to thrive and succeed long term.

      Insight from Exponent

      If you have spent the last five years working in databases and think you need to learn React to be employable but your passion is databases, then that might not be the technology to learn.

      Learn more languages 

      It’s easy to think back on when you learned the language that you actually made your bread and butter with, it was hard to learn and you probably don’t want to do that again. The truth is that with every year that passes, the way people learn coding languages is better and easier than it was the year before. Remember when Stack Overflow changed the game? There’s a time that didn’t even exist. You couldn’t ask a question – you’d get an odd forum and esoteric responses or you’d have to open a paper book. So, learn a little bit about more languages and realize you’re never pigeonholed to one.

      Tip from Exponent

      The first language you learn is going to be the hardest but after that, you establish mental models and understand how to read documentation. It’ll be much easier to pick up new technologies after mastering one or two.

      Understand concepts in programming  

      Learning more languages also speaks to how much you start understanding real, valuable concepts in programming. I recommend the book, Learning Javascript Design Patterns. It reviews what you need to do to write really complex code. There is the specific stuff like hoisting but also polymorphism, ways to curry different functions to build into other ones, and there’s direct inheritance.

      Understanding deeper patterns will make you a stronger programmer and enable you to do more powerful things. When an interviewer looks at a submission and says, “Oh they’re currying a function. That’s an interesting approach.” Even if you aren’t able to do it, if employers watch it (which we really encourage our clients to do), they’ll see you know your chops. At the end of the day, no business is making money by having a programmer who can write fizz-buzz the fastest. 

      Ready to complete a free profile and sit back while employers search for you? Learn how Hired works for jobseekers!

      Click below to watch the full interview, including when Dan and Exponent’s Lucas fall down a rabbit hole discussing the relationship between javascript, cryptocurrency, and building blockchain. 

      [embedded content] More

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      in Talent Acquisition

      Tech Candidate Spotlight – Ricardo Xavier, Software Engineer

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      Thanks for joining us, Ricardo! Can you share a little bit about your educational background?

      I have my Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science and I later pursued a Masters degree in Distributed Systems, which I completed in 2019.

      Which educational opportunities have made the biggest impact on your tech career?

      My Bachelor’s degree was the experience that really shaped my way of thinking when approaching problems. It made me realise building software is more than making something fulfill a basic functionality. It is also about fulfilling non-functional requirements and thinking ahead about possible issues we may encounter during the whole software lifecycle.

      What would you like to learn more about?

      Taking into account my new position in software engineering, I would like to dig into some of the most common databases and how they work internally. Non-tech related, I would like to read more about soft skills like time management.

      What led you to pursue a career in tech?

      My interest in solving problems using software and my natural curiosity about things are the two main reasons behind my pursuit of a tech career. Since I was a child, I knew what I wanted to do when I was older. I was lucky to have a computer at an early age.

      This unlocked my passion for computers and since then, I’ve spent a lot of time in front of a screen. However, I only began coding in high school and by then, I already knew I wanted to study Computer Science at university.

      Related: Hired Releases 2022 State of Software Engineers Data Report

      How has your skillset evolved over the course of your career?

      It’s definitely still evolving. I feel like there is a lot to learn. Initially, I felt having knowledge gaps wasn’t okay but with time I’ve realized it is totally fine – I just need to continue working on filling the gaps.

      If you chose to specialize in one area, what was it and why?

      I chose to specialise in Distributed Systems. I am fascinated by the problems that arise when software needs to scale up and how every little detail can make the difference in these systems.

      Is your new role different from previous ones?

      It’s completely different. Previously, I worked for one of the top low code platforms on the market. My role was to ensure that one of the high availability services was fully operational all the time and I was tasked with incrementally adding functionality to it.

      My new position is a data-centric engineering position in which the biggest challenges are connected to ingesting and processing big loads of data.

      Related: Tech Candidate Spotlight – Kyle Mercer

      What are some of the things you’re most excited about in your new role?

      Making software that scales with large volumes of data is something that excites me. Entering this new area that I don’t know a lot about is also a great opportunity for learning.

      What was your job search experience like before you joined Hired?

      I’ve only been through the job search once after college. It was the traditional way of finding a job where I created a CV and searched for positions on numerous websites. It was a tiring and frustrating experience.

      What’s your best advice for job seekers registered on the Hired platform? 

      Build a strong profile! Highlight your best achievements, show the impact you had in your previous job experiences, and share the value you can bring to a new company. If you have a hard time assessing your impact, ask for a second opinion from someone who has worked closely with you.

      They will probably be able to identify things you’ve done that impacted the team/company positively. Remember that a team achievement is also your achievement, so I encourage you to share those achievements with the world.

      What would you tell someone who’s curious about Hired?

      If you’re looking for a job in tech, give it a try. You have high chances of finding a great match for your profile. Hired is new to HRs in my local area so I was unsure of whether I would find something that would match my profile and skills here. However, I was surprised to see Hired got me my best offer after searching for jobs on multiple platforms. It has brought me here so I definitely recommend that you try it out.

      Any general advice you’d like to give other tech professionals?

      The best advice I can give a tech professional was given to me a few years ago at a college conference: Take half an hour each week to learn about and work on yourself. It will bring huge benefits in the long run, and you should focus on learning both hard and soft skills.

      About LandTech

      LandTech is a software company building B2B SaaS Products for the Property Industry, empowering property developers to build the places that communities need to thrive. Founded in 2014, LandTech has between 51-200 employees and is headquartered in London.

      Tech Stack

      Node.js, MongoDB, EC2, JavaScript, Vue.JS, AWS, Kubernetes, Elasticsearch, TypeScript, Test Driven Development (TDD), Continuous Integration (CI), Continuous Delivery (CD), DevOps, PostgreSQL

      Benefits

      Health/dental/vision/life/disability insurance, maternity and paternity benefits, unlimited time off, tuition reimbursement, conferences reimbursement, flexible working hours, and more. More

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      in Talent Acquisition

      Tech Candidate Spotlight – Graham Hensley, Senior Engineering Manager

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      Hi Graham! Can you tell us about your educational background?

      I got a traditional degree in Computer Science several years before the introduction of the first iPhone. I taught myself Android application development through reading the books of Reto Meier and attending conferences and meetup groups. I naturally found my way into leadership over the course of my career because I never had a problem explaining tech to non-tech people. 

      Which, if any, educational opportunities, have made the biggest impact on your tech career?

      I have learned the most from meetup groups and gathering with fellow hobbyists and professionals. Passion can be contagious, so hanging out in groups where everyone is motivated to learn and develop a skill will give you the energy to keep going. 

      What would you like to learn more about?

      I’ve been pushing myself to better understand the crypto field and writing smart contracts in Solidity. 

      Related: What’s the Deal with Web 3.0 & How Does it Affect Tech Talent?, Partners for Upskilling

      What led you to pursue a career in tech?

      My parents were both in the field and understood how much it would be a part of the future. They made sure I was always exposed to tech. My first computer was an IBM 386. My parents showed me how I could use code to make the computer play guessing games with me.

      How has your skillset evolved over the course of your career?

      I wouldn’t say I’ve chased fads, but as the world has changed from Windows apps to websites, mobile apps, and crypto contracts, I have been following along and trying to adapt to what companies and consumers want. 

      Is your new role different from previous ones?

      This new role is a change of industry. I went from being the manager of a team of Application Developers to being a manager of a team of Hardware and Firmware Engineers. 

      What are some of the things you’re most excited about in your new role and company?

      The opportunity to learn new things. After 3 years at my last gig, I didn’t feel like I was growing and I felt that I was just maintaining the status quo. It’s great to be outside of my comfort zone and learning new processes and acronyms. I was also worried that my skills would not transfer over and that somehow I had plateaued. However, it’s been very reassuring to change companies and still feel like I know how to make an impact.

      What was your job search experience like before you joined Hired?

      It was slow. I was searching over the web, looking for job descriptions that felt right. I was constantly writing intro letters and dealing with no or slow responses from companies. 

      What’s your best advice for job seekers registered on the Hired platform?

      Follow the site guides to get your profile in good shape – and then relax. The process works and you will start hearing about really interesting opportunities.

      What would you tell someone who’s curious about Hired?

      Try it!! 

      About Mason America

      Mason America is a software development company transforming mobile deployments the same way AWS transformed website development, making it easy for anyone to turn an idea into a smart product and ship it to anywhere in the world. Mason has between 51-200 employees and is headquartered in Seattle, Washington.

      Tech Stack

      Android, Node.JS, AWS, Python, AOSP, Git, Terraform, Ansible, Kubernetes, Docker

      Benefits

      Health/dental/vision/life/disability insurance, maternity and paternity benefits, fitness reimbursement, mental health benefits, flexible working hours, matching charitable donations, and more. More

    • 88 Shares149 Views

      in Talent Acquisition

      How to Become a Machine Learning Engineer

      by

      Hired & Exponent Partner for Engineering Career Advice Video Series

      Hired recently completed a video series with our partner Exponent, featuring three of our talented engineers: Nico Thiebaut, Prakash Patel, and Dan Baker. They discussed topics such as:

      How to Become a Machine Learning EngineerEngineering Manager vs. Individual Contributor PathTop Programming Languages to Land a Job (in 2022).

      Here’s a quick summary of the first one! To watch the full interview, scroll down to the bottom of the article.

      How has the Machine Learning and AI career path changed over time and what’s behind that evolution?

      It’s constantly evolving. There’s a clear shift from machine learning and pure data science to a more holistic approach to roles. As companies collect more and more data, it’s inevitable to try to build predictive models. I think it’s a natural result of the age of data collection.

      What kind of education, technical knowledge, and soft skills are necessary for machine learning engineers?

      Success is achieved as a machine learning engineer from various backgrounds. Even though the role has been around for some time, it still feels new. While we look for diversity on our team, we try to hire people whose strengths will combine well with existing team members.

      Educationally, solid understanding of computer science and math is standard. In addition, I’d say:

      experience with software developmenta sense for businessstatistical modeling skillsunderstanding probabilitiesgreat at managing dataunderstanding DevOps is helpfulhow to develop and deploy models to production smoothly.

      No one person is skilled at all of these equally. It’s incredibly difficult to find someone who would check all of these boxes immediately, but I suggest spending the time to develop these skills in a basic way, at a minimum. Then, figure out which areas really drive you and find a team that needs that energy. Because machine learning is changing all the time, it’s likely you’ll find a time that’s a fit for your skillset.

      Are there computer science degrees and certifications for Data Science and Machine Learning?

      It’s a common mistake for companies to require machine learning degrees. Why? They’re relatively new, so there are few people with those specific credentials. Frankly, the demand for engineers with an ML degree doesn’t match the supply.

      A lot of folks, myself included, come to machine learning engineering from quantitative fields. I have a PhD in physics. On our team, we have people with computer science, traditional software engineering, and mathematics backgrounds. They’ve all moved into an ML role well. You don’t need a specific degree to be successful, it seems very open to various experiences.

      How can you pivot from different engineering fields? Which roles might be easiest?

      While pretty flexible, I’d say traditional software engineers who remember math concepts well probably have the easiest time and quickest path to success. Another extremely useful and valuable transferrable skill is the craft of software engineering. It can take a long time to develop that.

      So, if you’re someone who has, you’ve got a big headstart. More ML engineer practitioners strengthen software development skills as they become more experienced, obviously. So, if you’re a software engineer, the pivot is a natural one.

      What do machine learning interviews typically look like?

      Generally, they resemble interviews for software engineering roles. It commonly starts with a couple of technical interviews. You may meet with a cross-functional stakeholder, someone you’d likely work with on a project. This person might be from a department like Revenue, or Product Marketing and less technical.

      The interview with the hiring manager may be toward the end. As for the technical portions, they’re commonly divided into software development and algorithms. The direct machine learning portion may use math concepts more directly.

      What are the biggest career growth opportunities in the machine learning AI space?

      There’s so many! Regarding modeling, dealing with textual data and natural language processing (NLP) are big. If you haven’t heard of the transformers revolution, it’s a new collection models incredibly efficient at comprehending language.

      As for machine learning, MLOps is one to watch. At the crossroads of machine learning and DevOps, we’re seeing more and more roles in companies. Teams need someone who knows how to plan and execute deployment efficiently.

      There’s also room for generalists. Machine learning skills are highly transferrable.

      Related: In a survey of software engineers on Hired’s platform, they identified the hottest trend in tech as AI, Machine Learning, and Big Data, with 55.1% of respondents ranking it first. (Hired’s 2022 State of Software Engineers.)

      What are the most important skills to develop as your machine learning career grows?

      Versatility and curiosity! Because the field is changing and growing quickly, keep learning! Learn the new techniques for modeling, technologies, the foundations – all of it. Don’t box yourself in by investing too much time in any one technology.

      Watch the complete interview here:

      [embedded content] More

    • 100 Shares119 Views

      in Talent Acquisition

      Wayfair Invests in Technology Teams Across North America

      by

      Online Retailer Opens Four New Tech Hubs in Seattle, Austin, Toronto, and the Bay Area

      In order to continue to recruit the best technical talent from across North America, Wayfair announced in 2021 plans to invest in technology teams with four new locations in key cities. These Technology Development Centers (TDCs) in Seattle, Austin, San Francisco Bay Area and Toronto, Canada have dramatically opened up their technical pool to a wider and more diverse audience. They’ve already resulted in hundreds of new employees in these regions. 

      Roles include infrastructure engineers, software engineers, experience designers, data scientists, analysts, and product managers. These roles play a huge part in a variety of solutions, from emerging machine learning and data science techniques that help Wayfair customers find the perfect product within their 22 million+ item inventory.

      Initiatives also include innovative merchandising powering brilliant, inspiring product imagery, to platforms helping suppliers to grow their business by reaching customers more effectively. 

      Related: Wayfair scored so well on equitable, efficient, and transparent hiring processes, they ranked in the Top 10 Enterprise companies (US) on Hired’s 2021 List of Top Employers Winning Tech Talent.

      Why Wayfair is Great Place to Grow Your Tech Career

      Austin TDC Project Manager Kanya McCann says, “Wayfair is full of opportunities and growth in the tech space. With so many different orgs across the enterprise, you could venture to learn something new in every space.

      In my time here, I have worked in several organizations that I have never been able to before (i.e. Supply Chain and Legal, just to name a couple).”

      Wayfair Culture

      Leopoldo Hernandez Oliva, a software engineer at the Austin TDC agrees. “Wayfair is a magnificent place for anyone that is new or well-seasoned in the tech industry. You’ll find Wayfair’s culture is inclusive, fun, and super supportive. 

      This is my first tech job. Before joining Wayfair I had held different roles in teaching, customer service and even providing applied behavioral therapy. The interviewing process was pretty straightforward and I was helped by recruitment along the way. I relocated from Boston to Texas and I was given plenty of time to do so.

      Once at Wayfair, you’ll find the vibe pretty relaxed and the org structure super cohesive. We work in small teams composed of highly tenured to the new talent, like me.

      Ramp up was individually tailored and I was made to feel like my work contributed to the overall success of the team at large.

      Wayfair’s main office is located at the heart of Boston, MA., right inside Copley Square Mall. There are tons of things to do around the area. Wayfair also has offices in California and Texas, and is expanding soon to Seattle and Toronto.  Wonderful cities that are vibrant and at the vanguard of tech advancement.”

      “Wayfair Tech is a great place for talented and smart individuals to work and have fun while doing it,” adds Jill Tonelli, Waybassador Program Manager. “We are constantly solving fast paced challenges and working together as a team across many different functions and skill sets. 

      More Than an Onboarding Buddy, the Waybassador Program is Integral to Wayfair Culture Within Technology Teams

      Jill Tonelli explains, “the Waybassador program was created to ensure the Wayfair culture is instilled in the new Tech Development Centers opening up across the US. It is exciting and different than a traditional buddy program because it is likely the Waybassador’s first time living in the new location too; as many Waybassdors moved.” 

      “My situation is unique in that I was hired in the beginning of the pandemic, so I interviewed remotely, was hired remotely and have been remote since my onboarding,” says Kanya McCann. “For me, the Waybassador Program differs in that someone is “dedicated” to you. 

      It’s an unbiased person to get you ingrained in the Wayfair culture and welcome you. That person is someone specific that you can build a relationship with and really get to know.” 

      Leopoldo Hernandez Oliva says,”the Waybassador program aims to pair tenured Wayfairians with new hires at the newly aforementioned locations. New Wayfarians continue onboarding procedures according to their individual team but Waybassadors review with them culture expectations, in and outs about the company as a whole and provide moral support to them along their journey. Think of it as a supporting hand and personal cheerleader for their tenure at Wayfair.”

      Typical Waybassador Activities

      As the TDC’s fully opened, Waybassadors connected with new hires in the offices in many ways. These include coffee chats, office happy hours, and networking events. Toronto TDC Site Lead Silvia Fernandes notes they also plan location-specific events to help create and foster relationships.

      How Wayfair Chooses Waybassadors

      Silvia Fernandes explains. “The Waybassasors are existing employees who voluntarily relocate to the TDCs to support the development of Wayfair’s culture, values, People Principles, and working norms into our new offices.

      “They are selected based on their proven track record of upholding our People Principles and helping make Wayfair the top destination for technical talent,” adds Jill Tonelli. 

      Wayfair’s People Principles

      On an episode of Hired’s popular podcast, Talk Talent to Me, Wayfair Chief People Officer Kate Gulliver describes some of the nine principles. 

      “One of my favorites is to collaborate effectively. We believe collaboration is core to our success, our teams are very matrixed, and so to work effectively, and [cross-functionally], get the alignment you need, and also be transparent in the information you’re sharing, so a team in another group can actually help support and provide value to you.” 

      “Another one of our ‘People Principles’ is to respect others. We think it’s important how you interact with each other daily and show up with the expectation that the person across from you is doing their best. We describe it as assuming good intent. 

      Assume the person across from you is approaching the problem differently and you need to collaborate effectively to deliver results with agility. But overall, you’re both trying to do the right thing for Wayfair.”

      Editor’s note: since the podcast episode aired, Wayfair appointed Kate Gulliver as incoming Chief Financial Officer (CFO) and Chief Administrative Officer (CAO) as CFO Michael Fleisher plans his retirement.

      People Principles in Action

      In a recent webinar, “Behind the Scenes at Wayfair: Team Culture & Engineering Insights,” Head of Product & Design Mark Schmitz also spoke of the People Principles.

      “One of the most exciting ones for me is a relentless focus on the customer and the outcome. Secondly, we’ve, like a lot of businesses, have had a lot of macro influences, requiring us to adjust our approach, and especially at our scale, it’s been pretty amazing. 

      So, our principle to ‘adapt and grow’ is super critical for us to be successful, especially in supply chain. This culture supporting a willingness to iterate is, I think, unique to Wayfair, based on the amount of ‘boomerangs,’ on my team specifically. People who’ve left come back telling me, [we] ‘just need more of the fast pace we get at Wayfair.” 

      Empower Teams

      Director of Supply Chain Visibility & Planning Anurag Rohatgi added how important it is to empower teams to make decisions and be flexible.

       “As they’re going down the path they have defined OKRs, objectives, and key results, but we learn a lot through the journey.

      We often have to pivot, iterate, and with our culture of flexibility, teams can recalibrate the targets. We’re a data-driven company, so we certainly use data to our advantage. 

      Collaborate Effectively

      Associate Director of Product Management Carmen Valdivia was quick to weigh in on effective collaboration.

      “I would say it’s rare we’re not working on a cross-functional initiative, based on where we are in supply chain and fulfillment. Aligning on objectives is key, probably number one. Plus, we understand the dependencies across the different teams. Everyone is empathetic when issues and challenges happen because they’re going to happen.” 

      Learn more about the People Principles at Wayfair.

      The Difference Waybassadors Make for New Employees

      “Working at Wayfair is very gratifying,” says Vick Castillo. “Since I started as a Salesforce Developer, I have had the support of a mentor and my team, who have helped me to do my work better. 

      They have also helped me understand the impact and value of the effort we do as a team for the company. I belong to a fantastic team constantly giving ideas, opportunities and challenges. This makes me grow professionally.”

      Wayfair Connects Employees and Communities

      One example is with one of Wayfair’s longest standing nonprofit partners, Habitat for Humanity International. The organization focuses on helping lower income families build strength, stability and self-reliance through affordable homeownership. 

      Wayfair employees will have the opportunity to sign up for Habitat for Humanity builds in our Austin and Toronto markets. A Habitat “build” day is a one-day volunteer event, where employees gather together and work on a home. Work might include construction, framing, painting, cleaning, landscaping etc. The organization collaborates with a family in need of a home; working together on the “sweat equity.” 

      These events allow employees to get together and bond with their teams. It also connects back to Wayfair’s larger mission of helping anyone, anywhere create their feeling of home. For people new to the area, possibly relocated, it’s a great opportunity to make connections in their new city.

      Professional Development is Integral to Wayfair Employee Success

      In Hired’s 2021 State of Tech Salaries report, tech talent surveyed ranked ‘professional development/tuition reimbursement’ high on their list of desired benefits. At Wayfair, they offer a variety of development opportunities whether you’re an individual contributor or a people manager. 

      Developing Leaders

      Wayfair offers development programs tailored to leaders at various levels starting with those aspiring to lead others. Designed to be the first step in an individual management development training journey, the Aspire program is available to all employees. 

      Emerge is for first-time people managers, or managers new to the organization. There’s also Emerge for Senior leaders, as well as the RISE program focused on development for senior leaders.

      Individuals Making a Difference

      “I haven’t seen any limitations on professional development within my group,” says Kanya. “We use DEAL (drop everything and learn) on a weekly basis. Plus, we have access to almost any platform of training you can imagine ( ie. Linkedin Learning, Pluralsight, Learn@Work). In addition to the CBT classes, leadership encourages me to attend at least one conference a year, of my choice. The opportunity to grow my professional career is endless and welcomed.”

      ”We are committed to Adapt & Grow through continuous self-development as an organization,” agrees Silvia Fernandes. “In addition to the e-learning platforms, we have virtual/in person training sessions and a tuition reimbursement.” 

      Leopoldo has also been pleased with the professional development options. “Wayfair provides many ways to upskill and stay sharp. I personally take advantage of their tuition reimbursement policy.  We also have access to PluralSight, LinkedIn learning and our hub with guided tutorials called “learn@work.”

      Eager to Learn More about Wayfair’s investment in technology teams and culture? Listen to this on-demand webinar “Behind the Scenes at Wayfair; Team Culture & Engineering.”

      Then complete your profile on Hired to be eligible for interview requests from great companies like Wayfair.

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      About Wayfair

      Wayfair is the destination for all things home: helping everyone, anywhere create their feeling of home. From expert customer service, to the development of tools that make the shopping process easier, to carrying one of the widest and deepest selections of items for every space, style, and budget, Wayfair gives everyone the power to create spaces that are just right for them.

      The Wayfair family of brands includes:

      Wayfair: Everything home – for a space that’s all you.Joss & Main: The ultimate style edit for home.AllModern: All of modern, made simple.Birch Lane: A fresh take on the classics.Perigold: An undiscovered world of luxury design.Wayfair Professional: Just right for Pros.

      Wayfair generated $13.2 billion for the twelve months ended March 31, 2022. Headquartered in Boston, Massachusetts with operations throughout North America and Europe, Wayfair employs approximately 18,000 people.

      Editor’s note: Thank you to Wayfair for inaugurating our new Employer Spotlight series! More