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0 pointsjameshart4y ago0 comments

I mean, it’s not surprising that people who are doing well in the contract market like the contract market.

For my part, I literally left the UK in part because the industry there was so geared towards contract work or boutique contract houses as the only viable career path for senior developers. It’s just not for everyone. I like staying with a product team and building and owning stuff; I like companies that build their technology in-house rather than outsourcing; I like being able to shape what the technology team contributes to the business rather than respond to already-baked RFPs. I like stock-based comp.

The UK tech job market is very well suited to certain kinds of developers and certain kinds of relationships between businesses (and frequently government organizations) and their technology providers.

It’s not the only way though.

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Nursie4y ago

I certainly agree that the UK market for senior tech people is very poor, you're right that past a certain point the only way to keep advancing in your career and keep raising your income is to strike out on your own this way.

I think it's incredibly short-sighted, but a lot of British businesses treat their software staff as equivalent to generic office inhabitants, rather than highly skilled software practitioners. They also seem to treat their tech staff like children.

kwdc4y ago

Ah yes, the "highly skilled engineer paid at great expense but not allowed to have an extra pen" problem. Sounds ridiculous until you go and need to almost beg to get a pen.

facorreia4y ago

Oh this triggered some memories! Yes, I've worked for companies that made you return the old pen to get a new one.

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mschuster914y ago

> I think it's incredibly short-sighted, but a lot of British businesses treat their software staff as equivalent to generic office inhabitants, rather than highly skilled software practitioners. They also seem to treat their tech staff like children.

This is not just true for British businesses... it's common worldwide across everything that's not a tech startup. The older the people in management are, the less likely they are to even understand what the younger staff is talking about.

German Mittelstand is infamous for this - they're roadblocked on one side by the government bending over backwards to impede proper buildout of real broadband across the country and not just in cities, and on the other side by 80+ aged patriarchs who still are dictating business communication in an audio recorder for their secretaries to type down. These pre-Boomer fossils are only focused on micromanagement and keeping control until the day they literally die, and the Boomer generation isn't much more modern either.

The result? Humble startups led by young people of a diverse background are eating their lunch left and right, and the Boomer+older generation are standing still, scratching their heads and wondering what's going on.

heywherelogingo4y ago

What do software staff have to do with laying rural fibre infrastructure? What do octogenarians have to do with software managers who these days are usually younger than the engineers, either because they went straight into management having negligible interest in tech, or because they soon found out they weren't any good at implementation?

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dopidopHN4y ago

That why I can’t stand contracting. If you treat your team like children they are gonna behave like it.

Also: no accountability of decision. Fire a few people and keep pushing harder. Never smarter.

This does not convey to quality product. It convey to pass arbitrary deadlines with half the team gone and the other ready to switch project.

Terrible knowledge management, too.

Emigre_4y ago

I’ve had a similar impression, I think. What kinds of developers, and relationships, if you don’t mind elaborating on your reply?... Thanks

raverbashing4y ago

Curious, where are you located right now and did the market there cater to your expectations of less contract work?

jameshartOP4y ago

I’m in the US, in the Boston area, and yes: I have been successful in growing my career within tech companies.

We build software businesses here. The UK should try it some time.

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