How to Catch up after Career Change?

Sarah11 on 02/04/2021 - 19:33
Last edited 02/04/2021 - 20:04 by 1 other user

Hi,

I'm a 35 year old woman, about graduate with an eng/cs degree. I've secured a graduate role in a top tech company after having done an internship there previously. I'm applying for other graduate programs as well, as the tech company is not my preferred choice although the salary is very good. No other offers at this stage.

As a career changer, I'm very conscious of the fact that I have less time to develop a great career. Coming from a completely different background, I feel that I have to work so much harder to catch up on the years I wasted in my former (unrelated) career.

What can do to accelerate my career and make up for lost time? I have no kids or family, so I'm happy to work 80-100 hours a week. I'm happy to work 24/7 and never take leave if it will benefit my career. I've also put in an application to do my masters in the evenings online (although people say a masters makes little difference). My ultimate goal is to start as a software engineer, and work up to CTO, executive partner or even higher, as quickly as I can. It is not the money, it is thought of being successful that drives to be so ambitious. I don't want anything else in life.

For people in the industry, what can I do given that I am starting my career so late? What can I do to better my career while I wait to start the graduate program in Jan next year? Is it too late for me to achieve any of these goals?

Thanks

Education & Work

Comments

  • GourmetFoodie on 02/04/2021 - 20:05
    +3

    This
    “I have no kids or family, so I'm happy to work 80-100 hours a week. I'm happy to work 24/7 and never take leave if it will benefit my career.”

    Is what will get you there.

    Provided you are with the right firm.

    Most people in their 30s are trying to catch family time after slogging it through their 20s so the fact you are “available” will stand out. Put your hand up for extra projects. Start early, finish late.

    Personally I’d skip the masters as generally you can achieve more by using that time to work harder in the office or go out and network.

    On the networking note, go to every single work drinks etc.

    You can make up for lost time because you have life experience that younger grads don’t so you can work harder AND smarter. You’ll be surprised how your past career may benefit you in the role as well.

    The one thing I say though is if the firm isn’t rewarding you fast and recognizing your talent and hard work, then you need to leave. Some of the bigger tech companies are very political and will make you “wait your turn” even if you have far outgrown your role and proven your worth. You’d be better in that instance getting 1-3 years experience under your belt then moving to a startup who is past the first financing rounds with a proven product and market fit. Way easier and faster to move up the ladder in such an environment.

  • onetwothreefour on 02/04/2021 - 20:17
    +42

    There's more to life than working.

    • Donaldhump on 02/04/2021 - 23:49
      +4

      yes, 14 hours on ozbargain a day

      • onetwothreefour on 03/04/2021 - 09:47
        +1

        Nah 24/7

        • SF3 on 03/04/2021 - 23:35

          Some of the mods here appears follow that pattern.

      • Telios on 03/04/2021 - 16:00
        +1

        You leave jv alone

    • Hardlyworkin on 03/04/2021 - 16:37

      Exactly :)

  • BertieBrown on 02/04/2021 - 20:29
    +8

    I don’t think it’s ever too late to do anything really.

    That being said, I do wonder if you’re focusing too much on working. 80-100 hours a week is a lot, and leaves little time for fulfilment in other areas of your life.

    I understand that you’re seeking to be ambitious, but it’s also important to take care of your own mental health.

    Society puts so much pressure on people to be successful, to make it. A lot of people later in life reflect and wish they’d spent more time doing the things that they enjoy, rather than just working.

    That’s just my thoughts.

    • Chewie on 02/04/2021 - 23:51
      +2

      Although I agree with you, ultimately success should really be defined by oneself, and that Life tends to either change or tweak it. The OP will find out soon enough whether her original idea is what her ultimate goal is and what the trade off is.

    • OZBargainer in SA on 03/04/2021 - 09:22

      You're right. So many people get to middle/old age and realise that work/money are no substitutes for the rest of the things in life.
      " I've never heard a dying soul
      Wish that he had taken
      More time on his portfolio"
      - DC Talk

  • Platinumtelecom on 02/04/2021 - 20:30
    +1

    Perhaps unrelated to your question, but what is the end goal for you? Is it to earn as much as possible? And if so, what are you planning to do with the money? Retire early?

    Working 100hrs, surely you have an ultimate goal that would make it worth it.

    • Sarah11 on 02/04/2021 - 21:02
      +1

      Money is not a motivation, don't care about it. Career progression is everything to me.

      • brendanm on 02/04/2021 - 21:22
        +1

        Why?

        • Sarah11 on 02/04/2021 - 21:35
          +1

          It makes me happy. I love my career.

          • brendanm on 02/04/2021 - 21:36
            +7

            @Sarah11: You haven't even started it yet?

            • Sarah11 on 02/04/2021 - 21:39

              @brendanm: I worked there for 4 months as an intern.

              • brendanm on 02/04/2021 - 21:40
                +13

                @Sarah11: As I said, you haven't started it yet.

                • Sarah11 on 02/04/2021 - 21:42

                  @brendanm: No, but I've been doing engineering at uni for 4 years. It is my absolute passion in life. I don't expect everyone to understand.

                  • brendanm on 02/04/2021 - 21:47
                    +6

                    @Sarah11: If engineering is your passion, why would you want to be a ceo? Doesn't add up.

                    • Sarah11 on 02/04/2021 - 21:50

                      @brendanm: Ideally a technical director (CTO), but am also open to other positions as well. Ultimately I was to be in a position of responsibility in a tech company. I want to make decisions about technology and business (they go together).

                      • brendanm on 03/04/2021 - 15:02

                        @Sarah11: How many years of actual experience do you think you'll require before you have the expertise to tell others how to do their jobs?

              • SBOB on 03/04/2021 - 11:29

                @Sarah11:

                I worked there for 4 months as an intern.

                Ahh…to be fresh and motivated again.
                It's great to have aspirations , but in reality you haven't even started a 'career', and there is plenty of time for disappointment, burn out, and general apathy to come :)

  • somethingdarkside12 on 02/04/2021 - 20:41
    +3

    I don't want to discourage you, but I will give you an honest perspective.

    It's great to have ambition (I am much the same), but if you are promising to slog these crazy hours you will burn out in 2 years and end up hating IT/leaving the industry. Some people can interpret ambition as a threat so remember to tone it down a notch until you know your manager/colleagues personalities well enough.

    You need experience before you can get anywhere near first level/frontline management. For this level of management you MUST have outstanding technical skills in the area because if you don't, you will struggle to properly understand the decisions you are making for your team/org (this only leads to morale and performance issues). You must also have a level of business acumen and be able to network well. As the old adage says, ICT is a "boys club" somewhat so assimilating and getting past that glass ceiling can be difficult.
    I would expect technical staff to have MINIMUM 5 years of relevant subject matter experience before applying for these roles unless there are extenuating circumstances.

    Middle management requires less technical skills and more business skills. I see a lot of project managers slot in here because middle management is about developing and maintaining continuity of service in some respect (which is basically ongoing project management). These hours are long, but also emotionally exhausting. Most people stop here because the pay is decent and any further up usually means even more hours for arguably marginally more pay.

    If you want a true CTO position (managing middle/senior managers) you have to be in big business. Startups won't cut it because the organisational dynamics are just so different. Only exception to that is if you are at a startup that becomes ridiculously successful (Atlassian?) - as I understand it, that isn't common place.

    • serpserpserp on 02/04/2021 - 21:02
      +1

      Atlassian

      You absolutely don't need to be as big as those guys to have a CTO position in your org structure.

      • somethingdarkside12 on 02/04/2021 - 21:09
        +1

        Ah let me clarify, if you want to become a CTO at a startup and then translate that over to a large business (where they have enough tiered management to make it so) that startup has to be well known and decently successful in industry.

        Smaller orgs with CTO positions are rarely considered as such despite the labeling and usually result in a (glorified) ICT Manager with a few technical reports.

    • Sarah11 on 02/04/2021 - 21:04

      I'll be joining a faang company.

      • serpserpserp on 02/04/2021 - 21:14

        If it is G in faang, it is very difficult to catapult your career to the top. Could be easier if you want to move to the States though. But then do you want to risk not making it to your 40th birthday?

        • Sarah11 on 02/04/2021 - 21:16

          I would move to Syria if it helped my career. Don't care about making it to 40.

      • somethingdarkside12 on 02/04/2021 - 21:22

        I haven't worked directly in those organisations but know many colleagues (and some direct reports, albeit previously) who have.

        The culture (ie pool table/after work drinks) and allure at these places attracts top talent. We are talking people who are truly exceptional at what they do. Sometimes this can work in your favour as other staff may not have good business or interpersonal skills and other times it will benchmark where your talent and enthusiasm really sit relative to everyone else - this can lead to some realizations and perhaps discontent.
        Politics are especially rife, continuous technical learning is expected and there may be some low key sexism/ageism too - that last one is more a comment on industry rather than individual company however.

        I would still expect a number of years as a technician (programmer, analyst) before you go anywhere near management in those organisations. Working for faang will look good on a CV in 2-3 years anyway if progression stalls there.

        Good luck either way. It's nice to see more women in IT.

      • TheBooleanOne on 02/04/2021 - 22:14
        +1

        I work for a FAANG myself. You'll need to tone down you're enthusiasm, and advertising that you're happy to do 80-100 hours/week will put a lot of people off. In fact, work/life balance is something that is mentioned often but practiced less often.

        I would skip masters, and devote your time to taking on projects and initiatives. Focus on the ones with big impact, but that's often hard to find when everyone's looking out for those.

        Often you'll have to create your own by identifying opportunities in your day job, so get really good at your day job and know it well. You'll have to work on selling your ideas to your manager and other stakeholders, so having good communication is key as well.

        • Sarah11 on 02/04/2021 - 22:31

          Thanks for that. Do you find it a competitive place to work like everyone is trying out outdo each other?

          Is 35 too old to start this career? I already feel a little out of place as the only woman on the team. I don't have much support from anyone.

          If I work like crazy, but obviously don't tone down the enthusiasm, will that be well-received? Obviously I will be try and exceed expectations.

          • conan2000 on 02/04/2021 - 23:13
            +4

            @Sarah11: Don't equate numbers of hours worked to doing a good job! Having managed people over many years I often find the people that work crazy hours only do so because they are inefficient/don't know how to manage their time effectively/don't know how to work as part of a team and spread the work load appropriately.

            Don't get me wrong, working a bit extra is fine if necessary, but it's possible to do well/succeed without working more than 40 hours a week.

            More important that people like you and think you do a good job, and I 100% agree with the other comments about making sure you attend as many team networking events as possible. Your career will progress better having a few drinks with the team/networking with management more than staying back to progress a few more hours with a task.

            • Chewie on 02/04/2021 - 23:56
              +1

              @conan2000: "the people that work crazy hours only do so because they are inefficient/don't know how to manage their time effectively/don't know how to work as part of a team and spread the work load appropriately."

              Second that.

          • TheBooleanOne on 03/04/2021 - 00:02

            @Sarah11: I'm not in engineering, so take what I say with a grain of salt because the culture is slightly different where I am. But generally yes it's competitive as you're perceived to be in the top companies to work for in the industry and competition to get in is high.

            I started at my current company at a later age than you, but I had lots of experience. However, I would still say it's not too late to start in this career at all. It's your output that counts, not your gender, age, religion, race etc. In fact, your life experience will probably count a lot more than your other graduates you start with.

            I have no idea on how you will be received by your team. There's just so many variables, but definitely work on your interpersonal skills. It's the relationships you form with people that count equally as well as your work.

            • Sarah11 on 03/04/2021 - 00:16
              -3

              @TheBooleanOne: Once I get experience, I will be over the age of 40. I've heard that faang, and IT in general, are not keen on promoting and investing older workers. They would rather reserve those opportunities for younger workers.

              For me, it is not whether I can have a career in the field, but whether I can achieve my goals. I want to at least make CTO. Anything else if a failure in my books.

              I don't really know my team that well as the internship was remote. The team is all male. One of the guys is quite sleazy towards me, otherwise I get along with everyone well.

              • TheBooleanOne on 03/04/2021 - 00:35

                @Sarah11: You need industry experience to move to director, VP, SVP, etc. Even C level. You can't just skip that step. More than likely, you'll need exposure to different companies in varying roles too, so you might need to switch companies every few years.

                Are you looking for that CTO badge specifically? Going from a FAANG to a small start-up as CTO is certainly possible, if you have the right industry contacts and experience behind you. If you can work closely with end customers in your role, or move to a role which allows that then yes. I usually see that in the ads or cloud side of the business though, which typically handle large accounts.

                Alternatively, if you see a product gap which you can go out on your own with some like minded people then you can start something yourself and be CTO of that company. That happens a lot actually.

                Sorry to hear about the sleazy colleague.

                • Sarah11 on 03/04/2021 - 00:43

                  @TheBooleanOne: Have you heard of anyone doing this after the age of 35? I'm suspect I might be too old. Unfortunately I can't turn back time and have entered the industry in my early twenties.

                  Thanks for the advice, I will look to get a few years experience before planning my next step.

                  • brendanm on 03/04/2021 - 15:04

                    @Sarah11: If you are so ambitious, get the experience and take everything you can from the company you are working at, then go out on your own.

                  • Hardlyworkin on 03/04/2021 - 16:44

                    @Sarah11: How will anyone know your age? No need to put it in your resume or your older work history. Will you be doing your knitting in the lunch room and talking about the good ol days?.

  • 2jzzzz on 02/04/2021 - 20:50
    +2

    More to life than work, status and money.

  • Ughhh on 02/04/2021 - 20:59
    +2

    I have no kids or family, so I'm happy to work 80-100 hours a week.

    Do you plan on having kids and family at some point?

      • brendanm on 02/04/2021 - 21:29
        +10

        This has to be a troll, you are a little late for April fools though.

        • Sarah11 on 02/04/2021 - 21:30

          That was a bit of a joke. But yes, I won't be having kids.

          • brendanm on 02/04/2021 - 21:32
            +7

            @Sarah11: I suggest thinking about what you will look back on when you are 80 or so. Not even talking about kids, simply whether working 100 hours a week to make someone at Google even richer was really worth missing out on a million other things for.

      • Ughhh on 02/04/2021 - 22:44
        +1

        Do you have a point where you'll relax and be satisfied? Or will you always burning yourself 80hrs a week until you don't have the strength the work and enjoy the money you've earnt?

        • Sarah11 on 02/04/2021 - 22:46

          Working relaxes, Coding is both my job and my hobby, so always look forward to it. Money doesn't interest me.

  • serpserpserp on 02/04/2021 - 20:59
    +4

    it is thought of being successful that drives to be so ambitious. I don't want anything else in life.

    But what is success? Define it for us. If you got to be a CTO in the next 10 years or even a CEO of some great tech company. Does that make you a success? I know a couple of people that are Directors, CEO's and the like of good companies that are complete losers in my mind because they can't do anything right in their life outside of step over/through the next person to get the position/job they want. Literally nothing else in important in their life, even their family (wife and kids) or their extended family (parents, siblings) etc.

    Not sure that is success. But I guess they look good on paper and have a nice house or two.

    • Sarah11 on 02/04/2021 - 21:06
      -1

      Minimum CTO or somethng like executive, partner, director etc. I want to be in the boardroom making decisions.

      I understand not everyone wants that, which is fine.

      • serpserpserp on 02/04/2021 - 21:19
        +4

        I want to be in the boardroom making decisions.

        Cool. Try and be a good person when you get there. Not as easy as it seems.

        I guess the point of my post is be a well balanced person because some of these people were, but the journey to the top changed them so much they are hollow now.

  • thrillho on 02/04/2021 - 21:31
    +18

    Christ this is a grim read.

    There's more to life than breaking your back for an employer who, if you died tomorrow, would have a job ad out for your position on Monday. You say money isn't a motivation? I'm confused.

    Slow down, enjoy life, don't spend your life in front of a computer, wondering how you can kiss the shoes of higher ups who don't give two shits about you.

    I think you need to reassess your priorities.

  • yellowfever on 02/04/2021 - 21:34
    +2

    Perhaps not related but do you not want to have your own family eventually

    At 35 doing the job of a 22-23yo grad, I suspect it will be mentally challenging to compete with the young ones on less dough than you.
    It's unreaslitc to pull 100hrs a week in a grad role.

    I also wouldn't bother with masters, unless that is a goal for you and you are really interested in a particular study. It does not increase your pay or jump position.

    • Sarah11 on 02/04/2021 - 21:39

      Don't want family, just a good career. And that takes sacrifice. I prepared to do it. As I said it is not for everyone.

      So masters doesn't increase your pay or position?

      Is there anything I can do?

      • conan2000 on 02/04/2021 - 23:20

        Masters is a waste of time once you have started getting experience in the role. Once someone has relevant experience I don't even look to see if they have a degree.

      • Tily on 02/04/2021 - 23:25
        +2

        Sorry but what makes you think that you can’t have a good career with a family? Yes, it’s hard work and long hours trying to juggle it all but it keeps you grounded.

        Slogging it hard at work won’t guarantee you to climb the corporate ladder.

        Also you don’t need to be a CTO to make decisions about technology. I work in a large organisation and my team have made technological decisions for our business unit that have changed how the business works by identifying business improvements.

  • CheapskateQueen on 02/04/2021 - 22:35
    +8

    I probably wouldn't hire you if you walked into an interview and said "this job is my entire life. I have nothing else to live for. I will eat, sleep, breathe work, every day until the day I die" which is what you seem to be saying.

  • Muzeeb on 02/04/2021 - 22:40
    +1

    Work smarter, not harder

    Your goals are amicable but your planned execution to get there sounds downright miserable and definitely not sustainable.

    • Sarah11 on 02/04/2021 - 22:43

      What does smarter mean in terms of IT? Does that mean being more strategic in terms of the projects I choose? Or networking more?

      • Muzeeb on 02/04/2021 - 22:47

        D. All of the above.

        Rather than jumping straight into a task or project just pause, analyse, challenge and strategise the best / new ways to achieve the end result.

        • Sarah11 on 02/04/2021 - 22:50

          Is it hard to get noticed if you are doing a good job when most people are also doing a good job. How do you stand out from the crowd?

          • Muzeeb on 02/04/2021 - 22:53

            @Sarah11: I'm probably not qualified to answer because people in my line of work that stand out usually end up getting the boot. Some careers you just need to blend in and fly under the radar by just being good at your job.

          • brad1-8tsi on 03/04/2021 - 11:17
            +1

            @Sarah11: Project Work and trying to guess what will be needed.

            Try and get on projects, working groups or committees that are outside your team.

            Also, don't always be a yes person. Be prepared to challenge things if they don't look right.

            Say hi to people and be interested in them.

  • TheBird on 02/04/2021 - 22:50

    What can do to accelerate my career and make up for lost time? I have no kids or family, so I'm happy to work 80-100 hours a week. I'm happy to work 24/7 and never take leave if it will benefit my career.
    My ultimate goal is to start as a software engineer, and work up to CTO, executive partner or even higher

    Talking about executive and above roles.

    Be the best. Know how you can contribute value, and contribute. Learn to get the most out of the least resources. Hint: It's usually by leveraging people and technology. Usually a combination of both. Learn to recognise opportunity and push to take advantage of opportunities. Never be afraid to take calculated risks with positive EV. Basically, become a rainmaker. Get paid to bring results. Be replacable.

    The last part is counterintuitive, but it's key. You can't get to executive if they can't do without you in grunt positions. In other words, train your replacement as soon as you know your job and do the work of those on a higher rung (2 or 3 levels if you can reach that high).

    Do the long hours to get the results. Don't do the hours to please someone.

    I've also put in an application to do my masters in the evenings online (although people say a masters makes little difference).

    Forget the masters. It's about as close to "who gives a rats ass" unless you're working for a stiff company and if you are, my advice will only get you in trouble.

    It is not the money, it is thought of being successful that drives to be so ambitious. I don't want anything else in life.

    You sure? You know there's a difference from wanting it and chasing it until you have it. You're 35. Were you on top in another industry? If not, what changed? If so, why the change? Usually this early, mid life turn around is pushed by a painful low point in someones life and rubber-banding to want success. If your motivation is genuinely enough to propel you, you'll make it happen. Just wanting to succeed is rarely motivation enough to make it happen. Why? Cause you're going walk through the fires of hell to get there. Most say, "yeah, that's enough" when they get to their first comfortable point in the life cause their motivation wasn't compelling enough to reach the peak. Nothing wrong with that, but if comfortable is your end game, you're better off following most of the middle ground, safe, grinding advice found above.

  • SF3 on 02/04/2021 - 23:05
    +4

    OP, if you are that ambitious, why don’t you just start you own company so that you get to make the decisions.

    That’s the quickest path to the top.

  • bargain huntress on 02/04/2021 - 23:56
    +1

    i like how ambitious you are

    what was your previous industry?
    i don't like how you describe your time there as a waste. are you sure about that?

    what about starting your own start up company?
    i feel like maybe you are too ambitious to be working on other people's dreams and ideas. it seems like a waste.

    one thing maybe to have a think about and read about (and possibly speak to a psychologist or councilor about because they'd be better at explaining than me) is the way you think of your goals and what drives you towards them.
    one way to look at motivation is intrinsic and extrinsic
    extrinsic motivation is going after goals thinking about things like money, accolades, adoration, awards, fame
    intrinsic motivation is going after goals thinking about things like doing the best work you can do, growing to be the ultimate version of yourself, having a purpose for your life, loving what you do
    extrinsic motivations can cause unhappiness because they are significantly out of our control - like if someone else decides to give us a promotion or not
    where as intrinsic motivation is in many ways in our control - like choosing to do something you love doing
    i am not great at understanding this stuff and i find your comments here a bit confusing lol as i can't work out which one you are using - maybe both?

    • bluesky on 07/04/2021 - 21:24

      So true, what you say about extrinsic and intrinsic motivations. Tying one’s sense of success and fulfillment with outward conditions is so risky and bound to bring disappointment. Might even cause one to give up prematurely.

      what about starting your own start up company?
      i feel like maybe you are too ambitious to be working on other people's dreams and ideas. it seems like a waste.

      Working for others when you start out can be a stepping stone. When we think of successful start-ups, we immediately think of people like Gates, Zuckerberg, Job - fresh graduates or drop-outs who go on to build mega-companies. But they are the exceptions. The average age of successful entrepreneurs is 45. Far more likely to build a successful company if you have worked at other companies, learned as much as you can first, and become more mature.

  • El cheepo on 03/04/2021 - 02:42
    +3

    So you want to be successful but have a meaningless life?

    Nothing wrong with having goals, but if your goals are just to work and stroke your own ego in your view of success, you might as well be a machine.

    Lucky there was no captcha on Ozbargain for posting, or you may have had to lie on the “are you a robot” question.

    • KSMLJ on 03/04/2021 - 06:57
      +4

      To each his/her own.

      OP's aim for a successful career and a nice job title gives her that meaning in life.

      Everyone gauges success differently.

      Who are any of us to say it's wrong.

  • GourmetFoodie on 03/04/2021 - 08:18

    Speaking from personal experience, I don’t rate FAANGs highly personally. At least in Oz. Many average people here. There is such a fight for talent and so little of it in Oz that they are prepared to take sub par people on. Some of the best people I’ve met at FAANGs were not being recognized because they didn’t fit in the political games being played - which you get in any large enterprise business. You should definitely seek to move to US headquarters to be closer to real movers and shakers. Though obviously don’t know how much covid has impacted all that. Otherwise I’d certainly use them for a few years but make sure you don’t get stuck.

  • GourmetFoodie on 03/04/2021 - 08:19
    +1

    Wth are people judging the poster if they want to make their career their life? Fair enough I reckon.

  • brad1-8tsi on 03/04/2021 - 11:13
    +2

    What can do to accelerate my career and make up for lost time? I have no kids or family, so I'm happy to work 80-100 hours a week. I'm happy to work 24/7 and never take leave if it will benefit my career.

    You will burn out quickly doing this. You also won't be a well rounded employee and half the trick of getting promotions is being a good fit into the team//company. I've seen plenty of folks passed over that were hard workers and good at their job but weren't a good fit or interviewed really badly. I've never been the best candidate "technically' or based on experience but I interview well and give the impression I can get on with people.

    I've changed career / job / industry sectors several times. The learning curve in the first 12 months is challenging but fun. You soon catch up. The money happens organically.

    • Muzeeb on 03/04/2021 - 11:54
      +2

      OP is already burnt out.

      Last Seen
      3 hours 4 min ago

      If you can't handle 100 hours per week on ozbargain how can you do it with FAANG

      I'm happy to work 24/7

      Not looking that way at the moment

  • Hardlyworkin on 03/04/2021 - 16:47

    Do you come off as more human and less robot in real life? Do you get along with people? Will you be there for Friday night drinks where the promotion decisions are made?

    Why worry about your age at all now and not 5 years ago?

  • panorama on 03/04/2021 - 17:29

    You made me so sick of my job after reading that go getter OP, I quit my job..you made me tired just reading that…

    Forgot to add 35, your over the hill before you start

  • LFO on 03/04/2021 - 20:13
    +1

    I've secured a graduate role in a top tech company after having done an internship there previously.

    So you haven't really started that Career Change but you are already concerned about not achieving the top?

    What makes you think or believe you will not have a meteoric career?

    Skills and smartness brings success.
    But not necessarily long hours at work. You do more during long hours but not necessarily achieve more, at least not proportionally to the time invested.

    I feel you are worrying too much, planning a dark future. Why?

  • OzHunterNSW on 05/04/2021 - 10:20
    +1

    What are you talking about… 35 is not exactly 65. You have years to establish a career — years

  • bluesky on 07/04/2021 - 19:06
    +1

    on the years I wasted in my former (unrelated) career.

    They were not wasted. All you lose is a lead on income. Delay settling on a career could be an advantage. Check this out: Range: Why Generalists Triumph in a Specialized World. Or for a gist, watch the interview

    It is your dream, go for it. You already have a few things working for you:

    • not motivated by money
    • grit (going by what you say, you can dedicate long hours, and software and coding is your passion)

    A lot of well-meaning advice here – that you shouldn’t sacrifice work/life balance for advancements. This is generally true, but I think your situation is different.
    If it is your passion, long hours won’t lead to burnout. Quite the contrary, it can be fulfilling, even exhilarating. The flow state, being “in the zone” is one of the most productive states, and you are not wasting time even if you are immersed in it for long periods. Only when long periods put you in a frazzled state, then it is a different story. Given you don’t have a family, and at the start of your career, don’t see why you shouldn’t do this, at least for a period until your priority changes.

    Maybe just a slight adjustment – don’t hitch your dream to status and recognition. Instead, concentrate on building up your skills as a software engineer first. Go through the “fire-forging”, do good work to win genuine respect. You need this respect if you want to be an effective leader later on. The opportunities for higher positions will open up naturally.

    MSc degree makes sense if your aim is to widen your skills and range. But not for chasing the piece of paper. I was told MSc by coursework in CS nowadays resemble the honours year of days past. If true, this knowledge is quite foundational and useful for a software engineer.

    Another alternative is to contemplate a graduate degree by research/thesis, but only after a while in the company. If you pick the right research area which aligns with the interest of your faang company, wonder if they may even fund your research? If yes, this could be good. Once again, it needs to be your passion. If you are mainly eyeing the eventual position and status, this may not be advisable.

    Meanwhile, build social skills which drive your long-term success. Be a giver. A caveat - since givers are the most, and the least successful people in an organisation (with takers and matchers in between), make sure you are the former. Adam Grant’s book: “Give and Take: Why Helping Others Drives Our Success” talks more about this. Those who give freely engender good feelings (social bonding) and earn goodwill and allies. Focus on collaboration, not competition. There are ways to deal with frequent takers anyway.

    Since you want to be a leader eventually, cultivate the skills of effective leaders, such as empathic concern and cognitive empathy. As a former teacher, very likely these already come to you naturally, which is to your advantage.

    Lastly, don't be impatient, remember persistence and grit, it will take a few roles and a few companies to get to where you want to go.

    Best wishes on your journey!

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