The Senior Engineer Force Field

 

The combination of where the economy is at the moment and the introduction of new generative AI tools is making it difficult for RCGs (recent college graduates) to find work.  What employers are looking for is Senior Engineers with enough experience under their belt to be able to provide guidance and guard rails  to the tools.  The relatively low-value-add coding that a Junior Engineer would ordinarily do is largely being automated.

This isn't a new phenomenon, it's just been exacerbated by recent developments.  The hiring sweet spot for businesses has long been the Senior Engineer.  They're experienced enough to consistently deliver.  They're often not in the position to command higher compensation though.  In other words, they're low risk high reward employees.

Recruiters know this and cater to it.  They profit by moving inventory.  They get a large number of reqs for Senior Engineers and are incentivized to fit a candidate into the opportunities they have on hand.  They profit by volume.  It's caveat emptor for employers.  

Over the last decade we've seen hiring for these positions moving towards near full automation.  For many companies, you don't even get to speak to a human until you pass a series of Leetcode style tests.  This de-risks the hiring decision, reduces the cost of interviewing for employers, and even raises the friction of switching job, reducing the liquidity of the labor market.

On the supply side, it's easy to get an interview but requires grinding to pass it.  For the long term trajectory, you can't rely on coaching or guidance from recruiters in regards to managing your career.  Their tendency will be to funnel you into Senior roles even if you're overqualified.  It can be tough to break into the Senior Engineer role but once you're in it can also be tough to move beyond.  There's a gravity to the role due to its high demand/low risk status. 

I started my career believing that hard work, good ideas, perseverance, and delivery would be noted and rewarded.  Unfortunately, that's often not the case.  You MUST plan your own direction forward and proactively advocate for yourself.  One way is to target a growth industry employer.  You grow along with the company.  This is somewhat luck based though.  If you're able to pick winners 100% of the time, you should be a Wall Street trader or Fund Manager.

Another approach is to work on alignment with your manager.  A manager needs to know your strengths, growth areas, and above all desires in order to help you.  To repeat a mantra of one of my former employers, "Your career is your responsibility."  This isn't a cop out.  It's a practical statement of the truth.  The world is full of choices and no one can read your mind or carry you across the finish line.

Mentoring has also long been recommended and in my opinion is doubly rewarding.  If you're fortunate enough to find a good mentor it can mean not only great advice but also a wonderful friendship.  If this isn't within reach or comfortable, there's the relatively recent development of Career Coaches, essentially professional mentors for hire.  Even more accessible and recent is Generative AI.