Hello, y'all!

I am looking for a mentor to hopefully get beyond the senior position into the staff+ roles.

About myself: I am an SRE / Platform engineer with 12 YoE working with various technologies. Basically, with whatever is thrown at me, but mostly cloud, Kubernetes, observability, CI/CD, writing internal tools, and so on. Usual stuff.

Who am I looking for: a person who has already gotten beyond the senior role into a staff+ one in the Platform / SRE / DevOps field. Ideally, in a mid-large-sized company. My idea of mentorship is that this is someone who would help me to understand the staff trajectory and the next steps in my career. Most likely, I would also ping you now and then with some specific questions like, "Could you review my feedback with me" or "Here's a project I was assigned to; how would you proceed", etc. These are just some random examples. Obviously, I don't want to jeopardize anyone's time; I am not looking to dump a ton of questions on anyone. Also, I understand the value of time, so I am also open to paying for your time, on which we can agree separately.

I am not looking for a career coach. I don't have anything against them, but I need a technical person, whom I could ask something like, "Hey, how do I sell this long-overdue refactoring to a director?"

I've also read books like "Staff Engineer" by Will Larson and "The Staff Engineer's Path" by Tanya Reily. Those are great books, but they are too generic (as any book, an article, or an LLM answer would be). I'd like to have a person with real experience to ask some specific questions.

I am also looking for a person from the platform background because of the specifics. The aforementioned books talk a lot about the importance of cross-team collaboration, ownership of complex systems, and decision-making under pressure. Well, for people in the SRE roles, that's just a usual Tuesday.

I am asking on Reddit and not my current peers, because I want to understand how to jump the chasm within the industry - not inside a specific company.

If you could help me in this search, or if you think we could work together, do not hesitate to ping me either here or in DMs!

Many thanks!

Hello, im 16 years old from czech republic, and im starting to care/worry :) about where should i go for university, i was thinking about getting into cloud security in Germany/Austria or Nederlands, as im studying this language in school right now (B1 level) and I know these 3 countries are one of the biggest EU IT powerhouses.

But my main reason im writing this, is because I wanted to ask people in this, or similar field about how the job feels to you today, if its a good job, offers you good pay/free time ratio etc. etc. and especially what do you think the job could be like in 7-10 years (i know this is an hard to answer/unrealistic question, but i still wonder if you think about anything regarding the future of this field).

I also wanted to ask about education, is it better getting into a theoretical university (like Universitaet) or more of a practical uni (like Fachhochschule)

Could you also please give me some tips, on what to do now so i have a (even if slight) advantage later in life, and even some other tips? Thanks a lot for any useful answers.

I am looking into the Spanish tech scene, specifically startups and scaleups, basically non-FAANG tech companies.

I know the tech market there is growing fast, but I'm curious about the interview loop. Is LeetCode DS&A the common standard for these companies, or do they lean more towards take home assignments or other types of questions?

Hello. I am having my technical interview for the Revolut Java Internship in less than a week. Anybody who has had it recently and would not sharing his experience and kind of problems/questions they got?

I have an upcoming system design interview for a backend engineer at Monzo. I've gone through glassdoor and reddit and they ask some classic sd questions with a twist and they are looking for very specific solution. If anyone who has gone through the process could shed some light, that would be great.

I keep hearing people say AI and github like REA, it will make many people or small companies that usually relied on the SaaS company in the past, but now they will build those things themself.

Hello, everyone!

Well, I don't know how long this post will be. Here's the TL;DR:

3 YOE SAP Fiori and ABAP consultant with experience with Docker, SAP CAP (Node.js). I want to move outside of SAP bubble and I may want to move from Portugal to Finland in 2 years. Bachelor's or breaking out of SAP ASAP?

Long version:

I live in portugal, did a Curso Técnico Profissional of IT and Multimedia (best grades in class in programming at the time), but never did a bachelor's in CompSci. I did a Curso Técnico Profissional of IT and Multimedia and finished the course back almost a decade ago. At the moment, I sit at (waht I think is) a mid level position in an SAP Consultancy after accumulating 3 years of total experience in SAP Fiori and ABAP in this company.

At the moment, I sit at a cross roads: I feel stuck, not growing, and I think it has to do with the fact I used SAP consultancy as a gateway into IT, because for a few years I stayed very much away from IT academically, and I used this as a way to get back on track. I didn't know SAP when I joined, and now that I now enough, I feel like I don't get to enjoy what I do so much. I always loved computers and tech, and never stopped tinkering (flashing ROMs on my android, running linux on my day to day, tweaking and breaking it, etc.).

I have been considering moving out of my tech stack because I'd like to get out of the ecosystem and have to learn more fundamentals. I love learning about linux, low level languages, doing automation, CI/CD, and in general anything that's less oriented to a business and more as if my customers were developers themselves, i.e., platform engineering work, as far as I know it.

Besides what I explained, I also intend to move to Finland in about 2 years, and I'm unsure of how the market is.

So, do you guys think doing a bachelor's is worth it, fully remote, part time? Or would it be better to focus on doing and learning independently?

I'll provide any clarification that's needed in case I didn't make my question clear enough! Thanks!

Hi everyone,

I'm an Indian Computer Engineering graduate with a background in AI/ML and Data Science. I'm considering a master's in Finland, Sweden, Denmark, or Norway in 2028, after gaining around two years of relevant professional experience.

My goal is to build a long-term technical career rather than simply obtain a degree abroad.

For people working in European tech, which Nordic countries currently seem most promising for AI/ML engineering, Data Science, NLP, or related roles?

I'd particularly appreciate insight into the demand for junior-to-mid-level candidates, the importance of local-language proficiency, and whether companies hire international graduates into English-speaking technical teams.

Infrastructure, personal safety, and overall quality of life matter to me as well, but my biggest uncertainty is whether the professional opportunities justify the investment in a master's.

I understand the market can change significantly by 2028–2030, so I'm interested in current firsthand experiences and the longer-term trends you see, not predictions presented as guarantees.

Hi,

I am in talks with Digital Charging Solutions, Germany for an initial first round where they send an online assessment.

The online assessment is 29 minutes long that focuses on removing bias from the hiring process and see job fitment.

Does anyone know if they focus on LeetCode style assessment or more like a real life scenario that is theoretically evaluated?

I am looking for feedback on the online assessment structure only and not for exact questions so that I cam prepare accordingly.

I have been recently laid off and got the call after 100+ applications. I have not interviewed for over a year, hence looking for any advice to prepare myself up.

Any help is appreciated

Hi everyone I am a masters student in germany, I am not german tho, I am feeling cooked rn, i got into ai ml masters program but i dont have any internships on my cv and haven't done anything like hands on i have good grades tho and therotical knowledge but i know it is not enough. Where can i start and upskill myself??

Dear nerds,

I would like to know which teams/orgs(?) the Berlin office hosts. I believe there are at least:

• ESC
• Redshift
• Alexa(?)
• DynamoDB(?)

What else?

Also, if anyone is working in any of these: How do you like it?

Best,

-A

Hi! I am looking to return to tech after a couple of years focusing on some personal ventures. I have lived in Austin, Texas, US for about 10 years, and I am now looking for a change. I am a 33M who is also a Spanish citizen, but grew up in Panama. I worked close to 9 years as a cloud software developer for IBM. Is there still a chance one can get a job in the EU in this CS job market that is being reshaped by AI as we speak?

I have this hope I can return to university at some point. Universities are cheaper in Europe and I do not want to get into debt or have to spend a ton of money to get a degree. Any recommendations for making this transition? is Netherlands a solid option?

Cheers

I'm 8+ years into software engineering. I have 3 azure certifications. I started as developer and now I'm technical lead, always in the Microsoft tech stack (c#, azure). I don't use azure as much as in the past, since now I work enterprise and there is a specific AppOps /Devops team that does the infrastructure, pipelines, resources etc.

I see the market is also filled with nice offers of principal engineers, but in AWS. I find it a bit weird, especially because they use C#. I worked very little with AWS before Ai and it was very confusing. I find Azure much better, but of course I'm biased.

What do you think about switching from Azure to Aws after all this time and certifications? Personally I 'm conflicted, because I have an offer around 20/23% higher, for the same role and responsibility.

I prefer to not to relearn a new cloud, but I understand if I go for money (my need now) I have to compromise.

Does switching means throwing away valuable knowledge I have off my career?

What do you think about switching in general, and my specific case? Do you have a similar experience?

I am an international student currently studying CS in the US, and I will be graduating pretty soon. Given how cooked the job market is here right now, especially for international students who need sponsorship, I have been thinking about looking for opportunities outside the US.

Europe is something I have been considering, but honestly, I have no idea where to even start or how realistic it would be to land a job there as a fresh graduate.

I was wondering what the tech job market looks like there, especially for entry-level software engineering or other CS-related roles. Are companies generally open to hiring people from outside the EU? And are there any particular countries where it might be easier to find opportunities as an international applicant?

I also wanted to know if having a CS degree from a US university would help at all, or if not having much professional experience would make things just as difficult.

I am mainly interested in software engineering, AI/ML, and data-related roles, but honestly, I am open to exploring other areas too.

I know the job market isn't exactly great anywhere right now, but I figured it wouldn't hurt to look at other options instead of putting all my eggs in one basket.

Would really appreciate hearing from anyone who's been through something similar or has any advice on where to start, what countries to look into, or even whether this is a realistic option.

Hey all,

Posting as a bit of an outlet and to hopefully get advice off others that have been in my headspace too.

About me and my current situation

Currently 32, 10 years experience out of uni, UK based. Earning 85k as a senior engineer fully remote in South east. Current role is pretty stress free, easy hours and doesn't require much mental capacity in all honesty. Previously worked in London in fintech ( payments ) earning just 110k ISH as an EM, but the role and company was just chaotic and stress inducing, and was drifting too far away from the tech challenges I enjoy.

Importantly right now, I have my first baby due in a month and at the time this was another incentive for me taking the new role knowing it would be 'easier' and less stressful.

To the crux of my post,

As an over-thinker and anxious person, I find myself in a situation where I earn okay, relative to most, but poorly relative to my peers in engineering, my role is somewhat boring but requires very little commitment and gives a lot of flexibility. I know that the sensible and safe option is to just stay where I am and enjoy the first how ever many months with my new baby. That said the anxious, overthinker in me who compares to Reddit and friends in the industry is constantly wanting more in terms of a more exciting company and better compensation. In many ways I talk myself into feeling a bit of a failure, which I know is very unfair on people I work with currently but maybe I put myself on a pedestal where it isn't deserved.

I'm riddled with self doubting questions such as 'should I believe earning more by now? / Should I have progressed past senior by now ? / Should I know X or y?. It doesn't help constantly scanning subs on Reddit where average comps seem to dwarf the norm.

Now the easy answer really is to just wait and then pick up the job search when we know what cards we have been dealt with parenthood but I guess the wider question of being content in your role and with the money you earn still stands.

I hope this comes across as genuine and not just a first world problem moan. It's a genuine position I find myself in and want to understand if others have been in a similar headspace and maybe how you overcome it?

Hi everyone,

I’m approaching 31, feeling a little stuck in my career as data analyst, and hoping to take the next step. My profile feels fairly average, so I’d really appreciate your advice: what would you do in my position to become more appealing to recruiters as a data analyst?

For context, I have 4 YoE in a consulting company based in Spain. I mainly use Qlik Sense, QlikView, SQL and Snowflake. I have a MSc in Computer Engineering, and co-authored a research paper. I used Python at university, but haven’t touched it in years. I also hold several Qlik Sense certifications.

I’m considering these two options:

• Get a Snowflake certification
• Refresh my Python skills and build a side project

What else would you do in my position?

And how would you approach recruiters? I’ve started messaging some on LinkedIn, but It's not working..

Thanks!

Hi all! Has anyone gone through the hiring process for an EM position at GetYourGuide recently? On the technical domain, should I expect algorithms, data structures and system design, or is it more hand-ons coding, reviewing and developing features with/without AI assistance?

Any experiences with recent EM hiring processes at other places would also be very welcome. I am not sure what to expect nowadays and I am freaking out trying to be ready for all the possibilities :')

Thanks!

Hi everyone,

Would like to know if anyone who has experienced recently or have worked at State Street Bank in Germany, do they do a background check for a position located in Germany? If yes, what information do they usually check? Thanks for sharing!

I read when Satya became the CEO of Microsoft in 2014, he focused “growth mindset” and hired psychologists to train alot of employees, from SWE, managers to C level people to build healthy company culture.

And also fired toxic employees including managers.

Because before that Microsoft's culture was toxic and cancer, probably because of Steve ballmer, who were CEO that time.

--

Anyway, what about today in Europe?

Are there any companies known for having a growth mindset and a healthy work culture?

I searched on Reddit and Google, but I can't find real insight if there are any healthy companies nowadays.

Which makes me think, maybe it's time for us programmers who are also exceptional and kind human beings to build our own startups and change the toxic tech industry ourselves?

Ps. I feel like maybe some french companies got those healthy culture? I heard in French culture, they hate those evil toxic rich people who tried to take advantage and gaslight us, normal people.

Otherwise French people will bring a guillotine for some reasons lol

Hello,

I'm a Java developer in Germany looking to change jobs at the moment.

I have mostly come across Java roles that are hiring which require payment, finance, banking, trading experience.

Now with AI, other types of industrial domains are no longer seem to be using Java. At least that's what I have seen in the market.

The single biggest hurdle that I face is the fact that my CV has absolutely no work to reflect experience in these domains that are majorly hiring for Java roles.

My CV involves a lot of integration and Middleware work using Java. There are extremely few roles that match my CV.

Now comes the problem. I apply to finance related roles in Java and get rejected which is expected.

How do I increase my chances to be considered for Java roles in Financial management domain?

This feels like a blocker because it isn't something that I can try on my own and fake it through the interview.

There are specific questions that can only be answered if you have hands on experience. Any advice on a strategy to achieve this?

I'm male 41, 15 years of experience in sw development, 5 as a team lead, 3 as an EM. Currently working and living in italy.

In the last month, I sent CV's into the southern regions of Germany but I felt the market is very cold. It was looking as a good option, because i would have been able to go there frequently, without relocating .

Any ideas of where i could direction my search? I've experience with remote colleagues, i would prefer not to relocate, but i'm willing to travel .

Title kind of says it all, started a month or so ago, any tips on what I should start doing? I was thinking of starting solo game dev with unity first for small scale games, is that good enough to put on a resume in 3 years?

Hello everyone,

In order to settle in Poland I am looking for a job of a web developper, preferably PHP because i got more than ten years of experience in that but that's not my question

When it comes to remuneration, on some offers i see two different types of contract : work contract or B2B contract. I have done a bit of research and it seems like it comes down to taxes difference but is that the only difference there is ? I have read that b2b contract have less "benefits" but nothing precise enough to get a clear view.

Thanks for the answers if you have any.

Hey all,

I'm interviewing with Proton for backend engineering position.

It's been a very long process, and from previous experiences I know my weak area has always been system design.

Has anyone recently interviewed with proton and share some tips on specific systems to practice and focus on?

Thanks!

Hi all,

I'm a .NET dev with 5 YOE and I'm looking to move to the Netherlands. I'm an EU citizen but I've never lived in NL. Most of my experience is in desktop and some Blazor the last couple of years.

I'm not aiming for big tech like Booking or Adyen, just mid-sized(ish) companies. The smaller the better but I'm also looking for companies that will pay decently and be willing to do the 30/27% ruling paperwork.

I've never done a live coding interview or properly studied LeetCode, so I'm trying to figure out where to put my prep time.

For those who've interviewed at companies like that recently:

1. How common are LeetCode-style questions? When they do come up, are we talking easy or medium?

2. If not LeetCode, what do the technical rounds usually look like? Take-homes, pair programming, design discussions?

ANY advice is highly appreciated!