As the title states. I’ve been a software developer for a year now and work for a tiny company, where the salary isn’t amazing. I got paid more at Apple Genius Bar, but it wasn’t as challenging.

I still feel like I’m stupid, I’ll rely on the owner lead engineer for help on the more complex problems and because we have a great set of conventions I’ll frequently be going back to old projects to extract the logic from their. Whether that be reading from Excel spreadsheets or the controller flow, as we use GraphQL api for most calls.

Does it just click at some point?

  • dependencyinjectionOP
    4·
    5 months ago

    Thank you.

    I think you’re right about not gaining experience outside of our tech stack right now, as we consult for various clients but the boss / lead is a certified genius (not even being hyperbolic) who has refined our stack so much that a lot is obfuscated away and each new project starts from a clone of the last.

    I will say it’s been nice to learn C# .Net, but I honestly don’t understand how the whole applications tie together and I’m just building in our conventions.

    I do feel like I can grow more here and really hone the skills in terms of decision making, best practices and such. It’s just overwhelming at times when he says just do X, Y, and Z but in a way that makes sense in his head but I need things breaking down a little more.

    I think you’re also right in starting looking now for the next role and even if it takes a while it’s good to hone my interview skills as this is somewhere I really do suck. I’m not really after a massive salary, just something more than I could get if I stayed working the bar at Apple, as I am solving problems.

    I should add as well that it is incredibly relaxed and the company has been amazing in making concessions for me in terms of working from home more due to ongoing car issues and the way they support my neurotic nature and will even phrase things in a way as to remove any ambiguity.

    • MagicShel@programming.dev
      21·
      5 months ago

      A good work environment is extremely nice. But there needs to be a pathway to getting the big bucks. That might be a worthwhile conversation to have with your boss - what he needs to see from you to get promoted. Arm yourself with average salary information and ask what it will take for you to get there. And in a small company that might not be totally in your control. Could require a certain amount of growth or whatever. But if you have a great work environment and a great boss I suspect he’ll be open to that conversation.

      • dependencyinjectionOP
        2·
        5 months ago

        Thanks again.

        I just don’t think it’s a possibility here, as even the owners who are very smart tend to not be after large salaries. They do enough to have a decent life and will turn down clients if we have too much on and don’t lead lavish lifestyles. Obviously I don’t know what they pay themselves, but they’re not flashy and more just want to do what they love.

        The same for promotion and such, it’s two bosses and five developers. We don’t change the clients crazy fees and we will always do right by them, even if it means months more work for no more fees. Rare I guess to work for a company that will do what they believe is the right thing to do and not what brings in the most money.