Ask HN: Easiest Engineering Roles
3 by throwawaytn | 2 comments on Hacker News.
Hello HN Friends, I hate to use a throwaway, but unfortunately, it is taboo to want an easy/relaxed job in tech. I'm a senior engineer, with 15+ years of professional experience, and have worked at a bunch of big tech companies and startups. I can pass most (reasonable) technical interviews. I've been a manager & lead along the way. I've always been considered one of the better engineers everywhere I've worked, and have a strong resume, and plenty of great references (not that it matters). This isn't necessarily burn-out, I just want to optimize for more time for myself, as my priorities in life are shifting. I don't want to completely give up prestige & challenge in the workplace, and I'd like to keep making as much money as possible. Eng roles can be fun and enjoyable, but I'm disillusioned by the reality of day to day work at most co's and I don't want to optimize for the content of the work anymore. So many of the companies I've worked at are a total disaster, and the engineering teams are expected to be on call all the time, work crazy hours, and generally are walked all over. The failures of the organization seem to come at my expense, and work output/productivity are not measured, but rather toil, politics, busywork, meetings, etc. I'm not lazy, per say, I just want to be in a place where I can do, effectively, as little as possible, but not completely give up on challenging/interesting work, and not going to a disfunctional workplace. I'm not looking to exploit anyone, or try to find one of these companies that's so broken, I can just do nothing and no one will notice. Does such a place exist? Are there any companies in tech that have engineering roles that are more relaxed? Are there specific teams at FAANG or other co's that are known for being easy or relaxed? Thank you all for your non-judgmental advice and feedback!