I'd love to hold a full time job but everyone makes it so hard.
1. Interview processes. Job applications involve a 30 min technical test, and don't even give a thank you. I bet my résumé isn't even read. A lot of people complain about whiteboards, but I've only made it that far once. I've been rejected after interviewers comment on my beard or lack of personality, and yet the same people later commend me on my Facebook or HN posts.
2. Many Asian employers try to pay as little as possible, work you as hard as possible, and maximize office density. The message is you'd have to be stupid to stay.
3. A lot of companies are prestige oriented. This leads to some weird behavior like one office I saw where 1/4 of the office space is Avengers toys and the rest was office space for over a hundred staff.
4. Lack of growth or direction. Perhaps if a company had both of these, it would be a world class company within 5 years. But I'd say 98% of employers lack both. There are sane employers, but the corollary is that you have to be in the top 2% to work there.
Now I'm not saying the above applies to my current employer, in fact they're at the top 20% range. But switching jobs puts me at risk of falling into one of the above traps. I have a lot more control as a freelancer, but freelancing involves a lot of other skills that isn't coding.
Ultimately, I just want to write code for a living, and it's a shame that I probably have to start my own startup to do so.
1. Interview processes. Job applications involve a 30 min technical test, and don't even give a thank you. I bet my résumé isn't even read. A lot of people complain about whiteboards, but I've only made it that far once. I've been rejected after interviewers comment on my beard or lack of personality, and yet the same people later commend me on my Facebook or HN posts.
2. Many Asian employers try to pay as little as possible, work you as hard as possible, and maximize office density. The message is you'd have to be stupid to stay.
3. A lot of companies are prestige oriented. This leads to some weird behavior like one office I saw where 1/4 of the office space is Avengers toys and the rest was office space for over a hundred staff.
4. Lack of growth or direction. Perhaps if a company had both of these, it would be a world class company within 5 years. But I'd say 98% of employers lack both. There are sane employers, but the corollary is that you have to be in the top 2% to work there.
Now I'm not saying the above applies to my current employer, in fact they're at the top 20% range. But switching jobs puts me at risk of falling into one of the above traps. I have a lot more control as a freelancer, but freelancing involves a lot of other skills that isn't coding.
Ultimately, I just want to write code for a living, and it's a shame that I probably have to start my own startup to do so.