When you hit your mid-30s, the conversation around changing jobs changes from ‘what can I learn’ to ‘what is the cost of my time.’ I have watched many peers obsess over certifications, thinking a new license or a shiny tech stack on a resume will guarantee a jump into a higher-tier company. But in real…
Getting that message on LinkedIn It started like most of these things do, with a random message on LinkedIn from a recruiter I’d never heard of. They were representing a smaller outfit, something focused on AI hardware, not the massive names like Nvidia or Google that everyone seems to be obsessed with these days. At…
In our late 30s, we’ve all been there: staring at a spreadsheet comparing base salary, potential RSU vesting schedules, and the elusive ‘culture fit.’ Lately, everyone is obsessed with big tech job hopping, but after actually going through this process, I’ve realized that the reality is far messier than the LinkedIn success stories suggest. You…
I remember sitting at my desk three years ago, staring at a JOLTs report on my screen, wondering if the grass was actually greener on the other side of the tech industry. It’s funny—you look at headlines about how AI talent is being poached for record-breaking packages, and then you look at your own pay…
Trying to figure out if I should learn SolidWorks for the semiconductor sector I’ve been stuck in this loop of wondering if my current design software skills are actually enough to get me into a better role. I’ve mostly been using Inventor for years, and it feels like second nature now, but every time I…
Getting lost in the noise of job platforms I spent last Saturday morning staring at my laptop screen, half-heartedly clicking through JobPlanet and a few other career platforms. It felt like every other notification was about some massive shift in the tech industry—like someone high up at Google leaving to start their own AI venture,…
Learning a new design tool for a shift in focus I spent the better part of my last three years working exclusively with Inventor. It felt comfortable, almost like second nature, where I didn’t have to think about where the constraints were located or how the assembly tree behaved. But when I started looking into…
Seeing high-level executives pack their bags I spent some time reading about Lee Seok-hee, the former CEO of SK Hynix, moving over to Intel to lead their foundry business. It honestly felt a bit surreal. In the Korean corporate scene, we are so used to seeing people stay within these massive conglomerates for their entire…
When the resume update feels like a chore I spent an entire weekend updating my LinkedIn profile, which I hadn’t touched in nearly two years. It felt like I was writing fiction. You try to translate your daily grinding at a medium-sized office into these bullet points that sound like you single-handedly saved the product…
In the world of tech, we often hear stories of engineers securing massive RSU packages or sudden salary hikes. I remember a colleague who left for a competitor, convinced that a 30% raise was the ultimate win. After actually going through this cycle myself, I’ve realized that the grass is rarely as green as the…
In my mid-30s, I have seen colleagues jump from a stable mid-tier IT firm to a flashy startup, only to return to a corporate environment within 18 months. When people talk about a tech career move, it is usually painted as a bold, calculated advancement. But in real situations, this tends to happen: you prioritize…
When I talk to friends in their 30s about making a move in the tech industry, the conversation almost always lands on the same spot: is the new offer actually better, or is it just more cash for more headaches? I remember back when the RSU trend started hitting the major players here. People were…