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Discussion on: Trying to figure out my career

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Dustin King • Edited

As far as the path from this job to the next one goes, that's always tough. It sounds like the PIP is some bs that might just be the result of your non-technical manager not understanding how you work, or it might just be a completely made up excuse for a layoff. Hard to tell, but looking for another job is probably the right move. The good news is you can do better than this company.

From the sound of it, you are technically skilled enough to build stuff with little supervision (which should qualify you for mid-level developer roles), as well as able to talk to non-technical people about your software, which is a big plus. So it should just come down to being confident about your skills and selling potential employers on that value.

One thing to watch out for when getting your second developer job is to not let them slot you into a another junior level position, which they sometimes will try to do if you give them too low salary expectations, or they might try on their own. Basically it would mean they get to pay you less, but it wouldn't be fair to you at this point. If there's a numerical level attached to an opening or an offer, ask them what that level means and argue for a higher level if you feel it's too low.

Good luck!