Re:Ask HN: I am “trapped” in a senior engineering role, how ...
by jfim on Saturday September 26, 2020 @03:35PM
(#24601527)
> To sum it up: you don't need mentorship, you just need a new job
Eh, sometimes it does help though. I agree with you that OP's situation isn't tenable in the long term, but switching jobs without figuring out if there's something else that's overlooked isn't a good idea in the long term either.
It's hard to know if that's the case from OP's description, but sometimes bad habits do have a deleterious effect on people's careers, and having an external party discuss their current situation helps with that.
"I no longer have the financial means to take a step back into a less senior role at a company with a larger engineering team"
I would argue you can't afford to stay where you are. If you're not happy and feel under-qualified (true or not), you'll never get promoted again. You're dooming your career ultimately, for a short-term tradeoff.
Now, that's not to say you should go more junior! Rather, you need to find your zone of genius. It sounds a bit cheesy, but I recommend you spend some time trying to figure out what you're both good at AND enjoy:
https://medium.com/the-mission/6-ways-to-uncover-your-person...
There are so many highly-paid/highly-rewarded roles in tech! I think you're underestimating your ability to find a job you both love and which will value you (financially and intrinsically).
To sum it up: you don't need mentorship, you just need a new job :) After 5 years, that feels insurmountable. It's not!
(My email is in my profile if you want to reach out and share more explicitly about your financials if you're willing to share numbers. I'm happy to help you figure out your options, and talk about comp! And obviously I'll keep everything confidential.)