Thread by @hmason

I've been having a lot of complex career conversations with folks recently, and thought it might be helpful to share some of the common questions we talk about since so many of us are thinking about these things.

First, what do you *need*? Figure out your $#, which is how much you need to earn to pay your obligations without performance-limiting anxiety. Does your life require a certain amount of work flexibility? Can you absolutely not move?

Second, what do you *want*? This could be a mission, a small team, growth opportunities, a manager who will support you, a safe environment, a balance of different kinds of work, etc. What are you optimizing for now? What are the relative priorities of these things?

Third, what are you willing to compromise? By this, I mean what do you hate less than other people hate it? For example, do you not mind work travel? Or long hours? Or a commute? Or bro culture? Limited or broad responsibility?

Given the above, where do people do this kind of work/have that culture? Technology is everywhere, and it helps to broaden a search to include startups, enterprise, government, nonprofits, different industries.

You might find an open door in a place you wouldn't otherwise look.

Finally, this is a time of a ton of anxiety, so remember, you're awesome and you're capable of more than you think.

Use your friends to calibrate the options you're looking at and use your network to find them. Don't be shy, we can all use some more human contact right now. :)

(now my disclaimer - the only advice that's worth taking is "think for yourself".

I mostly speak with underrepresented folks who nevertheless have a ton of privilege in a variety of roles in tech. My heart goes out to everyone making difficult choices. If I can help, I'm here.)