The hottest Career development Substack posts right now

And their main takeaways
Category
Top Business Topics

Why Employees Quit

The Future of Education • 59 implied HN points • 28 Oct 24
🚌 Education Career development
  1. Many people quit their jobs because they don't find their work meaningful and don't feel valued by their colleagues or managers. To keep employees happy, companies should focus on providing fulfilling work experiences.
  2. People are leaving jobs despite being offered good pay because traditional hiring and retention strategies are not addressing their real needs. Employers need to look beyond just salaries and benefits to understand why employees leave.
  3. Relationships and connections in life matter a lot for both personal happiness and career success. It's important to nurture these relationships, as they can provide joy and future opportunities.

Be a Bridge Builder

The Engineering Leader • 99 implied HN points • 20 Oct 24
🕹 Technology Career development
  1. Technical skills are important for engineers, but to become a leader, you also need to connect with other teams and understand the bigger picture. It's about being a bridge builder, not just a tech expert.
  2. Having strong communication skills helps in explaining your work to others and getting their feedback. This way, everyone can work better together.
  3. To grow into a leadership role, seek opportunities to collaborate with different departments, learn about the company's goals, and create a culture of teamwork.

Movers, Shakers, & Money Makers (10/21)

Human Capitalist • 59 implied HN points • 22 Oct 24
💼 Business Career development
  1. There were ten notable job changes recently, showcasing how companies are promoting and hiring talent in key positions.
  2. Major positions were filled at influential companies like Google, Salesforce, and Pinterest, indicating strong movements in the tech and business sectors.
  3. Staying updated on these job changes can help investors and recruiters spot talent and assess market trends.
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The 5 Interview Mistakes You're Making Without Realizing

Behavioral OS for Techies • 259 implied HN points • 29 Aug 24
🚌 Education Career development
  1. Make sure your answers during an interview are detailed and clear. It helps the interviewer see that you understand the topic well.
  2. Before jumping to solutions, always ask questions to clarify the problem. This shows you're thoughtful and focused on finding the right solution.
  3. Don't forget to showcase your real-world experiences. Sharing relevant stories makes your answers more relatable and authentic.

On ne te virera pas

L'Atelier Galita • 79 implied HN points • 10 Oct 24
💼 Business Career development
  1. Most people worry too much about getting fired when they actually have a lot of protection once they are in a permanent job. Employers need a real reason to let someone go after the trial period.
  2. Don't rush to resign without a good reason. Being fired can give you unemployment benefits, while quitting usually won't. You're safer in a job than you might think.
  3. Your worth in the job market matters a lot. The more skills you have, the less likely you'll be fired, and the better conditions you can negotiate.

Les bénéfices de mon CDI

L'Atelier Galita • 119 implied HN points • 04 Oct 24
💼 Business Career development
  1. A permanent job offers great financial security and strong social benefits. This means stable income and protection from hard times.
  2. Being self-employed can make you work harder than you should, as there's no one to tell you when to take a break. Some self-employed people might even forget to take vacations.
  3. Having a structured job means you have set times to interact with others and avoid feeling lonely. It also allows for a balance in your daily routine without forcing you into a rigid schedule.

La pieuvre des désirs

L'Atelier Galita • 79 implied HN points • 09 Oct 24
🚌 Education Career development
  1. Finding a career that fits you is sometimes hard. It's tough to know what you really love doing, even though other factors seem easier to identify.
  2. Tim Urban's idea of the 'octopus of desires' shows that our different aspirations can clash with each other. You can't easily satisfy all your desires at once.
  3. There are five types of desires: personal, social, moral, practical, and lifestyle. It's important to prioritize these to find better balance and fulfillment in your life.

What Eight Years Of Being Stuck Taught Me About Career Paths

Diary of an Engineering Manager • 259 implied HN points • 22 Aug 24
💼 Business Career development
  1. Career growth can be messy and non-linear, much like cooked spaghetti. Just because you're not moving up quickly doesn't mean you're failing.
  2. Promotions often come with extra responsibilities and sacrifices. It's important to reflect on whether you're ready for those changes before chasing a title.
  3. Your career will have phases, with ups and downs. It's okay to experience stagnation; it's part of building resilience for the long run.

So you want to be a pirate, eh matey?

Jeff Giesea • 558 implied HN points • 14 Aug 24
💼 Business Career development
  1. Job-stacking is when people hold multiple full-time remote jobs at the same time, mainly in tech fields. Some think it's unethical because it can trick employers.
  2. Supporters argue job-stacking is okay as long as people do their jobs well and there are no secret issues. They feel the current job market is unreliable, so they find new ways to cope.
  3. The job landscape is changing, and job-stacking could be a sign that we need new work models. While not for everyone, it might push us to think differently about employment.

What Is Being An Engineering Manager Like

Diary of an Engineering Manager • 119 implied HN points • 05 Sep 24
💼 Business Career development
  1. An engineering manager's role is more about teamwork than just giving orders. It's important to work together and support each other.
  2. The manager's job is like being a driver on a road trip. They navigate and ensure everyone is comfortable and safe along the journey.
  3. Being an engineering manager doesn't mean being smarter than everyone else. It means having different responsibilities while being part of the team.

How Failing Multiple Interviews Helped Me Create My Elevator Pitch For AWS Interview

Behavioral OS for Techies • 299 implied HN points • 08 Aug 24
💼 Business Career development
  1. Keep your introduction short and focused, ideally between 1-2 minutes. This helps keep the interviewer's attention.
  2. Customize your intro based on the job you're applying for and the interviewer's background. It helps you connect better.
  3. Use key phrases and topics that you want the interviewer to ask about later. This guides the conversation in your favor.

Il faut des discussions difficiles

L'Atelier Galita • 59 implied HN points • 06 Oct 24
💼 Business Career development
  1. Having tough conversations is important for personal success. The more difficult discussions you engage in, the more you can grow.
  2. Making good career decisions often comes with challenges. It's not always an easy path, but it can lead to greater autonomy.
  3. Growth and success are tied to your willingness to face uncomfortable topics. Embracing these conversations can lead you to better opportunities.

I'm glad I took the off-ramp from software engineering

Cloud Irregular • 6800 implied HN points • 22 Jan 25
🕹 Technology Career development
  1. A career in software engineering isn't guaranteed to lead to high pay or upward mobility. Many people find that their progress stalls after a certain point.
  2. The rise of AI will significantly change the role of developers, making it less about coding quickly and more about solving human problems and understanding technology's role.
  3. Choosing to step away from traditional software roles can open up new opportunities. It’s important to explore other interests and skills to avoid being trapped in a limiting career path.

Where New Engineering Managers Fail

Diary of an Engineering Manager • 179 implied HN points • 15 Aug 24
💼 Business Career development
  1. New engineering managers often struggle with accepting their new role. It's important to embrace this change or else it confuses the team and weakens your leadership.
  2. Many new managers make the mistake of telling their team too much instead of listening. Encouraging team members to share their ideas leads to better solutions and shows that you value their input.
  3. It's common to hold on to tasks instead of delegating them. Letting your team handle their own work not only helps them learn but also frees you up to focus on management responsibilities.

Two Months into an MBA

From the Desk • 27 implied HN points • 28 Feb 26
🚌 Education Career development
  1. Returning to school as an adult can feel out of place at first, but it often brings renewed focus, confidence, and enjoyment in the classroom.
  2. Early classes in accounting and finance are practical and sometimes frustrating—accounting feels more exacting, while finance ties to broader concepts. AI can be a powerful study aid to clarify ideas quickly, but it mustn't replace your own thinking.
  3. Strong family and partner support, including financial sacrifice, makes part-time MBA study possible, and the program helps achieve concrete goals like credentials, practical business skills, a local professional network, and better chances for management or teaching.

The Software Games: Endless Grind

Leading Developers • 73 implied HN points • 10 Feb 26
🕹 Technology Career development
  1. Careers can feel like an RPG: early on you level fast, but over time routine work gives less value and progression slows.
  2. When the XP you earn shrinks while promotion requirements grow, engineers get stuck, demotivated, and often consider leaving.
  3. Managers should actively create stretch opportunities and tune work difficulty so people stay in the learning zone; internal moves or new responsibilities can provide growth without switching companies.

8 Key Themes You Should Be Preparing For Your Behavioral Interviews

Behavioral OS for Techies • 219 implied HN points • 01 Aug 24
💼 Business Career development
  1. You should prepare stories about your experiences with customers. This can show how you improve their experience and handle complaints.
  2. It's important to share your successes and how you overcame challenges. This helps interviewers see your problem-solving skills and achievements.
  3. Think about times you've faced failure or conflict. Sharing these experiences can show how you learn from mistakes and work well with others.

There Are No Safe Havens

Freddie deBoer • 6621 implied HN points • 25 Nov 24
💼 Business Career development
  1. The job market for entry-level programmers has drastically declined, with job postings dropping significantly. It's harder than ever for new coders to find work right now.
  2. While skilled and experienced programmers still have good job prospects, the narrative around learning to code often ignores that not everyone can secure those top jobs.
  3. The promise of tech jobs being a guaranteed path to success is misleading, especially for beginners who face tough competition in a shrinking market.

Work: The Four Big Shifts.

The Future Does Not Fit In The Containers Of The Past • 84 implied HN points • 01 Feb 26
💼 Business Career development
  1. Work is becoming uncoupled from full-time jobs — companies will use more project-based hiring, freelancers, fractional roles, and AI agents to get work done.
  2. The future workforce will be a blend of humans and AI agents, with many people working fractional hours or as contractors, which changes benefits, hiring, and how work is managed.
  3. Leadership and organizations must reinvent: leaders need to learn and unlearn quickly and shift from control to influence. Companies should go AI-first, hire talent from anywhere, and become smaller, more agile, and distributed.

How to succeed as a Machine Learning Engineer

The ML Engineer Insights • 359 implied HN points • 22 Jun 24
🕹 Technology Career development
  1. Building a strong foundation in machine learning fundamentals and staying updated with the latest research are crucial for success as a Machine Learning Engineer.
  2. Playing to your strengths, such as data and feature engineering, modeling, and deployment scalability, is key. Seek help in areas where you're less experienced.
  3. Focus on aligning your work with business goals, understanding trade-offs, ROI, and embracing experimentation. Continuous learning, networking, and mentorship are invaluable.

Welcome to the EM Diary!

Diary of an Engineering Manager • 159 implied HN points • 01 Aug 24
💼 Business Career development
  1. This blog shares real-life experiences of an Engineering Manager to help others grow into leadership roles. It's based on practical stories rather than high-level advice.
  2. It's aimed at senior engineers, team leads, and new engineering managers, providing actionable advice without any confusing jargon.
  3. Readers can expect weekly posts that are easy to understand and filled with insights about the daily life of an Engineering Manager in tech.

What I Gave Up To Become An Engineering Manager

Diary of an Engineering Manager • 62 HN points • 29 Aug 24
💼 Business Career development
  1. Moving from individual contributor to engineering manager means letting go of past habits. You need to make room for new responsibilities and ways of working.
  2. As a manager, you won't build things directly. Instead, you'll help your team create and support multiple projects, shifting focus from personal achievements to team successes.
  3. Managers face longer feedback loops and must learn to communicate tough issues early on. This shift encourages patience and improves team dynamics.

How much agency do we actually want?

benn.substack • 1585 implied HN points • 13 Jun 25
🕹 Technology Career development
  1. Many people want clear directions to reach their goals rather than complete freedom to decide everything on their own. It's sometimes easier to follow a checklist than to choose your own path.
  2. In the tech world, even highly skilled professionals often seek specific instructions on what to do next, rather than relying solely on their creativity and initiative.
  3. While we talk about wanting more agency and independence, many of us really just want someone to give us a roadmap for success, even if it means giving up some of our freedom.

Lessons from my experience of getting my resume shortlisted at AWS

Behavioral OS for Techies • 79 implied HN points • 15 Aug 24
💼 Business Career development
  1. Find the right job role and focus your applications. It's better to apply for a few perfect matches than a lot of random ones.
  2. Tailor your resume for each job. Highlight your relevant skills and experiences to match the job description closely.
  3. Build a strong network and ask for referrals. Connections can help you get noticed and increase your chances of being shortlisted.

Beyond the Code

The Engineering Leader • 59 implied HN points • 15 Sep 24
🕹 Technology Career development
  1. Top software engineers excel not just in coding but in understanding the bigger picture of their projects. They focus on why they're building something, making sure it meets real needs.
  2. Effective communication and collaboration are key traits of great engineers. They share knowledge with their teams and explain their ideas clearly, making work smoother for everyone.
  3. It's important for engineers to keep learning beyond just coding skills. The best engineers adapt to new challenges, use innovative tools like AI, and think creatively to solve problems.

The CTO's Silent Struggle

The CTO Substack • 279 implied HN points • 13 Jun 24
💼 Business Career development
  1. Being technically correct isn't enough for a CTO. It's important to communicate effectively with the rest of the team to be truly understood.
  2. CTOs often feel unheard and frustrated, especially when their technical insights aren’t respected. They need to connect their concerns to the company's overall goals more clearly.
  3. Success as a CTO comes from focusing on team dynamics and collaboration rather than just being right. Building relationships and understanding others' perspectives is key.

Movers, Shakers, & Money Makers (9/1)

Human Capitalist • 79 implied HN points • 03 Sep 24
💼 Business Career development
  1. Several notable job changes happened recently, including a long-time Google employee moving to OpenAI. These changes can indicate where innovation is heading.
  2. People are shifting roles at important companies, such as a new head of robot software at Zoox from Nuro. This shows the ongoing evolution in technology and leadership in different sectors.
  3. Watching these job changes can help investors and recruiters identify key talent and trends in the job market. It's a smart way to stay informed about who is moving and why it matters.

Deep Knowledge, and Three Ways to Get There

Human Programming • 51 implied HN points • 05 Feb 26
🚌 Education Career development
  1. Deep knowledge combines lasting, rigorous ideas with true, detailed understanding instead of shallow, trendy consumption.
  2. People reach deep knowledge in different ways — sustained reading and practice, formal academic training and mentorship, or interdisciplinary applied work — but all involve lots of reading, writing, and hands-on experience.
  3. To build deep knowledge, pick subjects that feel solid and meaningful, find communities or mentors, and be willing to commit years of focused study and practical work rather than quick browsing.

Networking as sending "hard to fake" signals

Optima & Outliers • 299 implied HN points • 25 May 24
💼 Business Career development
  1. Networking is not just about meeting people; it's about sending strong signals that you are trustworthy and capable. These signals help you stand out and show your potential to employers.
  2. There are two key types of networking: informational networking to learn about a field, and evaluative networking to impress hiring decision-makers. Start by gathering information and then shift to showcasing your value.
  3. To avoid coming off as sleazy while networking, focus on having genuine conversations and showing real interest. Don’t name-drop or overly flatter others; instead, respect their time and build connections naturally.

Don't be an asshole

Tech Ramblings • 39 implied HN points • 25 Aug 24
🕹 Technology Career development
  1. Being a good software engineer is not just about coding. It's also important to have writing and social skills.
  2. Most project failures happen due to human issues, not technical ones. Understanding people and reducing conflicts is key to project success.
  3. Having empathy, showing respect, and evaluating ideas fairly are important for teamwork. Treat others well and focus on solving business problems.

Do you have career blues?

Elena's Growth Scoop • 1474 implied HN points • 17 Oct 23
💼 Business Career development
  1. Career blues are real and can leave you feeling tired, unfulfilled, and restless.
  2. Regularly reevaluate your job and career options to ensure you're in the best possible position.
  3. Explore different avenues like public speaking, newsletters, contracting work, and advising to complement your full-time job and avoid career stagnation.

Things We Learned Creating Technology Career Steps

It Depends / Nimble Autonomy • 19 implied HN points • 08 Sep 24
🕹 Technology Career development
  1. Clear connections between career steps and salary are important. When those links are vague, it can create misunderstandings and worries for employees.
  2. Career advancement should focus on behaviors and personal growth, not just achievements. While some people prefer clear advancement criteria, ambiguity can encourage conversations about development.
  3. Ongoing support and communication are essential after launching a new framework. Failing to keep it active can lead to confusion and make the effort feel unimportant over time.

Nulla dies sine linea

Kenny’s Sub • 219 implied HN points • 05 Jun 24
💼 Business Career development
  1. Setting smaller, more manageable tasks can help you feel more accomplished. It's better to focus on small wins than to aim for unrealistic goals.
  2. Feeling overwhelmed comes from thinking you need to achieve big things every day. Recognizing smaller steps can ease that pressure.
  3. Doing a little every day, even something small like updating a title, adds up over time and makes progress feel real. It's about consistency, not perfection.