Looking to switch companies primarily for comp reasons - how do I explain this in interviews?
I work at a trading company that is known for kind of skimping on comp, but I took the offer because I had left my previous company due to misery, and I kind of just took the first thing offered to me to be employed and that allowed me to work in C++.
The company had a banner year, so I was really hoping for a bit of a comp boost, but instead I got exactly what was in my contract. Maybe I shouldn't be surprised, but I'm not excited for long term prospects here as the company grows headcount.
However, in other aspects, the company culture and work are mostly fine. The biggest downside is I've had to do more Java than expected, but I almost don't want to tell that to other employers so I can present myself as a C++ expert.
Therefore, when I am inevitably asked why I'm looking to leave a position after just one year, is it really valid to say something like "the company just isn't a good fit for me?" It feels like a good interviewer will drill down until you say something that isn't basically just BS, haha. Curious what yall think!
![Senior Software Engineer [E5] at Meta company logo](/_next/image/?url=https%3A%2F%2Ffirebasestorage.googleapis.com%2Fv0%2Fb%2Ftech-career-growth.appspot.com%2Fo%2Fcompany_logos%252Fmeta.jpeg%3Falt%3Dmedia%26token%3Da7a5bcc0-e178-4b5b-b71e-09bf6c6aefae&w=48&q=75){kind=small}
![Entry-Level Software Engineer [L3] at Google company logo](/_next/image/?url=https%3A%2F%2Ffirebasestorage.googleapis.com%2Fv0%2Fb%2Ftech-career-growth.appspot.com%2Fo%2Fcompany_logos%252Fgoogle.jpeg%3Falt%3Dmedia%26token%3D780356ef-3efc-4728-9eb4-d909b75bb4a6&w=48&q=75){kind=small}
Discussion
(6 comments)- 2
a month agoThoughtful TarodactylTaro CommunityI usually dodge the question and just talk about how the company im interviewing at is very cool and aligns with what im looking for. Why are you looking for a new role is a very standard recruiter screen call q so I wouldnt worry too much about it.
- 0a month agoEntry-Level Software EngineerTaro Community
I'm not too concerned about recruiter screens, but I've had engineers ask me this question pretty deep into rounds. I think it's something many are curious about. On the other side of the table, I've also been involved in loops where another interviewer is concerned about short tenures. I never care much (I know the answer is usually either "money" or "my boss is terrible") but it does matter to some
- 0a month agoThoughtful TarodactylTaro Community
one year doesnt sound crazy short to me as a jr tbh. Seems kinda fair
- 0
a month agoAI/ML Eng @ Series C startupIt's a trading firm. Compensation should not be a taboo subject. I understand that many people try to dance around touchy subjects, but that only raises more alarm bells in the interviewer's mind. And compensation is only a lagging indicator of organizational problems, so feel free to add 1 or 2 more of your complaints when people ask. (gracefully, of course 😅)
When someone has doubts about you, your responsibility is to cut through that doubt with the cleaver of truth.
I started interviewing for new roles 4 months into my previous job. The first thing interviewers asked was why I was leaving so early. So when I noticed the trend, I pre-emptively told them why I was leaving my current job (lots of turnover, etc). They never asked again.
Everyone has to play the interview game. But you get to decide how you'll play it. Are you going to dodge all the real questions until you get eliminated or are you going to proactively attack the interviews and get the damn offer?
That's up to you
- 0a month agoAI/ML Eng @ Series C startup
Now that I'm re-reading this, "cleaver of truth" sounds really corny. The point is, you need to proactively address any concerns your interviewer may have before they bring it up 🫣
- 0a month agoAI/ML Eng @ Series C startup
and you can probably do that in the "tell me about yourself/background" blah blah blah
