Playbooks that I've found value in:
- Generic application version SLI comparison. The automated version of this is automated rollbacks (Harness supports this out of the box, but you can certainly find other competitors or build your own)
- Database performance debugging
- Disaster recovery (bad db delete/update, hardware failure, region failure)
In general, playbooks are useful for either common occurences that happen frequently (ie every week we need to run a script to fix something in the app) or things that happen rarely but when they do happen need a plan (ie disaster recovery)
One issue I've found with cultures that emphasize no jerks is that the pendulum can swing too far that way to the point where its difficult or impossible to provide critical feedback. Not to say that you need to be a jerk to have difficult conversations, they can and should be done with empathy.
The market over the last 2ish years is significantly worse then it's been over the past 10 years with the exception of Covid due to the rise of interest rates and change in tax incentives. This has hit large companies pretty hard, so there is a double whammy of fewer jobs from the biggest sources and more competition with other engineers. Anecdotally it does seem to be warming up, but it is uneven with significantly longer timelines to get a new position.
So what can you do? 1. Update your LinkedIn with descriptions of all your jobs so it looks similar to your resume. This should include technologies you've worked with. This is basically doing some SEO work so you get inbound recruiter emails (understanding that the quality of those inbounds will vary dramatically). 2. Apply to jobs directly and actually write cover letters (take a look at Who's Hiring, etc).
In terms of new skills or certifications, it's usually easier to add something adjacent to what you already do instead of learning something completely new. If you're a backend engineer, maybe you learn about data pipelines, or cloud infrastructure. If you're a front-end engineer maybe learn to write some backend code using nodejs. Put a side project on your resume, and ideally online.
Yeah the market has been brutal since interest rates went up.
anecdotally:
I applied lazily around in late 2020 and was drowning in offers from big names.
In mid 2023 I started applying again and it was absolute silence. I was a much stronger engineer, my resume was better with 2+ years at big co, but I was getting nothing. It was a huge wakeup call that your abilities are not as important as the market.
So if tech gets hot and engineers are in demand take every penny you can get, because once it cools down they will not want you.
I did eventually find another job but it took 6ish months, my advice is the obvious stuff, get your resume strong, make sure you can crush any interview you get, and lean on your network. I don't think learning new technologies or doing elaborate side projects is worth it unless you enjoy doing it.
Parts have been. Sourcegraph is basically the code search post built by ex-Googlers originally. Bazel is the open source build tool. Sadly, most of these things require major work to set up yourself and manage, but there's an alternate present where Google built a true competitor to GitHub and integrated their tooling directly into it.
Its pretty common to see "easy" algorithm problems or potentially build a small simple app as a way to test that you can actually code. I'd say 75% of companies I've interviewed at have at least one algorithm interview with hands-on coding. This seems to be even more true at big tech companies because you're likely debugging software written in multiple languages.
If the OP is in the US, Chinese cars are unavailable since they don't meet US standards. Additionally, there is a level of protectionism that will try to prevent them from being introduced in the US.
There are also 100% tariffs on Chinese cars in the US. so doubling the price. Chinese EV manufacturers will likely set up final assembly plants in Mexico and ship them 90% finished, and then they will be able to circumvent that tariff. That's how Chinese steel manufacturers get into the US market.
There are some places that are much better about this than others. I remember in Europe several of the restaurants had _books_ containing all the potential ingredients and cross-allergens for each dish. I distinctly remember Wagamama's in London pulling one out and double-checking it due to my spouse's eggplant allergy. Sadly it removed most of the menu that we were excited to eat, but it was damn impressive.
You can't control whether there are layoffs, but you can control how to handle one. Update your resume and LinkedIn, so that if/when you need to look for a new job you're already ready. Also do go out and socialize. If you need to justify it, think of it as networking. There's a good chance that the people you meet, may be able to help you find a new job or intro you to someone.
One place to search is the local Parks and Rec website (for your town/city and potentially nearby ones). your town and/or library may also have their own separate events pages, which can be useful as well. Depending on your interests, it may also make sense to search for climbing gyms, dance classes, art classes and try them out. You can also find some things on Facebook and Instagram, but I find it hard to start out.
In general, playbooks are useful for either common occurences that happen frequently (ie every week we need to run a script to fix something in the app) or things that happen rarely but when they do happen need a plan (ie disaster recovery)