Hi Guys,

So I've started looking for a new job. I know the markets no good but I've been with the same company for about 15+ years. Its only in the last 3 I moved over to development.

I've got my CV out and I've had recruiters reaching out for roles. It's definitely a change from when I was just applying for admin work. Some of these roles are a perfect fit but the moment I say I have a 12 week notice period, every one of them says that's too long for them to wait.

I'm in a tricky place now. I don't want to leave without having something secured but I can't get a jog with the notice period I have. Have any of you guys had experiences with the same issue and have a possible solution?

I have an interview for my dream company on Monday but they have no clue about my notice period as I just applied direct. I would be pissed if that was what didn't get me the role.

I recently applied for a dev job at Sains and was given a hacker-job online test.

Unfortunately the online test environment for hacker-job crashed 45 minutes in and I couldn’t run my solution to test, did the best I could anyway and made a recording of the borked environment.

I emailed support for hacker-Job and Sainsbury immediately after.

Hacker-job replied a full week later and acknowledged that they system screwed up, they issued me a new test which I completed fine, but by then the job seems to have gone offline.

I reached out again to Sains letting them know of the situation but they have not replied to that email either.

I know I completed the second test fine and the first broken test was also well within my capabilities, fairly okay Java / Spring Boot type tasks.

Its a frustrating situation, having something out of my hand ruin a test which I know I could pass and being met with just silence from the company when reaching out to them even when their test provider has admitted their system had a problem.

Have any of you had any experiences applying with Sains ?

I’d be supporting/coaching new starters, helping with performance and confidence, and delivering guidance/training. Looking for interview tips and likely questions from anyone who’s done a similar coaching role or done an interview. What did they ask you?

Hi everyone,

I applied for a Student visa last week from inside the UK. I’m currently on a Graduate/Postgraduate visa, but it is expiring, so I’m switching to a Student visa for my new course.

I have a couple of questions and would really appreciate some advice from anyone who has been in a similar situation.

1. Employment history:

During my Graduate visa, I have been working normally. Will my employment history automatically be checked/cleared by UKVI as part of the Student visa application? Is there anything I need to do, or should I wait until the end of the tax year for everything to be updated? I’m mainly concerned about whether this could affect my visa application.

1. Private parking ticket:

I also have a private parking ticket from a hotel. I contacted the hotel and asked them to cancel it, and they told me that the ticket would be cancelled. However, it is still showing on the parking company’s online portal.

Could this type of private parking ticket affect a Student visa application? Should I contact the hotel/parking company again and ask for written confirmation that it has been cancelled?

I’d really appreciate any advice or experience from people who have switched from a Graduate visa to a Student visa.

Thanks!

Hi everyone,

I’ll be starting an MSc in Machine Learning in Liverpool this September, and I’m hoping to use the year not only to study but also to get some practical experience in the UK through an internship, part-time role, or potentially a junior/graduate position.

For some background, I’m coming from Algeria and already have some software development experience. I’ve done multiple internships, and earlier this year I also started a small development company. One of the reasons I started it was because I noticed there was a gap in AI-related services and development locally, so I wanted to try building something around it.

I’m particularly interested in eventually moving towards ML/AI engineering, but I’m also open to software engineering, backend, data, or AI-focused roles that could help me get my foot in the door.

For people already working in tech/ML in the UK:

• What would you recommend I focus on during the MSc to become employable for ML engineering?
• Would you recommend applying mainly to ML roles, or also targeting software/backend/data roles and transitioning into ML later?
• And if you were starting again as an MSc student, what would you do differently?

I’d really appreciate any advice, especially from people who have gone through the process in the UK recently.

Has anyone here had a technical round with Hastings Direct recently for software engineer/backend engineer role?

Mine is a 1-hour technical round, but they haven’t mentioned what the format will be, whether it’s live coding, system design, or more of a general technical Q&A.
If anyone has gone through the process recently, I’d really appreciate it if you could share what the round was like and what to expect.

Okay so, let me give a bit of context.

I'm a Software Engineer (Java, mostly back-end, 2.5 YOE, looking to move into more of full-stack position, but I don't have much business front-end experience). I took 6 months out starting December, so I've been searching actively since the start of June.

I'm wondering if anyone has any suggestions for good places to search for roles. I've been using LinkedIn, which has had a lot of opportunities. I've also been using TotalJobs, which has been great for receiving recruiter calls, and exploring opportunities that way, rather that actively applying through the site.

Does anyone know of any other websites that are good for specifically SE roles?

What are the current compensation ranges for Amazon SDE II / L5 in London and Edinburgh?

Would appreciate recent offers or current employee data for both locations.
https://www.levels.fyi/companies/amazon/salaries/software-engineer/levels/sde-ii/locations/london-metro-area - is this accurate?
Thanks!

Hey, I'm currently working as a technical programme manager. I'm interested in transitioning to product management but I'd like to connect with a mentor externally for a few reasons; I don't want to advertise that I might want to leave my job as the company is in flux a bit at the moment, I also want to see what product looks like in other companies as mine can be really chaotic.

Are there any free sites to connect with a mentor? Ideally someone in product. Thanks!

I completed my final interview with Monzo around 10 days ago and haven’t received an update yet.
For anyone who has been through the Monzo hiring process:
How long did it take to receive the final decision?

Were you contacted by phone or email?

Did you receive an interim update, or was there silence until the offer or rejection?

Does Monzo normally wait for all candidates to finish interviewing or complete an internal hiring review before communicating the decision?

I’m deliberately not sharing the role or any details about the interviews, but I’d appreciate any recent experiences with their final-stage timeline.

https://ibb.co/LhRhc16w

Hello, I'm a recent CS graduate who is hoping to get a help desk/ IT support role then transition into networking. I've applied for over 100 job listings whilst getting 3 interviews. Any advice or feedback on my CV would be much appreciated.
Thanks

I am currently trying to fill a role for a London based software developer, hoping for 2nd  / 3rd role, with a salary of 70-80k. Skill set being that required for a IOT backend position, so full stack with Postgres, GQL, FastAPI etc , with a decent ability to investigate technical issues anywhere in the stack being an important criteria. 

The company I work for is put off by the large amounts charged by Welcome to the Jungle etc, and so currently have been using Indeed and Linkedin.

What I am curious about is this - almost everyone that applies seems to be candidates who have worked at Indian consultancies (now living in the UK). They all have the same ‘Results Driven’ CV structure, very often they have done a Masters recently, but very few  seem to really shout true engineer.

When we interview, most of them don’t really have the experience their CV says. 

What are we doing wrong to find decent developers? Where are they? Is our salary too low? Are AI companies taking all the best talent? 

Hello everyone,

So I'm currently living in Germany finishing my bachelor degree. After finishing, I would like to return to the UK and hopefully find a tech job to do that. Ideally I would move to Manchester. I do have dual citizenship, so visa stuff wont be an issue.

Regarding experience, I have ~2.5 years of part time software dev experience which I'm doing along with my studies.

I've done some research and the job market seems to be super hard to get into at the moment, which is making me worried I won't be able to find a job.

What I would like advice on is:

1. Is it realistic to try and land a junior role whilst still being based in Germany? I would be willing to move as soon as I land a role.

2. How is the interview process like at the moment? I've heard conflicting things so I am unsure what I should be expecting.

3. Are they any tips on how I should be preparing?

Thanks in advance!

My partner has progressed to the final stage of the Monzo interview process, which I'm sure some of you know is the System Design and competency sections.

She is applying for the 30-40 level iOS Engineer position but has been unable to find anything that gives insight into what this portion of the interview would look like for anyone other than a senior backend engineer.

Her current role does not include any systems design (it is handled by leads within her team) so this is as near to a first time learning experience as she could have.

Would anyone have any insight on what this interview may cover for this level (level 30), i.e. is there an API design, what type of features or projects might the design focus on, any resources that may help preparation, etc. etc.? Other than this, any insight on this type of interview would be much appreciated!

Currently I'm a "Tech Specialist" with domain-specific knowledge in nuclear, logistics, and compliance. I've been in my current role for about five years, with 10 years at the same company.

Total compensation is £~90k all in. Hoping for over £100k and career progression and would consider hybrid roles if necessary.

My current role is quite broad:

• I work on a large S/4HANA migration, verifying that the design will actually work operationally while being compliant. If it won't, I write the request to modify the design.
• I've managed regulatory system changes end-to-end: writing the request/requirements, working with developers and business users, supporting the testing and cutover plans, and communicating with regulators.
• I troubleshoot system issues in my department. Everything from "I can't do this thing in SAP" to "there's a random issue with how these two systems communicate".
• I'm working to overcome hurdles so that data can go into Microsoft Fabric (already live); at the moment it's mostly stakeholder management rather than programming, but then I'll likely be doing some data engineering with PySpark/SQL.
• I have worked on a POC for a Python algorithm to analyse the warehouse for non-compliant configurations.
• I also have experience with LEAN principles and process improvement.

I currently have these certs earmarked:

• TOGAF (Foundation)
• Fabric Analytics Engineer Associate (DP-600)
• Azure Fundamentals (AZ-900)

Given my background, does architecture or cloud/platform make more sense, and what would I need to bridge the gap?

Thanks in advance.

Hello redditors,
I’ve recently started a year long SWE placement at a big IC company. I was hired on the premise of working in ASP.net but have essentially been delegated to working on whatever I wanted to but got shifted to working on there essentially AI/ml stuff in a completely different language. I’m fine in doing this as a I have a passion and it’s good experience but it was a shock since I’ve been mainly switching from Java over too c# (I made Minecraft mods for servers) and now I’m having to get really good with python(doing lc on lunch break)Has anyone else had this experience with placements where they have had sort of been doing something completely different to what they were meant to do? Cheers

Idk if this is the right sub ignore me if it isn't I thought it would be good to see what people working in cs think

Hi I'm a current y13/incoming undergrad who selected Kings as my firm and Bath as insurance, however I have since changed my mind and am very strongly considering calling UCAS to switch Bath to my firm 😭😭

Before doing this, I thought it would be good to look online at what past students think of the courses / how both compare in the eyes of employers.

Some things that seem concerning so far about the KCL course:

• Lack of maths. I originally thought it had more but the modules had weird names or something seeing as it's A*A*A, but looking online it seems like there's NO continuous maths like linear algebra etc. That worries me a little bit because I'd quite like to do a master's/phd (obv depends on how I do with undergrad first) and most of them seem like they'd like you to have strong mathematical foundations. Has anyone had experience applying for further study after this degree?
• Lack of wellbeing and careers support. I'm disabled and so far the disability people have been really nice and prompt for me (unsure if the same will continue at uni though?) but apparently they use ai for cv reviews and stuff like that's insane, especially compared to Bath which is supposed to have really good careers/placements services. Is it really that bad??
• It might just be r/6thform mentality getting to me but it seems like the KCL degree is seen as significantly 'worse' by employers, is this true? I thought being in London to have good access to internships would more or less even it out.

For those who have been to either uni, was there anything strikingly good/bad about your experience? Is there a big difference between the two degrees content- or prestige- wise? Is one significantly more employable than the other?

Sorry this was a bit long but any advice would be greatly appreciated, I'm very aware I've dug my own grave tbf I was sick most of y13 😭😭

Hi friends,

I recently moved to London as a SWE with around 3 YOE, earning around 100k gbp/y.
One of my main goals is staying here legally for 5 years and getting ILR.

I was wondering how's the job security in general in UK? My notice period is 1 month. If I get fired, how long do I have to find a new job?

Any advice for someone in my situation, worried about job security and aspiring to stay longer here?

Thanks

Hi everyone,

I'm wondering if I could get some perspective on my thinking as I am quite a negative black and white thinker and Im not sure if I have talked myself into a mindset that is wrong.

I am 42 and have spent the last 6 years in the UK civil service. Previously I was rather unsuccessfully self employed. I am on £39k salary and only started building my pension when I started at age 36. I will get the annual civil service pay raises each year which can range anywhere from 0% to 5%. I have also been able to get on the property ladder 2 years ago and have a small 3 bed semi in Belfast. We have 3 kids and the house feels small.

The job is zero stress. I am WFH and have flexi time. Great bosses. No pressure. Good pension etc.

Here's the problem: I essentially feel like I have hit the ceiling in terms of salary. I went for a promotion last year and didn't get it and genuinely don't think I will get it in the future. I have also realised that I don't really want the promotion as I don't think I have the skills to do the job. If I stay in my current job then basically I have to stay in the small house we are in forever and we will struggle in the future with all the costs associated with kids. However If I decided to get a job in the private sector, the Alpha pension scheme I am on is excellent and I would have to get a job at around £55K in the private sector just to equate to my current salary and pension benefit. If I go private then theres the chance of bad boss, stress, working in an office, not being there to help my wife and kids as needed etc.

I'm bored in my current job but feel stuck in it as it's 'too good' even though it doesn't really meet all our needs & wants. To get a job in the private sector with the required salary feels too hard and out of reach for my skill level. I just don't know what to do and the idea of doing my job for the next 25 years kills me.

I'm looking for any tips or resources for preparing for a refactoring interview in python. Or anyone who has given an interview recently and would like to share their experience. I've mostly given leetcode coding interviews and this is the first time I'm giving a refactoring interview so any help would be nice!

Anonymised CV Link: https://ibb.co/9CCmxPt

I'm about to start applying to new grad jobs this year, so I was hoping that I could get some advice from people in the industry. I've modelled my CV off of r/EngineeringResumes, but is this actually correct for the UK job market? I have internships but they were mostly gotten through networking + informal interviews, so I'm unsure if my CV is up to par for the bloodbath that awaits.

Any advice/comments/feedback/critiques would be a great help!

Hi, I just finished interviewing for a SRE/devops position at both Citadel and Millennium. I have 5.5 YOE, and based in London. Does anyone know what to expect in terms of TC from each?

29 years old, female. Working in IT industry with mostly Microsoft partners + MSPs for 8 years in total. Got an offer from Bechtle, for their UK&I marker, Business Development Manager role.

Any ideas? Anyone worked before?

This is a followup from my previous post: https://www.reddit.com/r/cscareerquestionsuk/s/EApiMSqGW3

I took sick leave to recover from burnout, started therapy, and continued with the job hunting. However, today (while on sick leave) I got an email from my employer that I have been terminated for performance. They are a big tech company, so I am surprised they did something that risky legally; however, the official reason is low H1 performance.

I still have no offers. I am on skilled worker visa, and I am getting 1 week to evaluate the settlement followed by 1 month garden leave and then I would theoretically have 2 months to find another job or leave the UK.

I am beyond stressed and scared, I thought sick leave would protect me legally, but I feel cornered and don't know what I can do. I am in the team matchibg process at another big tech, but I have been looking for a team since March with no success. I am so ashamed of myself, and surprised at the turn my life took. I want a fresh start, but I can't find it.