Job search notes

When I decided to look for a new job, I had in mind the sort of thing I most wanted to do. I wanted to work on software security and correctness tooling, or more generally on infrastructure for building software. This was a major departure from my then-current role in a storage company, or my background in distributed systems. So I realized this would be a stretch. (I had been working on a startup idea in this area, but didn't feel ready to pull the trigger on it.)

Microsoft: applied online, interviewed in person, no follow-up from recruiter after getting current salary. (I had expressed some reluctance to relocate to Seattle; other than that, I thought this was a great opportunity with an interesting team, building tools for security testing.)

Stealth startup (software testing): reached out to founders, good initial conversation, not willing to relocate to East Coast

TrailOfBits: applied online, though the positions listed weren't a good fit. Rejected.

Hashicorp: applied online, interviewed via Zoom, got offer, accepted! Hadn't originally been thinking of Vault, but recruiter suggested I talk to that team first. The recruiter contacted me the same day I applied, and although it took a week or so to set up interviews, they gave me a job offer within a few days after they were completed. It was a very quick process. Several ex-Tintri people are working for Hashicorp in sales, so I was able to get a strong endorsement of the company from somebody I already knew.

Target: applied online, recruiter called back, no follow-up.

CircleCI: applied online, rejected

Transposit: applied online, no response

Fuzzbuzz: (startup in Winter 2019 YC class): reached out to founders, initial conversation, they wanted to defer action until done with fundraising

Whittle: reached out to founders, initial conversation, rejected

Veracode: applied online, rejected

Synopsys: applied online, recruiter followed up almost three weeks later after I'd accepted Hashicorp offer

Amazon: applied online, no initial response. Seattle-based recruiter got in touch independently, Minneapolis recruiter followed up afterward at his prompting, but said interview process typically takes 3-4 weeks so probably not worth it given my projected start date.

Google: had a friend have some conversations, remote work not really a possibility with them (as expected).

While I'd like to have gotten more than one offer, I'm happy with the result. In retrospect, I might have been better off quitting first and job-hunting second, or working more closely with a headhunter. But when I started looking I had not entirely decided I was ready to leave Tintri, either.

When I put the two logos next to each other, though, there seems something... inevitable about the switch.