Your obsession with perks is ruining your career. Remote work? Free meals? Gym memberships? Nice to have, but they’re not going to fix the real problem. You accepted a role you didn’t actually want. Here’s the harsh truth: Perks won’t make you love your job if the role itself sucks. You know it. I know it. Everyone knows it. Yet here we are, with software engineers picking roles like they’re choosing toppings for a pizza. Let me break it down: - Perks are temporary but growth is permanent. That remote work policy feels great for the first six months… until you realize your job doesn’t challenge you, and your skills are stagnating. - Shiny perks = distraction from red flags. Hiring manager dodges questions about responsibilities? Vague career path? But hey, unlimited snacks! Stop falling for it. - Misaligned roles lead to misery. A recent SHRM survey found that 56% of job seekers regretted picking jobs based on perks. Guess what didn’t help? Free yoga classes. Here’s my advice. Before you salivate over the benefits, ask yourself: A. Does this role excite me? B. Will I learn something new? C. Do I see myself here in two years? If the answer is "no," walk away. Perks don’t solve career regret. And before anyone says, “But perks matter!” Yes, they do. But they should complement the role, not define it. Prioritize what matters: your work, your growth, your future. Now, tell me. Are you guilty of prioritizing perks over passion? Or do you actually know what you’re doing with your career? Let the debate begin. #SoftwareEngineering #CareerGrowth #Recruitment #JobAdvice #TechCareers
Out of your last 4 posts, this is the best post I’ve seen from you! I 100% agree with everything you said here. If love the work the perks are irrelevant! The growth comes in when the leader trusts the workers to grow and pays them enough to live and thrive so they can grow. The interview process should reflect company values to include how they treat the employee. Remote work isn’t so much a perk as it is a method to show you see the employee as an adult who is self starter who pursues personal success that aligns with company success via colaboration vs RTO/onsite only mandates that don’t translate to colaboration but more to employee micromanagement. In the US folks are taking what they can get to prevent them from adding to the homelessness statistics. Most who settle with any kind of job will continue to look for a job they will love. Some of us can’t wait on work they love because keeping a roof over thier head and food on the table is the priority. Not a job they love and not job perks. I say this as a Data systems engineer who continuously developes folks who work for and with me. Career growth is always nice. But you have to be able to survive before you can focus on the luxery of mentoring and love of your work
No growth and no perks. Sometimes you don’t find out until you’re hired. I’ve had this happen many times.