Advice to my younger self
On how to frame and build up a life and career as a tech worker in Europe
Tip 1 - big tech early
If you’re a European dev early in your career, try getting into big tech.
Especially if you can’t land a remote job in a good startup.
1. There’s many big tech jobs in Europe
2. With just one prep and one job-search strategy, you can target all of them.
3. The payoffs are great:
Great pay
CV building
Learning and networking
Best to get in as an intern.
Second best way: target roles across ALL Europe, apply with referrals and good prep, see where you get an offer.
Tip 2 - remote as early as possible
If you can land a remote job early on, take it.
As long as it lets you upskill (i.e. it’s not a dead-end remote job).
Why?
1. Unmatched lifestyle
Spending your 20s as a corporate drone
VSWork hard + live it up wherever you want
2. Personal growth
You’ll learn a lot about yourself and about life by travelling, meeting different people and trying new experiences.
More than commuting everyday to the same office, with the same people, in the same routine.
3. You’ll learn how to setup an international life
The world moves fast and things escalate quickly.
Being agile and having the possibility to set up a diversified and international life is golden.
• Optimal taxes & lifestyle
• Greater security
• Easier to spot and grab opportunities
In general, I think the long-term goal is to have money, freedom and options.
Onsite job and corporate lifestyle is a bit of thing of the past.
If you can get a location-independent and diversified life early on… Do it!
If you can’t, then try to get into big tech and build it up from there.
Tip 3 - don’t have a powerless mindset
Don’t blame the market
The tech job market is not “DEAD”.
Don’t look for excuses for not working hard.
I’ve coached a few people in the past year and all the ones that worked hard easily got a great job
Tip 4 - put in the (smart) work
Grind + brain > privilege
I used to think privilege drove career success.
Today I think it’s mostly biology and attitude.
Privilege mattered more in the pre-internet era.
But modern capitalism seems more inclusive: if you are smart and work hard, you can win.
From my coaching program:
• By application only (skilled people + realistic goals)
• 5-15 hours per week to dedicate to the program
• After a few months, people usually split:
a) Puts in work consistently -> gets results
b) Doesn’t -> exits the program with little to show
👉 How consistently you can grind.
In ~15 months of coaching, this single variable explains most of my clients’ outcomes.
Then there’s some “results multipliers”:
• Intelligence
Quickly find the best paths when executing
Get more from each coaching call
More output per hour of work
• Mindset
Faced with a problem: some look for excuses, others look for solutions
In general: many of the most successful people I know did not have rich parents.
They were smart, hungry, and tough.
Ten years ago I thought rich kids had it much easier.
I am less convinced now.
Biology (smart, tough) + attitude (hungry, solution-oriented) seem to matter more.
There you have it!
Just a few tips on how to “game the system” (early big tech entry), enjoy life (remote as early as possible) and deserve the win (grind smartly).
Hope this helps.
If you want to make a significant change in your career in the next 6 months and have what it takes, go here.
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