Was I Wrong to Switch Tech Domain

Dec 10th, 2024

The last quarterly performance review of 2024 concluded as expected—no promotions, subdimension bumps, or salary increases. I wasn’t surprised. I know deep in my heart that I’m not there yet. Having rapidly advanced to IC3 just 1.5 years after being hired as a new grad, I’ve now held this position for 3.5 years—a tenure marked by receiving the pity bonus, a recognition for those stationed at IC3 for over three years.

Well, perhaps I’m being overly critical 😊. Being an IC3, considered a terminal level at Yelp, signifies that engineers at this stage are competent and valued. I know quite a few talented engineers who have been at this level for longer than myself, and I’m by no means trying to accuse them of not working hard or making progress. People have priorities, and for some, their priorities are not at work but in life, and I respect that.

Yet, I have always envisioned surpassing IC3, actively striving to ascend to the next level for over two years, though making no progress. What might I have overlooked? If I could revisit the past, what would I change? There are numerous areas to consider—skills such as communication, making connections, task delegation, and time management. Each warrants thorough reflection. However, for today, I want to focus on the pivotal decision to switch tech domains.

For context, my journey in computer science began with a focus on web full-stack development. I learned HTML, CSS and JavaScript, and embraced jQuery when it was at the height of its popularity. I also learned template - Cheetah and DTL (Django Template Language). As the industry evolved, I transitioned to Vanilla JS following the broader shift away from jQuery, which was seen as offering little beyond a simplified syntax. Then all of a sudden all the frameworks came to the stage - React, Angular, Vue, as did integrating backend and database technologies into complete stacks such as MERN (MongoDB, ExpressJS, React, NodeJS). There were also niche frameworks - WeChat Mini-programs for example, which let developers launch small web apps within WeChat. This phase was marked by intense learning and creativity; I developed beautiful websites and practical web apps, which I shared at minimal cost with family, friends, or just for my own use. At that point, I believed my career would forever be around web full-stack.

Upon graduating, my job search was firmly targeted at full-stack roles, leading to my recruitment by Yelp in late 2019 as a full-stack engineer, with my start date in early 2020. I joined the SearchUX team, responsible for one of the largest interfaces on Yelp.com. It was a dream came true moment - relocating to the tech hub of the San Francisco Bay Area and starting my career at a leading company. And I fit right in - I was promoted to IC2 in just 2 quarters, and again to IC3 in October the next year. And when I was presented the options to either continuing in web full-stack or venture into new territory, such as iOS, I opted for the latter - I always love the innovation and elegance of iOS development. I have been a loyal Apple customer since middle school. Besides, I’m forever a curious kid at heart and I just love explore.

Unexpectedly, my transition into iOS development actually slowed my career progression. I started learning iOS development from ground zero in November 2021 by taking a 6-month long online program, which I completed two months ahead of schedule, even working through the Christmas holidays and New Year. Despite this, I found myself failing behind peers who were seasoned iOS engineers. Yet I remained optimistic. Deep down, I know my passion still lies in web. This detour into iOS was an enriching experience, one that I approached with curiosity and dedication. Should I choose, I can always return to the familiar realm of web.

However, things took an unexpected turn. In January 2023, a year after I embarked on my iOS development journey, my team was divided into two new teams—WWW and Mobile. My former manager went to focus on WWW and I was reassigned to new managers on the Mobile side. Now it became challenging to switch back - it would be considered a formal team transfer if i go back to web, so I chose to stay. Luckily for me, I still have mobile backend as a familiar area under my belt, because I picked it up in early 2021 due to it’s similarity with WWW backend and became comfortable with it. Yet in February 2024, another smaller reorg further split the Mobile team, dividing backend and Android under one manager and iOS under another. I found myself once again reassigned, this time firmly as an iOS engineer. After the second reorg, iOS was designated as a standalone area with increased workload. In some ways I chose to give up the mobile backend portion, because it was impossible for me to do both at the same time. And there I was, officially an IC3 iOS engineer and evaluated against the requirement of an iOS engineer of the next level.

Now let’s do the math. I began my journey into iOS development in November 2021. Typically, to be hired as a new grad iOS engineer at a company of this stature, one needs considerable experience—not just beginner’s knowledge. Assuming an individual is bright and hardworking, transitioning from novice to new grad level might take about 1.5 years. This means that at the very earliest (and I do not consider myself to be the brightest or the most hard-working type) I would have reached new grad status by the first quarter of 2023. And by Q4 2024 (present) I should find myself at a late IC2 or early IC3 level in iOS. Evaluations against the standards of IC4 would pose a huge challenge for me. No wonder I have been feeling tired constantly, on the verge of burnt out and struggling for the past two years - I’m pushed beyond the typical pace of technical progression.

What could I have done differently? Two key moments stand out where I could have taken alternative paths:

• October 2021: when I was presented the option, I could have chosen to remain within the familiar WWW realm while exploring iOS development at my own pace. This would have allowed me to maintain focus on my career path while satisfying my curiosity. And I can always choose to take on iOS responsibilities when I felt fully prepared.
• January 2023: right after the reorg, returning to the WWW team—an area where I was more familiar with — was a viable option. It was not that big of a loss given that I have only been doing iOS for a year. However I wish to pardon myself. January of 2023 has been one of the hardest time of my life: moving to a new country and city during the coldest time of the year, losing 1/4 of my mailed luggage due to Fedex mishandling, getting into a car accident because of how hard it was to drive in snow, being almost died due to carbon monoxide living in a basement unit Airbnb, all while parting from my former manager and transfering to the new team and manager at work.

A liberal art student at heart, it’s time to plug in the poem:

Two roads diverged in a yellow wood,
And sorry I could not travel both
And be one traveler, long I stood
And looked down one as far as I could
To where it bent in the undergrowth;

Then took the other, as just as fair,
And having perhaps the better claim,
Because it was grassy and wanted wear;
Though as for that the passing there
Had worn them really about the same,

And both that morning equally lay
In leaves no step had trodden black.
Oh, I kept the first for another day!
Yet knowing how way leads on to way,
I doubted if I should ever come back.

I shall be telling this with a sigh
Somewhere ages and ages hence:
Two roads diverged in a wood, and I—
I took the one less traveled by,
And that has made all the difference.

I understand there is no time machine to take us back and dwelling on the past won’t change our present. Instead, I’ve shared my journey here as a guide and reminder to anyone reading—perhaps also to my future self. In the tech industry, the clearest path to career progression often lies in deepening one’s expertise in a single domain, rather than spreading efforts across multiple areas. While I’m by no means discouraging exploration, I would prefer caution: be prepared, manage expectations, and consider all decisions carefully. This experience, whether it leads to success in the end or remains a hard lesson, is a step forward in my life learning.

And oh look, it’s snowing ❄️