Ayman Alheraki’s Post

💡 Why Don’t All Developers Work in High-Paying C++ Jobs? 🤔 You’ve probably seen posts highlighting how C++ developers are among the highest-paid in tech. But here’s the thing—why isn’t everyone rushing to land those jobs? The answer lies in the level of expertise and impact these roles demand: 🔹 High Skill Level: Developers in these roles have a deep understanding of systems, memory, and performance. 🔹 Big Problems: They tackle complex challenges—like optimizing low-level systems, game engines, or real-time applications. 🔹 Code That Matters: Their work directly impacts performance, scalability, and user experience. 💡 The takeaway: To land high-paying roles, focus on solving bigger problems and creating meaningful impact with your skills. It’s not just about learning a language—it’s about applying it to areas where your work makes a difference. The journey may be tough, but the rewards are worth it. Start small, aim big, and keep growing. 🚀 What problems are you solving today that could lead to a high-impact career tomorrow? Let’s discuss! 💬 #CareerGrowth #C++ #SoftwareEngineering #ProblemSolving #HighPayingJobs

📢 Attention, Software Engineers! Many of you are currently navigating the job market, and I genuinely want to help you land that next great opportunity. ✌ But let’s talk about first impressions—because they matter. 💡 In a world where FAKE news and FAKE profiles are everywhere, it’s surprising how often I see applicants skipping the basics. A professional, clear profile picture is essential. 👩 👨 (Is your profile pic set so that everyone can see it? Many aren't. Click on profile pic and set to "Anyone" under visibility 💻 ). Those faraway "mountain-top" photos or obviously fake pics? 🌄 They don’t build trust—they raise red flags. 🚀 Set yourself apart! If you’re applying for a role, make sure your resume highlights the skills that match the job description. If I’m hiring for a C# .NET role, and your summary screams Java and Spring, I have to ask—why are you applying? ⁉ 🌟 Small details make a big difference. Show that you’ve put thought into your application, and you’ll stand out in the best way possible. 😃 That’s my two cents for today. Wishing everyone a productive job search—TGIF! 🎉

I am of the opinion that both are necessary, and still need to be taken with a grain of salt. I need to know you can code, see what you produce and the kind of thought process you have to solve problems that sometimes is very hard to get from a conversation. On the other hand leetcode, hackerank and others are far from reliable data points as to whether or not an engineer will be able to produce good solutions to the many problems a company faces (and understand what the kind of breadth of skills this engineer has). From a management perspective you need to view the candidate through a holistic lens, where you would calibrate what is more important for the position (usually helps having more than one person participate on the hiring process so perceptions are not biased).

Leetcode and other algorithmic exercises definitely do not help, but I would ask to do one small coding task that is relevant to your day-to-day work. Just take something that you do and simplify it to the bare minimum, so that it can be completed in 1-2 hours. For example, if you do compilers in C/C++, ask to write an expression parser. If you follow the AI crowd, ask to write a simple program using OpenAI API. References are subjective, but when you see a code that the person wrote, you can make your own judgement.

I completely agree with Jamie Aronson 👏 . I’ve always found those traditional interviews ridiculous and have refused to conduct them in the typical “let’s see if you can implement a binary search, so I’ll know if you can write a REST controller!” approach. Nonsense! I’ve often wondered if interviews for hiring skilled laborers, like a forklift operator, require practical tests, or if their certificate and track record suffice. In any case, I’ve played the exercise game, but in my own way. First, I ask candidates to solve problems without an IDE, just on a text editor. I’m not interested in whether it compiles but in seeing if the candidate can think clearly, spot bugs, or explain how they’d set up tests. And for fairness, I always let them ask me something I don’t know.

I can't wait to hire software engineers purely based on a conversation and reference checks. Leetcode, hackerank and whatever code exercises are dead. The tools available to us nowadays enable people to do far more than ever before. As long as you can read code and have a logical thought process, your ability to regurgetate a bredth first search of a binary tree in O(n) time complexity means absolutely squat. My process would look a little something like this: - Filter cv's based on skill matches - conversations with candidates on the short list - reference checks of those candidates who I got along with - further conversation with shorter list and then decision As long as you have a track record of being able to do what you say you can, all I care about is what kind of person you are. Maybe I haven't thought about it all the way.. what do you think?

♨ High Country is working with an Embedded C Engineer with strong "up-and-comer" experience and an amazing reference from his past boss ... ♨ "He's Priced like a Mid, but Codes Like a Sr!" If you're interested, we can send his: - Resume & Work Portfolio - Recorded Reference Call (Very impressive reference - Among the best we have heard) - Several Examples of his Proactive Naturing in Solving Company Problems Want an intro? 💥 This is an incredibly bright, "up-and-coming" Embedded Engineer who is now targeting a move to Denver  💥 Amazing references: His previous boss said he's definitely not a Mid - Said he could and does go shoulder-to-shoulder with any Senior Embedded dev 💥 He was highly praised technically, but also in terms of professionalism, client communication, and his ability to find and solve bugs and "see around the corner" 💥 Recently graduated with a CS Degree, but worked in high school and through college ~20 hours a week, so he comes with over 5 years part time experience 💥 Wrote over 40% of the code for a precision oven brand that is currently and actively used in hundreds of thousands of ovens, 💥 Interviews incredibly well: Curious and polished, and prepares very well - He was the top target for a Senior role with another client (they unfortunately put the role on hold) 💥 Will hit the ground running and add value from day 1, but also is a likely change agent and future team leader 💥 Targeting just 90K salary, which is a STEAL for the type of work he can do, and his projected growth.  #ITSearch

If you're a Software Engineer who is looking for a new position, it is very important you fill out your LinkedIn profile as you'd fill out your resume. I was typing out a message explaining why, but it turned into an essay. Just believe me when I tell you, people who are hiring can not easily find you if all we know is you are a software engineer. The more detail the better - from nichey frameworks to type of databases to maybe even the versions you used or migrated from/to. (depending on the tech).

I recently spoke with a Java Developer who has over 35 years of experience in the industry and a deep knowledge of software development, architecture, and engineering. They’ve built systems that have stood the test of time. Yet, at over 60 years old, they’re struggling to even land interviews for roles they’re more than qualified for. This got me thinking about ageism in tech. While we often celebrate innovation and disruption, are we too focused on youth culture in tech? By overlooking seasoned professionals, we’re missing out on: ✅ Decades of hands-on experience ✅ Problem-solving skills honed over the years ✅ Stability and mentorship that can elevate entire teams The myth that technology is a “young person’s game” hurts companies and limits diversity of thought. On a side note, they just aced their first technical interview in 15 years and are moving through to Round 2 🙌 Any hiring managers in my network who might be interested in speaking with them, drop me an email on b.solomons@trg-uk.com and we can have a chat!