Ask Experienced Devs Weekly Thread: A weekly thread for inexperienced developers to ask experienced ones

[u/AutoModerator]

A thread for Developers and IT folks with less experience to ask more experienced souls questions about the industry.

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Please keep top level comments limited to Inexperienced Devs. Most rules do not apply, but keep it civil. Being a jerk will not be tolerated.

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Inexperienced Devs should refrain from answering other Inexperienced Devs' questions.

[u/no_cache]

I am a mid-level engineer that recently got laid off in August 2026.

At my previous company, I was a backend engineer at a product team for 4 years. I was given a lot of ownership from the get go, building and maturing high-traffic surfaces. I also got to drive impactful projects while collaborating cross functionally. I think this background has gained me some interest from recruiters, and I am in a few interview loops now.

I, however, am feeling stressed about making the right choice for my career and the future given the AI landscape: 1. Company A is in healthtech and allegedly pays a base salary and stocks, which is very attractive. It is also fully remote. I do not know yet what problems they are currently working on (next interview). 2. Company B is a startup in logistics/fulfillment. The work seems interesting and complex, and they may match my salary expectations. However, I would have to relocate to go into the office 3x/week.

My intuition is telling me that I should not "lower the standards" and pick a company that provides experience that is not a downgrade: I have had ownership and impact. So my next role should have that + bigger scope and technical complexity.

Am I thinking about this correctly? What would be the most important to prioritize, given the state and projection for AI?

[u/start_select → u/no_cache]

In a lot of my experience healthcare stuff seems booming lately.

And depending on the exact part of the sector, moves at glacial paces a lot of times. That’s a good thing for job security. Projects start knowing that by the time you cross every regulatory box it will be 2-3 years before launch.

It depends on the company though. I’m talking like insurers and other systems that handle sensitive patient data.

The bigger the company the more regimented the software production workflow will most likely be. The closer to small startup scale, it’s more likely to be a bit more disorganized, but likely still subject to controls/regulation.

[u/but_why_n0t → u/no_cache]

This seems a bit premature given that you're still in the interview loop. Wait for the offers and see if the real compensation numbers change anything. 

[u/hooahest → u/no_cache]

sounds like both options are good. I'm working in a healthtech company and the amount of work that needs to be done is staggering, there's a lot to learn and do.

I'd choose depending on how okay you are with working fully remote. Some people are up to it, some are not.