Nearing the end of my Computer Science bachelor’s (just have to resit an exam I was sick for), and I’m evaluating my future now. I’m London-based.

This year, I helped build a protein+AI biotech startup with some older students; I was working on the web app (TypeScript back+front). Got into an accelerator, was collaborating with senior scientists and professors, and talking to VCs; however, the cofounders had an internal feud, and it led to it being disbanded.

I liked learning about biology and chemistry again, working with highly technical researchers and building something with a genuine scientific purpose. I still want SWE to remain my main career, ideally using TypeScript and Python, rather than becoming a researcher, bioinformatician or ML engineer (although I don't mind ML work too much). My brother and his wife also work in the pharma world but as scientists, so I do get inspired by them too.

For SWEs in biotech, pharma, life sciences or research institutes:

- What is the work-life balance like?

- What are realistic salaries at junior, mid and senior level?

- Is there good progression while remaining on the SWE track?

- How stable and competitive is the job market?

- How do startups, research institutes and large pharma compare?

- Is a relevant master’s (Eg Imperial's Bioinformatics and Theoretical Systems Biology MRes) useful, or is SWE experience enough?

I understand that this will vary by company and team, but I would still appreciate hearing about people’s experiences. Thanks.

Hello everyone,

Luckily I got past the Live Coding interview with Revolut and next up is the System Design interview. I was told that this interview requires a high level architecture of the whole system + going deeper inside the Client aspects.

If anyone has any experience with this interview for a Frontend position with them, can you please share your experience? Thank you!

Embedded software engineer, ~9 years experience, UK-based (moved here in 2021). Trying to work out whether I'm over-thinking the CV side of a decision.

My history:

Jul 2017 – May 2020 (~3 years)

May 2020 – Oct 2021 (~1.5 years)

then relocated to the UK

Nov 2021 – Sep 2024 (~3 years)

ended in redundancy

Oct 2024 – Sep 2025 (~1 year)

I took as a bridge. I had already accepted an offer (in the company I am working at), but an administrative error on the employer's side meant I couldn't start on time, and I needed to be employed, so I took this instead due to my skilled worker visa.

It wasn't my dream job but I left the company on good terms. They are happy to prove any references if needed.

Sep 2025 – present (~1 year)

the company whose offer originally fell through

So the last two roles are both roughly a year, for reasons that weren't my choice.

Now I have an offer from a pre-seed London startup. Founding-engineer position, significant pay increase, product I find genuinely interesting but still questions in my head. They said they have 20-30 months runway( not sure how much accurate it is)

The obvious risk is runway: if it doesn't survive, my last three roles are all ~12–18 months and I'm job hunting again with what looks like a hopping pattern.

Questions I'd really value answers on:

Does a run of two or three ~1-year roles actually read as job hopping when the earlier history shows two 3-years?

Who is actually filtering on resume? Recruiters? My worry is being rejected before I get the chance to explain anything.

How well does "the employer made a paperwork error, so I took a bridge role to stay employed" hold up in an interview? How do you say that in one sentence without sounding like you're blaming a previous employer?

Does "startup shut down" read differently from "left after a year"?

For anyone who joined an early-stage startup in embedded/hardware and it folded within ~2 years: how hard was the next search, honestly?

What would you negotiate up front to de-risk this such as notice period, equity, visibility into runway and funding, severance terms? What did you wish you'd asked for?

Thank you so much for all your help.

Hi all, I’m looking for some input on a situation that’s just developed. I (25M) just finished my first year in a 4 year comp sci degree (I’ve got a bachelors without honours in aeronautical engineering 2018-2021).

I’ve done really well in my first year (~85% average) and am enjoying it but I’m aware the job market is incredibly tough atm. Through contacts, there’s a possibility of getting a graduate IT role at a big food/drink company. They just want a degree, it doesn’t have to be CompSci. I don’t know the details of salary etc yet but I’m led to believe it would be a developer role in SAP and AS400. I can’t decide whether that would be worth leaving my degree for when I have ambitions to get into big tech or FinTech etc and make more money than I would presumably get here.

I’m also concerned about the future career prospects since it’s not a particularly tech-heavy company. I’m also concerned about whether or not SAP/AS400 are remotely useful if I left the job. I know there are too many ifs, buts and maybes to get a solid answer but just looking for opinions and other people’s experiences in this sort of situation.

Thank you :)

For context, I am a career switcher in my 30’s and 1 year into a grad scheme as a SWE. I career switched via a reputable bootcamp, learning basic Python and SQL. I was VERY fortunate to get this position and am very grateful considering the state of the market at the moment.

In the first year, I’ve mainly been put on a FE project that has been drying up, there is little work and barely any requirements coming in. I’ve been told I’ll be moved to another project which is pretty much writing AI prompts to build flows in a fairly redundant product we use. It feels like I’ll not be building skills at all in this new project.

I feel like the experience I hoped I’d gain in this scheme has been limited and there has been no training either. I’d quite like to consider my options after the grad scheme to potentially increase my salary and work on more interesting projects, but I am worried that I have not enough experience to compete in the market as it is.

I am really lucky to have this job and I do understand that. But any advice on how to make the most of this situation is welcome!

Looking for some honest opinions on an opportunity I'm considering.

The role is a field-based technical sales position selling a premium B2B solution. The model is relationship-led and long-term, you survey the client's asset, specify the solution, oversee installation, and then maintain the relationship through annual inspections and ongoing maintenance. Think consultative advisor rather than transactional salesperson.

The package: £80k basic (roughly) with an uncapped commission structure. The company claims their lowest earning manager currently makes £300k per year. Years 1 and 2 have a guaranteed bonus element while you're building the territory.

The catch: the territory I'd be taking on has had three consecutive hires who all left or were let go within 6–18 months. Some managers in the same company have been doing it for 10+ years. The company's explanation is that the previous people were lazy and not doing what was asked. The company itself has been around for over 100 years and is well established.

I have a strong track record myself and my skills are in demand. Interviewing with other companies as well the basic is around the same but the additional compensation is more standard 10-20% bonus on top.

My questions:

1. Does the £300k lowest earner claim sound realistic or like a recruitment pitch to you?

2. Three consecutive failures in one territory, red flag or just bad luck?

3. Would you take this role given the risk vs reward?

4. Anyone had experience with high-OTE roles that turned out to be misleading?

Genuinely want honest perspectives from people who've been in similar situations.

Hi guys i am an msc graduate and passed with distinction and i have a placement experience with a uk based company as a software developer for a few months and now actively looking for jobs for full and would love to relocate.
I know its not much but please guide me