Ask HN: Should I take a job at a bank? | Hacker News Reader

Ask HN: Should I take a job at a bank?

8 pointsjobSeeker201621 comments

I am a junior with a fairly technical background. The only offer I have been able to acquire for next summer so far is an Application Development position with a large bank, in their San Francisco office. I worked for this same company last summer in Chicago.

It pays $37 an hr, and is in a great location. I have not heard back from any other companies, and do not have any promising leads. I feel like I won't be able to find a better position than this offer I have now. However, I do not want to work for this bank again, as banks have a bad reputation.

Do people think working at a bank is valuable experience? Would it be a good work environment for tech in the bay area?

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Well if it's the only offer, then take it. Working for a bank is better than working at the local pizza joint for a summer job. The money is a lot better. The unique experience you'll get at a bank is the auditing (in the code sense) and all the regulations you'll navigate.

Bank programs have to run right all the time. On a game like Candy Crush, a bug might crash someone's phone. In a banking application a bug might lose someone a lot of money. The bank dev process may seem slow to how you crank things out in school, but it's like that for a reason. Ensuring correctness and complying with all the banking rules are paramount, and will probably benefit you a college student.

I worked on similar things last summer. My concern is with taking the job, while continuing to look around for a better one. Is that immoral? It is at will employment, so I can do that. I just do not think anyone will pay as well as this bank.

> I just do not think anyone will pay as well as this bank

What makes you believe the best reward for you right now is to be paid as well as this bank, instead of improving your learning rate?

> taking the job, while continuing to look around for a better one.

That's actually pretty standard. Always keep your ear to the ground.

"Best time to find a job is when you already have one."

a job, is a job, is a job.

I don't think any work experience can hurt you; and if it's all you can find right now... why not?

I've worked for 2 banks and a debt collection agency (all in IT) - debt collectors are worse then car salesman - no job has ever said to me "omg, you worked for a bank? your the devil!" - it's a job.

Yeah, it would be good experience. I know I would keep looking around after accepting, so I feel like it is wrong to take a job with the intention to renege.

I wouldn't worry about that either. As you're compensated, just do your best and deliver value every time you're there. When you make the best of any situation, you'll find that there's so much to learn and it could really open your eyes to what's possible, including building solid relationships for the future.

I really wouldn't worry about that. The bank wil have no loyalty to you.

Do you like the hiring manager? Do you know if you'll be working on an interesting (if unlikely to be cutting edge) stack? Do you find the application domain interesting? (Meaning, if it's creating HR services, for example, are you stimulated by that?)

You'll learn stuff no matter what you do at your stage of career. Working at a bank will teach you how to ship reliable software in a process-heavy, risk averse environment while learning to develop your professional persona in a buttoned-down, hierarchical environment. That's not a bad thing, but it's a radically different set of soft skills than you'd get working at a startup.

The fact that you're questioning the ethics of taking a job with the intention to leave or renege on an offer says good things about your personal integrity. Keep in mind that acting contrary to your own values is a discomfiting and stressful experience.

I would work for the bank - what are your worries RE: reputation? That they develop slow and aren't exciting? This comes with the advantage that they generally don't break. I would consider a software dev who worked at a bank to be quite trustworthy.

Having a bank on your résumé can't possibly be a bad thing. It shows that you can work in a professional environment. That you have been vetted and passed it. It's a sign of you being responsible, reliable and professional. I can't really see how it could be something negative.

However. The perks of working in the finance sector might make it hard to leave for another field.

1) Next summer is far away dude! Why would you have to decide which job to take in 6 months now?

2) Why do you worry about the reputation of working at banks; technical challenges, or how people regard folks that work at banks?

3) you're young and if you have programming skills you probably don't have to worry about landing A job. Do what you like. Work somewhere that inspires you. Follow your passions. Don't start your career at a place you don't really like just because the location/pay is convenient. There will be times in your career/life when you'll have to settle for an okay job. Make sure to have a great job until that point.

> However, I do not want to work for this bank again, as banks have a bad reputation.

Was your first experience especially bad, with 'this' bank?

'banks have a bad reputation' sure, complex. Is this an ideology of yourself, or that others have pressed?

Forget the 'banks are bad' mantra and find something that fits you. Go to interview. Ask them about what they're doing. Tell them what you like. Create a fit.

Most jobs which pay well have bad reputation: ads, banks, betting/gambling, freemium games for kids, etc. Do what you like and focus on what makes you happy.

If you care too much about pleasing others you'll end up at a workplace with good reputation but may feel sick for not getting challenged enough, not doing what you love with colleagues you may dislike in a culture you don't fit in.

So my advise is: take a job that suits you, not a job that suits others.

Finally, I've worked for a niche bank with very interesting ambitious people and fun challenges, but I guess that varies greatly between different banks.

You don't make it clear if this is an internship or a full time job? As a full time job, $37/hour working for a bank in SF is going to be basically a double dose of suck. You won't be able to afford much in the way of housing anywhere close enough to have a reasonable commute, and it's not likely to be a great environment to work in (though I'd be happy to be be wrong about that).

If it's for an internship, don't worry about it. Just do what you're doing and keep looking. If it's for full time, I'd look harder.

Take it. Learn to love BART. Get a one room share in Oakland. Enjoy the culture, it's waaaay different than Chicago.

Yes, working at a bank is valuable experience. No, it's not necessarily a good work env for tech in the bay area. But don't worry, you'll get there.

Well, actually that all depends on what you like and what's good for you.

Really the best thing for your career and resume is continuous and challenging work that highlights how well you learn and take on challenges. Then again maybe what you want is a day to day grind. Maybe that feels safer.

> I have not heard back from any other companies...

Focus your efforts on individuals you can help, not generic companies.

Jump on Linkedin's advanced search feature. Sort for CTO's, VP's of Engineering, who are alumni from your school. Reach out to those people 1:1. Talk to them live, reach out seeking their advice. You'll be surprised how receptive they will be to your call. And that's how you'll uncover hidden summer jobs.

The best things happened to my career is exactly after i took a job at the bank.

From taking a mediocre contractor's position to manage crappy enterprise piece of software to being a speaker at a conference teaching other people from international banking industry on detecting fraud and cyber attacks.

All happened within 16 months.

You'll never know - take an opportunity and squeeze the most out of it.

Take it, build the experience on your resume. Learn everything you can. It may take 2 years, but you will have more choices with the experience on your resume.

Don't take it. Go work for a startup, and optimize for quick feedback and learning instead.

Next summer is 7 months away. Why are you trying to secure a job so early in a field that moves as fast as tech? Uncertainty is a key part of any creation, and of life. The sooner you learn to live with uncertainty, the better off you will be in the long run, because you will attempt more frightening things.

The other reason you shouldn't take it is you can't jump in the same river twice. You already worked at this bank and you said you don't want to work for it again.

Learn to trust your gut.

If you like it, then YES

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