Comment by xroja | Hacker News Reader

Comment by xroja | Hacker News Reader

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I've worked at a top research university for the past 15 years as a research software engineer. Many of these comments have some truth but a lot are definitely not universally true.

Poor compensation: Yup, I'll cop to that. I could be making way more in "industry" but I make enough to live and I don't build ad-ware and do take pride in my work.

Being a PhD but little respect: I actually have the opposite experience. I'm not a PhD, I don't even have a Masters. But I can write decent software and I get respect and recognition from my PIs and other top-tier faculty that we've collaborated with. I feel like I've gotten just as much respect with my humble BS in Comp Sci from a state school than if I got a MS/PhD.

Micromanagement: I have the total opposite experience. I've worked with the same group for a long time, maybe that changes things. We apply for and receive grants to work on projects. We make high-level assertions for what we will do during the course of the grant and our PI gives us lots of lee-way to meet the goals of the grant in whatever technical way gets results, is FAIR, and open. Granted, I may have just lucked out here.

I also had a good experience as a research software engineer. Tons of autonomy and fun work. Reasonable expectations and no overwork. But it was barely a job, I got paid like a tenth of what I make in industry. Once I saw the kinds of offers friends were getting, I was out.

(My research institute didn’t have a concept of “research software engineer” so I was paid as a generic research assistant.)

I kind of alluded to this, but my experience was slightly similar.

B.S. in Physics (w/ years of significant undergrad research), but worked with PhDs+ in national lab scenario. At some point everybody assumes you have an PhD.

Little to no micromanagement. It was more professional scenario.

IMO an RSE at a mid-ranked state school hired by a PI and embedded into a research group, compared to an RSE at a top-tier research University - at a lab or institute that employs many engineers, they will have vastly different experiences and probably pay as well. There's exceptions to the rule, but this is generally my experience.

There's a good chunk of both jobs, but I would not work the former.

Lets be honest. Searching for https://hn.algolia.com/?q=burnout in hn shows so many people suffering from burnouts working in industry.

My SO is a research software engineer.

1. As you say, she doesn't build ad-ware and do take pride... 2. relaxed and convenient job timings 3. In EU - close to 31 days paid + usually Professors are very generous about going home early etc... 4. Pension, unions, unlimited contracts 5. No one gives a shit when github/gitlab/heroku loses credentials on a Easter weekend. (We were in roadtrip) - chill life.

Obviously "research" and "industry" are not monolithic entities. It's possible to have a relaxing and fulfilling and balanced work environment in industry too.

I was also very surprised by the micromanagement comments. I have seen much more the opposite end of things (in particular with PhD students), which is not enough management guidance. I know that none of the academics I know would have time (and interest) to micromanage their PhD students, let alone a software engineer working on some software for the group.

I no longer do so, but I was also an RSE (Senior Faculty Research Assistant) for 13 years with a large university, and loved it. Pay was not great great, but just fine all things considered. I respected the PIs I worked for and they respected me. I was constantly learning new, interesting scientific things as I'd work with new and evolving projects. I even got my name on papers even though I didn't even know I could be a co-author.

I also did a couple years at a university as a research software engineer and my experience matches yours.

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