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Explore our latest episodes below.
I'm a Software Engineer ~ what next? S01E08 You are not your title: Rethinking career progression in tech
"I'm a Software Engineer ~ what next?" is a podcast for software engineers at a career crossroads. Hosted by tech recruiter James Wilson and veteran software engineer Matt Sinclair, it offers insights into navigating career transitions from individual contributor roles to management and beyond. Featuring discussions on personal growth and leadership, this podcast guides engineers seeking career direction and development. Join us to explore the paths and possibilities that lie ahead in the tech industry. In this episode, we tackle The Title Trap. Matt and James dig into: - How culture affects how we view titles (Australia vs UK vs US) - What titles really say (and don't say) about your skills or impact - Why some companies strip titles altogether—and what happens when they do - Whether the only way to get promoted is to become a manager - How to think about IC progression when the ladder isn't clear - How to stand out without relying on your CV or job title If you've ever wondered whether you're a "Senior Engineer" or just stuck in a system that defines progress by job titles, this episode might be for you. 🎧 16 minutes. Zero fluff. Tune in now.
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I'm a Software Engineer ~ what next? S01E07 You Are Not Your Language: Escaping Tech Stack Identity Traps
"I'm a Software Engineer ~ what next?" is a podcast for software engineers at a career crossroads. Hosted by tech recruiter James Wilson and veteran software engineer Matt Sinclair, it offers insights into navigating career transitions from individual contributor roles to management and beyond. Featuring discussions on personal growth and leadership, this podcast guides engineers seeking career direction and development. Join us to explore the paths and possibilities that lie ahead in the tech industry. Are you a React developer, or just someone who uses React? In our second "Summer Shorts" episode of What Next?, Matt and James dig into: - Why engineers get stuck identifying with tools, not skills - What hiring managers often look for - How to stand out by showing how you think, not just what you know - Why AI will amplify your strengths, or your mistakes Then we have a chat about how engineers can future-proof their careers by thinking beyond the resume buzzwords. The post that sparked this chat generated quite a bit of discussion on LinkedIn. What are your thoughts? Whether you're an engineer, a manager, or someone looking for inspiration to navigate your career path, this episode is packed with valuable takeaways. 🎧 15 minutes. Zero fluff. Tune in now.
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I'm a Software Engineer ~ what next? S01E06 When Good Candidates Don’t Get Hired (and Why That Happens)
"I'm a Software Engineer ~ what next?" is a podcast for software engineers at a career crossroads. Hosted by tech recruiter James Wilson and veteran software engineer Matt Sinclair, it offers insights into navigating career transitions from individual contributor roles to management and beyond. Featuring discussions on personal growth and leadership, this podcast guides engineers seeking career direction and development. Join us to explore the paths and possibilities that lie ahead in the tech industry. In our first "Sumer Shorts" episode, Matt and James dive into something every hiring manager and recruiter has faced: candidates who seem like a great fit — strong CV, good early interviews — but don’t make it through. Or, just as often, the ones that slip through the cracks but might have been the right hire. Drawing on Matt's years of experience leading engineering teams, we talk through: - Why hiring starts with understanding the real problem you’re solving - How the cost of a “wrong hire” compares to the risk of missing the right person - What makes hiring for deep tech roles fundamentally different from product-focused startups - Why values alignment can matter more than technical brilliance - What engineers should look for when evaluating whether a startup is worth joining If you're scaling a team or navigating your next move as an engineer, this episode offers a grounded look at where things go right — and wrong — in the hiring process. 🎧 15 minutes. Zero fluff. Tune in now.
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I'm a Software Engineer ~ what next? S01E05 Mid Season Review
"I'm a Software Engineer ~ what next?" is a podcast for software engineers at a career crossroads. Hosted by tech recruiter James Wilson and veteran software engineer Matt Sinclair, it offers insights into navigating career transitions from individual contributor roles to management and beyond. Featuring discussions on personal growth and leadership, this podcast guides engineers seeking career direction and development. Join us to explore the paths and possibilities that lie ahead in the tech industry. In this episode, we reflect on what we've learned from making the first four episodes of the podcast—what worked, what didn't, and where we want to take things next. We talk about refining the format, improving audio quality, and getting better at planning and post-production. We also share our goals for the rest of Season 1 and how we hope to keep improving the experience for listeners. Whether you're an engineer, a manager, or someone looking for inspiration to navigate your career path, this episode is packed with valuable takeaways.
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I'm a Software Engineer ~ what next? S01E04 Swapnali Bhansali - Quality
"I'm a Software Engineer ~ what next?" is a podcast for software engineers at a career crossroads. Hosted by tech recruiter James Wilson and veteran software engineer Matt Sinclair, it offers insights into navigating career transitions from individual contributor roles to management and beyond. Featuring discussions on personal growth and leadership, this podcast guides engineers seeking career direction and development. Join us to explore the paths and possibilities that lie ahead in the tech industry. In this episode, we sit down with Swapnali Bhansali, a seasoned engineering leader and software quality expert, to discuss her journey navigating career transitions, international moves, and the challenges of stepping into leadership roles as a woman in tech. From starting her career as a campus recruit at Yahoo to becoming a senior leader in the UK, Swapnali shares candid insights on overcoming professional setbacks, breaking through biases, and redefining leadership on her own terms. She opens up about the barriers women face in corporate spaces—whether it’s returning to work after maternity leave, being overlooked for senior roles, or simply making their voices heard in male-dominated rooms. We explore: - The hidden cost of poor software quality and how to build a culture of excellence - The reality of international career moves and adapting to new work environments - How to transition from an individual contributor to a leadership role—twice - The challenges women face when re-entering the workforce after career breaks - Practical advice for allies, hiring managers, and leaders on supporting diverse teams Whether you’re an engineer, a manager, or someone looking for inspiration to navigate your career path, this episode is packed with valuable takeaways.
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I'm a Software Engineer ~ what next? S01E03 Danielle Ullner - VC and PE
"I'm a Software Engineer ~ what next?" is a podcast for software engineers at a career crossroads. Hosted by tech recruiter James Wilson and veteran software engineer Matt Sinclair, it offers insights into navigating career transitions from individual contributor roles to management and beyond. Featuring discussions on personal growth and leadership, this podcast guides engineers seeking career direction and development. Join us to explore the paths and possibilities that lie ahead in the tech industry. In this episode, we speak with Danielle Ullner, a veteran venture builder with extensive experience in the US VC space as an operator and executor and, more recently, with BCG Digital Ventures and BCG X in London and North America. She helps us, as engineers, understand how to work with one of the most critical segments of the digital venture building workforce: VCs.
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I'm a Software Engineer ~ what next? S01E02 Michael Smith (CEO Sagittal) - Frameworks
"I'm a Software Engineer ~ what next?" is a podcast for software engineers at a career crossroads. Hosted by tech recruiter James Wilson and veteran software engineer Matt Sinclair, it offers insights into navigating career transitions from individual contributor roles to management and beyond. Featuring discussions on personal growth and leadership, this podcast guides engineers seeking career direction and development. Join us to explore the paths and possibilities that lie ahead in the tech industry. In this episode, we speak with Michael Smith, CEO of Sagittal.AI, a seasoned expert in software and related digital technologies, artificial intelligence, and, more recently, AI-enhanced software engineering team productivity. In this wide-ranging conversation, we tackle everything from the early days of software engineering to the role of AI in development to the best frameworks for managing the complexity of people, processes, and technologies.
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I'm a Software Engineer ~ what next? S01E01 Carlton Lane - Boundary Conditions
"I'm a Software Engineer ~ what next?" is a podcast for software engineers at a career crossroads. Hosted by tech recruiter James Wilson and veteran software engineer Matt Sinclair, it offers insights into navigating career transitions from individual contributor roles to management and beyond. Featuring discussions on personal growth and leadership, this podcast guides engineers seeking career direction and development. Join us to explore the paths and possibilities that lie ahead in the tech industry. In this episode, we speak with Carlton Lane, a storied software engineer and leader who has traversed the boundary conditions of engineering, management, and leadership multiple times. He has a great story about working in different cultures in Australia, North America, China, and the UK. He has been lucky enough to go forward into management and leadership, working with great teams around the world and intentionally making the transition to go back to hands-on software development. This is a fantastic chat with a great engineer with a lot of wisdom to impart.
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I'm a Software Engineer ~ what next? S01E00 Pilot - Why are we here?
"I'm a Software Engineer ~ what next?" is a podcast for software engineers at a career crossroads. Hosted by tech recruiter James Wilson and veteran software engineer Matt Sinclair, it offers insights into navigating career transitions, from individual contributor roles to management and beyond. Featuring discussions on personal growth and leadership this podcast is a guide for engineers seeking direction and growth in their careers. Join us to explore the paths and possibilities that lie ahead in the tech industry.
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