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Any Tableau SEs able to share some insights?
I have two years of automotive/aerospace manufacturing experience and am looking for new opportunities. I recently applied to a Solution Engineer - Commercial Manufacturing, Automotive, Energy (MAE) role at Salesforce, and it sounds like a great fit. Is anyone willing to offer me a referral or advice on how to move forward in the hiring process? Salesforce
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Coach
I mean… only on a bad Friday. It’s rare I swear.
Coach
It really depends on your AE and how you communicate boundaries with them. I’m sure every SEs had this happen from time to time, but thankfully we’re all encouraged to use our unlimited PTO to take time off as needed to recover and take care of your wellness if you are coming out of a difficult day/week. It’s hard work, but I’ve had the best work life balance as SE. I never missed any important days with the kids for the past 5 years.
2 and 3 are likely real concerns if those are problems for you. 1 shouldn’t be (and depends on the company/org), but it does shift the tech experience and skills. Your programming skills will likely diminish, but you’ll likely find that you have to grow broader technical skills and knowledge in the SE role.
I agree here.
For 2 - Travel is heavily dependent on your territory and your AE's desire for travel. Most SE roles I've had involved at least bi-monthly work travel (all flights), with some months where I've only been home for 5 total business days, though this isn't that common. Work travel's dwindled since the pandemic but will probably trend back up as return-to-office initiatives continue.
For 3 - Good SE's manage / train their AEs in ideal ways of working and protect their calendars. Always communicate your preferred ways of working with your reps (e.g. requiring min 3 days notice for demo's, no-discovery-no-demo, etc). FYI less seasoned AEs are more likely to want to pull you in for everything "just in case".
From my perspective, with 5 years of SE experience, it can vary. Pre-COVID, I traveled by plane a couple times a month. Since 2020, a lot of meetings have moved online, for various reasons, including being more economical.
A lot will play into the travel and meeting schedule - your company, the AEs you’re supporting, the type of product you’re solutioning for customers, and the customers themselves. I’ve also had seasons that were more intense, then quarters that were less intense.
I know that’s probably not a lot of help, but I’ve seen it really vary. I would reach out to any current SE’s at the firm you’re interviewing with, or share concerns with the hiring team at the time of offer to really understand expectations on both your’s and the firm’s side.