Thanks to my hasty decision to do NaNoWriMo, I’ve been working on another blog post this weekend that doesn’t quite fit the theme of Chronicles. I’ll hopefully cross-publish that on Medium and dev.to later this week.

So, in this chronicle, I have something succinct to share: one quirky, unexpected software engineering epiphany that I had this week.

Work where the employees dress up for Halloween.

At least in the Bay Area, software engineers can take their pick of companies to work for. How can an engineer distinguish which company would make them happiest? I’d argue that, though salary helps, company culture has a significant impact on an engineer’s contentment and personal growth.

Company culture is an admittedly difficult-to-measure trait. During the interview process, it feels difficult to assess how a company treats its employees as well as how they treat one another.

One solution: interview on Halloween like I did at Medium! Kidding, of course, but during my interview I noticed something: when a company allows its employees to dress up in costume, it affirms its employees’ values and passions. It supports self-expression. It signifies that employees can bring their whole selves to work.

Although you shouldn’t let a company’s blowout Halloween party sway you to take an offer, consider probing your interviewer with questions about the little things that make life at a company enjoyable. Learning about how a company handles Halloween is a great way assess its community and culture, which both impact an engineer’s ability to succeed in their job.

Even though October is over, I hope that the spookiest holiday of the year brings you the most splendid of jobs. 👻 🎃

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