u/sailing_oceans

I've been in the 'data science' space for a decade+ or so now. One thing I've noticed is that generally - give or take - outside of the elite jobs (<2-3% aka not me and almost certainly not you) the caliber of coworkers has declined drastically.

I'm not some fabled data scientist. I wasn't some GitHub nerd who had everything embroil or terminal wizard nor could I write out the math to a GBM on a blackboard. I'd even forget basic obvious statistics.

But I felt like I had common sense.

Now I'm a manager/director. I work with data scientists. And I'm just generally freaked out by the absolute lack of basic common sense. This is across the last 7 that I have managed.

Examples include:

1. Not visualizing or plotting the KPI/Target (sales). Not realizing there were no recorded sales on major holidays.
2. Telling me everything is improving from a sales perspective that it's up 4%...... from period 1 vs period 2... when ignoring that period 2 had 6% more days so in fact it's worse.
3. obscure models that are overkill and a bunch of statistics ive never heard of instead of just telling me that the impact of our promotions is declining.
4. General sense of not knowing what is even rational (e.g., our marketing ROI $1023 - no its not lol)

As I begin to delegate more I begin to get more freaked out by what I see. I can't be presenting to clients such obvious insane mistakes. But these are the candidates and profiles that get forced upon me or the team I inherit.

Are there any best strategies for dealing with this? I want to be seen as someone who can 'develop' the team... not just saying people are useless, but such glaring mistakes are insane.

Yes, alot of these things are perhaps due to them being crunched for time, or not knowing what objective is, or being focused on other things. I'm not talking about those examples. I'm talking about like year 1-2 not day 1 employees, not doing basic data checks.

As a data scientist I was obsessed with finding bits of info or making sure things were right. Now it seem every common for people to copy and paste code into chatgpt and have no idea about anything else around it?

So I'm in IT/Analytics and I've been offered a director role at $185k. My current job is pretty comfortable at $145k. My holdup is being looked at as a job hopper.....

Resume in a nutshell: most of my jobs have been 19-24 months. I know that sounds bad, but tbh a lot of it wasn't really on me - one roles ended because of layoffs, not because I bailed. I left another for undeserved 225k salary from 150k (who wouldn't take it). But here's what I do see when I look at my own resume: Senior → Lead → Sr Manager + Associate Director → Director.

Every single time I left, I was promoted. I am good at what I do... I just felt like I had some bad luck.

But I still feel like I'm somehow "out of lives" or that people are gonna think I'm just chasing money. Of course I want money like everyone else... but I just want to do good and interesting work.

Am I overthinking this and should I just stay where I'm at now to add months to my resume so I'm not a job hopper and have more credibility about 'building' stuff?

There is nothing I despise more than switching jobs. At the same time I feel the director title 'gets me out of the fray' of gazillion analysts and data scientists. of some of the day to day operationalizing and more into client communication and strategy work.

Then at same time I see peers or friends who have stayed at jobs for 5-6-7 years and often they are just on cruise control and barely work and don't seem to have alot of skills other than institutional relationships and knowledge. Some of them lucked into perfect job or boss... but most people dont have that.

Thoughts?

Back when I was super into lifting, everywhere on YouTube was trying to sell you on how useful bands or chains were - mostly for 'speed' work but also to add weight for where you were strongest - at the top of the lift.

But it is unwieldy to do this for ~95% of lifters since most gyms don't have this nor have benches/squat racks that a support it.

But is it mostly a too much of a hassle sort of thing?

I've tried using chains and bands previously but it always felt like it was a weird loading pattern where it felt either normal+too hard or too easy+normal.

I'm curious if anyone else experiments with bands or chains much or if at all and if there is any practical or relevant literature on it apart from the standard force=mass * acceleration sort of stuff.

6 years ago I could just go. 9 or 10 out of 10 intensity on every set, 12-20 sets a session, no problem. It felt automatic, like I didn’t even have to think about it.

Now in my late 30s that next gear just isn’t there the same way. Honestly not totally sure why. Maybe I’m less obsessed since I already hit the goals I was chasing for years. Maybe motivation’s just lower. Maybe it’s age. Hard to even pin down because it used to feel effortless to grind everything out, and now it doesn’t, and that’s the part that’s bugging me.

Anyone seen actual research on this? Like if a 30 year old can bench 315x5 for 3 sets, what’s that typically look like at 40? At 45? I know there’s a ton of variables and it’s not some clean measurable thing, but I’m genuinely curious if there’s data out there.

Also feels like lifting just wasn’t as mainstream a generation or two ago. Less home gym access, less culture around it in general, so I’m guessing the pool of “average lifter aging” data is thinner than people might assume.

Thoughts. All I’ve heard is generic 1% muscle declines per year after 30…: but I figure it’s somewhat more than that? Also curious how most pro athletes seem to drop around 32/33 age if they made it that far or at least that seems to be a near hard cutoff for elite performers as they transition out.

Stay at current job or take new Director offer? (analytics field)

Current job — Sr Manager, $145k

• Like the work and environment, hate the boss.
  • Should be HUGE growth potential - if boss didn't pursue crazy paths.
  • Boss doesn't understand the work ,clients lose confidence talking to him. Work seems to be slowing because sophisticated clients see bosses comments and claims and run.
  • Got a bad review same year exec leadership promoted me + praised me by name at town hall, multiple times. Blind-sided with 0 warning, and never seen before any negative comments. He is vindictive and an expert politician.
• Dept should be a huge growth area, but boss is running it into the ground
• RTO 4x/week (I've been skating by at 1.5–2x)
• Zero facetime with exec leadership - just crazy boss. Boss runs the ship and sits with exec leaders for 5 years. Every idea about me is only heard through boss voice.
• Mid-size company

New offer — Director, $175k

• Real title bump + $30k raise
• In-office only 1–2x/week
• Cuts commute ~40 min each day I go in
• Smaller, less known company — stability/growth = ??
• Lots of unknowns overall

Other factors

• 2 kids at home (6mo + 2.5yo) .... flexibility/commute matter a lot
• Director title elevates me away from super hands on work in future. and more towards solutions.
• Job market is rough .... scared to leave stability, coming up on 2.5 years to help alleviate job hopper question...... .. but who knows when get next crack at director title + this salary increase with flexibility.
• Most similar roles I see are $135–160k, so $175k stands out
• Resume already has a few short stints (startup flop, dream job → $50k promo away from it → layoff) so worried about moving again rather than staying put.
• But also worried I won't get another shot at Director + flexibility like this anytime soon
• Other job opportunity: Director but 0 change in pay at super well known firm with career ladder, but with mandatory 3 days a week in office tracked by IP address and fireable. Slight shift in career too.
• Good financial stability but not rich... raises are great because every marginal dollar can be saved towards investments and compounding returns....

TL;DR: Stable-ish job I like but toxic boss + bad optics vs. unproven company but better title, 30k jump in pay, and flexibility for my young family. Job market's scary either way.

What would you do? Market is for Atlanta if that matters (major city)

What size fan or cfm do I want for my gym? It’s hot in the summer and I’m dripping in my 2 car garage.

I saw there’s some 36 inch 21k cfm. Is this overkill or what? Or will it get me reasonably a comfortable environment to lift in?

I have an Amazon basics 18? Inch one and even on high it doesn’t do much unless I sit perfectly In front of

I mostly do pull ups, various presses, different types of deadlifts and squats. I don’t think that’ll change.

I was thinking getting a sandbag might be good to mix it up. I get mostly the bear hug carries for some forearm/core work, maybe some types of deadlifts or cleans….idk. Just something to switch up my workouts and get in a different type of movement.

Most of my energy would still go into the typical gym equipment. I’m around 6ft, 225lb. I’ve been lifting for like 15 years…. I don’t lift as heavy anymore but I could probably do 455lb deadlift, 405lb squat, and 285lb bench if I had to.

I was thinking 100lb or 125lb? I honestly have no idea.