Austin Cumberlander

The fastest growing state for software engineer salary submissions is Florida with a median income of $125k. (Levels.fyi, EOY report). I wouldn’t have guessed Florida. I'm always a little surprised when I come across a profile or resume that has FL in the address. But having spent a lot of time there, here’s why it makes sense: - There's no state income tax, which for high earners can be a big deal - You can drive from rural farming towns to the beach in just a couple hours - There's no snow - The gulf seafood is hard to beat What’s interesting isn’t that it's Florida, it’s the bigger picture trend. More and more people don't want to live in tech hubs, they're optimizing for lifestyle + income + flexibility. Remote work didn’t just change where people work. It changed what they’re willing to tolerate to keep working. If you could keep your current salary and pick any state to live in, where would you choose?

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I’ve really enjoyed following this series and look forward to seeing what’s next from Banyan Labs. Stories like Ashley Brooks’ are a powerful reminder of what persistence and belief can lead to. Her journey- from overcoming challenges to leading development on UpCurve, is both inspiring and a testament to the impact of not giving up. “Progress is a new error” is such a meaningful perspective, especially for anyone navigating growth in tech or beyond. If you’re interested in stories like this and the work being built, I highly recommend following Banyan Labs to stay connected.

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Headed to AFROTECH 2025 and I wanted to share some💡tips that can help you stand out in a crowd 😎 😇 make sure your resume is one page, starts with education, coursework, technical skills followed by internships/technical projects. 😇 bring some good energy and enthusiasm to the company booth. it makes a good impression 😇 do some research on the company before you approach. “what does your company do?” is a rough start 😇 conferences are busy + reps have limited time so I suggest arriving on the early side of the day and asking two to three questions max ✨bonus points✨ it’s flu season and not everyone wants to shake hands 🥴 a fist 👊🏿 bump works for me #afrotech25 #afrotech #makeithappenhere

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Big thank you to Kavya Ray and Firas Ben Chouikha for hosting a #UX in the Industry panel at Savannah College of Art and Design this weekend! A.D. Slaton, Lamon B., Akoua Smith and I answered students' questions about career paths, breaking into tech, and what UX really looks like inside engineering teams. Grateful for the opportunity to share what we’ve learned (including the mistakes 😅) and pour back into the community. More of this, please! #UX #Engineering #TechCareers #DesignLeadership #SCAD

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JavaScript was the first programming language I learned at University of Richmond Coding Bootcamp, and honestly? It’s still the one that feels like home. At work, I’m deep in the C# .NET world, and I love it: the type safety, the tooling, the ecosystem. But when I’m working on personal projects after Adeline goes to bed, I find myself reaching for TypeScript and Node.js almost every time. There’s something about that first language you learn. It’s like it creates neural pathways that never quite go away. JavaScript taught me how to think like a developer. It showed me that I could build things that actually worked, that I could solve real problems with code. I’ve built fullstack apps with the MEAN and MERN stacks. I’ve wrestled with Angular and React. I’ve dealt with callback hell and learned to love async/await. That journey from callbacks to promises to modern async patterns? That’s not just technical growth, it’s muscle memory at this point. These days, TypeScript gives me the best of both worlds: the familiarity of JavaScript with the safety net of static typing. It’s like coming home to a house that’s been renovated. Everything’s where you remember it, but better. The C# work pays the bills and challenges me in great ways. But TypeScript? That’s where I learned I could do this job in the first place. And that’s worth something. What was your first programming language? Do you still use it, or have you moved on completely?

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Noticed a Surge in Tech Opportunities in North Carolina? I Did Too! Over the last few weeks, I’ve been getting a surprising number of calls and messages from recruiters and hiring managers in North Carolina, especially from Charlotte. Roles like: ✅ Full Stack Developer ✅ SRE / DevOps Engineer ✅ Data Engineer ✅ Cloud Architect At first, I thought it was a coincidence. But after doing some research, I realized — it’s not just me. There’s a real tech boom happening in NC right now. 📈 Here’s what I found during my research: Charlotte is fast becoming a tech + finance hub, with several financial and enterprise companies expanding their tech teams. Companies like Fidelity Investments, BuildOps, Epic Games, and Bank of America are heavily hiring in this region. The cost of living is lower than major cities like NYC or SF, making it an attractive place for both companies and tech talent. NC is also investing in tech infrastructure, startup ecosystems, and talent pipelines through universities and bootcamps. Honestly, I was really impressed. For someone like me — with a background in Java Full Stack, DevOps, Data Engineering, and even exposure to AI/ML — the kind of roles opening up in Charlotte align perfectly with my skillset. I’m not relocating just yet 😄 But I’m definitely keeping an eye on the NC tech scene — and maybe some of you should too! Have you noticed this shift as well? Would love to hear if anyone here has worked in NC or recently moved there. #NorthCarolina #CharlotteTech #TechJobs #FullStackDeveloper #DevOps #DataEngineering #CareerOpportunities #USHiringTrends #IndianInTech #SoftwareEngineer #GrowthMarket #ObservationsFromExperience #JavaFullStack #PythonFullStack #ythonDeveloper #BackEndDeveloper #FrontEndDeveloper #DataEngineering #LearningJourney #Collaboration #DataScience #TechGrowth #DevToData #CareerPath #Python #DataTools #FullStackDeveloper #APIDesign #REST #GraphQL #gRPC #GitHubActions #CI #CD #Automation #Angular #React #JavaScript #SrITRecruiter #TechnicalRecruiter #SeniorTalentAcquisitionSpecialist #GlobalTechRecruiter #SeniorTechnicalRecruiter #TalentAcquisition #RecruitingManager #USOpportunities #BenchSales #Recruiter #ITJobs #USA #USAITJobs #Vendors #Virginia #Cincinnati #California #C2C #CorpToCorp DataEdge Consulting OP Optomi Optomi Professional Services Hays HAYS Apex Systems Apexon Motion Recruitment Kforce Inc Insight Global Insider. Bank of America Fidelity Investments EPITEC Epic Games BuildOps TEKsystems TekSynap Mindlance LanceSoft, Inc. Addison Group Akraya, Inc.

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In 2026, Intentional Hiring is the New Competitive Advantage As we move further into 2026, the Southeastern United States isn't just a "rising" tech hub, it is the destination. From the research triangle in Raleigh to the fintech corridor in Charlotte and the rapidly growing AI ecosystem in Atlanta, the opportunity is massive. But for tech leaders, the math has changed. Current data shows that while hiring sentiment is high (85% of managers are optimistic), 50% of employers report a significant skill gap in applicants, particularly in AI fluency, cybersecurity, and cloud architecture. The "hourglass" workforce (plenty of juniors and seniors, but a hollowed-out middle tier) is making it harder to find talent that can drive immediate ROI. The risk? Slow hiring cycles that stall innovation. The solution? A recruitment partner that moves at the speed of your business. In a year defined by "intentional hiring," your partner should be as strategic as your goals. If you are looking to scale your technical teams with precision and speed, let’s connect. #AI #TechInnovation #FutureOfWork #TechHiring #TalentAcquisition #ITLeadership #DigitalTransformation #TalentStrategy #TechTalent #ProcomServices #Recruiting #Staffing

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📉 Interview Rejection Is Tough, Especially in Today’s Market Right now, the job market for software developers is one of the most competitive we’ve seen in years. Talented engineers are interviewing at multiple places, putting in hours of prep, and still facing rejection. Here are a few ways developers I work with bounce back stronger: 👉They ask for feedback (when available) and apply it forward 👉They treat each interview as a practice round, not a final judgment 👉They stay engaged - coding, learning, and connecting with others 👉They remember that hiring is often about fit and timing, not just merit To every developer going through this: stay persistent, keep showing up, and trust that the right opportunity will come. #techhiring #softwaredevelopers #interviewrejection #jobsearchtips #devcommunity #careerresilience

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Software engineers fear the AI that will take their job while the real danger I see should be in companies and solution owners themselves. Products that you spent years and tons of dollars for buildng selling it for whatever the number of subscriptions is can now be easily cloned and it costs nothing but the Gen AI subscription and some small resources. I am really curious of how the scene will look like after maybe Q2 of 2026. The development that business owners needs to follow “not to fail in the common nokia example” is now talking days not years like all used before!! #ArtificialIntelligence #GenerativeAI #SaaS #StartupLife #ProductManagement  #SoftwareEngineering #TechTrends #DigitalTransformation  #Innovation #FutureOfWork #Entrepreneurship  

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