Extract. Transform. Read.

A newsletter from PipelineToDE​

Hi past, present or future data professional!

In 2 weeks or so The Oxford English Dictionary will reveal its 2025 word of the year, a semi-democratic process that lends academic legitimacy to words like “rizz” (2023’s pick).

If you’re currently employed or interact with white collar workers, you would think the word of the year is “headwinds.” Used in a sentence: “We’ve pivoted our AI strategy but still encountered headwinds that impacted our revenue.”

Essentially, “headwinds” is executive-speak for “this might look bad but…”

As a job seeker you are likely facing headwinds in the form of downsized teams (and hiring budget) and increased (and misguided) AI applicant gatekeepers.

But for someone looking for a role supporting teams with concrete, demanding goals like “increase subscriptions by 25%”, understanding industry-specific headwinds can position yourself as a business-minded, solutions-oriented engineer.

Even though companies typically hire when budgets are generous and the org is doing well, managers expect you to be ready to propose and deliver solutions early in your tenure.

I’ve written previously about the value of a technical applicant who can articulate and demonstrate how their skills improve business results. In other words: How candidates exemplify “domain knowledge.”​

But in an increasingly challenging marketplace, it’s not enough to just understand, broadly, what your target companies do. You need to internalize how you can help wherever you are hired survive and scale.

You might think bringing up headwinds in an interview is bad practice. And that’s sort of true. Maybe don’t inquire about a business’ weakness in your initial phone screen.

A forum where the headwinds conversation is appropriate and even welcomed is your final executive interview. If you’re concerned about an org’s stability (and your own future role) or want to demonstrate that next-level thinking, it’s important to bring the topic up with the hiring executive for 2 reasons.

1. A department head or c-suite exec involved in the hiring process has “10,000 foot view” of potential headwinds; this is when you can discuss wins in prior scenarios to demonstrate your ability to solve similar business challenges
2. The big dogs (execs) typically love talking business and welcome any opportunity to discuss their team’s role in the org’s current successes; if you don’t have immediate solutions (even to hypotheticals), you can ask clarifying questions to demonstrate interest and intuition

Maybe you have the same question I’ve been having about certain industries: Is this going to be an industry that data engineering can help thrive in the face of AI disruption?

This might seem like a big question, but if you have the luxury of time in your job search, I would encourage you to think of the longevity of technical roles in industries rocked by AI applications.

And while “headwinds” doesn’t have the same gen alpha buzz-iness as “rizz”, in the coming year you’ll hear it just as much.

Thanks for ingesting,

-Zach Quinn