Well, for starters you have to fight the urge to get as much compensation as you can. Once you realize that 90% of SWE job offerings will land you in the top 10-20% of earners, and provided you're fine with the lifestyle that allows, most companies need tech.
The two criteria I'm interested in as an IC is how useful the job is in my eyes (this you can know before applying), and whether the company gives me enough independence to be able to make things right. So my interviews focus on a single factor: whether the company culture and organization is conductive to good, productive work I will be proud of down the line.
The two criteria I'm interested in as an IC is how useful the job is in my eyes (this you can know before applying), and whether the company gives me enough independence to be able to make things right. So my interviews focus on a single factor: whether the company culture and organization is conductive to good, productive work I will be proud of down the line.