11 Awesome Elixir Jobs for 2019 (and some incredible perks)

Elixir has Arrived

Elixir is a programming language that is beginning to gather steam. Originally released in 2011, it is a functional and dynamic  and runs on the Erlang VM (Virtual Machine). Elixir is highly scalable and fault tolerant. In other words, Elixir is perfect for today's software landscape of microservices and cloud computing.

Like many modern programming languages, Elixir's documentation is easily approachable. The getting started guide provides basics, and some quick googling reveals loads of other examples and tutorials.

Additionally, other architectures, services, and frameworks build upon Elixir. They provide the necessary depth and power to make Elixir a viable choice for enterprise-level software. Some examples include:

Elixir has recently experienced tremendous growth in the software development landscape. According to the following graph from Stack Overflow, Elixir went from almost zero questions in to numbers comparable with Rust and Go by 2018:

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One of the exciting benefits of learning an up-and-coming language is there are many eager job opportunities! The strengths of Elixir make it an ideal choice for companies building new web services. In order to turn their dreams into reality, they require coders to work their magic. Read on to learn about some current exciting opportunities in this arena...

Elixir Jobs

Elixir is a hot up and coming language, and here is a short list of some current, exciting employment opportunities for an Elixir developer:

Perks

Some benefits of a job can't be measured by a salary, but can be just as important. Quality health care, support for balance, and other less obvious perks can drastically improve the experience of working at a company. Here are a few common (and not-so-common) perks to be on the lookout for in your job search:

Work/Life Balance

Work can sometimes feel like a affair. Good employers recognize and work to ensure their employees get they need to decompress. Here are some benefits that attempt to address this concern:

Unlimited Vacation

Say goodbye to tracking, counting and hoarding your vacation days! A growing number of companies (such as Microsoft) have moved to unlimited" vacation policy. If you've completed your work, and need a break, you take it. This benefit improves one of the most important aspects of work-life balance - getting work out of your head. One potential downside to this policy is some employees feel guilty about their vacation allocation, and take days off. It is important with this policy to manage your vacations appropriately, and ensure you get the decompression time you need.

Parental Leave (sometimes paid!)

Adding a new member to your family is a big deal, and some employers (like Thoughtbot) will give you extra time to be home for the initial adjustment. Some companies will even continue to pay you during this period! This is an incredible perk for people with growing families. Take some initial time after the birth of your child, and begin teaching them the wonders of Elixir.

Sabbaticals

After working years for a company, a short vacation may not be enough to reset the work-life balance. Sometimes in you have to stop and smell the roses. Companies like PayPal offer sabbaticals to give you that space. They are often contingent on having been at the company for a time period (for example, a number of years). They are a powerful way of setting your career aside for a bit, and pursuing travel, and learning new things.

Volunteering

Giving back to the community provides an immeasurable lift to one's spirits. Some employers (such as Salesforce) recognize and make an effort to initiate and assist. This can take the form of paid time off for an employee to invest time towards a charitable cause. It can also be a company-wide initiative to make a big impact in a short amount of time (such as Habitat For Humanity or food drives).

Health and Wellness

Health and well-being are important for life, and employees tending to these areas are typically happier and feel better. This well-being inspires creativity and productivity, paying off in the long run. Here are some perks that attempt to improve this part of your life:

Good Health Insurance

Providing Health Insurance is usually standard practice in most companies, but there are some employers that go above and beyond. This can include better plans with low deductibles and co-pays. Taking it further, some companies pay for part of the monthly premium. At the extreme, some companies like FactSet cover 100% of healthcare costs, removing this concern completely from their employee's minds.

Wellness Bonuses

Some employers (like Microsoft) will simply pay you cash for taking care of yourself. Lose those extra pounds and inches, build that exercise routine, get your blood indicators healthy. Measurable results more moolah! While health itself may be the best incentive to develop healthy habits, cold hard cash is a great motivator as well.

Mobile Eye Clinics

In today's office environment, most workers stare at screens all day. Regular quality eye care is more important than ever. Some companies provide on-site eye care, via 2020 onsite care. 2020's on-site bus comes right to your office, providing exams for all employees. 2020 has over 300 frame styles to choose from and handles all the paperwork. Incredibly convenient, and removes a tedious thing on your "TODO" checklist.

On-Site Wellness Perks

In addition to eye-care, companies provide a variety of other on-site wellness perks. This can include a wide array of programs, including:

In the long run, employee wellness perks help to save money on health care costs, so both employees AND the companies they work for gain benefits.

Financial Assistance

While competitive salaries are a must when looking for a quality employer, there are some that provide a little extra financial aid to improve the lives of their employees. This can include perks such as:

Donation Matching

People like to help causes close to their hearts, and with donation matching, their employers can magnify the impact of the gift. Employers like AutoDesk match contributions made to charitable causes by their employees. This increases the impact of the gift, and gives the employee a feeling of satisfaction - they're working for a company that cares.

Retirement Matching

These days, pensions are mainly a thing of the past, and employees are responsible for their own retirement planning. 401ks) are the popular choice for retirement savings, and employers like Amazon will often match contributions up to a certain percentage. Build your nest egg faster!

Pet Insurance

While the topic of health insurance usually involves humans, people often think of pets as members of the family. Providing for a loved pet's health care can sometimes become expensive. With pet health insurance, employers like WPromoteare reaching a little further, and caring for the "extended family" of their employees.

Educational Assistance

Educational assistance can come in several forms. Student loans are often a large expense for employees (especially those just out of school). Some employers like 2Uwill help pay that debt down over time. Additionally, continued education (good for both the employee AND the employer) can be included as a perk of the job. Take some classes, improve yourself, and the company pays for them.

Travel Stipend

Travel can be a great way to unwind from a demanding job, and some companies like TSheets will even help pay for the trip. Get out and see the world, with your blessing (and assistance)!

Adoption Assistance

Often overlooked when it comes to "family building", there are some out there working through financial and legal headaches required to adopt a new member of the family. Some employers like LinkedIn have recognized this, and are offering help. This can come in the form of financial or legal help in navigating the maze of paperwork. For those requiring help in this area, an employer recognizing and helping out can provide an incredible lift.

Back To Elixir

If you've made it this far, you must be an Elixir-programming, job-hunting, perk-craving machine. With this list of employers and things to look for in your tool belt, you are now prepared to go out there and grab the job market by the horns. Build powerful new web services, and allow your employer to go that extra mile to prove your worth to them. Happy hunting!