7 ms·

Tell HN: Falling into “shitty FIRE”, or involuntary sabbatical with few savings

4 points by djellybeans 4y ago

More a vent than anything else... I am 40 and sort of stumbled into a weird "comfortable but still poor" loop which for me meant working low paying developer jobs on and off, until one final job three years ago where I got laid off, no longer able to get hired again and now just living frugally off the small savings from my jobs. As far as catching up with others in the field, I have put that aside and given up for now. I'm only learning new stuff for personal recreation projects so long as I still have money left. Been applying for jobs and practicing interview for 2 years in my 3 year unemployment gap and still got nothing so far. I even took a $5k interviewing course. The 3 year gap is surely a killer at this point. Also, don't take the title too seriously. I don't plan to retire indefinitely, and I'm just living this way as long as I have personal funds. I estimate about 10 months before my savings run out so long as monthly expenses continue the way they are now. Some key things about my development "career": - Graduated with an unrelated degree, so I started with jobs at local small companies, not aiming for big names - Got fired from my first two junior-level jobs for performance-related reasons - Majority of jobs are contract or so-called permatemp jobs, the business' intent being to cut corners in product development as much as possible - Save for one jump from an agency to a startup, I always lose my current job before finding a new one - My highest annual compensation was $50k I get that a 3 year gap looks really bad, but all suggestions to fix that lead down a path of solitary effort with structure that you must set up yourself, and that sounds just as depressing. Nothing in the way of having someone else to keep you accountable, as I am single and the closest contacts I have are a few family members over the phone and occasionally meet in person. They are unable to help my job search because they're completely removed from the tech industry. As someone who's often been told I have basically junior-level skills with senior-level years, the idea that you should up-skill on unpaid time in order to get hired again is laughable to me. That's like trying to climb up in rank when you're not even participating within a hierarchy. I'd rather get re-hired at the bottom and make my most impactful decisions on the job. But as long as my gap and experience continues to scare off employers, so must this "FIRE" continue for now.

superchroma 4y ago
You don't sound very serious about your career. I don't know you, but I speculate that you would be frustrating to work with. Who knows, though. Anyway, none of my business. Do you have a plan for your actual retirement?
- djellybeans 4y ago
  No detailed plans for retirement. I'd need a new job first, to start saving again and I'll cross the bridge when I get there. But, it is true that I did not take my career seriously for a long time. I treated it more as just work, with no clear direction, since I didn't understand the fundamental difference between a career and a series of similar jobs. Every new job, I was just hoping for a modest pay raise and learning a new thing or two, and being able to coast when I wanted. Coasting is probably acceptable once you hit senior level in a well rounded team, but I figured out the hard way it's bad to do as a junior or mid-level.
stopComplaining 4y ago
Your attitude and mindset is honestly what's keeping you from actually getting a job again. Your prior "experience" literally did nothing to prepare you for a modern job in software/tech. Your constant rants / posts / unwillingness to listen to others from your many many posts, is more evidence that you want something handed to you instead of actually spending time yourself learning new things that will actually get you a job. Stop using HN as your venting ground and instead work on being an adult capable of self independence.
- djellybeans 4y ago
  Sunken costs. I've had my resume re-done several times, and took the aforementioned interview prep. Applied to almost a thousand jobs last year alone. It has not made me more employed. And yes, I do want a job handed to me because the lack of progress has made me very desperate. I don't even trust myself to do the right things anymore. But I now prefer not to learn anything for work unless I am getting paid for it. There's no positive feedback cycle I can find otherwise.
  - stopComplaining 4y ago
    A couple of things: - If you were actually desperate, you would be trying to find ANY job. Even a minimum wage job because if not, you will be homeless in a month. > "But I now prefer not to learn anything for work unless I am getting paid for it." - Do you know what compnay pays you to do this? Starbucks!! It takes them 1 hour of training to teach you how to make a frapachino and you'll instantly be productive. For a software compant to teach you from the ground up? MONTHS of investment when they can hire someone else who actually knows their tech stack and have relevent developer experience. - Ever since the pandemic started and remote development started taking precedence, the amount of competition for tech jobs have skyrockted. But even then, for the past year and a half, we had one of the hottest tech job markets, besides the past 6 months of downtrend. Yet you could not find a single job offer in that time period means, hey sir, you don't have the skillset that a company will pay you to work for. So what does that mean you should do? You should STOP APPLYING like you're trying to win the lottery and actually go learn some software development skills. Learn Python and data structures and algorithms. Learn how to be a GOOD SKILLED developer and not an entitled brat hoping for the easy times like you had it 5 years ago. News flash, the world has changed and either you adapt or you get out of this industry. I wish you luck and I hope you stop making these kinds of posts because everyone is going to tell you the same thing over and over and over and over and over.
BMc2020 4y ago
"I get that a 3 year gap looks really bad..." Say you were a full time caregiver for an elderly relative. Get a direct labor production worker job. Show up every day on time and be a good employee for 90 days. In the meantime learn what software envirionment they are in, learn it. $$$
yuppie_scum 4y ago
I don’t think you have the makings of a varsity engineer. This is the universe telling you to find something you’re actually somewhat passionate about and get a fresh start.

4 points by djellybeans 4y ago

superchroma 4y ago

You don't sound very serious about your career. I don't know you, but I speculate that you would be frustrating to work with. Who knows, though. Anyway, none of my business. Do you have a plan for your actual retirement?

djellybeans 4y ago
No detailed plans for retirement. I'd need a new job first, to start saving again and I'll cross the bridge when I get there. But, it is true that I did not take my career seriously for a long time. I treated it more as just work, with no clear direction, since I didn't understand the fundamental difference between a career and a series of similar jobs. Every new job, I was just hoping for a modest pay raise and learning a new thing or two, and being able to coast when I wanted. Coasting is probably acceptable once you hit senior level in a well rounded team, but I figured out the hard way it's bad to do as a junior or mid-level.

stopComplaining 4y ago

Your attitude and mindset is honestly what's keeping you from actually getting a job again. Your prior "experience" literally did nothing to prepare you for a modern job in software/tech. Your constant rants / posts / unwillingness to listen to others from your many many posts, is more evidence that you want something handed to you instead of actually spending time yourself learning new things that will actually get you a job. Stop using HN as your venting ground and instead work on being an adult capable of self independence.

djellybeans 4y ago
Sunken costs. I've had my resume re-done several times, and took the aforementioned interview prep. Applied to almost a thousand jobs last year alone. It has not made me more employed. And yes, I do want a job handed to me because the lack of progress has made me very desperate. I don't even trust myself to do the right things anymore. But I now prefer not to learn anything for work unless I am getting paid for it. There's no positive feedback cycle I can find otherwise.
- stopComplaining 4y ago
  A couple of things: - If you were actually desperate, you would be trying to find ANY job. Even a minimum wage job because if not, you will be homeless in a month. > "But I now prefer not to learn anything for work unless I am getting paid for it." - Do you know what compnay pays you to do this? Starbucks!! It takes them 1 hour of training to teach you how to make a frapachino and you'll instantly be productive. For a software compant to teach you from the ground up? MONTHS of investment when they can hire someone else who actually knows their tech stack and have relevent developer experience. - Ever since the pandemic started and remote development started taking precedence, the amount of competition for tech jobs have skyrockted. But even then, for the past year and a half, we had one of the hottest tech job markets, besides the past 6 months of downtrend. Yet you could not find a single job offer in that time period means, hey sir, you don't have the skillset that a company will pay you to work for. So what does that mean you should do? You should STOP APPLYING like you're trying to win the lottery and actually go learn some software development skills. Learn Python and data structures and algorithms. Learn how to be a GOOD SKILLED developer and not an entitled brat hoping for the easy times like you had it 5 years ago. News flash, the world has changed and either you adapt or you get out of this industry. I wish you luck and I hope you stop making these kinds of posts because everyone is going to tell you the same thing over and over and over and over and over.

BMc2020 4y ago

"I get that a 3 year gap looks really bad..." Say you were a full time caregiver for an elderly relative. Get a direct labor production worker job. Show up every day on time and be a good employee for 90 days. In the meantime learn what software envirionment they are in, learn it. $$$

yuppie_scum 4y ago

I don’t think you have the makings of a varsity engineer. This is the universe telling you to find something you’re actually somewhat passionate about and get a fresh start.