Tell HN: Getting Ready for Unemployment
So far, every single company I applied for, rejected my job application. (Told me that they found a person better qualified than me.)
Some weeks have passed, I didn't find anything new. Have large amounts of debt and barely any savings.
I am exhausted and stressed to the point where I am already thinking about "taking the easy way out". Those rejections hit hard and the fact that I am not qualified enough (as they told me), just makes me question my existence even more.
It seems like I am going to be unemployed for a while. I don't know when this war will end and whether they want to nuke the Northern Hemisphere away or not.
However, I know, I am not alone in this and god knows how many people have it worse than me. The uncertainty for me (and probably for many others) is really hard to endure.
So maybe I shouldn't be exhausted or depressed as I am right now. Maybe I should learn things and get distracted in these uncertain times.
Naval Ravikant suggests you to learn math. Math and physics happens to be a hobby of mine. Currently, (re-)studying linear algebra and analysis in R^n (multivariable calculus). Those 2 areas in math interest me the most and I enjoy studying them. Other than that, I like to watch physics lectures from Walter Lewin. Trying to learn some Japanese with Genki.
All that is "useless", but at least they bring me joy, and they distract me enough from this harsh economic reality.
On the other hand, I can learn something "useful" for whatever the job market demands of me. As being mostly a C and C++ dev won't cut it for me anyway. However, I simply don't feel like it.
Yeah, so I tried (looking for jobs), I failed (getting a new job), and now it looks like I need to come in terms with my unemployment and the fact that the world tanks right now. Trying to do something "useful" in the meantime...
Signing off.
136 comments
[ 2.4 ms ] story [ 220 ms ] threadPlease don't. You have something to offer and if you snuffed yourself out, that valuable spark of human spirit would be gone.
Gently, "some weeks" (not sure what this means exactly) is not a very long to be looking for work. Keep your chin up and keep applying. Get a resume review — I'm sure someone here would be happy to take a look and see what you can improve. Get a non-professional job in the meantime just to keep some money flowing in. And reach out to your family and friends for support. There is no shame in leaning on people; we all need help to get through the hard times.
Moving back in with family, if an option, is always a good path in situations like this.
I know but when you are desperately looking for work, along with multiple failures, 12 weeks could felt like 12 months. Especially with an empty pocket. I know it rationally doesn't make any sense but from experience that is how it felt. It was hard, especially hard when you dont have family and friends around you for support.
>Get a non-professional job in the meantime just to keep some money flowing in.
Yes. Waiter, Drivers. There are plenty of options, enough for food on the table.
To OP. I dont know much about US Food Cost, but at one point in my life I was spending 70 pence a day on food, or a little more than a US dollar. Washing clothes by hand, couldn't even afford heating in Winter. Barely able to afford to pay rent and food along with whatever debt. Something like McDonald was luxury. It was hard, but not impossible.
Just dont give up.
Dont FUCKING give up.
Except those lines are scripted corporate-speak and have no bearing on reality. They don't care about you.
This means doing some soul searching and deciding you want to know the truth of spiritual reality.
Look into the cause of evil and the source of good.
For me, and I know it's probably not popular on HN but Jesus gets me through each day. Asking for a higher power for help when you clearly need it.
> Therefore we do not lose heart. Even though our outward man is perishing, yet the inward man is being renewed day by day. For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, is working for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory, while we do not look at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen. For the things which are seen are temporary, but the things which are not seen are eternal.
— 2 Corinthians 4:13-18
I've helped hundreds of developers find better paying freelance / contract work - add me on LinkedIn and I'll review your CV and profile https://www.linkedin.com/in/andrei-puni/
It sounds to me like you've already got one foot on the ladder out of that hole.
I'm pretty sure I've been in that hole, and I'm pretty sure I remember that ladder.
A life lesson I learned was to ensure your personal life is as satisfying as your work life so when one tanks you have the other. Make sure your mental model of yourself is >than just ‘software developer’. Learning Japanese sounds healthy :)
On a productive note, if you want work look at Python. There’s tons of remote Python roles and it has some ML elements your maths knowledge will help with.
The problem isn't your qualifications, it's your resume and the roles you're applying for! Just look on the Who's Hiring threads here on HN, and filter on the ones that look interesting. Remember, first and foremost, you're applying for a job, it's not some academic tenure track or PhD program. It doesn't have to be that interesting if it pays.
Then, update your resume, and basically broadcast it widely, from maybe 100 applications, you might get 10-20 responses, and from those you might get a shortlist of 4 or 5. Then hit the interviews for these while preparing another "broadcast". It's simply a numbers game.
Without knowing more about OP's background than they've chosen to share in their submission you can't possibly know whether they would benefit from adopting a different style of resume, building a more widely sought skill set, or simply having more patience and better luck at finding work to pay the immediate bills so they can ride out the storms that hundreds of millions of people are facing over the next few months and give themselves some breathing room to find better opportunities later.
One thing the OP might try is to manage their expectations. My fear is that tech has been so hot for so long that people have forgotten what the normal world feels like.
That world is not horrible. There are many levels between the entry-level and top-paid positions. And there are thousands of companies outside the tech bubble with opportunities suitable for a programmer or developer. I believe that the best opportunities are in the intersection between programming and some other field.
(You are right that they will probably not be found on HN.)
Translation : "Are you from a top tier institute with several years of experience in FAAANG companies working on EXACTLY the same technologies that are listed in the JD? Great! Now do 5 rounds of leetcode hazing, then system design, then culture fit rounds, and then we'll ghost you"
If you just want a job to pay the bills, it's really like that at the moment: You have a pulse and you can write code, you get hired.
I'll give you that, things look bad right now, but unless it's a near societal collapse then you still need to go out and put food on the table. There's no point curling up in a ball and declaring 'woe is me'.
Even in a bad economy it's still a numbers game to land a good job, except the odds get longer. Even then you can improve your odds somewhat, get some online certifications, learn a new language or framework, or build a portfolio of your with on GitHub. Even a personal website would help. And the main thing to realize is that the only one who can help your chances is yourself. Inaction is your worst enemy.
Again, there is an actual shooting war going on in Europe, which OP alluded to in their submission. I have worked with people from Ukraine in previous tech jobs. I expect some or all those people are currently doing something very different.
Here in the UK and over a single weekend my company went from holding active discussions with a few prospective clients to almost every proposal being suspended for review because of the infamous "mini-budget" a few weeks ago. If we'd been a little further along and maybe setting up new hires for any of the other projects then those jobs would instantly have disappeared too. There must be many other companies here that have been dealing with the same uncertainty and its chilling effects.
Of course people still need to go out and earn a living unless there really are more urgent things they need to do. My point is that there are plenty of reasons other than OP's qualifications or resume why the job market where they are might be much tougher than one where you can expect a 10-20% response rate just from spamming out CVs.
Hell, you should just apply to a bunch of Rust jobs, noting your deep experience in C/C++, and see if they bite.
Good luck.
It sounds like your resume could use some review. Consider reaching out to friends and experts. Good luck!
But, yes, review resume and reach out. But also be prepared for this to be a multi-month process.
One other option is this company called crossover, it's a real shitty company and they monitor your every move and shit like that but they pay reasonably well, 100K+ and you can get in if you are reasonably good with code. I wouldn't recommend this, but since you are under a lot of debt, the money can be a lifesaver.
Another option is with database companies that are still on C and C++. ScyllaDB, Aerospike are a few options. They are hiring and if you need a referral at Aerospike, feel free to email me, email in profile. I worked there.
Lastly, weeks is not really that long to get a job. Some of the interview loops even at FAANG companies last for 4-6 weeks. So don't lose heart.
I may not be a programmer, but I have been in your shoes. It sucks. The abyss looks friendly sometimes when society is not.
Regarding the Cpp, man I don't know in which country you are, but at least in Switzerland, my country, I stumble upon thousands of job openings for Embedded development engineers every day. Don't know your background, but try thinking a bit more broader.
Bottom line, take it easy, and try doing something you love every day consistently at least once. Tweak your Resume. There some good templates/suggestions in the net these days. Reduce expectations. DON'T read news!
Wishing OP all the best and I hope he finds the job soon.
What helped me at that time was Yoga (deep breathing exercises which is part of that was particularly helpful). Yoga used to keep me fresh and 'alive' during the day, so that I could continue looking for jobs without losing steam over period of time.
In the hindsight that single ritual (~4 days a week of morning Yoga), kept me going and now I'm at a good place, managed to recover not only from professional setback but also managed to recover from almost financial wipe-out during that 18-month period.
try to find out what is lacking in your experience from their POV
Finding a job can take time even during good times, you already quit so only thing you can do is be persistent now and flexible to whatever comes up
In the meantime, Github is always a good option: contribute to OSS projects, show activity and your experience.
Maybe some of the companies regularly contributing to OSS would consider hiring you (RedHat etc?)
Sack up, work a restaurant job until you're back on your feet. Once you build your stacks back up at the restaurant job use that confidence to hit the job market and take what's yours. You got this, I believe in you.
Sounds like you have some specific interests, and interesting skills, I'd be down to chat. My contact details are on my profile, send an email!