Hacker News Board Hacker News, browsed like a classic message board
Live data from Hacker News

Ask HN: Does anyone else feel like they're just waiting for the axe to fall?

news.ycombinator.com

Post reply on HN
Print view View original

21–30 of 68 posts

Re: Ask HN: Does anyone else feel like they're just waiting for the axe to fall?

#21

Post by usgroup »

toomuchtodo wrote: post #15
usgroup wrote: post #2

Well its the grass hopper and the ant isn't it? https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Ant_and_the_Grasshopper If you've been the ant you'd have prepared for the winter. I guess in reality most of us fit somewhere in between the ant and the grasshopper. It'll teach us all a bit of prudence we'd do well to remember thereafter.

How do you plan your life and career around the idea that you can be let go at any time for and be unemployed for an unknown amount of time, with no assurances you’ll be employable in the future? For sure, one should not overextend themselves, but conversely you can do everything right (live below your means, invest vs frivolous spending, robust emergency fund) and still fail. The anxiety of those faced with this rea…

Lol. Juxtaposing a bit, I kind of imagine you as an immortal wondering how anyone could lead a mortal life what with all its precariousness.

Re: Ask HN: Does anyone else feel like they're just waiting for the axe to fall?

#22

Post by whateveracct »

Yeah I'm feeling uneasy. Even if all the feedback at work is okay. And the company is in the black on top of that.

There's a general frantic nature to management lately. Every project starts behind schedule which in turn means there's constant needling to go faster. Lots of "we think this should have gotten done faster" from managers who don't have enough information to even have that opinion. They clearly have pressure from their boss to "up velocity."

So it feels like I could get laid off in the next few months - hoping the severance is solid. Not too worried but it's inherently unpleasant. I'm gonna make the most of the severance if need be.

Re: Ask HN: Does anyone else feel like they're just waiting for the axe to fall?

#24

Post by [deleted] »

ofchnofc wrote: post #13
Ancalagon wrote: post #8

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I get the meme of this, but I’ve noticed I am always thinking about what would happen or what I would do if/when I got fired. 1 perk of being childless is you really only have to worry about feeding yourself I guess (I am not a childfree proponent)

"I guess"? One month of tech salary would cover a studio rent and feed an adult human for a very, very, very, very long time. As I've touched on several times and NO ONE wants to really engage with, there's a lot of out of touch people here that have no idea what "live within your means" means and don't want to be remotely honest about their expenses. Or somehow thinks "within [their] means" means that they're untouc…

[deleted]

Re: Ask HN: Does anyone else feel like they're just waiting for the axe to fall?

#25

Post by roarcher »

ofchnofc wrote: post #18
toomuchtodo wrote: post #15

Earlier quoted context omitted.

How do you plan your life and career around the idea that you can be let go at any time for and be unemployed for an unknown amount of time, with no assurances you’ll be employable in the future? For sure, one should not overextend themselves, but conversely you can do everything right (live below your means, invest vs frivolous spending, robust emergency fund) and still fail. The anxiety of those faced with this rea…

Well, one step would be some self-honesty about living within means. Throw out some numbers, let's talk about the specifics that no one here really wants to engage in. Someone with this perspective, please, help me understand - Give me a base salary, a rent, and a monthly expense that doesn't let you save up 6months of runway after 2+ years of employment.

You seem to have created this account 4 hours ago with the sole purpose of lecturing HNers about how their problems aren't real and the solution is for them to be more like you, a generally superior human being.

I wonder, why would an ubermensch feel the need to spend their day doing this?

Re: Ask HN: Does anyone else feel like they're just waiting for the axe to fall?

#26

Post by [deleted] »

than3 wrote: post #6

Be prepared for a long haul, some of us without degrees are still looking a year later, despite having a decade of experience doing the role. About the only offers I've gotten are a systems architect role starting at 50k, where they then come back on the second interview and say its 30k since I'm not qualified since I don't have a degree. Take it or leave it. I have a decade of direct experience doing this work and h…

[deleted]

Re: Ask HN: Does anyone else feel like they're just waiting for the axe to fall?

#27

Post by jjk166 »

toomuchtodo wrote: post #15
usgroup wrote: post #2

Well its the grass hopper and the ant isn't it? https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Ant_and_the_Grasshopper If you've been the ant you'd have prepared for the winter. I guess in reality most of us fit somewhere in between the ant and the grasshopper. It'll teach us all a bit of prudence we'd do well to remember thereafter.

How do you plan your life and career around the idea that you can be let go at any time for and be unemployed for an unknown amount of time, with no assurances you’ll be employable in the future? For sure, one should not overextend themselves, but conversely you can do everything right (live below your means, invest vs frivolous spending, robust emergency fund) and still fail. The anxiety of those faced with this rea…

> be unemployed for an unknown amount of time, with no assurances you’ll be employable in the future?

I mean realistically we're not facing 3rd world famine here. Things are probably going to be less comfortable for the next few years, and some of the most overinflated salaries might not return for a long while, but there are still going to be plenty of reasonable opportunities out there. That might mean relocating to a place where real estate isn't so inflated, or working on something less sexy, maybe taking an unrelated job for a few years, but nothing worse than what the overwhelming majority of people already live comfortably doing. You don't need to put enough away to support yourself for the rest of your life, just enough to let you land on your feet.

Re: Ask HN: Does anyone else feel like they're just waiting for the axe to fall?

#28

Post by kortilla »

ofchnofc wrote: post #13
Ancalagon wrote: post #8

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I get the meme of this, but I’ve noticed I am always thinking about what would happen or what I would do if/when I got fired. 1 perk of being childless is you really only have to worry about feeding yourself I guess (I am not a childfree proponent)

"I guess"? One month of tech salary would cover a studio rent and feed an adult human for a very, very, very, very long time. As I've touched on several times and NO ONE wants to really engage with, there's a lot of out of touch people here that have no idea what "live within your means" means and don't want to be remotely honest about their expenses. Or somehow thinks "within [their] means" means that they're untouc…

What are you talking about? A month of tech salary at $180k annually is maybe $10k after taxes. In the high CoL areas where those salaries are “common”, $2k/mo might get you a studio with a reasonable commute.[1] Throw in utilities and food and you’ll be lucky to make it 4 months.

That is absolutely not a “very, very, very, very long time”. You can’t compare the cost of a studio in Albuquerque with a salary from the Bay Area.

1. https://www.avaloncommunities.com/california/sunnyvale-apart... - 1 bedrooms here start at 2800 and this isn’t even a good location apart from reasonable commutes on the 101.

Re: Ask HN: Does anyone else feel like they're just waiting for the axe to fall?

#29

Post by kortilla »

than3 wrote: post #6

Be prepared for a long haul, some of us without degrees are still looking a year later, despite having a decade of experience doing the role. About the only offers I've gotten are a systems architect role starting at 50k, where they then come back on the second interview and say its 30k since I'm not qualified since I don't have a degree. Take it or leave it. I have a decade of direct experience doing this work and h…

What country? 30k is minimum wage now in California…

Re: Ask HN: Does anyone else feel like they're just waiting for the axe to fall?

#30

Post by blisterpeanuts »

Ancalagon wrote: post #9
than3 wrote: post #6

Be prepared for a long haul, some of us without degrees are still looking a year later, despite having a decade of experience doing the role. About the only offers I've gotten are a systems architect role starting at 50k, where they then come back on the second interview and say its 30k since I'm not qualified since I don't have a degree. Take it or leave it. I have a decade of direct experience doing this work and h…

Too low anyways but Take it and keep looking Or take it and maliciously comply with whatever they want in the most brutal way possible

Or stay true to your professional standards? Maliciousness usually is detectable.
Post reply on HN