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Ask HN: Former devs who can't get a job, what did you end up doing for work?

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Re: Ask HN: Former devs who can't get a job, what did you end up doing for work?

#21

Post by neofrommatrix »

jamesrr39 wrote: post #19
popularrecluse wrote: post #16

I never stopped developing. After getting laid off in April 2023 after 13 years as first a full stack then mobile dev, I just started working on things that interested me. I did apply and interview a few times, but I started to realize that pushing 50 and being as cynical as I now am, I'm pretty much unemployable as an IC. So I released my application to the App Store this month, and while savings are dwindling, thin…

I have heard this a few times from different people/places, but why is it the case that at 50+ it is harder to find work? Assuming a regular retirement age, there are still many more years left in the career than a typical tech employment lasts.

Bias

Re: Ask HN: Former devs who can't get a job, what did you end up doing for work?

#22

Post by more_corn »

ecshafer wrote: post #8
redleggedfrog wrote: post #4

Not me, but my buddy got out of software development and learned to be, as he describes it, "a bog standard electrician." He had money for trade school, and then apprenticed under an experienced electrician. Dude is in his 40's, so late career change. Makes double the money he did doing remote coding.

Certified electricians can make really good money, especially union. But that's really hard to believe. Is this somewhere like NYC or something that there is an edge. A remote software developer is typically in the $100-200k range in the US. I know union certified electricians in that range, but none in the $300-400k range.

My buddy did this. Apprenticed to become a low voltage electrician. Runs Cat6 for office builds. He did it for the reduced stress. He’s a lot happier. He owns a home in SF on a single salary.

Re: Ask HN: Former devs who can't get a job, what did you end up doing for work?

#23

Post by mjthrowaway1 »

itsoktocry wrote: post #14
Gooblebrai wrote: post #13

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> Makes double the money he did doing remote coding. Yes, but I presume at a high physical cost in the long-term? (I mean, more than the physical cost of sitting in a chair)

> Yes, but I presume at a high physical cost in the long-term? Why? Electricians aren't doing intense labour, and I'm 99% certain that being in a job where you move around a lot (as opposed to sitting at your desk) has long term health benefits , without even getting into carpal tunnel syndrome and other RSIs associated with being at a computer.

I hire electricians regularly. Driving a grounding rod is physically demanding. Moving conduit and hoisting it overhead for long runs is demanding. Carrying tools around, mounting light fixtures…and this is for light commercial work. It’s definitely not easy on the body and why older electricians want to transition in to design and engineering as opposed to field work.

Re: Ask HN: Former devs who can't get a job, what did you end up doing for work?

#24

Post by cschep »

neofrommatrix wrote: post #21
jamesrr39 wrote: post #19

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I have heard this a few times from different people/places, but why is it the case that at 50+ it is harder to find work? Assuming a regular retirement age, there are still many more years left in the career than a typical tech employment lasts.

Bias

Could be bias, could also be that we just can't fake it anymore?

Re: Ask HN: Former devs who can't get a job, what did you end up doing for work?

#25

Post by gunian »

4887d30omd8 wrote: post #3

I have a couple friends who were big outdoor types who became software engineers and then after making some money for a few years went and found more outdoorsy jobs (think forest service jobs). The point is not that an outdoorsy job is great for you, but that you may want to consider what kind of things make you happy and see if you can find a job doing something like that. These folks loved being outdoors before bec…

forest service just had a huge layoff or so they tell me protests really made the barons mad i guess

Re: Ask HN: Former devs who can't get a job, what did you end up doing for work?

#26

Post by Fruitmaniac »

popularrecluse wrote: post #16

I never stopped developing. After getting laid off in April 2023 after 13 years as first a full stack then mobile dev, I just started working on things that interested me. I did apply and interview a few times, but I started to realize that pushing 50 and being as cynical as I now am, I'm pretty much unemployable as an IC. So I released my application to the App Store this month, and while savings are dwindling, thin…

I dunno. I'm 56 and got hired last year as an Android dev. But then, I'm not very cynical.

Re: Ask HN: Former devs who can't get a job, what did you end up doing for work?

#27

Post by gremlinsinc »

I'm living out of my car, door dashing and Uber in Southern Utah. Saving up to rent office space for my computer (I don't have a laptop)...

I lost my mom, marriage of 18 years, Grandma, and sanity a bit last year... but I'm doing great mentally now, just need financial to align, I'm trying to enroll in WGU for CS and then ai/ml masters and I want to double major with psychology...I want to work with therapy ai things as I've hacked my growth with ai to amazing results...

I'm going back to school to get higher paying jobs and be more sought after... and loans can float me rent for the duration of school...

I've got an RV I can live in (loaner from a friend) but nowhere to park it...I want to outfit it with solar panels but that's pricey.

Re: Ask HN: Former devs who can't get a job, what did you end up doing for work?

#28

Post by closeparen »

lm28469 wrote: post #20
francisofascii wrote: post #11

Earlier quoted context omitted.

There are plenty of developer gigs in the US with salaries less than $100k, or with contract hourly rates less than $50/hour. Especially if the job is remote or in a low COL area.

Unless we only talk about big tech companies there are more devs under 100k than devs above 200k, for sure, not even close. 300k as a dev you're in the lucky top 10%

BLS quantifies this. $100k is 25th percentile. $200k is 90th percentile nationally, median in Sunnyvale-San Jose-Santa Clara.

https://www.bls.gov/oes/current/oes151252.htm

Re: Ask HN: Former devs who can't get a job, what did you end up doing for work?

#29

Post by georgemcbay »

4887d30omd8 wrote: post #3

I have a couple friends who were big outdoor types who became software engineers and then after making some money for a few years went and found more outdoorsy jobs (think forest service jobs). The point is not that an outdoorsy job is great for you, but that you may want to consider what kind of things make you happy and see if you can find a job doing something like that. These folks loved being outdoors before bec…

> think forest service jobs

This is great advice for job satisfaction, but given current events this sort of move is unlikely to result in an increase in job security or ease in finding a new job.

https://www.reuters.com/world/us/us-forest-service-fires-340...

Re: Ask HN: Former devs who can't get a job, what did you end up doing for work?

#30

Post by bilbo-b-baggins »

jamesrr39 wrote: post #19
popularrecluse wrote: post #16

I never stopped developing. After getting laid off in April 2023 after 13 years as first a full stack then mobile dev, I just started working on things that interested me. I did apply and interview a few times, but I started to realize that pushing 50 and being as cynical as I now am, I'm pretty much unemployable as an IC. So I released my application to the App Store this month, and while savings are dwindling, thin…

I have heard this a few times from different people/places, but why is it the case that at 50+ it is harder to find work? Assuming a regular retirement age, there are still many more years left in the career than a typical tech employment lasts.

One reason is there’s literally many times fewer roles for someone with 20+ years of experience.

And as time marches on, there’s more and more competition for those roles.

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