No.
Ask HN: Does anyone else feel like they're just waiting for the axe to fall?
41–50 of 68 posts
Re: Ask HN: Does anyone else feel like they're just waiting for the axe to fall?
#42Earlier quoted context omitted.
"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…
Commute to where? You'd have no job.
Re: Ask HN: Does anyone else feel like they're just waiting for the axe to fall?
#43Having been through a few layoffs at companies, I think it's still helpful to remember that even when a company does lay-offs and while thousands of people are losing their jobs, the vast majority are not. News articles don't state "100K engineers at company XYZ not effected by lay-offs".
I don't want to downplay the stress that comes from working in an environment like this. And news articles showing how thousands are being laid off can be really stressful, especially as jobs are means for housing, immigration, feeding your family! While you should always be prepared for the worst, it's by no means a certainly that you will be impacted by lay-offs.
When I read that the OP fully expects to be laid off; I hope they're wrong, and statistically they are. I don't say this to take away from the real pain that comes from this uncertainty, but more to offer a ray of hope.
Re: Ask HN: Does anyone else feel like they're just waiting for the axe to fall?
#44Earlier quoted context omitted.
"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…
If you can build 4 months (or even just 3) of runway on 1 month of salary, it doesn't take long to get a really good buffer in place.
Re: Ask HN: Does anyone else feel like they're just waiting for the axe to fall?
#45I have in the past few weeks survived a round of layoffs, fully expect another round this year if things don't improve. What can I do? try to save a bit more money and keep looking for other jobs (but what if they go into layoffs as well? What industry/sector is "safe" these days?).
Re: Ask HN: Does anyone else feel like they're just waiting for the axe to fall?
#46Yeah, and it’s a bit closer for me. I was asked to resign after not returning to the office when asked. I refused, hoping to get severance or unemployment insurance. I’m a few weeks past the deadline and am just waiting for HR to make their move.
Are you getting paid still? Are you still doing office work?
Yes and yes. It’s still business as usual and I’m happy to work as long as they’ll allow.
Re: Ask HN: Does anyone else feel like they're just waiting for the axe to fall?
#47Having been through a few layoffs at companies, I think it's still helpful to remember that even when a company does lay-offs and while thousands of people are losing their jobs, the vast majority are not. News articles don't state "100K engineers at company XYZ not effected by lay-offs". I don't want to downplay the stress that comes from working in an environment like this. And news articles showing how thousands a…
>I think it's still helpful to remember that even when a company does lay-offs and while thousands of people are losing their jobs, the vast majority are not. News articles don't state "100K engineers at company XYZ not effected by lay-offs".
You are absolutely right. I think it's just a bit of a personal reckoning that I'm coming to terms with lately, given the prospect of losing my job.
I've spent the last decade committing my entire life to software. I eat, think, sleep, and breathe software. It's the sole source of my sense of self worth. But I don't have a college degree, and it feels like things have changed dramatically over that decade. The market is flush with CS grads with 5+ years of experience now, and I know that I don't stand a chance against them in landing a job. I think the vast majority of my anxiety now is that I will never get another job again after being laid off. I have no other skills or education, so it's either six figures making software, or flipping burgers for me.
Re: Ask HN: Does anyone else feel like they're just waiting for the axe to fall?
#48Earlier quoted context omitted.
Or stay true to your professional standards? Maliciousness usually is detectable.
Yes, but I can't justify taking a position like that. It was US based, and was not a one-off tactic unfortunately. As others have said it was effectively minimum wage, and the job search started last Mar 2022 (biotech let a lot of people go around that time). I would rather flip burgers than provide my hard-earned and considerable expertise for glass beads. Its such a waste that exploitation is the norm, and if you d…
> This kind of thing is fairly common for those without a degree, and in my opinion it is truly a despicable type of employment discrimination.
The paper ceiling is real, and I'm starting to feel it as well. Past a certain point, it really doesn't matter how "good" you are at what you do, all that matters is pedigree. Constantly having to prove yourself at all times is exhausting. And you can forget about ever even being considered by any "hard tech" companies.
It's a shame. Making it in this industry as a self taught dev used to be a source of pride. Now it's become a scarlet letter.
Re: Ask HN: Does anyone else feel like they're just waiting for the axe to fall?
#49Having been through a few layoffs at companies, I think it's still helpful to remember that even when a company does lay-offs and while thousands of people are losing their jobs, the vast majority are not. News articles don't state "100K engineers at company XYZ not effected by lay-offs". I don't want to downplay the stress that comes from working in an environment like this. And news articles showing how thousands a…
>I think it's still helpful to remember that even when a company does lay-offs and while thousands of people are losing their jobs, the vast majority are not. News articles don't state "100K engineers at company XYZ not effected by lay-offs". You are absolutely right. I think it's just a bit of a personal reckoning that I'm coming to terms with lately, given the prospect of losing my job. I've spent the last decade c…
I'm sorry to hear that and I wish you the best. Don't sell yourself short. You've spent a decade creating software and dedicating yourself to it. A degree doesn't change that (a degree is much easier to go and get than 10 years experience).
Keep your chin up, things will be OK.
Re: Ask HN: Does anyone else feel like they're just waiting for the axe to fall?
#50I dropped out of a cushy job to start contracting, and since then the axe has always been there. I have 4 months left in my current contract, but with only verbal promises of extension, I have been networking for the past 8 months to make sure that I can get back up into a new contract with days to weeks.