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

Ask HN: How to survive as a homeless engineer?

news.ycombinator.com

Post reply on HN
Print view View original

141–150 of 192 posts

Re: Ask HN: How to survive as a homeless engineer?

#141

Post by wombatpm »

Shit does happen. I've been there. #1 get some sort of income coming in. Keep looking for an engineering position, but find another job that gets you some $ but leaves your days free for interviews and phone calls. It would suck to give up a 4 hr shift for a BS screening interview. And at this point it does not matter what you choose. You are not looking for your one true forever job. You are looking to exchange your time for money.

Target, Home Depot are hiring. Consider 2nd shift and third shift type work. It sucks but it leaves your days open for interviews during normal business hours. Gas Station/Convenience stores are always looking for people to work the graveyard shift.

Warehouse/logistics distribution centers are ALWAYS looking for 2nd shift workers. If you can read and pass a drug test you can be hired. Double points if you are actually legal to work in the United States. Usually there will be a staffing agency who does the actual hiring.

I once worked for a business interiors company. We installed cubicles and such for businesses. The work all had to happen after hours. Paid pretty good too. Since you are in Denver that may be an option.

Consider too grocery store/bakery. Access to food that is still fine but can't be sold is a great way to stretch your dollars.

As to your engineering job search. Please tell me you are not doing everything yourself. Get IT staffing recruiters working for you! You are a easy candidate. An IT worker with skills and experience who can start TODAY! Don't be picky! If you can land ANY sort of professional work, you can stabilize your life and keep looking for that Forever job.

Re: Ask HN: How to survive as a homeless engineer?

#142

Post by gallamine »

Something1234 wrote: post #17
platinumrad wrote: post #3

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I'm not convinced that OP needs a laptop but a $100-150 old Thinkpad or low end Chromebook will get you pretty far these days.

A chromebook is not good. A cheap t410 or t400 would be best.

Second the T4. I got a t420 refurb. (2 years ago) for $150. Solid machine.

Re: Ask HN: How to survive as a homeless engineer?

#143

Post by icebraining »

mdpopescu wrote: post #125
icebraining wrote: post #107

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Portugal.

Can you relocate for six months to a year to Ireland? The market there is absolutely nuts. I've been hired (a couple of years ago) as a Python contractor for 450 euros a day (~300 after taxes), after expressly telling them I don't know Python. ("Are you willing to learn?" "Sure." "Great, you have plenty of experience, you'll figure it out in no time. Sign here.") Sure, for someone from the US that's low, but I'm from…

I just came from a year in the Benelux, that's how I managed to save a bit, but now that I have a buffer I'd rather stay put for a while.

Still, even your €450/h is less than csomar's $100/h, which they are apparently earning in a third-world country.

Re: Ask HN: How to survive as a homeless engineer?

#145

Post by senorjazz »

> I was 3 days late on my rent this month and now have to appear in court to explain why i haven't paid. I fully expect that to lead to an eviction.

wow that's harsh. I own a house in the UK when the tenants lost their job but promised one was lined up. They didn't pay for 2 months, then the tenancy agreement was up and I told the estate agents to not renew it as I cannot afford to pay for these people to live in my house for free whilst covering the mortgage.

They refused to move out. Had to wait another month before could start the eviction process. Took 4.5 months to get them out, then they stole much of the furniture that was in the house and perhaps not "smashed" the house up, packed their things up and very hurriedly damaging the house (pulling curtains off + rail etc).

I refused to give them the deposit back, they went to court to get the deposit back and won lol (have to laugh about this otherwise would cry)

I think what happened to us in the UK was too much the other way, but kicking you out after 3 days is harsh.

Don't you have friends and family to borrow the money from?

Re: Ask HN: How to survive as a homeless engineer?

#146

Post by jurghnaut »

csomar wrote: post #88

I also agree this story doesn't make sense or it is missing some stuff. Otherwise I'll be harsh: What the hell happened during 15 years? I'm based in a third-world and have been working for 7 years only and have approximately a lifetime of savings. Despite traveling to a dozen countries and buying lots of gadgets. Something doesn't add up. Or, you have a bigger problem than finding a job (gambling addiction? an expen…

I'll be harsh too - it seems that despite travelling to a dozen countries your experience seems to be limited.

Although on paper the earnings in developed countries may seem very high, the structural and unavoidable costs of living may make it difficult to get by.

I've experienced this myself - I moved from an Eastern European country where I had a regular comfy software engineering job to Belgium and financially-wise I'm way worse. On paper I earn than I did back home, but high rent, living costs, various fees and exorbitant taxes eat up most of what I earn. I am able to save much less that I was able to save back home (both relatively and in absolute monetary terms).

In case someone asks: I have moved to pursue a way more interesting job than I could find at home. Money was not a priority for me and I don't complain - I wrote this just to explain how sometimes you can be better off financially living in a less developed country.

Your example actually confirms that - I don't think many people anywhere in the developed world would be able to build up a lifetime of savings in just 7 years of working, even if living very frugally (which you claim not to do). Aren't you getting very well paid relative to local standards?

Re: Ask HN: How to survive as a homeless engineer?

#147

Post by senorjazz »

pothrowaway wrote: post #98
Luxyadian wrote: post #24

Sorry I am not helping. But 15 years full stack. Sounds at least 15K RMB/month here in China Chengdu. homeless in the USA? Just cannot understand how this would happen. sorry again for not helping. Maybe after you get better, some day in recent years, move to China?

(throwaway because electricity is out and I'm on mobile, no access to password database) I'm surprised you're surprised. We get similar stories on HN from time to time and they are almost always developers in America. I'm not passing judgement but it seems OP was not able to save much month to month. Earning doesn't automatically scale with years. As most here suggest, OP should resort to contacting everyone they can…

the parent stated they were in China. Whilst I am making a huge generalisation here - I have found it to true from extensive travel. Lots of people from non-western countries have a mythical view of the west and especially the west. Most of this will come from stylised tv / films where everyone lives in a mansion, doesn't have work problems and live is just perfect and the roads are lined with gold.

I remember when my now wife came to the UK for the first time "wow you have poor people too!". She had been brought up seeing postcard perfect depictions of quaint little village hamlets. But the misconception is both ways. Many people from the UK are shocked to find out that in the tropics you have rainy miserable grey overcast days - as we are brought up with postcard perfect Caribbean seas, palm tress, blue skies and full sun...

Anyway I digress, I can quite understand why someone from China would be surprised at homeless and poverty in the US

Re: Ask HN: How to survive as a homeless engineer?

#148

Post by hankhill »

gerbilly wrote: post #135
hluska wrote: post #114

Earlier quoted context omitted.

People aren't being very fair to you here and I'm flat out embarrassed by HN. The most relevant thing is that you're going through something terrible. If I had anything, I'd give it to you, but I've had a very tough year. The best I can offer is that I'm genuinely sorry. Not only for the way you've been treated here, but for everything that has happened. I've had some good friends go down the homelessness path and th…

>People aren't being very fair to you here and I'm flat out embarrassed by HN. Me too, it probably the just world hypothesis at work. Hang in there and don't listen to the negative talk. They cannot possibly understand what you are going through, because they aren't going through it. [1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Just-world_hypothesis

If there's one thing HN hates and has absolutely zero of, it's empathy.

Re: Ask HN: How to survive as a homeless engineer?

#150

Post by k3oni »

mdpopescu wrote: post #125
icebraining wrote: post #107

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Portugal.

Can you relocate for six months to a year to Ireland? The market there is absolutely nuts. I've been hired (a couple of years ago) as a Python contractor for 450 euros a day (~300 after taxes), after expressly telling them I don't know Python. ("Are you willing to learn?" "Sure." "Great, you have plenty of experience, you'll figure it out in no time. Sign here.") Sure, for someone from the US that's low, but I'm from…

Just want to point out that even for someone in the US 450EU/day is not really that low. Granted there's $100+/hour some are charging bu it's not really a regular for > 6 months contracts. Salutare!
Post reply on HN