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I graduated into the dot com bust as a programmer and made it – you will too

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Re: I graduated into the dot com bust as a programmer and made it – you will too

#91

Post by mettamage »

Consultant32452 wrote: post #61
aluminussoma wrote: post #38

This brings back so many memories. I graduated with a Comp Sci degree from a well-regarded university. I had friends who graduated a year earlier return to school for a different degree because there was just nothing available with a degree in CS. So demoralizing. I graduated a year later and took a job making a little over minimum wage. At that time, the most influential executives at my workplaces said software eng…

I'm pushing 40, graduated high school in 2000. I heard a lot of the same "wisdom." For some reason I just really wanted to be a software developer so I stuck with it even though the dot com bubble was in full catastrophe mode. I'm glad I did, but I can't claim magic wisdom. I don't know how kids are supposed to get good life/career advice. I surely didn't. Perhaps the only thing I can reasonably suggest is that peopl…

What kind of job do you do? You sound like me, with the exception that I'm at the start of my career and am getting rejected everywhere the past year.

I've been a coding bootcamp instructor and was praised by students for my communication. My friends are mostly entrepreneurs, consultants and business people and I talk quite a bit about business with them and my coding skills relatively to that are alright.

Re: I graduated into the dot com bust as a programmer and made it – you will too

#92

Post by vkou »

chvid wrote: post #79

Why do you guys assume that this crisis will hit software development? As far as I can see software development will be one of the fields least hit, possibly even benifiting, by the fallout of the Corona-virus.

Most software is either sold to non-software businesses, or is developed to serve non-software businesses.

Most non-software businesses are about to take a wallop. A ban on travel, and ten million Americans filing for unemployment in two weeks will do that sort of thing.

Re: I graduated into the dot com bust as a programmer and made it – you will too

#93

Post by badpun »

aluminussoma wrote: post #38

This brings back so many memories. I graduated with a Comp Sci degree from a well-regarded university. I had friends who graduated a year earlier return to school for a different degree because there was just nothing available with a degree in CS. So demoralizing. I graduated a year later and took a job making a little over minimum wage. At that time, the most influential executives at my workplaces said software eng…

> At that time, the most influential executives at my workplaces said software engineering in America was dead, to be replaced by cheaper outsourced Indians, and then other countries once they became too expensive.

I remember my first software internship, in 2003. Two weeks into the job, the company's VP came into our office for a little pep talk (the project was way behind schedule). The gist of the talk was that in India there are programmers who are 4x cheaper than us (I was in Poland), so we must be 4x as productive as them. In hindsight, it seemed that the VP was part of the same groupthink as everybody else... Now, I know to not treat such sexy extrapolations that the business people are excited about too seriously. In 2020, they are things like data-driven organizations, AI, autonomous vehicles, perhaps "Industry 4.0"? (I don't know anything about the last part).

Re: I graduated into the dot com bust as a programmer and made it – you will too

#94

Post by chvid »

wcoenen wrote: post #80
chvid wrote: post #79

Why do you guys assume that this crisis will hit software development? As far as I can see software development will be one of the fields least hit, possibly even benifiting, by the fallout of the Corona-virus.

See other posts about all the software startups firing readers of this forum. edit: latest related post on the front page is about OYO furloughing thousands https://techcrunch.com/2020/04/08/indias-oyo-furloughs-thous...

Oyo is an Indian hotel chain - of course it will suffer.

I get the allure of the sky is falling but aren’t we missing just how privileged we are having an office job that easily can be done remotely?

Re: I graduated into the dot com bust as a programmer and made it – you will too

#95

Post by joejerryronnie »

crispyporkbites wrote: post #81
chvid wrote: post #79

Why do you guys assume that this crisis will hit software development? As far as I can see software development will be one of the fields least hit, possibly even benifiting, by the fallout of the Corona-virus.

Everyone loses in a recession.

Not everyone, some people prosper enormously in a recession - or more specifically, some people make bold investments during the worst part of a recession when everyone else thinks the world is ending. Those investments typically do very well when we exit the recession.

Re: I graduated into the dot com bust as a programmer and made it – you will too

#96

Post by anonytrary »

chvid wrote: post #79

Why do you guys assume that this crisis will hit software development? As far as I can see software development will be one of the fields least hit, possibly even benifiting, by the fallout of the Corona-virus.

Why do you assume it won't be hit? Everyone knows software is relatively safe, but the deeper the layoffs get, the more likely it is that they push into highly skilled tech jobs.

Re: I graduated into the dot com bust as a programmer and made it – you will too

#97

Post by copenja »

taurath wrote: post #17

What’s the basis for this recession being dotcom level for tech and engineers broadly?

The idea is that the economic effects will have ripples. Google depends on advertising dollars right? Do you think Disney is spending the same cash advertising Disney hotels right now?

It's a ripple effect. Movie theaters, bars, golf courses, gymborees, concert venues, wedding planners, travel agents, hair dressers, massage parlors, party supply stores, wedding dress stores, SAT prep centers go out of business first.

Then, home remodel contractors, flooring supply depots, life coaches, car dealerships, finacial advisors, nanny's, and more.

Then, advertising collapses slaying Google and Facebook.

And, finally, as the whole house of cards comes crashing down, people cancel Netflix.

Re: I graduated into the dot com bust as a programmer and made it – you will too

#98

Post by wcoenen »

chvid wrote: post #94
wcoenen wrote: post #80

Earlier quoted context omitted.

See other posts about all the software startups firing readers of this forum. edit: latest related post on the front page is about OYO furloughing thousands https://techcrunch.com/2020/04/08/indias-oyo-furloughs-thous...

Oyo is an Indian hotel chain - of course it will suffer. I get the allure of the sky is falling but aren’t we missing just how privileged we are having an office job that easily can be done remotely?

> Oyo is an Indian hotel chain - of course it will suffer

All software jobs are affected by overall economic activity.

For example, I'm a software dev working in the niche sector of testing and certification of electronic payment systems. If economic activity goes down, then usage of payment systems goes down, so investments in those payment systems will go down, so our revenue will go down.

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