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Tell HN: Getting Ready for Unemployment

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91–100 of 137 posts

Re: Tell HN: Getting Ready for Unemployment

#91

You're desperate. That's good. Desperation built this world. It's the number one motivator of life. Desperation mixed with insecurity can seem like depression, but if you're really depressed, out of money and with limited prospects. It's time to go ask someone for help. Alternative ideas: Can you make money on bug bounties? Can you apply to local universities for tutoring? Can you do some gig work just to chip away a…

> You're desperate. That's good. > Desperation built this world. It's the number one motivator of life. I am fairly skeptical of the claim that "desperation built this world" as a rationalization for why desperation is good. Human actions built this world. Desperation may or may not be a motivator for actions, but if it is, it does not even seem to be the main motivator. Humans also build things because they want to…

Maybe GP could have framed it more like: "Here's how can you use that for good" rather than simply "That's good". Because I agree, desperation is not good in the aggregate.

Re: Tell HN: Getting Ready for Unemployment

#92
post #37

People are talking about mental and spiritual health, but I will tell you my story. I resigned from a support job which was taking a toll on my mental health to staying jobless for almost an year, which caused stress on top of already existing mental health problem. I finally landed a job in a development role. My mental spiritual personal health has never been better. I am in a better place now. My advise would be t…

Happiness resides in the work and effort we put in the system that will work towards our goal. Well said.

Re: Tell HN: Getting Ready for Unemployment

#93
It's possible there aren't opportunities in your city/country. Did you look into relocation or remote work? There are companies that organize relocation, set up etc. I know in Poland for example they accept pretty much everyone with a heartbeat due to demand.

Re: Tell HN: Getting Ready for Unemployment

#94
post #2

> I am already thinking about "taking the easy way out". Please don't. You have something to offer and if you snuffed yourself out, that valuable spark of human spirit would be gone. Gently, "some weeks" (not sure what this means exactly) is not a very long to be looking for work. Keep your chin up and keep applying. Get a resume review — I'm sure someone here would be happy to take a look and see what you can improv…

> "some weeks" (not sure what this means exactly) is not a very long to be looking for work.

I know but when you are desperately looking for work, along with multiple failures, 12 weeks could felt like 12 months. Especially with an empty pocket. I know it rationally doesn't make any sense but from experience that is how it felt. It was hard, especially hard when you dont have family and friends around you for support.

>Get a non-professional job in the meantime just to keep some money flowing in.

Yes. Waiter, Drivers. There are plenty of options, enough for food on the table.

To OP. I dont know much about US Food Cost, but at one point in my life I was spending 70 pence a day on food, or a little more than a US dollar. Washing clothes by hand, couldn't even afford heating in Winter. Barely able to afford to pay rent and food along with whatever debt. Something like McDonald was luxury. It was hard, but not impossible.

Just dont give up.

Dont FUCKING give up.

Re: Tell HN: Getting Ready for Unemployment

#96
post #75

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Spamming out CVs to companies advertising on HN might be a rational strategy if you work in a popular field like web development and live in the US. It might get you nowhere fast if say you work in a more specialised programming field and live in Europe, where there are serious economic problems, we're asking genuine questions about whether we will have reliable power supplies for everyone throughout the coming winte…

This is not consistent with my experience in Germany at all. Companies everywhere are looking for educated people. The demand for people with programming skills borders on desperation! Do you have a degree and a pulse? Do you show up for work on time, communicate clearly and keep your promises? Somebody will gladly hire you! You just have to keep at it. One thing the OP might try is to manage their expectations. My f…

Looking for a purple unicorn and not hiring anybody, keeping jobs posted for years.

Re: Tell HN: Getting Ready for Unemployment

#97
Spend more time learning to do physical exercises. Fix those shoulders. Strengthen that back. The waking hours afk you have right now, you're going to wish you had, once you start a new job. And that I believe you will.

As for finding that job, if the current perspective doesn't work for you, why not try a gamifying perspective? You're the main character. The game world is a tough place. Upgrading which skills would be advantageous to your progression? There's no game over in this game, only try again stronger.

Re: Tell HN: Getting Ready for Unemployment

#98
I don't know if you've ever noticed that when you're tired, like really tired, doing the most simple tasks feel like moving mountains. They may make you angry, frustrated and annoyed. But you go to bed, wake up the next day and can take on any task. If you think about your current situation as "temporarily being tired", then you know some time later, you'll be feeling better. I use this kind of brain hacks all the time to snap out of spiral thinking. Give it a try.

> I don't know when this war will end and whether they want to nuke the Northern Hemisphere away or not.

I am in a very good place right now and yet I do NOT watch main stream news, regardless of what it is. I have recently started to script away negative content on HN and Twitter as well. So, cut yourself off from news. That alone should lift you up quite a bit.

The world is just fine. It's your fellow human beings who can't pay attention to anything but drama and chaos.

> Trying to do something "useful" in the meantime...

That's the spirit. Also, seek help from pros. Bunch of talking and some drugs can make a world of difference. They are not the cure, but a stepping stone, little push, to help you along the way.

Re: Tell HN: Getting Ready for Unemployment

#100
C/C++ dev here.

Remember that it’s not the language that matters. The underlying programming concepts that you know, thanks to being a C/C++ programmer, are translatable to every other programming language. With the help of a search engine, you’ll realize that you already know how to express yourself in those languages quite proficiently.

Memorizing syntax is not the same as knowing how to program. You already know how to express yourself in all programming languages, now stop gatekeeping yourself and start applying to more jobs than just the ones you’ve been limiting yourself to.

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