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Elevated anxiety levels about career uncertainty

news.ycombinator.com

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Re: Elevated anxiety levels about career uncertainty

#11

Post by BadCookie »

bruhNah wrote: post #5

If you want to go to uni for tech go for physics, CE, ME, or EE. Machines will still exist in the future. Software development as we know it likely will not or the need for workers will be greatly reduced due to various forms of automation. Physics and machines aren’t going anywhere and you can pick up the most useful programming patterns via YouTube to augment those skills

I dunno … I have a few friends who have physics degrees, and they basically do not use them. They are all doing web dev or data science or got another professional degree afterward. But that was in ZIRP times. Maybe things are different now?

I would choose a degree in a profession that cannot be outsourced. Medicine? Law? I’m not sure, but that would be my primary criterion if I were to go back to school.

Re: Elevated anxiety levels about career uncertainty

#12

Post by theGnuMe »

Meditation and therapy will help.

Layoffs and getting fired suck but you will be ok and life goes on! Honestly I use to get panic attacks about them but going through Jon changes helped me realize that I am relentlessly resourceful and can manage life.

It can be hard to see that in the moment but life is about constant change. So always be learning and do good work. Find some things to do that give you joy and happiness.

Also network and build your community. Friends, colleagues and so forth. It’s dangerous to go alone in life so take some friends with you!

Re: Elevated anxiety levels about career uncertainty

#13

Post by datadrivenangel »

BadCookie wrote: post #11
bruhNah wrote: post #5

If you want to go to uni for tech go for physics, CE, ME, or EE. Machines will still exist in the future. Software development as we know it likely will not or the need for workers will be greatly reduced due to various forms of automation. Physics and machines aren’t going anywhere and you can pick up the most useful programming patterns via YouTube to augment those skills

I dunno … I have a few friends who have physics degrees, and they basically do not use them. They are all doing web dev or data science or got another professional degree afterward. But that was in ZIRP times. Maybe things are different now? I would choose a degree in a profession that cannot be outsourced. Medicine? Law? I’m not sure, but that would be my primary criterion if I were to go back to school.

Physics degrees certify that you're smart, and force you to learn a lot of hard material, so you get good at learning. That's enough for most jobs in this day and age.

Re: Elevated anxiety levels about career uncertainty

#14

Post by twunde »

You can't control whether there are layoffs, but you can control how to handle one. Update your resume and LinkedIn, so that if/when you need to look for a new job you're already ready. Also do go out and socialize. If you need to justify it, think of it as networking. There's a good chance that the people you meet, may be able to help you find a new job or intro you to someone.

Re: Elevated anxiety levels about career uncertainty

#16

Post by zalkazemi »

Anxiety is a powerful emotion and can be leveraged into massive creativity.

Think of your emotions as a means of your subconscious telling you something important and the message is, in your case: You are underprepared.

So instead of succumbing to the dark-side of anxiety, heed the call and rise to the challenge.

Since you’re a programmer, start building projects that demonstrate your skills, and even better, building them up.

Challenge your self to build a small project every weekend and post it on a portfolio website despite any fears of judgement.

In a years time you will have 52 unquestionable examples of your competence that not only will attract the attention of your employers, but future employers as well.

Plus, and most importantly, your portfolio will give you the confidence you’re looking for and your subconscious will thank you.

Re: Elevated anxiety levels about career uncertainty

#17

Post by VirusNewbie »

So, I too was a young 20something in a previously bad job market many many years ago, and I coped by having very low living expenses.

If you know you can support your bare minimum expenses by getting a job tending bar or waiting tables, that should relieve quite a lot of stress.

I did this by renting a room in a house, instead of paying 3x or more to have my own apartment.

No one cares if you rent a room in your 20s. I was able to save a lot since most of the time I was making good money and kept my expenses low. It was financially prudent and I slept soundly, despite having a lack of job security.

Re: Elevated anxiety levels about career uncertainty

#19

Post by giantg2 »

d--b wrote: post #6

You're young, which also means that you're cheap. Your cheapness means that you're more employable than someone with 10y+ experience who'll expect 150k+ salaries. So your chances to be let go are low because you're not that costly. So I wouldn't worry too much about that. If you're still very worried about lay offs, you should talk to your manager about it. Like you go to him and tell him "I'm scared shitless about b…

"Your cheapness means that you're more employable than someone with 10y+ experience who'll expect 150k+ salaries."

I have 10+yoe and my salary is cheap (<$100k). The future still looks shakey.

Re: Elevated anxiety levels about career uncertainty

#20

Post by philomath_mn »

datadrivenangel wrote: post #13
BadCookie wrote: post #11

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I dunno … I have a few friends who have physics degrees, and they basically do not use them. They are all doing web dev or data science or got another professional degree afterward. But that was in ZIRP times. Maybe things are different now? I would choose a degree in a profession that cannot be outsourced. Medicine? Law? I’m not sure, but that would be my primary criterion if I were to go back to school.

Physics degrees certify that you're smart, and force you to learn a lot of hard material, so you get good at learning. That's enough for most jobs in this day and age.

Not the worst advice for a high-schooler, but OP has a job. If OP if worried about the next job then they should focus on accumulating and documenting wins at the current job.
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