Most Tech Jobs Are Jokes and I Am Not Laughing

I think much like the author’s writing it’s a very polarizing thing, and it either clicks with people or doesn’t. For those that it doesn’t I can understand the viewpoint that it’s extremely negative.

I disagree that it’s inherently rude or aggressive. You can absolutely tell someone they’re a moron in a very polite and joking way, but it clearly won’t translate into writing very well.

As for crass, yeah definitely ¯\ _(ツ)_/¯

And are you sure your use cases don't match others', or are you not willing to share your work for free with them? Why would it be performative to make it public?

Or you can judge how to approach each interaction individually instead of applying a global veneer of fake pleasantness that the US work culture labels as "being professional".

Oh wow, this resonates so badly with me. This guy must be my Malay / Aussie doppelganger. My company has the same bullshit, but we have terrible coffee instead of terrible tea. I used to buy my own on the way to the office, but now I've become so cynical I just don't care anymore.

When I joined just after COVID we were working from the office 5 days a week. I'd been working remotely for nearly a decade so thought it would be a welcome change, but oh man, I completely forgot about all the office BS you need to deal with. Eventually they realised that policy made hiring people hard, as now everyone expects to WFH, so they now allow is to work from home 1 day a week. Over Christmas and New Year they were so grateful for all our hard work, that they allowed us to work from home for 2 days a week. That was literally all we got for Christmas.

For the past few months I've been looking for a more chilled out job. I have a family now, and have gone past the point of seeing any purpose or fulfilment in my work. I just want to clock in, do my 8 hours, then leave at the end of the day and switch to family mode. The biggest issue for me has been recruiters ghosting me. I have an interview that goes well then at the end I hear "I'll be in touch by the end of play tomorrow" and don't hear anything back. Or recruiters message me on LinkedIn, I reply saying "yes I'm willing to torture myself with your interview process. Can you call me tomorrow afternoon?" and then I don't hear anything back.

Like OP most of the jobs I've had are through my network, or from recruiters reaching out to me during times when anyone with a heartbeat could get a senior React position. Sometimes I wonder, am I just a bad engineer? Am I just terrible at selling myself?

The best job I ever had was also with a team that had funny shaped keyboards - it's how I learned Vim. We would stay after work to play video games, and go out for drinks as a team once or twice a week. We worked hard, but it didn't feel like work. I'd love to find that again, but nothing has even come close. I don't know if it's just that I was young or naive and "the grass is always greener" when looking back, or that I have now been infected with the cyninism that capitalism breeds.

(And for anyone wondering, I - and I assume OP is the same - do not talk like this to others, and especially not in an interview. My cynicism stays in my head)

They don’t really pump themselves. Their network is full of people they appreciate.

They would like to work in a better context with such people.

They are discouraged by the quagmire of the low quality cold interview swamp.

I don’t see narcissistic flags here, and I have had significant experiences with that category of person. Unfortunately.

The irreverent gallows humor seems to be throwing some people off. But that is often a creative person’s tactic for maintaining a light mood in casual (not professional) contexts, despite rough circumstances.

(Narcissism isn’t being off putting, difficult, unpleasant, objectionable, etc. It is as important to not overapply that concept as it is to recognize it. It is usually not immediately obvious, as they are often image conscious and exude charm. Unless they have a secure power imbalance, or you are socially irrelevant to what they care about.)