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Ask HN: Has anyone else been unemployed for over two years?

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Re: Ask HN: Has anyone else been unemployed for over two years?

#331

Post by jonasdegendt »

rc5150 wrote: post #123
mgh95 wrote: post #102

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Why not the US? Anecdotally, I'm beginning to see the US market pick up again and a TN visa should see you employed pretty quickly.

Do you really need additional clarification on why non-American citizen might choose not to travel to the US for literally any reason? If you do need examples, let me just gesture broadly to the entire US society.

Seconding what the other commenter is saying.

I’m in CA vacationing right now for a month, flew in last week. Literally the same experience getting in, and on the daily, as it’s been for the last decade of visiting annually.

I was talking to my +1 at work before I left, he’s just gotten back from living in OH for the last couple of years for his wife’s job. As much as stuff is seemingly a shit show at the highest levels (which we can all agree on, I reckon), the day to day hasn’t changed all that much. At least not for us privileged techies.

But hey, that’s just two datapoints, so what do I know really.

Re: Ask HN: Has anyone else been unemployed for over two years?

#332

Post by scarface_74 »

Aeolun wrote: post #317
scarface_74 wrote: post #219

Earlier quoted context omitted.

One of my pet peeves are people who don’t understand what I call “gravity problems”. You may not like gravity. But that doesn’t mean you jump off of a 30 story building and hope to survive. Whether I like LinkedIn or not is completely irrelevant. I play the game, add connections, post a few banal “Thought Leadership” posts, ask for recommendations, etc. My remote job at BigTech fell into my lap in mid 2020 and at 46…

None of your positive impressions are by virtue of linkedin though. Unless your profession is influencer I suppose.

How else would someone know about me and how would I connect with them? I can change my status to “Open to Work” and have 1200 people see it My specific niche is strategy consulting along with hands on keyboard work for smaller projects and before that, I was hired at 3 separate companies by a new to the company director/CTO to lead initiatives. At that level it’s all about knowing how to “influence” and communicate.

I’m not bragging, I’m old. I should have that type of experience and network.

Re: Ask HN: Has anyone else been unemployed for over two years?

#333

Post by danparsonson »

ihnorton wrote: post #298
com2kid wrote: post #133

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Not having LinkedIn is ruining your chances. Candidates without a LinkedIn are going to come across as a scam in the very least, 90% of the time your application will just get tossed if you can't be found on LI.

Seconding. These days I will rarely talk to anyone without a verified LinkedIn or other presence like a clearly inhabited GitHub (and I’m not looking for hyperactivity by any means)

But why? Those things are easy to game, and speaking personally, I don't have an online software development presence like Github because I don't spend my off time working on anything I feel is worth sharing.

Re: Ask HN: Has anyone else been unemployed for over two years?

#334

Post by Jealousmango »

vault wrote: post #55

Took me 15 months to find a job after a layoff and then I accepted the first offer that came, which is basically worse in every aspect compared to my previous job. I've read all your stories and feel unexpectedly so connected with each of you. It can be hard. I just want to wish you all the best.

I could have written this comment myself word for word except my unemployment lasted 12 months. I hope we all find our way back into better jobs someday and I sincerely appreciate your comment.

Re: Ask HN: Has anyone else been unemployed for over two years?

#335

Post by ChrisMarshallNY »

andrewmcwatters wrote: post #306
ChrisMarshallNY wrote: post #8

I have, but it's retirement. I have no desire to rejoin the rodential rally. Been about eight years, and, after I got over the butthurt of not being hired, I leaned into retirement (I am grateful to have the means). Best thing that ever happened to me.

Hmm, I don't know Chris, I've read your comments here over the years and I get the feeling that any company that hired you would be in a good place with you on their team. There's a lot of bad hiring teams, though. So, I totally get it. Retirement is also nice if you can afford it.

Thanks! I always thought so, too, but I appear to have had a minority position.

It’s all turned out OK, in the aggregate, though.

I still do plenty of ship-level coding (but for much smaller scopes). I really like it.

Re: Ask HN: Has anyone else been unemployed for over two years?

#337

Post by shinryuu »

WarOnPrivacy wrote: post #316
throwaway1492 wrote: post #303

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Quitting caffeine helped me with anxiety and some mental health stuff. Ymmv

My milage does vary. I swore off caffeine for a decade. Then I discovered that stims restore some cognitive function that I had written off. The difference is that my anxiety is more interesting (to me) than distressing. I can sometimes leverage it as a mechanism for change. Granted - this also possible because my anxiety (currently) falls within a range. Turn it up a ½doz notches and I probably won't be mining it fo…

Have you tried tea instead? Its effect is markedly different from coffee. THere should be no anxiety, but still contain that cognitive benefit.

Re: Ask HN: Has anyone else been unemployed for over two years?

#338

Post by riazrizvi »

93po wrote: post #230
riazrizvi wrote: post #7

Yes. 3 years. Marriage ended. Sold everything. But emotionally, much better off than last year. Making ends meet with a return to non-tech after a 3 decade break. Won’t ever stop doing that at least part-time, going forward, for security. For tech, focused on a body of work to create opportunities. Optimistic.

can i ask what the non-tech job is? im considering this too but the idea of stocking shelves at target makes me feel miserable

Finding the new angle to something I had previously found demeaning, was the key step to improving things for me. I think that is personal to our own journeys.

Re: Ask HN: Has anyone else been unemployed for over two years?

#339

Post by amy_petrik »

autotune wrote: post #143
bradly wrote: post #132

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I just want to say I'm really sorry you are struggling with voices and self consciousness. Not being able to escape our own minds is a feeling I don't wish on anyone and I hope you all the best through your struggles.

Thank you so much! Thankfully I have a good support system, so it's not all bad news. It mostly just means I have to avoid RTO by any means necessary because I have no idea if symptoms might emerge in the middle or end of a work day. Working on positive ways to manage it in therapy so that's good news as well.

[flagged]

Re: Ask HN: Has anyone else been unemployed for over two years?

#340

Post by [deleted] »

mgh95 wrote: post #291
jpalawaga wrote: post #283

Earlier quoted context omitted.

All of my personal network has stopped non-mandatory travel to the US. I wouldn’t be surprised people wouldn’t resist if their employer told them to go for business, but many Canadians are simply opting out of leisure travel to the United States. There are plenty of other places to travel is the rationale. besides, if a strong greenback was the reason for decrease of leisure, wouldn’t it also be responsible for a dec…

I don't know what to tell you but on the front of: > There are plenty of other places to travel is the rationale. besides, if a strong greenback was the reason for decrease of leisure, wouldn’t it also be responsible for a decrease in business travel, too? Certainly businesses are also bound to macroeconomic shifts. Canada has shockingly little choice when it comes to trade partners. They are literally physically att…

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