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Career advice for people with bad luck

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Re: Career advice for people with bad luck

#241

Post by mcguire »

mdorazio wrote: post #67

I really want to see more articles like this on HN. However, this is really "career advice for people at struggling companies." The luck part doesn't get discussed in the way I expected. To me, bad luck is things like: - You're in the wrong place at the wrong time. Ex. you graduated in 2008-2010/now or your business sector got wiped out by COVID - Despite your best efforts at networking, you simply never meet that ma…

- You have a habit of picking interesting work over jobs that will "strap a booster rocket to your career".

- You do everything right and, like most people, it still doesn't work.

Re: Career advice for people with bad luck

#242

Post by ChuckMcM »

mdorazio wrote: post #67

I really want to see more articles like this on HN. However, this is really "career advice for people at struggling companies." The luck part doesn't get discussed in the way I expected. To me, bad luck is things like: - You're in the wrong place at the wrong time. Ex. you graduated in 2008-2010/now or your business sector got wiped out by COVID - Despite your best efforts at networking, you simply never meet that ma…

For people with bad luck or from people with bad luck? It is often inspiring to hear from folks who haven't been on the success rocket doing just fine and having a great life.

The subtext here though is always "scoring" your success. There is the zen koan about one mans bad luck is another mans opportunity. But it really seems that the message is more "don't measure your own success unrealistically or you will always see yourself as having 'bad luck' when, in fact, you have a great life."

Re: Career advice for people with bad luck

#243

Post by maemilius »

omniscient_oce wrote: post #85
ashtonkem wrote: post #2

> The company is not your family. Some of the people in the company are your friends in the current context. It’s like your dorm in college. Hopefully some of them will still be your friends after. But don’t stay because you’re comfortable. This one hit hard. It’s amazing how many of the close work friends I had over the years were only close because of the shitty circumstances we endured together. Once that was gone…

You may like the Japanese phrase 一期一会 (ichi-go-ichi-e). To me it means that you should cherish each relationship and encounter, regardless of whether you know it will last a long time or not. You may never get the chance to experience that particular relationship again. I actually learnt this word firsthand from a man that it applies to, an middle-aged Japanese guy who was volunteering with kids near where I live. We…

My mom has a similar saying: "People enter your life for a reason, a season, or a lifetime." The idea is the same: you should cherish the relationships you have - while you have them - and let them go when they're over.

Re: Career advice for people with bad luck

#245

Post by mettamage »

tlear wrote: post #185
bad_luck_tw wrote: post #167

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Unfortunately US work visa for people from my country is not so easy. Though I've been applying at companies in EU, the visa process is much simpler.

Take a look at Japan as well, really easy to get in to work but money is not as good as NA. I don’t really know EU market

I'm a Dutchie, and I can't speak about the EU market as a whole, but as any European that travels around a bit, I have the following ranking in terms of lifestyle/pay:

1. Switzerland (90k or higher + mountains if you're willing to drive a bit)

2. Luxembourg (I just remember you get paid quite a bit)

3. Berlin (alright pay, low living costs, amazing city)

4. England + Scandinavia + The Netherlands (didn't look into Scandinavia enough but in most cases they're on par or a bit better than The Netherlands)

Englang is on #4, because while the pay is better, society seems to be more screwed. University is more expensive, the welfare system sucks more (compared to most of the other countries in this list, Scandinavia being Denmark, Norway, Sweden and Finland).

Take this with a grain of salt, do your own research of course.

Countries that I wouldn't want to go to:

1. Eastern Europe

2. Southern Europe

The pay is too low.

The thing is: higher pay is always better, even when living costs are always, let's say 50% in any country. The more money you safe, the more you can utilize it for geo-arbitraging strategies later on in life.

Re: Career advice for people with bad luck

#246

Post by mgolawala »

designium wrote: post #231
mdorazio wrote: post #67

I really want to see more articles like this on HN. However, this is really "career advice for people at struggling companies." The luck part doesn't get discussed in the way I expected. To me, bad luck is things like: - You're in the wrong place at the wrong time. Ex. you graduated in 2008-2010/now or your business sector got wiped out by COVID - Despite your best efforts at networking, you simply never meet that ma…

Most opinions and suggestions are based on the "standard path of success". If we use beauty contest as an analogy of success, only one will be the winner and all losers. In case of North American perspective, success looks like this: - Have good academic credentials - Have good big corporation names on your resume - Have good connections - Have nice car - Have nice house - Have kids, partner, etc. - Travel a lot when…

Well said. I was reading the responses, and seeing the implicit group consensus on what "success" looks like.

The thing though is, your entire life outcome is based on luck. There is nothing you can really do to compensate for that, besides getting back up, brushing the dust of your knees, counting your blessings and keep going.

List of things that are luck:

1) Where you were born in the wrong place at the wrong time. (think Afghanistan, North Korea, Venezuela, etc.)

2) Being born the wrong gender in the majority of the world by population (ie female).

3) Being born with the wrong sexual orientation in a huge chunk of the world.

4) Being born with a health condition (physical or mental), or with a learning disability. Even a mild one like ADHD or dyslexia.

5) Being born to the wrong set of parents. ie. belonging to the wrong community/religion/race... in the majority of the world.

Honestly, even your mental capacity and grit are to a large extent (if not completely) luck. If developed via nurture, you didn't pick how you were nurtured. If nature, you didn't pick the genetic combination you were born with.

So really, what is left? What percentage of your 'success' can you actually take credit for?

Re: Career advice for people with bad luck

#247

Post by RookyNumbas »

mdorazio wrote: post #67

I really want to see more articles like this on HN. However, this is really "career advice for people at struggling companies." The luck part doesn't get discussed in the way I expected. To me, bad luck is things like: - You're in the wrong place at the wrong time. Ex. you graduated in 2008-2010/now or your business sector got wiped out by COVID - Despite your best efforts at networking, you simply never meet that ma…

When I think of the very successful people I know, all have gone through life events that would absolutely flatten most people. The loss of a child, a partner committing suicide, 6 businesses failing, 2 weeks in an induced comma.

And yet a stranger looks at their accomplishments and thinks that they just didn't have bad luck.

Re: Career advice for people with bad luck

#248

Post by michaelbrave »

the_af wrote: post #146
0xfaded wrote: post #114

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Step 1: Move to SV. I'm sorry, I'm Australian and studied and worked in Australia. I spent 4 years in SV, and now founded a startup in Europe. Even after the Covid issue has played out, I'm convinced SV will still be where a passionate technologist can optimize their impact and lifetime earnings. There's just nothing that can compare to being surrounded by so many smart people who share your interests. I've heard sto…

> Step 1: Move to SV. What about... - I don't want to move to SV, I'm not that young anymore. - I don't want to move outside my country, or - specifically to the US and SV, which are not a particularly good place to live in anyway, or - even if I wanted it, entry to the US is stressful and not that easy, or - I have friends/family ties where I live, and those are important to me There's plenty of reasons why your ste…

Sounds like having priorities that go beyond making money or having career success. Nothing wrong with that, but it may be something to make peace with.

Re: Career advice for people with bad luck

#249

Post by KerryJones »

LarryDarrell wrote: post #198
mdorazio wrote: post #67

I really want to see more articles like this on HN. However, this is really "career advice for people at struggling companies." The luck part doesn't get discussed in the way I expected. To me, bad luck is things like: - You're in the wrong place at the wrong time. Ex. you graduated in 2008-2010/now or your business sector got wiped out by COVID - Despite your best efforts at networking, you simply never meet that ma…

I suspect it's because there isn't much advice to give. My answer, having checked a few of your boxes... Your lifetime wages are going to be lower than many of your peers. This is unlikely to change. Adjust your worldview accordingly. Don't assume any debt that relies on increasing future earnings to be comfortable. By all means, keep trying, but stay level headed. Success for most is not always right around the corn…

I don't think luck is as "random" of a factor as much as most people think it is. Checkout "Luck Factor" by Dr. Richard Wiseman.

I do think there are a lot of things you can due to get probability more on your side:

- Keep your eyes open for opportunities and look for the upside ("be optimistic" is the woo-woo version), but it's been proven in experiments that you'll catch things others won't

- Only keep friends around you that actually support you. It's really hard to try to make life changes when people are constantly telling you you can't or shitting on your parade.

- Start making analytical choices. Certain fields pay more than others. Certain businesses treat their employees better than others. A lower position at a better company will increase your probability of "bumping" into those people who might be life changing.

- Learn about probability (Fooled by Randomness is a good start). If you constantly expose yourself to more chances of success, _odds are_, you'll start to find more of it.

Re: Career advice for people with bad luck

#250

Post by saruken »

LarryDarrell wrote: post #198
mdorazio wrote: post #67

I really want to see more articles like this on HN. However, this is really "career advice for people at struggling companies." The luck part doesn't get discussed in the way I expected. To me, bad luck is things like: - You're in the wrong place at the wrong time. Ex. you graduated in 2008-2010/now or your business sector got wiped out by COVID - Despite your best efforts at networking, you simply never meet that ma…

I suspect it's because there isn't much advice to give. My answer, having checked a few of your boxes... Your lifetime wages are going to be lower than many of your peers. This is unlikely to change. Adjust your worldview accordingly. Don't assume any debt that relies on increasing future earnings to be comfortable. By all means, keep trying, but stay level headed. Success for most is not always right around the corn…

This is all-around great advice. I heard some similar things on Ricky Gervais' show After Life, and I wrote them down:

> It's worth sticking around to maybe make my little corner of the world a slightly better place.

> Happiness is amazing. It's so amazing, it doesn't matter if it's yours.

> You may not like living much, but you can make the world a better place. So don't give up, because then they've won. And they grow in numbers.

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