Ask HS: Career Advice for Someone Struggling
9 comments
To rip the bandage off: you got really unlucky and you're going to have a very hard time finding a worthwhile job in the industry any time soon.
Between layoffs and the economic contraction that garnered them, plus prevailing interest in exploring AI for junior-level tasks (regardless of its wisdom), there's just not going to be demand for inexperienced software engineers for a while. If you do manage to find opportunities, they're most likely going to be the marginal cast offs that were left to rely on you as a last resort for some reason, not the enriching or exciting experiences you want to have.
Only you know what your alternatives are, but you should probably just assume that good work won't be coming and focus your job hunt elsewhere. If you're really passionate about the industry, you can think of the next few years as a kind of self-administered graduate program where you keep your skills fresh and develop new ones while you attend to some other day job.
While you do so, you'll want to think about building a tangible and compelling portfolio the way any other early-career artist might, so that you can show it off when the market turns again (which it will). You might also casually monitor and apply for jobs/gigs just to test the waters here and there, but you're only wasting your own time and your own emotional reserves in trying to hold out for one.
Sorry I couldn't be more encouraging. You just got stuck with bad entry timing into an industry long beset by boom/bust cycles. We're in the bust now. You have to wait.
Between layoffs and the economic contraction that garnered them, plus prevailing interest in exploring AI for junior-level tasks (regardless of its wisdom), there's just not going to be demand for inexperienced software engineers for a while. If you do manage to find opportunities, they're most likely going to be the marginal cast offs that were left to rely on you as a last resort for some reason, not the enriching or exciting experiences you want to have.
Only you know what your alternatives are, but you should probably just assume that good work won't be coming and focus your job hunt elsewhere. If you're really passionate about the industry, you can think of the next few years as a kind of self-administered graduate program where you keep your skills fresh and develop new ones while you attend to some other day job.
While you do so, you'll want to think about building a tangible and compelling portfolio the way any other early-career artist might, so that you can show it off when the market turns again (which it will). You might also casually monitor and apply for jobs/gigs just to test the waters here and there, but you're only wasting your own time and your own emotional reserves in trying to hold out for one.
Sorry I couldn't be more encouraging. You just got stuck with bad entry timing into an industry long beset by boom/bust cycles. We're in the bust now. You have to wait.
> there's just not going to be demand for inexperienced software engineers for a while
As I understand it, part of the layoffs is downsizing in anticipation of replacing paid staff with AI, but another part is payroll reduction by eliminating many higher-paying positions while opening up some lower-paying positions.
So I'd agree with keeping your day job while you continue to develop your skills and portfolio, and also recommend that you keep looking and applying for positions when they open up. Since you have a paying job already, you can treat it as a learning and exploration opportunity.
As I understand it, part of the layoffs is downsizing in anticipation of replacing paid staff with AI, but another part is payroll reduction by eliminating many higher-paying positions while opening up some lower-paying positions.
So I'd agree with keeping your day job while you continue to develop your skills and portfolio, and also recommend that you keep looking and applying for positions when they open up. Since you have a paying job already, you can treat it as a learning and exploration opportunity.
Thanks a ton for taking the time to chime in. As you and the original responder suggested, I'll continue to build things and expand my skills.
I think you made a really important point about re-framing this as a "learning and exploration opportunity".
Thanks again for taking the time to share some feedback.
I think you made a really important point about re-framing this as a "learning and exploration opportunity".
Thanks again for taking the time to share some feedback.
Thank you for taking the time to provide honest feedback. What you say makes sense; it's what I suspected but haven't fully accepted.
I do enjoy programming, so I'll continue that regardless, and in the meantime keep a casual eye out for opportunities. Thanks again -- this is valuable input.
I do enjoy programming, so I'll continue that regardless, and in the meantime keep a casual eye out for opportunities. Thanks again -- this is valuable input.
When the dot com bubble was inflating it attracted a lot of people that were chasing the money that came with software jobs, or equity or promises of equity. I think that trend has happened again with the 0% interest rates and then the pandemic hiring craze a lot of tech and related companies went through.
You pushed through a math refresh and excelled in a technical institute towards the goal of working in software. Also, getting a Masters degree is no joke - that's a lot of effort and likely takes getting accepted to two programs, pushing through all the work required, possibly doing presentations, etc.
Looking ahead - your current job/contract isn't giving you opportunities to grow so you're doing the right thing by looking for something better.
> worked in the post-secondary and non-profit sectors
I think you should try using your background here in looking for that next software job - looking for non-profits or post-secondary companies that could use someone with your background but in a software development context. Maybe volunteer at a non-profit that interests you personally and see if they have IT or software related things they need help with. It might help bolster the resume to work for free and build up some experience. These usually are industries disregarded when it comes to technology.
By post-secondary do you mean teaching? There's a lot of ed-tech companies out there or education related.
Also learn to use AI in your coding efforts. I don't mean become a "prompt engineer", I mean AI is a tool and if you learn to add it to your tool belt and use it well, it can help you be a better software developer. Use it to help teach you things, then once you know them, ask it to do the work and then ask it to check its own work, it will find errors and is wrong.
You pushed through a math refresh and excelled in a technical institute towards the goal of working in software. Also, getting a Masters degree is no joke - that's a lot of effort and likely takes getting accepted to two programs, pushing through all the work required, possibly doing presentations, etc.
Looking ahead - your current job/contract isn't giving you opportunities to grow so you're doing the right thing by looking for something better.
> worked in the post-secondary and non-profit sectors
I think you should try using your background here in looking for that next software job - looking for non-profits or post-secondary companies that could use someone with your background but in a software development context. Maybe volunteer at a non-profit that interests you personally and see if they have IT or software related things they need help with. It might help bolster the resume to work for free and build up some experience. These usually are industries disregarded when it comes to technology.
By post-secondary do you mean teaching? There's a lot of ed-tech companies out there or education related.
Also learn to use AI in your coding efforts. I don't mean become a "prompt engineer", I mean AI is a tool and if you learn to add it to your tool belt and use it well, it can help you be a better software developer. Use it to help teach you things, then once you know them, ask it to do the work and then ask it to check its own work, it will find errors and is wrong.
First, thank you for taking time to respond. I really appreciate it.
> You pushed through a math refresh and excelled in a technical institute towards the goal of working in software. Also, getting a Masters degree is no joke - that's a lot of effort and likely takes getting accepted to two programs, pushing through all the work required, possibly doing presentations, etc.
Thank you for the kind words. This is encouraging. It did take a lot of time and effort, and I'm proud of what I accomplished. I do hope this comes across to potential employers.
> Maybe volunteer at a non-profit that interests you personally and see if they have IT or software related things they need help with.
This is helpful advice. My favourite job was at the non-profit -- the work was meaningful and the people were great. My dream role would be to work for a non-profit, one ideally geared toward environment / ocean / clean energy causes, so I'll look at opportunities here.
> Also learn to use AI in your coding efforts.
I've definitely been taking advantage of this. I use Perplexity and Claude (paid), and they've proven to be valuable learning tools. I focus on using them as tutors, to help explain ideas and concepts, and resist using them to do the work for me.
This actually brings up another, somewhat related question. I graduated with someone who uses AI tools to do almost all his coding. He's created some really cool projects, but I'm not sure if he fully understands what he's made. Still, he's putting in the time and effort to create something, and I respect that.
I'm trying to limit how much AI does for me, but that means I work slower and have fewer projects. I'm not sure how to walk this line -- AI can certainly help to build things more quickly, but I also know, especially for juniors who don't know what they don't know, that this can lead to bad habits and gaps in knowledge. To what extent do I use AI? I'm still figuring that out...
> You pushed through a math refresh and excelled in a technical institute towards the goal of working in software. Also, getting a Masters degree is no joke - that's a lot of effort and likely takes getting accepted to two programs, pushing through all the work required, possibly doing presentations, etc.
Thank you for the kind words. This is encouraging. It did take a lot of time and effort, and I'm proud of what I accomplished. I do hope this comes across to potential employers.
> Maybe volunteer at a non-profit that interests you personally and see if they have IT or software related things they need help with.
This is helpful advice. My favourite job was at the non-profit -- the work was meaningful and the people were great. My dream role would be to work for a non-profit, one ideally geared toward environment / ocean / clean energy causes, so I'll look at opportunities here.
> Also learn to use AI in your coding efforts.
I've definitely been taking advantage of this. I use Perplexity and Claude (paid), and they've proven to be valuable learning tools. I focus on using them as tutors, to help explain ideas and concepts, and resist using them to do the work for me.
This actually brings up another, somewhat related question. I graduated with someone who uses AI tools to do almost all his coding. He's created some really cool projects, but I'm not sure if he fully understands what he's made. Still, he's putting in the time and effort to create something, and I respect that.
I'm trying to limit how much AI does for me, but that means I work slower and have fewer projects. I'm not sure how to walk this line -- AI can certainly help to build things more quickly, but I also know, especially for juniors who don't know what they don't know, that this can lead to bad habits and gaps in knowledge. To what extent do I use AI? I'm still figuring that out...
Bad news: you need to find a backup plan to wait it out. Remember, it’s not about you, it’s about current economy and politics. Sometthing out of your control.
Good news: everything ends. Including bad times and hypes. You and your skills will be in demand one day. Guaranteed. As long as you keep them sharp and keep learning.
If i were you (in fact i was in somewhat similar situation long time ago) - I’d try to start a startup, build and sell some product. One after another, until something sticks. Even if nothing sticks - i get out of it with valuable skills and experience.
Good news: everything ends. Including bad times and hypes. You and your skills will be in demand one day. Guaranteed. As long as you keep them sharp and keep learning.
If i were you (in fact i was in somewhat similar situation long time ago) - I’d try to start a startup, build and sell some product. One after another, until something sticks. Even if nothing sticks - i get out of it with valuable skills and experience.
> Remember, it’s not about you, it’s about current economy and politics. Sometthing out of your control.
This is a really important point to remember, and I appreciate you bringing it up.
> I’d try to start a startup, build and sell some product. One after another, until something sticks. Even if nothing sticks - i get out of it with valuable skills and experience.
Another great point. At the very least, I'm learning and building skills, and that's not time wasted.
Thanks for taking the time to share, and I hope you're now in a position you find meaningful!
This is a really important point to remember, and I appreciate you bringing it up.
> I’d try to start a startup, build and sell some product. One after another, until something sticks. Even if nothing sticks - i get out of it with valuable skills and experience.
Another great point. At the very least, I'm learning and building skills, and that's not time wasted.
Thanks for taking the time to share, and I hope you're now in a position you find meaningful!
If you can imagine many people in the 90s, one of the things you had to put on your resume was "Can handle a cash register". That was a real sought after skill for blue collar work. So, even for blue collar work, that skill is not necessary anymore because we don't really need cashiers like that anymore. If a person has three decades of cash register experience, it can be kind of a shock to realize that it wasn't some everlasting skill. It was kind of a transient thing. Such a person would have to reconcile that reality and find harmony and peace for the totality of their life.
We in tech are going to have to look at our current reality. The SQL experience that was everlasting on our resumes for decades may not be what we think it is anymore. That's just an example. There's some soul searching that's going to have to happen, so whatever you are going through is not unique to you by any stretch of the imagination.
There will be a culling of this profession. Some will reinvent themselves and push forward, some will find peace in leaving it behind. Some will be excited to enter it, and some will be scared off by the sight of the wreckage. It's a challenging moment, and the truth is it's just not going to be for everyone.
We are seeing first-hand that our profession was never a 1000 year profession like a Doctor or a Policeman. My personal belief is that if you don't love this, then you are going to get eaten alive in the current and coming re-shuffle. It's not just the developers that are going through this crisis, as I still see companies (new and old) that literally have no business existing given new information (AI).
We in tech are going to have to look at our current reality. The SQL experience that was everlasting on our resumes for decades may not be what we think it is anymore. That's just an example. There's some soul searching that's going to have to happen, so whatever you are going through is not unique to you by any stretch of the imagination.
There will be a culling of this profession. Some will reinvent themselves and push forward, some will find peace in leaving it behind. Some will be excited to enter it, and some will be scared off by the sight of the wreckage. It's a challenging moment, and the truth is it's just not going to be for everyone.
We are seeing first-hand that our profession was never a 1000 year profession like a Doctor or a Policeman. My personal belief is that if you don't love this, then you are going to get eaten alive in the current and coming re-shuffle. It's not just the developers that are going through this crisis, as I still see companies (new and old) that literally have no business existing given new information (AI).
I absolutely agree that this is not a unique situation, and I see -- and even know -- people who're going through the same experience.
> There will be a culling of this profession. Some will reinvent themselves and push forward, some will find peace in leaving it behind. Some will be excited to enter it, and some will be scared off by the sight of the wreckage. It's a challenging moment, and the truth is it's just not going to be for everyone.
This is a good point.
Thank you for taking the time to share. I appreciate it.
> There will be a culling of this profession. Some will reinvent themselves and push forward, some will find peace in leaving it behind. Some will be excited to enter it, and some will be scared off by the sight of the wreckage. It's a challenging moment, and the truth is it's just not going to be for everyone.
This is a good point.
Thank you for taking the time to share. I appreciate it.
Here is the sweet spot:
1. Something with a high barrier of entry
2. Something you enjoy doing
As an example I absolutely love writing applications in JavaScript/TypeScript, but the barrier of entry is exceptionally low, so the quality of work completely sucks. I got out of that. I am also a senior warrant officer in the US Army, which has a really high barrier of entry, and it completely kicks ass.
It sounds like you are young. That means you still have almost unlimited options. If you like math and doing math type things and writing software my best recommendation is to go back to school and work on an engineering masters. Then enter the workforce as a licensed engineer doing actual engineering work with real engineers and real leadership. You can continue to teach yourself software on the side by writing applications to solve for real problems that you have personally.
1. Something with a high barrier of entry
2. Something you enjoy doing
As an example I absolutely love writing applications in JavaScript/TypeScript, but the barrier of entry is exceptionally low, so the quality of work completely sucks. I got out of that. I am also a senior warrant officer in the US Army, which has a really high barrier of entry, and it completely kicks ass.
It sounds like you are young. That means you still have almost unlimited options. If you like math and doing math type things and writing software my best recommendation is to go back to school and work on an engineering masters. Then enter the workforce as a licensed engineer doing actual engineering work with real engineers and real leadership. You can continue to teach yourself software on the side by writing applications to solve for real problems that you have personally.
Thank you for taking the time to share your feedback and experience. This is helpful. I'm no longer very young -- mid-thirties -- and so I feel some pressure, mostly internal, to dive into something sooner rather than later.
Your point about a high barrier to entry tickles my brain. I'd love to combine my communication skills, particularly my writing and documentation skills, which I've worked hard on, with my software skills. Ideally in service of a non-profit. I think there's a good opportunity there.
Again, I appreciate you chiming in. I value the input.
Your point about a high barrier to entry tickles my brain. I'd love to combine my communication skills, particularly my writing and documentation skills, which I've worked hard on, with my software skills. Ideally in service of a non-profit. I think there's a good opportunity there.
Again, I appreciate you chiming in. I value the input.
First and foremost, don't be so hard on yourself. It takes courage to make a career change and you're pursuing something in which you find interesting. You're also doing it to make a positive difference. That's commendable.
Everything you're doing (got a degree, networked, staying vigilant) is the right thing to do, but you can't take the economy and the tech bubble out on yourself. You have no control over those variables and you're better than that.
If this is a field you want to continue in, you may want to try and leverage your non-profit creds and see what NP consortiums are out there. You may be more valuable with that combination than you think.
I didn't have an account here until I read your post and I knew I had to create one to reply. Chin up, friend. You'll be alright and at the very least, I hope you take away that you're always more than the sum of your parts.
Everything you're doing (got a degree, networked, staying vigilant) is the right thing to do, but you can't take the economy and the tech bubble out on yourself. You have no control over those variables and you're better than that.
If this is a field you want to continue in, you may want to try and leverage your non-profit creds and see what NP consortiums are out there. You may be more valuable with that combination than you think.
I didn't have an account here until I read your post and I knew I had to create one to reply. Chin up, friend. You'll be alright and at the very least, I hope you take away that you're always more than the sum of your parts.
Frankly, I'm humbled that you created an account to reply to my post. Thank you for taking the time to do so.
> You'll be alright and at the very least, I hope you take away that you're always more than the sum of your parts.
> You have no control over those variables and you're better than that.
These are life-long lessons that I continuously learn and re-learn and, imo, can never be overstated. Thank you.
> ... you may want to try and leverage your non-profit creds and see what NP consortiums are out there.
This is excellent advice, and something I will start doing.
Thank you again for the advice and kindness. It means a lot.
> You'll be alright and at the very least, I hope you take away that you're always more than the sum of your parts.
> You have no control over those variables and you're better than that.
These are life-long lessons that I continuously learn and re-learn and, imo, can never be overstated. Thank you.
> ... you may want to try and leverage your non-profit creds and see what NP consortiums are out there.
This is excellent advice, and something I will start doing.
Thank you again for the advice and kindness. It means a lot.
There are jobs out there. Sure, it's a bust cycle for the dev economy, but coding jobs do exist, and some people are going to get really lucky and get those limited jobs.
If you want those jobs, you have to find an edge, and hackers have it better than most. Hack the job search and you'll win.
Send me an email (it's on my profile) if you'd like and I can share some of the hacks I've come across to get you started. An example of a job-hunt hack, for example, is applying for a job that isn't being offered at a company you love, and offering to work for free for a week or two. I have stuff like that.
If you want those jobs, you have to find an edge, and hackers have it better than most. Hack the job search and you'll win.
Send me an email (it's on my profile) if you'd like and I can share some of the hacks I've come across to get you started. An example of a job-hunt hack, for example, is applying for a job that isn't being offered at a company you love, and offering to work for free for a week or two. I have stuff like that.
Thank you for the kind response and offer. I've sent you an email.
I'd like to thank everyone who took the time to respond to my post. I'm humbled. There's some good advice here, some great perspective, and I've found it helpful. I hope that anyone in a similar position who comes across this post also finds value.
If you want to program, program.
Your day job is just a day job.
And thus orthogonal to programming.
Vonnegut sold Saabs.
Jamie Vardie laid bricks.
Gene Simmons typed in an office.
And they were just about the luckiest ones.
At best, your day job fills some of your creative needs.
Even then, it is still a day job.
Good luck.
Your day job is just a day job.
And thus orthogonal to programming.
Vonnegut sold Saabs.
Jamie Vardie laid bricks.
Gene Simmons typed in an office.
And they were just about the luckiest ones.
At best, your day job fills some of your creative needs.
Even then, it is still a day job.
Good luck.
day jobs are underrated:
scientists and inventors: https://bigthink.com/hard-science/inventors-day-jobs/
see also: writers, musicians, actors ...
scientists and inventors: https://bigthink.com/hard-science/inventors-day-jobs/
see also: writers, musicians, actors ...
Great post. I do think every experience has something to teach; that can be very difficult -- I'm experiencing that now! -- but we just have to be open and thoughtful. Thanks for sharing this.
Thank you the response and for the encouragement. I appreciate it.
About a year ago, I graduated with a software engineering diploma from a well-regarded Canadian technical institute. To be a competitive applicant, I re-took all my high school math, did well, and was accepted into the program, where I also achieved excellent grades. I was a mature student with a goal.
Some years before, I earned a Masters degree in the humanities and worked in the post-secondary and non-profit sectors. I decided to switch careers for a few reasons: I've always loved technology, I wanted to use it to contribute a positive difference in the world, and I thought it would increase my earning potential.
Unfortunately, I graduated at what seems to have been an all-time low point in the industry: the COVID tech bubble popped, and the wave of AI came crashing in.
I did get a contract job, for which I am grateful, and it was initially geared towards programming tasks. But it's since shifted almost entirely to what can only be described as glorified data entry.
This has been really difficult. The work I'm doing is uninteresting and doesn't leverage any of my skills in a meaningful way. I'm also earning the least amount I ever have professionally. I feel like I've taken a big step back, and it's had a pretty big impact on my mental health.
I've asked to take on more work, and even offered to take lower pay to work on programming-related tasks. A lot of staff are contract or part-time, so mentorship and training has been hit-or-miss.
Frankly, I've never felt less engaged and motivated in my life. My self-confidence has taken a big hit. Recently, I've been struggling to even do the work. This is difficult, because I know I have a lot to offer, I love to learn, I take great pride in doing good work, I enjoy contributing to a team, and so on. I have excellent references and have, I think, proven that I'm a motivated, hard-working person. I do think, with my background, that I have a unique set of skills that would greatly benefit an organization.
But, like many others, I can barely get an email back from jobs for which I apply. I follow up my applications with personal LinkedIn messages, and I've leveraged my network, but so far, to no avail.
I know I'm not alone -- a lot of people, especially in this industry, many with far more experience than me, are feeling the same. My heart goes out to everyone in such a position.
For the first time in a long time, maybe ever, I honestly don't know what to do. I feel lost and uncertain. Do I return to my previous career? Do I continue searching for a job in this field?
I'm trying to frame this as a blip in my life, a low point that will help me build grit and learn more about myself, and that's a good thing. I also know that, to some extent, I'm getting in my own way, that I'm afraid of doing what may be needed for me to take the next step, and this is part of the learning experience. All the same, it's uncomfortable to live through right now.
(I will note that I'm working on small projects in Go during my off-time, trying to maintain and build me skills.)
If you have any feedback, any advice, anything you've learned, I'd love to hear and learn from it. I deeply appreciate you taking the time to read this.