Comment by whateverman23 | Hacker News Reader

Comment by whateverman23 | Hacker News Reader

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For me, I just don't see anything exciting in the future for me with regards to software engineering and my career.

When I was first starting out, possibilities were endless. Lots to learn, lots to build.

When I was in college, I started getting internships, and dreams of disneyland-like big tech jobs were abundant.

Now, I have the big tech job and everything is objectively getting worse. Big tech jobs are less and less cushy. Jobs are harder to get. Salaries are going down. Layoffs left and right. Promotions and raises are a grind. Etc. etc. Absolutely nothing to look forward to.

People are talking about depression and low-test, but maybe the future just isn't bright anymore, and this is a normal reaction.

I’d be depressed if I was one layoff away from six-figure debt. Tech workers living in SF should build up enough savings and a Plan B such that they can easily recover from a layoff. This includes looking at where you live, big purchases, etc… Maybe a CX-5 or a hybrid RAV4 is perfectly fine for one’s needs instead of the Model X. Maybe it’s worth it to get two roommates if you’re in your 20’s - it’s not as bad as you think and you sidestep the scam that is rental prices in SF. Etc etc…

Sometimes depression (and maybe low test?) can come from an actual or perceived lack of control. There are tangible steps people can take to make themselves more anti-fragile, and if you have a significant other, you need to be able to articulate why cutting back on lifestyle expenditures is necessary and can actually make you happier/feel in control of your destiny.

> maybe the future just isn't bright anymore, and this is a normal reaction.

I think it's a normal reaction, but there are other normal reactions you could have. Could you be part of the solution? I think people (and software developers in particular) are trained to think that you must be able to fully accomplish something as an individual in your lifetime for it to be worthwhile, but this clearly hasn't always been the case.

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