3 ms·

Note: San Diego is not in the bay area. He quit his job and moved here without having an offer in hand.

by kd5bjo 16y ago

jacquesm 16y ago
Yes, he wrote that, I got it. The point is, that the Bay area is just about one of the best places to be an out-of-work programmer on the planet. Even during a recession it would probably still be easier for a qualified coder to find some work there than in most other places, the fact that he found a gig within a relatively short time seems to prove that.
- kd5bjo 16y ago
  Though it wasn't part of his explicit advice, your location is not constant, especially if you've quit your job. Thus, the limiting factor isn't where you are, it's where you could be.
  - jacquesm 16y ago
    That depends. If you have a family, kids in school, a mortgage, strong family ties, friends and so on that really counts for a lot to a large number of people, and that means that where they are is where they'll stay. When you're young, unattached and without too many responsibilities this is a lot easier (and possibly even hard to imagine that one day it may not be that easy).
    - kd5bjo 16y ago
      Yes, all of those things affect your ability to move and where you can move to. Whenever you make a major change to your life, some parts will get better and others worse. It's important to recognize what's actually important to you, and act to make the things you actually care about as good as possible. Given the question, I assume that the thing he most cares about is getting a more enjoyable job,
- dannyr 16y ago
  jacquesm, I was unemployed a total of 6 months in the Bay Area last year. If I chose to stick with .Net, I could. I got a job offer from a company I used to work for in San Diego and also a company in DC.
  - jacquesm 16y ago
    Yes, so it worked for you. Great. It worked for me too, 23 years ago, one idle day in July. But that does not mean it will work for everyone. Now realize that you are telling someone to quit their job without a backup plan and without a lot of insight in to their personal situation. I think that is somewhat irresponsible, just because it worked for you is not exactly a guarantee, and I highly doubt you'll be able to catch him if he follows your advice and it turns out that he can't find a replacement, for whatever reason. Then there are the details such as unemployment not kicking in if you voluntarily leave your job and a whole pile of other, circumstantial factors.
    - dannyr 16y ago
      He asked for advice and I wrote what worked for me. Seriously dude, why all the hate? It's up to him to choose based on the suggestions from different people. Yes, I factored in everything. I didn't get unemployment because I quit. I also didn't know anybody in the Bay Area. I knew those before I made a decision. I hated my job. I became a very bitter person. I didn't like what I became. I had to act big to change things. I can tell you that despite the financial difficulties, I was very happy when I didn't have a job. I was developing a number of side projects. I never lost hope that I'll get what I want. I knew from previous experiences that if I work hard, good things will come. I'm not saying that he should just quit his job. If he does, he should make a commitment to do things that would make him desirable for the type of company he wants to work in. There are no guarantees with anything. He can stay at his current company but it could also go under or he could get laid off. Wouldn't it be nice to take a career path that is guaranteed to make you financially stable for the rest of your life?
      - jacquesm 16y ago

Note: San Diego is not in the bay area. He quit his job and moved here without having an offer in hand.

by kd5bjo 16y ago

Note: San Diego is not in the bay area. He quit his job and moved here without having an offer in hand.

Yes, he wrote that, I got it. The point is, that the Bay area is just about one of the best places to be an out-of-work programmer on the planet. Even during a recession it would probably still be easier for a qualified coder to find some work there than in most other places, the fact that he found a gig within a relatively short time seems to prove that.

kd5bjo 16y ago
Though it wasn't part of his explicit advice, your location is not constant, especially if you've quit your job. Thus, the limiting factor isn't where you are, it's where you could be.
- jacquesm 16y ago
  That depends. If you have a family, kids in school, a mortgage, strong family ties, friends and so on that really counts for a lot to a large number of people, and that means that where they are is where they'll stay. When you're young, unattached and without too many responsibilities this is a lot easier (and possibly even hard to imagine that one day it may not be that easy).
  - kd5bjo 16y ago
    Yes, all of those things affect your ability to move and where you can move to. Whenever you make a major change to your life, some parts will get better and others worse. It's important to recognize what's actually important to you, and act to make the things you actually care about as good as possible. Given the question, I assume that the thing he most cares about is getting a more enjoyable job,
dannyr 16y ago
jacquesm, I was unemployed a total of 6 months in the Bay Area last year. If I chose to stick with .Net, I could. I got a job offer from a company I used to work for in San Diego and also a company in DC.
- jacquesm 16y ago
  Yes, so it worked for you. Great. It worked for me too, 23 years ago, one idle day in July. But that does not mean it will work for everyone. Now realize that you are telling someone to quit their job without a backup plan and without a lot of insight in to their personal situation. I think that is somewhat irresponsible, just because it worked for you is not exactly a guarantee, and I highly doubt you'll be able to catch him if he follows your advice and it turns out that he can't find a replacement, for whatever reason. Then there are the details such as unemployment not kicking in if you voluntarily leave your job and a whole pile of other, circumstantial factors.
  - dannyr 16y ago
    He asked for advice and I wrote what worked for me. Seriously dude, why all the hate? It's up to him to choose based on the suggestions from different people. Yes, I factored in everything. I didn't get unemployment because I quit. I also didn't know anybody in the Bay Area. I knew those before I made a decision. I hated my job. I became a very bitter person. I didn't like what I became. I had to act big to change things. I can tell you that despite the financial difficulties, I was very happy when I didn't have a job. I was developing a number of side projects. I never lost hope that I'll get what I want. I knew from previous experiences that if I work hard, good things will come. I'm not saying that he should just quit his job. If he does, he should make a commitment to do things that would make him desirable for the type of company he wants to work in. There are no guarantees with anything. He can stay at his current company but it could also go under or he could get laid off. Wouldn't it be nice to take a career path that is guaranteed to make you financially stable for the rest of your life?
    - jacquesm 16y ago