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Is it just me or do these articles about economic hardship always seem to use the most unsurprising examples for their prototypical struggling subject. The exa

Is it just me or do these articles about economic hardship always seem to use the most unsurprising examples for their prototypical struggling subject. The example they use here is freelance writer. Hasn't that job title always had poor prospects? I remember a similar article posted here about people struggling to find work after the 2008 crash and their example was a person who had been laid off but instead of trying to find a new job they purposely blew through their savings for a couple years and were then surprised when they went to look for work and something didn't immediately materialize.

ForHackernews 8y ago
One of the other examples in the same article is a middle-aged aerospace engineer, so maybe that's more to your liking.
- pmorici 8y ago
  Sure, that's more plausible to the central point they are trying to make.
- troupe 8y ago
  An aerospace engineer who decided to become a personal chef and went into deep dept at a culinary school. I'm guessing this individual is a bit different than the engineers I know.
  - bittercynic 8y ago
    If you're an in-demand engineer, you're likely surrounded by in-demand engineers, and that might seem like the norm to you, but that path might not be available to everyone. I think it's worth thinking about the conditions that could lead to a person seemingly torpedoing herself with an expensive, debt-ridden culinary certificate. Things really have gotten tougher for many Americans over the past few decades. Some people make it extra tough on themselves by refusing to handle downward mobility gracefully and taking the best options available to them. On the surface, borrowing money for culinary school seems like an objectively (very) bad choice, but people are complicated, and I'd be interested in understanding what brought her to this.
    - ntsplnkv2 8y ago
      It's also worth thinking about an individual's competency as well. I think, instead of looking at individuals, the trends are more important. Are jobs paying as much? Is there the same abundance of jobs? Is housing more costly? Is debt worse? What kind of debt? As opposed to just looking at individuals, such as the engineer turned chef, which, I mean, come on. It's a bit ridiculous.
    - troupe 8y ago
      > On the surface, borrowing money for culinary school seems like an objectively (very) bad choice Well that is kind of my point. I don't know any engineer that would go to an expensive culinary school as a way to enter another career. I have yet to meet a competent engineer that wouldn't look at the return on investment of something like that. I'm not saying they aren't out there, but the things that make you a good engineer are the very things that keep you from going into debt at an expensive culinary school. I'm not trying to insult the person who is looking for a new career, but too often I hear these stories about how hard life is for someone, but when you look at the entire story it doesn't add up. In this case, I think there is a reasonable chance that calling her an "aerospace engineer" is an overstatement of her engineering skills. It is possible she is an exception is actually a skilled aerospace engineer, but it seems unlikely or that there is something being left out.

ForHackernews 8y ago

One of the other examples in the same article is a middle-aged aerospace engineer, so maybe that's more to your liking.

pmorici 8y ago
Sure, that's more plausible to the central point they are trying to make.
troupe 8y ago
An aerospace engineer who decided to become a personal chef and went into deep dept at a culinary school. I'm guessing this individual is a bit different than the engineers I know.
- bittercynic 8y ago
  If you're an in-demand engineer, you're likely surrounded by in-demand engineers, and that might seem like the norm to you, but that path might not be available to everyone. I think it's worth thinking about the conditions that could lead to a person seemingly torpedoing herself with an expensive, debt-ridden culinary certificate. Things really have gotten tougher for many Americans over the past few decades. Some people make it extra tough on themselves by refusing to handle downward mobility gracefully and taking the best options available to them. On the surface, borrowing money for culinary school seems like an objectively (very) bad choice, but people are complicated, and I'd be interested in understanding what brought her to this.
  - ntsplnkv2 8y ago
    It's also worth thinking about an individual's competency as well. I think, instead of looking at individuals, the trends are more important. Are jobs paying as much? Is there the same abundance of jobs? Is housing more costly? Is debt worse? What kind of debt? As opposed to just looking at individuals, such as the engineer turned chef, which, I mean, come on. It's a bit ridiculous.
  - troupe 8y ago
    > On the surface, borrowing money for culinary school seems like an objectively (very) bad choice Well that is kind of my point. I don't know any engineer that would go to an expensive culinary school as a way to enter another career. I have yet to meet a competent engineer that wouldn't look at the return on investment of something like that. I'm not saying they aren't out there, but the things that make you a good engineer are the very things that keep you from going into debt at an expensive culinary school. I'm not trying to insult the person who is looking for a new career, but too often I hear these stories about how hard life is for someone, but when you look at the entire story it doesn't add up. In this case, I think there is a reasonable chance that calling her an "aerospace engineer" is an overstatement of her engineering skills. It is possible she is an exception is actually a skilled aerospace engineer, but it seems unlikely or that there is something being left out.