3 ms·

Frankly I can't imagine why someone would stay in Bay Area if they can't land at least a $80-100/hr job. How do you pay $3K/mo rent on $22/hr? How do you buy th

by m0zg 7y ago

Frankly I can't imagine why someone would stay in Bay Area if they can't land at least a $80-100/hr job. How do you pay $3K/mo rent on $22/hr? How do you buy that $5 gallon gas or pay twice as much for utilities? MS is a waste of time IMO, and I say so as a MS myself (my alma mater only offers 6-year MS degrees, so I couldn't bail; if I could, I would). I got zero benefit out of my master's, and I'd be further along in my career (as well as monetarily) if I studied 2 years less. In fact, I'd say I got zero benefit from my degree period, other than to serve as a confirmation to the potential employer that I can survive at the toughest tech school in the country. That's worth something, but I wish I could be done with this hazing ritual in a year or two. Everything I use day to day I had to learn myself, school was barely involved. 70K is where things _start_ in the software industry nowadays, for the bottom of the barrel candidate who's still able to code somewhat competently. Talented grads pull $100K+ right out of the gate pretty easily. FAANG will drop $120-150K on you like it's nothing, and if you don't suck it goes way up from there. Quite obviously, these numbers are US-only. Few people in Europe make this much even at the more senior levels, let alone as a fresh grad.

oarabbus_ 7y ago
Strange post. First, you realize the vast majority of workers in the Bay are not software engineers? And even less people make $80-100/hr? Second, when you make $22/hr, you aren't staying in a studio for $3k a month. You're in a house sharing a bathroom with a few others roommates for <$1000/mo. Third, you may have missed the part where I indicated while I currently work in tech, I studied biomedical engineering and worked in the medical device industry. BME salaries do not start at a floor of $70k like software. As for why? Had I not done all the grinding early in my career I wouldn't have ended up at a "top tier" tech company today. THAT is why one stays in the Bay Area. I agree with your point that everything useful you must to learn yourself for the most part, rather than being taught it in school, but I disagree with the rest of your sentiments.
- m0zg 7y ago
  Why is it "strange"? I'm referring to software industry in particular, with its expectations around career progression, income, standard of living, etc. It's like I was talking about lawyers in SV, and you'd responded with "do you realize the majority of people who are in SV are janitors". This is borne by my own experience, and is not guaranteed to apply to other industries. Most have much lower earning potential, and for them SV is truly unlivable, so I don't get what they're looking for there either.
  - oarabbus_ 7y ago
    That's a poor and inaccurate analogy; neither the original link nor my comment was specifically about the software industry. In fact, my comment was specifically _not_ about it. You responded to my comment, not the other way around, and are going off into some tangent about your personal livelihood, which is hardly relevant to the article as a whole. There's an unfortunately-not-uncommon "software engineer superiority complex" and general myopia and my spidey sense is going off right now. Anyhow, I'm not sure how much more to spell it out. My early career setbacks and determination to stay in the Bay Area led me to my current situation in a competitive tech company in a career I enjoy. Had I followed your worldview I'd probably have left for some miserable place in the middle of nowhere and be far less successful than I am today.

by m0zg 7y ago

oarabbus_ 7y ago

Strange post. First, you realize the vast majority of workers in the Bay are not software engineers? And even less people make $80-100/hr? Second, when you make $22/hr, you aren't staying in a studio for $3k a month. You're in a house sharing a bathroom with a few others roommates for <$1000/mo. Third, you may have missed the part where I indicated while I currently work in tech, I studied biomedical engineering and worked in the medical device industry. BME salaries do not start at a floor of $70k like software. As for why? Had I not done all the grinding early in my career I wouldn't have ended up at a "top tier" tech company today. THAT is why one stays in the Bay Area. I agree with your point that everything useful you must to learn yourself for the most part, rather than being taught it in school, but I disagree with the rest of your sentiments.

m0zg 7y ago
Why is it "strange"? I'm referring to software industry in particular, with its expectations around career progression, income, standard of living, etc. It's like I was talking about lawyers in SV, and you'd responded with "do you realize the majority of people who are in SV are janitors". This is borne by my own experience, and is not guaranteed to apply to other industries. Most have much lower earning potential, and for them SV is truly unlivable, so I don't get what they're looking for there either.
- oarabbus_ 7y ago
  That's a poor and inaccurate analogy; neither the original link nor my comment was specifically about the software industry. In fact, my comment was specifically _not_ about it. You responded to my comment, not the other way around, and are going off into some tangent about your personal livelihood, which is hardly relevant to the article as a whole. There's an unfortunately-not-uncommon "software engineer superiority complex" and general myopia and my spidey sense is going off right now. Anyhow, I'm not sure how much more to spell it out. My early career setbacks and determination to stay in the Bay Area led me to my current situation in a competitive tech company in a career I enjoy. Had I followed your worldview I'd probably have left for some miserable place in the middle of nowhere and be far less successful than I am today.