3 ms·

I think you have to take a break. Step back for a bit. When you come back, find out what really interested you in tech in the first place and follow that. The

I think you have to take a break. Step back for a bit. When you come back, find out what really interested you in tech in the first place and follow that. The fact you think 300+ people are applying to the same jobs means the market might be saturated with those skills. Do you think you might have let your own skill set stagnate?

5350-uiop-1130 4y ago
> Do you think you might have let your own skill set stagnate? yes, definitely. although i worked a lot with node and react, building electron apps, cli tools, browsers extensions - but i just don't enjoy it anymore. and i don't have experience building large scale production apps with the latest trendy stacks. > The fact you think 300+ people are applying to the same jobs means the market might be saturated with those skills. Basically front-end jobs, senior front-end also. Most jobs I see on linkedin have applications in the mid triple figures, its not even worth applying. The only time I interview is when a company contacts me directly. I usually give up after they send the coding challenge link. i just stare at the screen, no energy or enthusiasm to tackle the problem. i enjoy html, css and vanilla js - but its usually some typescript challenge or something like that - which i refused to learn, since i already know javascript. once static type checking became a requirement in front end is like the intersection for when i became a dinosaur. Although I am working now as a contractor for FAANG.
- jcbrand 4y ago
  Sounds to me like you are actually a competent developer with relevant knowledge and that the problem lies elsewhere. As you've mentioned in the title, you're depressed. Go and see a therapist and if you can, take a break from work.
- clouddrover 4y ago
  > but its usually some typescript challenge or something like that - which i refused to learn, since i already know javascript. once static type checking became a requirement in front end is like the intersection for when i became a dinosaur Why? Static type checking is a good thing to reduce errors.
  - sli 4y ago
    TypeScript is a Microsoft band-aid on problems far better solved by other languages. The level to which people praise it feels like Stockholm Syndrome, and criticizing it frequently gets the stereotypical toxic programmer forum replies like "well you just don't know how to use types." It's impossible to speak critically about TypeScript unless you write long blog posts.
    - cutler 4y ago
      Static typing zealots have butchered perfectly good dynamic languages like Python and Ruby in recent years after M$ took over Javascript like Russians invading Ukraine. Even Ruby ffsake. Soon Clojure will be the only refuge for us devs who value dynamic languages.
    - sanitycheck 4y ago
      It totally is, but it does largely work as intended. For people who've been dealing with JS for years it's a big improvement which I guess is why it gets so much praise. (The love for React, OTOH, must be Stockholm Syndrome!) Other languages are better, but transpiling from them to JS has (arguably?) bigger downsides than using TS. WASM is the big hope for some people, of course, but it's only really good for heavy lifting at the moment.
    - clouddrover 4y ago
      > It's impossible to speak critically about TypeScript unless you write long blog posts. If it takes a long blog post to find something to criticize about TypeScript then I'd say that's a sign that TypeScript is doing something right.
  - wruza 4y ago
    Also good to increase time to market and make you think more about types, less about business logic. It has both pros and cons depending on what you are doing. I have learned and can read and write typescript, but it doesn’t click when it comes to “we’ll need it tomorrow to check our ideas fast”, the usual mode of startup operation. These stories about night and day difference also do not match my reality. All my code paths are either hot or tested. How many type-related bugs have I encountered last year? Maybe a few, but can’t remember even a single one. Maybe I’ll gradually type it after we go into maintenance mode, maybe leave it as an exercise to a maintainer if they see fit. My last few projects were successful and brought solid revenue without any type-related issues.
- thwaway02 4y ago
  > which i refused to learn, since i already know javascript. once static type checking became a requirement in front end is like the intersection for when i became a dinosaur. I doubt you are a dinosaur for not learning Typescript. You should be able to pickup Typescript if you are motivated, but that is hard to find when you are depressed. From your description it seems that you have all the background skills necessary, even though you have not had the energy to keep up with all the latest trends due to depression and other health issues. As others said, you need to work on the root cause (maybe burnout or depression). You should contact a professional to help you manage this and get your energy back
- CapsAdmin 4y ago
  > its usually some typescript challenge or something like that - which i refused to learn, since i already know javascript. once static type checking became a requirement in front end is like the intersection for when i became a dinosaur. Did you refuse to learn because it seems pointless, the interview excersize seems pointless or is it because it's overwhelming at this point in your career?
- cutler 4y ago
  I don't understand how your skillset is lacking if you're an experienced React/Node developer. Here in the UK recruiters are falling over each other trying to hire.
  - ChuckNorris89 4y ago
    Different markets, different supply and demand ratios. What works in the UK might not work somewhere else and vice versa.
- sanitycheck 4y ago
  FYI if you're a contractor for a FAANG you're a probably better than average dev. Regarding typescript, I've been writing JS on and off since '99 and I picked up TS last year. It's actually good. Not everything new is shit, just most of it! "Coding challenge as a first-stage filter" is something I'd like to see disappear, why would I want to work for a company that shows so little respect for people's time? I guess the answer is "$$££€€", which makes sense only when there's a ton of $£€ on offer.
  - pull_my_finger 4y ago
    > "Coding challenge as a first-stage filter" is something I'd like to see disappear I generally skip those companies on principle. For better or worse... https://www.nospec.com/ https://www.nospec.com/

5350-uiop-1130 4y ago

> Do you think you might have let your own skill set stagnate? yes, definitely. although i worked a lot with node and react, building electron apps, cli tools, browsers extensions - but i just don't enjoy it anymore. and i don't have experience building large scale production apps with the latest trendy stacks. > The fact you think 300+ people are applying to the same jobs means the market might be saturated with those skills. Basically front-end jobs, senior front-end also. Most jobs I see on linkedin have applications in the mid triple figures, its not even worth applying. The only time I interview is when a company contacts me directly. I usually give up after they send the coding challenge link. i just stare at the screen, no energy or enthusiasm to tackle the problem. i enjoy html, css and vanilla js - but its usually some typescript challenge or something like that - which i refused to learn, since i already know javascript. once static type checking became a requirement in front end is like the intersection for when i became a dinosaur. Although I am working now as a contractor for FAANG.

jcbrand 4y ago
Sounds to me like you are actually a competent developer with relevant knowledge and that the problem lies elsewhere. As you've mentioned in the title, you're depressed. Go and see a therapist and if you can, take a break from work.
clouddrover 4y ago
> but its usually some typescript challenge or something like that - which i refused to learn, since i already know javascript. once static type checking became a requirement in front end is like the intersection for when i became a dinosaur Why? Static type checking is a good thing to reduce errors.
- sli 4y ago
  TypeScript is a Microsoft band-aid on problems far better solved by other languages. The level to which people praise it feels like Stockholm Syndrome, and criticizing it frequently gets the stereotypical toxic programmer forum replies like "well you just don't know how to use types." It's impossible to speak critically about TypeScript unless you write long blog posts.
  - cutler 4y ago
    Static typing zealots have butchered perfectly good dynamic languages like Python and Ruby in recent years after M$ took over Javascript like Russians invading Ukraine. Even Ruby ffsake. Soon Clojure will be the only refuge for us devs who value dynamic languages.
  - sanitycheck 4y ago
    It totally is, but it does largely work as intended. For people who've been dealing with JS for years it's a big improvement which I guess is why it gets so much praise. (The love for React, OTOH, must be Stockholm Syndrome!) Other languages are better, but transpiling from them to JS has (arguably?) bigger downsides than using TS. WASM is the big hope for some people, of course, but it's only really good for heavy lifting at the moment.
  - clouddrover 4y ago
    > It's impossible to speak critically about TypeScript unless you write long blog posts. If it takes a long blog post to find something to criticize about TypeScript then I'd say that's a sign that TypeScript is doing something right.
- wruza 4y ago
  Also good to increase time to market and make you think more about types, less about business logic. It has both pros and cons depending on what you are doing. I have learned and can read and write typescript, but it doesn’t click when it comes to “we’ll need it tomorrow to check our ideas fast”, the usual mode of startup operation. These stories about night and day difference also do not match my reality. All my code paths are either hot or tested. How many type-related bugs have I encountered last year? Maybe a few, but can’t remember even a single one. Maybe I’ll gradually type it after we go into maintenance mode, maybe leave it as an exercise to a maintainer if they see fit. My last few projects were successful and brought solid revenue without any type-related issues.
thwaway02 4y ago
> which i refused to learn, since i already know javascript. once static type checking became a requirement in front end is like the intersection for when i became a dinosaur. I doubt you are a dinosaur for not learning Typescript. You should be able to pickup Typescript if you are motivated, but that is hard to find when you are depressed. From your description it seems that you have all the background skills necessary, even though you have not had the energy to keep up with all the latest trends due to depression and other health issues. As others said, you need to work on the root cause (maybe burnout or depression). You should contact a professional to help you manage this and get your energy back
CapsAdmin 4y ago
> its usually some typescript challenge or something like that - which i refused to learn, since i already know javascript. once static type checking became a requirement in front end is like the intersection for when i became a dinosaur. Did you refuse to learn because it seems pointless, the interview excersize seems pointless or is it because it's overwhelming at this point in your career?
cutler 4y ago
I don't understand how your skillset is lacking if you're an experienced React/Node developer. Here in the UK recruiters are falling over each other trying to hire.
- ChuckNorris89 4y ago
  Different markets, different supply and demand ratios. What works in the UK might not work somewhere else and vice versa.
sanitycheck 4y ago
FYI if you're a contractor for a FAANG you're a probably better than average dev. Regarding typescript, I've been writing JS on and off since '99 and I picked up TS last year. It's actually good. Not everything new is shit, just most of it! "Coding challenge as a first-stage filter" is something I'd like to see disappear, why would I want to work for a company that shows so little respect for people's time? I guess the answer is "$$££€€", which makes sense only when there's a ton of $£€ on offer.
- pull_my_finger 4y ago
  > "Coding challenge as a first-stage filter" is something I'd like to see disappear I generally skip those companies on principle. For better or worse... https://www.nospec.com/ https://www.nospec.com/