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I'm right there with you. I was a backend web developer for 10 years until COVID hit, and after getting laid off I've been bouncing between menial low-wage job

I'm right there with you. I was a backend web developer for 10 years until COVID hit, and after getting laid off I've been bouncing between menial low-wage jobs. I can be a capable, productive member of a development team but the experience I've had makes me look unhirable? I don't really understand it. Once you get "high up" enough in the job market and fall down, there is something that is perceived as wrong with you. It's unfair but it's real. I've been in it for 2+ years. I have reached a point of toxic burnout that I'm having incredible difficulty recovering from. I spend my days at a menial job that causes immense stress and mental anxiety, and then I come home and try to look for jobs, apply to a few before getting discouraged and pass out. The suggestions to "take a break" seem cruel and mocking to someone who desperately needs to pay the bills and can't find a way to work harder to earn more. My only other options are things like housekeeping, diswashing, or other out-of-tech jobs. It's almost impossible to overcome self-hate and shame when every experience you need to "prove yourself" fails and you are unable to justify your value or existence to family or peers. I used to be a software developer now I'm just an angry wage slave.

ipaddr 4y ago
What language/stack are you in?
- dirtybirdnj 4y ago
  I got started with the LAMP stack but really enjoyed working with Node. I'm comfortable on the command line installing / running things, I've been doing linux based development my entire career with a few unfortunate exceptions where PHP was being run on IIS.
  - throwaway5959 4y ago
    That could be part of the problem (older stack). Do you have any example projects/portfolio with newer tech?
    - derwiki 4y ago
      Node is old now?
unity1001 4y ago
Putting up a profile with your experience at Upwork, and start doing contract work is not an option? Things are not the same as they were decades ago. Covid and remote work shattered all traditional practices. People at Upwork do upwards of $60/hour. Ive seen the profile of someone who left Google contracting at $250/hour and someone ex-Twitter contracting at $150/hour.
- sage76 4y ago
  > someone who left Google contracting at $250/hour and someone ex-Twitter contracting at $150/hour. You see the issue here right? They are trading on past FAANG brand names. This industry just pretends to not be like others. People drool over FAANG jobs just like finance bros drool over goldman jobs.
  - unity1001 4y ago
    > You see the issue here right? They are trading on past FAANG brand names. No, I gave those as examples of what hourly rates were possible. Otherwise there are a lot of people who started and grew at Upwork, charging around $100/hr. > People drool over FAANG jobs just like finance bros drool over goldman Nope. Small and medium businesses and individuals would avoid those names since they would think they would be too expensive. Sweet spot for contracting would be in between $60-$120/hr. Assuming that you have enough experience in the field that you work in and also can demonstrate good track record.
sage76 4y ago
> Once you get "high up" enough in the job market and fall down, there is something that is perceived as wrong with you. This seems completely true to me. All the older candidates I knew had a way harder time. And if you reduce your experience level on your resume, they ask you your graduation year and deduce that you've been "out there" for a while. > I have reached a point of toxic burnout that I'm having incredible difficulty recovering from. I spend my days at a menial job that causes immense stress and mental anxiety, and then I come home and try to look for jobs, apply to a few before getting discouraged and pass out. Same here. I get panic attacks whenever anything job search related comes to my attention.

ipaddr 4y ago

What language/stack are you in?

dirtybirdnj 4y ago
I got started with the LAMP stack but really enjoyed working with Node. I'm comfortable on the command line installing / running things, I've been doing linux based development my entire career with a few unfortunate exceptions where PHP was being run on IIS.
- throwaway5959 4y ago
  That could be part of the problem (older stack). Do you have any example projects/portfolio with newer tech?
  - derwiki 4y ago
    Node is old now?

unity1001 4y ago

Putting up a profile with your experience at Upwork, and start doing contract work is not an option? Things are not the same as they were decades ago. Covid and remote work shattered all traditional practices. People at Upwork do upwards of $60/hour. Ive seen the profile of someone who left Google contracting at $250/hour and someone ex-Twitter contracting at $150/hour.

sage76 4y ago
> someone who left Google contracting at $250/hour and someone ex-Twitter contracting at $150/hour. You see the issue here right? They are trading on past FAANG brand names. This industry just pretends to not be like others. People drool over FAANG jobs just like finance bros drool over goldman jobs.
- unity1001 4y ago
  > You see the issue here right? They are trading on past FAANG brand names. No, I gave those as examples of what hourly rates were possible. Otherwise there are a lot of people who started and grew at Upwork, charging around $100/hr. > People drool over FAANG jobs just like finance bros drool over goldman Nope. Small and medium businesses and individuals would avoid those names since they would think they would be too expensive. Sweet spot for contracting would be in between $60-$120/hr. Assuming that you have enough experience in the field that you work in and also can demonstrate good track record.

sage76 4y ago

> Once you get "high up" enough in the job market and fall down, there is something that is perceived as wrong with you. This seems completely true to me. All the older candidates I knew had a way harder time. And if you reduce your experience level on your resume, they ask you your graduation year and deduce that you've been "out there" for a while. > I have reached a point of toxic burnout that I'm having incredible difficulty recovering from. I spend my days at a menial job that causes immense stress and mental anxiety, and then I come home and try to look for jobs, apply to a few before getting discouraged and pass out. Same here. I get panic attacks whenever anything job search related comes to my attention.