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I am overjoyed to hear that you are able to take sabbatical to upskill. That is a dream of mine… unfortunately I’m burned out from the slog of living paycheck t

I am overjoyed to hear that you are able to take sabbatical to upskill. That is a dream of mine… unfortunately I’m burned out from the slog of living paycheck to paycheck. 28 y/o. Worked three jobs prior to COVID. All three jobs evaporated in the same week. Moved from Midwest to California seeking opportunity. Now I’m serving a low-tier IT role making 55K in SoCal and it’s… really depressing honestly. I feel like I’m stuck here.

nickd2001 4y ago
The following might sound a ridiculous suggestion but is the kind of thing I did in my 20s at times. Could you drastically cut your cost of living for a temporary period, in order to, while working, pay off bills / get some savings, and/or, when not working, do a sabbatical and up-skill? I mean by doing something radical like, live in a tent for the summer, house-sit, work a few hours at a backpackers hostel in return for somewhere to sleep, live in an old bus or trailer somewhere - some rather basic accommodation that only a young-ish person can really cope with that is super cheap. Maybe somewhere connected to a farm where there's some free or cheap food. Maybe live on rice, beans, tortillas, pasta and basic fruit and veg for a bit? Or if that all sounds too wild or unrealistic, how are your qualifications? Could you study part-time for a decent university qualification if you haven't already got one, via a state uni possibly distance or possibly local? Or merely a shorter bootcamp and make sure you shine at it? Might be a slog but it'd pay off in time. I don't think you are stuck actually because you are gainfully employed in the tech sector , you've got the crucial foot in the door, its a matter really of getting capability of programming and then demonstrating that to the right people. Being poorly paid but in the right industry I think has a definite light at the end of the tunnel. Good luck :)

nickd2001 4y ago

The following might sound a ridiculous suggestion but is the kind of thing I did in my 20s at times. Could you drastically cut your cost of living for a temporary period, in order to, while working, pay off bills / get some savings, and/or, when not working, do a sabbatical and up-skill? I mean by doing something radical like, live in a tent for the summer, house-sit, work a few hours at a backpackers hostel in return for somewhere to sleep, live in an old bus or trailer somewhere - some rather basic accommodation that only a young-ish person can really cope with that is super cheap. Maybe somewhere connected to a farm where there's some free or cheap food. Maybe live on rice, beans, tortillas, pasta and basic fruit and veg for a bit? Or if that all sounds too wild or unrealistic, how are your qualifications? Could you study part-time for a decent university qualification if you haven't already got one, via a state uni possibly distance or possibly local? Or merely a shorter bootcamp and make sure you shine at it? Might be a slog but it'd pay off in time. I don't think you are stuck actually because you are gainfully employed in the tech sector , you've got the crucial foot in the door, its a matter really of getting capability of programming and then demonstrating that to the right people. Being poorly paid but in the right industry I think has a definite light at the end of the tunnel. Good luck :)