3 ms·

Also a heavy case of survivor bias, but my career history was also imperfect around the same time as OP when I applied to Facebook. No college degree, born in t

Also a heavy case of survivor bias, but my career history was also imperfect around the same time as OP when I applied to Facebook. No college degree, born in the wrong city and economic level, etc. I had a huge bit of luck working for a startup in early 2000s that was acquired by Yahoo (ha ha shut up). They overworked me and even screwed me out of my promised shares but I had that pip on my CV. Went to work at a couple of other places later, mostly chosen for interesting work. Later later had the dubious luck to be bought by Yahoo again, and parleyed that plus contacts to get an invite to Facebook. I bombed the first round of interviews. Only by the strength of my contacts and unexpected help from people I didn't know but for some reason wanted me there, I got another chance and joined a couple years before the IPO. TLDR: this story has almost nothing to teach you or replicate. Except! Not having a mainline pedigree is a handicap but not necessarily a career death sentence.

71a54xd 3y ago
Thanks for your thoughts. I feel lost because I get the impression from my resume I look like damaged goods. I've had some recruiters give me solid pointers on my resume and things have improved slightly - but right now I feel like I'm spinning my wheels and wasting time trying to "make a living" doing this like I used to. Making less than my initial FAANG offer after college also hurts.
- aristus 3y ago
  Listen. I don't know you and you don't know me. But I know and you should know that no one is "goods", damaged or otherwise. You are not a broken toy. You are not and never have been a box of clever tricks arranged wrongly or rightly. You are a person, with talents and dreams and all the other things that you should never forget you have that make you a person. Labor markets are sometimes shit. Sometimes the skills you have are no longer in fashion. I don't know the answer to your situation. But, from experience, I suggest that if things are tight then the thing to do is find work that pays the bills today but also build skills that will pay off tomorrow. Life is long and it's only an always up elevator for the lucky few. I don't have specific advice, but I've found that it helps to analyze the business your company is in in the same way you would analyze the code on your screen. What are the inputs and outputs? What makes it all work? Etc. if nothing else, that might help understand why the labor market is shit, and what you personally can do about it.

71a54xd 3y ago

Thanks for your thoughts. I feel lost because I get the impression from my resume I look like damaged goods. I've had some recruiters give me solid pointers on my resume and things have improved slightly - but right now I feel like I'm spinning my wheels and wasting time trying to "make a living" doing this like I used to. Making less than my initial FAANG offer after college also hurts.

aristus 3y ago
Listen. I don't know you and you don't know me. But I know and you should know that no one is "goods", damaged or otherwise. You are not a broken toy. You are not and never have been a box of clever tricks arranged wrongly or rightly. You are a person, with talents and dreams and all the other things that you should never forget you have that make you a person. Labor markets are sometimes shit. Sometimes the skills you have are no longer in fashion. I don't know the answer to your situation. But, from experience, I suggest that if things are tight then the thing to do is find work that pays the bills today but also build skills that will pay off tomorrow. Life is long and it's only an always up elevator for the lucky few. I don't have specific advice, but I've found that it helps to analyze the business your company is in in the same way you would analyze the code on your screen. What are the inputs and outputs? What makes it all work? Etc. if nothing else, that might help understand why the labor market is shit, and what you personally can do about it.