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I was laid off in May of last year. I was a 15 year JavaScript developer hired to do a job writing some Vue2 framework with a bit of MySQL. It was really about

I was laid off in May of last year. I was a 15 year JavaScript developer hired to do a job writing some Vue2 framework with a bit of MySQL. It was really about 75% stored procedures in SQL with no internal automation and the code felt really fragile with tremendous amounts of regression from everybody. I have done that work long to know that is a special case, but it was also the bridge pillar that broke the camel’s back. After several months of looking and turning down other potential JS jobs I made a promise to myself to never do that work ever again. Most JavaScript developers cannot program, as in articulate original logic, and instead rely on configuring tools and popular hysteria without question. That is a really complicated way of describing stupidity. Additionally, everyone seems to have these opinions full of emotion like defending a hilltop to the death in war, except there is no reason, evidence, or measures behind any of it. I can’t find where the narcissism ends and the stupidity begins. Why would anybody who is capable of writing original software ever want to go back to that world filled with so much bizarre emotional insecurity? My very best advice for software is to appoint an MBA to be a technical team lead with a fist of death mandate to steer the ship right. Otherwise, it’s the blind leading the blind. Fortunately, patience is a virtue. Eventually a recruiter found me for something completely unrelated. I am now a contractor to a major government agency doing enterprise API management and it’s great.

ttymck 2y ago
> contractor to a major government agency doing enterprise API management Glad your situation has worked out. This sounds like my ideal kind of opportunity. Do you have any search keywords, or perhaps tips on how to steer my career in this direction?
- austin-cheney 2y ago
  To be a strong candidate for US government development you typically need: * a security certification like Security+ or better * a government security clearance, but contractor employers might work with you to get this started if you don’t already have it * a bachelor’s degree. This isn’t required but it is helpful. * having experience that is both well rounded and a specialization. For instance in JavaScript land where I came from nobody can talk through networking, the OSI model, security or any other real world value. This kind on knowledge, at a very basic entry level, is generally expected in government work. Expect to compete or work with former military who will have this generalized knowledge in spades. In my case I had all these already because I am part time military. I still had to go get an additional cert as a condition of this particular job.

ttymck 2y ago

> contractor to a major government agency doing enterprise API management Glad your situation has worked out. This sounds like my ideal kind of opportunity. Do you have any search keywords, or perhaps tips on how to steer my career in this direction?

austin-cheney 2y ago
To be a strong candidate for US government development you typically need: * a security certification like Security+ or better * a government security clearance, but contractor employers might work with you to get this started if you don’t already have it * a bachelor’s degree. This isn’t required but it is helpful. * having experience that is both well rounded and a specialization. For instance in JavaScript land where I came from nobody can talk through networking, the OSI model, security or any other real world value. This kind on knowledge, at a very basic entry level, is generally expected in government work. Expect to compete or work with former military who will have this generalized knowledge in spades. In my case I had all these already because I am part time military. I still had to go get an additional cert as a condition of this particular job.