If i could take care of my retirement, medical care, my kid's future, etc.... i'd work a very different job if i could. I'd probably work more than i do now. I'd love to run a simple restaurant like a BBQ restaurant or something like that. And i'd never sit at a desk ever again as part of my daily tasks.
And i'd fuck-off on HackerNews and Reddit a lot less.
I just got a job where I make more than double my last role. It's world-changing types of money and benefits. But it's still a tech job and i'm not even being done training and my "revitalized energy" i got from leaving my last job only lasted like 3 weeks. The reality is, it's still a boring tech job with all the shit i knew I would hate about working at such a larger org. And I'm just burned out on tech. But it's the only thing i know how to do and actually make a living.
You sound like the same person that I am. I could almost print your comment out and put it on my fridge.
The only difference is you're almost certainly a better developer than me, I'm scared out of my mind to switch jobs because I despise being put on the spot during interviews. I hate it, and in my real work I'm searching online all the time and that looks bad. I don't have a child either but part of me wants to end my lineage just because it increases my own slavery.
I have no better way of making money. And to think I used to want to do this. Sometimes at night when thinking about the next day and my constantly-angry coworkers, I spontaneously envision shooting myself or hanging myself. I'd never do that, because I'm not giving the world that satisfaction, but it sums up how I feel. I'd bet there's a lot here on the same page. I think a large part of this situation for a born and raised US citizen is the outsourcing. Not only is the pay suppressed, but the treatment isn't nearly as good as it would be if companies weren't allowed to outsource costs through visas and remote hires.
These companies didn't care about keeping jobs in the US, so we shouldn't care about them either, and unionize with our international colleagues. Then the treatment and respect would go through the roof, and having the dignity of putting red tape in their way for once would probably increase worker satisfaction. I'd certainly get a good chuckle watching them being forced to pay my Indian colleagues the same as I make, and I'd be happy to do that to any employer that embraces outsourcing.
i'm basically paying off my car, my (and my wife's) student loans, etc.
I would say about 5-10% of the money will go to increased creature comforts or better vacations. But beyond that it's been invested in college savings for my kid, our retirement and such.
The reality is, I'm trapped in my role. The only thing to do is continue and enjoy life to the best of my ability outside of work and to use the money i get for the best life i can have.
I have a financial opportunity here most people never get. I'm burnt out and disengaged and have only been here a month, but I will continue to work against my attitude and try to make the best of it.
Yeah seriously it's an amazing thing. I think you could get to a point where you're doing like 3-4 hours work a day max, and making like 300k+. Ridic. But it's so pointless.
Having a family definitely sticks you in more.
Maybe you can grind and save up enough that you can take only few month stints or contracted jobs once in awhile. Live in a lower cost of living place and enjoy a simpler life.
This is actually a great point. I would guess that once the pressure is off, you can work more creatively and elaborately, taking the time to understand what is puzzling for you or above your level. Which in turn makes you more eager to work, and much more effective at it.
That's my goal. Get to 500k savings and then decompress for a bit and really figure out something to work on that seems worthwhile that i want to build my future identity around.
automation is just going to take jobs and the higher level jobs will be unobtainable by the working class who won't have the income or childhood stability to afford obtain the education necessary for the jobs not taken by automation.
people talk about UBI (which i used to be for, but upon deeper investigation I feel is problematic) and about living wages for the lowest of jobs, but the USA is wholly captured by capital. We have two right wing parties that are controlled by industry. Neither of these things will never come unless its to hold off a violent revolution.
