I work in tech and have since my teens. I’ve done contracting for web dev, I worked for a systems integrator, and I’ve been a sysadmin in my current position for six years. In the past six years, I’ve dodged several (at least three) layoffs, losing coworkers and getting more overworked each time. There are rumors of another round of layoffs happening in the next couple of months, and I can’t help but feel like my luck will have finally run out.
It’s something that I constantly think about at this point… it’s always in the back of my mind. To add to the stress, I’m the only earner in my relationship. My partner is more than willing (and would try) to get a job if something happens, but the current thing we’ve got going works very well. They take care of the house, do a large part of the household chores, and take care of our pet family. I am able to focus on work, and in the end we both have free time and are able to spend that time together.
Anyway, that’s not to say that it isn’t stressful to have everything financially on me, especially given the current tech job market. I’m worried that I’ll lose my job, not be able to find a new one by the time unemployment expires, and then starve or lose our home.
When I was younger, I was very interested in being a national forest employee. Of course, they also haven’t been paid and have been getting canned just the same, but I can’t help but feel that I would’ve been more fulfilled doing that work. I’m still relatively young and probably would be able to switch to a different industry if it came to it, but I’m also not in the same physical health as I was before working in tech. I broke my leg three years ago and lost most of my leg strength, so I think working for state parks would be out.
Being honest, I don’t know what to do. I’m so tired of possibly getting laid off. It’s ruined most of my passion for tech. But I have no other marketable skills. I feel trapped
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- mainstream
- union
- WFH
No niches. No rockstars. No startups. No dot-com wildfire layoffs. Go in, do the shit shit with the shit, go home, live the work-life balance. You’re not here to starve for a cause; you’re here to feed your family and take courses and make things and ride bikes on trails and paint fucking warhammer and self-host cool stuff. That’s it. At 65, your Union pension will kick in and you do the things slower all day and coast until your brain goes to mush.
Dude, don’t.
You’re gonna get fired at some point. Just go with it.
I mean, from the tone of the post I’m assuming you’re in the US, which sucks because… yeah, having labor protections really takes the edge off that reality. I genuinely don’t know what it takes to privately give yourself a cushion of a couple of years, the way most other developed countries do.
But getting laid off in tech? Yeah, it will happen. And then you’ll get rehired somewhere else. Or do contract work. Or start something else on your own with some former co-workers. Working in tech is stressful but doable. Working in tech with the assumption and absolute necessity to keep your current job indefinitely is untenable.
I’m lucky to have… you know, a social safety net that gives me the ability to operate in that environment without having to organize it through my own financials, but if you don’t… well, I’d suggest figuring out what it’d take to do it yourself, setting it up and then stop worrying and love the bomb.
for me it’s my health, my body is not really built to do much well, so i do what i can to have insurance on myself
At a savings rate of 50%, it takes (1-0.5)/0.5 = 1 year of work to save for 1 year of living expenses.
At a savings rate of 75%, it takes (1-0.75)/0.75 = 1/3 year = 4 months of work to save for 1 year of living expenses.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/FIRE_movement
once i’ve got house paid off in next in few years i should be up near a 60% savings rate, i’ve already got 3 years in offset account so if something happens i’ve at least got time
I can feel you, similar situations and thoughts, but we will survive, majority of us does. Share your thoughts with partner, good of your chest should happen with them.
And this is very important for them to find a job. If you have a family and losing one’s job means losing home - your partner should already be employed, it is important for your survival. Unless you have savings for at least a year to find a job which will cover current expenses until they will be covered by salaries again.
Similar situation, but, I gotta warn you, here in the US at least, the national forestry service is IMPOSSIBLE to get into, afaik. Friend of mine did “volunteer work” (read: worked for less than minimum wage) doing hard, back breaking work felling trees and removing hazardous weeds, almost got hit by one of those trees and could have died, trying to get such a gig and, after a couple years of that WITH a relevant degree, gave up and works in finance now.
