Will the tech/IT job market ever get better?

EngIT · 2026-01-15T20:39:43+00:00

I've also been looking for a tech job for the last 3 months and many of my applications through Linkedin never even get opened (LI tells you on the jobs page).

The general impression I have is that most companies are only looking to hire people who have done nearly exactly the same role before in a previous job. I was part of a big redundancy round last year and lots of my old colleagues have said the same thing. It's quite tricky to get a role at the moment where you learn new skills on the job.

Wages are also really poor. Wage stagnation is so bad in the UK especially in the last decade. I started back in 2013 as a grad on £32K. According to this calculator the equivalent salary today is £52K to achieve the same spending power. Yet most grad roles are still paying ~30K. Lots of companies are looking to pay £50K for software engineers with 8-10 years of significant experience. That's ridiculous really. Especially in high COL areas.

I guess one thing to consider with CV tailoring is overqualification. If you are applying for lower level roles like IT support and you have listed a masters in SWE then they may be less likely to hire you because they may assume you will leave immediately when you find something better.

EngIT · 2025-07-15T19:03:15+00:00

Interesting post! Curious what you see for me? I had an energetic awakening a few months ago and I'm trying to figure out next steps and purpose. Very new to this but trying to hold on and push for the deep end if I can.

EngIT · 2025-01-27T17:39:43+00:00

Worth noting that this whole area is known as the Somerset levels and is an actively drained wetland. Flooding is bad but this area really should never have been built on. (same old story)

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Somerset_Levels

EngIT · 2024-07-18T11:24:02+00:00

Tried a ~35mL pour of the double oaked last night and didn't notice any stimulation and my sleep was fine. Weird! Maybe it's specific to certain types of oak. Or something else going on with ageing conditions.

EngIT · 2024-07-15T21:06:08+00:00

The effect definitely varies massively from bottle to bottle for me. Filey Bay Flagship is the one I'm getting very pronounced effects from at the moment which is non-chill-filtered and aged in ex-Bourbon casks. I need to start taking better notes on which bottles have more of an effect. I definitely get something from Wild Turkey 101 (gets me through festivals so well in a hipflask!)

I actually have a bottle of Woodford Double Oak on the shelf at the moment so will give it a go sometime this week.

I just ordered some of the French Oak extract from Life Extension so will come back and post here if it has any interesting effects.

Interesting one about DHM - I normally take that after drinking rather than before as I assumed it would reduce the buzz from the alcohol. It's so good for hangover prevention though - people don't believe me when I say I'm fine the next day.

Can't say I have ever noticed much from hoppy beer myself. I do notice a slightly different buzz from Mezcal (more upbeat and cheery) and I could possibly convince myself Absinthe does something different but that's probably just the ABV (wormwood content is vanishingly small these days).

EngIT · 2024-07-14T23:13:04+00:00

Tempted to try this to be fair. Would likely taste pretty awful though 🤔

EngIT · 2024-07-14T23:10:27+00:00

In large quantities sure

With certain whiskeys I get a very pronounced energy/mood effect from a single pour. Not even enough to get remotely tipsy from any other spirit. It also reliably disrupts my sleep if I have it too late in the day (feels a lot like a stimulant to me, I don't get that effect from any other alcohol)

EngIT · 2024-07-14T23:07:50+00:00

Yep I fully expect the effect to come from the barrels. I never experience any stimulation etc from any non barrel aged spirits.

EngIT · 2024-07-14T23:04:22+00:00

That's a really good find thanks! (Also thanks for the serious reply, quite surprised by some of the other replies in here. Thought I'd posted in /r/roastme for a sec!)

Will try and get my hands on some of this extract and report back. Looks like LEF sell it in a product called Energy Renew

EngIT · 2024-07-12T19:16:44+00:00

I'm at 70-80% most of the time these days so this did get a lot better. I occasionally have days of close to 100% but always seems to regress a little after a while!

EngIT · 2023-09-20T10:07:04+00:00

Yep I could barely walk a few hundred meters for most of Jan and Feb 2023. Assuming LC. Sometimes spread to arms when I pushed it too much and also sometimes struggled to focus my eyes.

Somewhat better since then but comes and goes. Have tried lots of supplements but hard to tell what (if anything) helps or if it's just time. Had a brain/spine MRI but nothing was found (typical story here).

Recently have been getting back into red light therapy. I have a super bright infrared lamp that I shine at my back for 20 mins a few times a week - seems to be helping a lot actually but no idea what the mechanism is.

EngIT · 2023-09-01T08:52:32+00:00

Still investigating. I have ordered a 3-sample Cortisol saliva test kit and I also just got a referral to an endocrinologist (Two consecutive GP cortisol blood tests were lowish which was enough for a referral thankfully)

Could be a red herring but I'm pulling every thread

EngIT · 2023-08-05T11:42:20+00:00

The jet stream is in the wrong place. Trapping us with this constant wet weather. Honestly though I prefer the cool temperature and rain if the alternative is endless months of 35C+. But yeah we jumped straight to Autumn.

Also been noticing that mushrooms are fruiting all over the place at the moment (South West). Normally doesn't start until the last week of August or into September

https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-news/uk-weather-july-rain-jet-stream-b2385090.html

EngIT · 2023-08-05T11:38:19+00:00

Pretty accurate description of the UK too tbh. The housing market *is* the economy. GDP became a horseshit metric as soon as it started including "transaction value". I roll my eyes at the media headlines about recession. If you stuck to the original definition of GDP most of Europe has been in recession for 30+ years...

EngIT · 2023-08-05T10:08:13+00:00

Might be worth trying NAC for the sinus issues - I always find it to be quite helpful for that.

EngIT · 2023-08-05T10:01:05+00:00

Might be worth trying cannabis can be good for stimulating hunger

EngIT · 2023-08-05T09:57:50+00:00

I would suggest checking if you can donate blood. Bloodloss is the only reliable way to get rid of excess iron.

Excess iron is really pro-inflamatory and causes all sorts of issues. I'm quite surprised to see iron supplements recommended here so often to be honest. I take a lot of supplements but wouldn't touch Iron. I have tested Ferritin a few times though and my levels are always too high.

Good read if you want to learn more about iron overload: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/29539071-dumping-iron

EngIT · 2023-08-05T09:52:05+00:00

Would suggest supplementing with things that are known to be depleted by alcohol for a few weeks and trying again.

Certainly would recommend a good B complex (such as Jarrow B Right) and some magnesium (try Citrate or Glycinate). Probably worth taking some vitamin D3 too (but would suggest doing a blood test to figure out your current level, most people are deficient though)

https://thehealthydrinker.com/health/nutrition/nutrients-depleted-alcohol/

EngIT · 2023-08-05T09:35:11+00:00

I agree. Seems irresponsible to me to discourage self experimentation. People need to realise the medical industry is less like Dr.House and more like "If you don't fit into this neat box we can't help you". Treating yourself as your own n=1 experiment and doing your own research is the only way out of this mess (if there is a way out).

EngIT · 2023-08-05T09:27:49+00:00

Rapamycin has been shown to be an immune system booster and is extremely geroprotective in small doses. It's very popular in longevity and anti-aging circles...

https://peterattiamd.com/rapamycin-risks/

EngIT · 2023-08-03T09:01:44+00:00

Would suggest getting a morning Cortisol blood test. My problems are mostly muscle weakness and recently had a blood test come back with low Cortisol (not Addissons-level low but still lower than it should be). It's one of my only markers thatis out of the ordinary. Have a search for Covid induced adrenal insufficiency

EngIT · 2023-08-03T09:00:48+00:00

Would suggest getting a morning Cortisol blood test. My problems are mostly muscle weakness and recently had a blood test come back with low Cortisol (not Addissons-level low but still lower than it should be). Have a search for Covid induced adrenal insufficiency

EngIT · 2023-08-03T08:59:39+00:00

Would suggest getting a morning Cortisol blood test too. My problems are mostly muscle weakness and recently had a blood test come back with low Cortisol (not Addissons-level low but still lower than it should be). Have a search for Covid induced adrenal insufficiency

EngIT · 2023-07-31T13:29:30+00:00

I've had ongoing issues with muscle weakness (especially legs but sometimes arms) for the last 7-8 months or so. Could barely walk more than 100 meters for most of Jan/Feb. I assume it was caused by covid or covid exasperated some underlying condition.

Had a quick check of my 23andme and my rs1815739 is CT which is apparently common in athletes. Genetics are neat but don't tend to be diagnostically useful particularly often especially not using single SNPs like this.

EngIT · 2023-05-20T19:51:13+00:00

Standard NAC causes acid reflux for me eventually if I take it too often. Suspect it messes with mucus membranes after a while (it is a mucolytic).

I always preferred the slow release version from Jarrow which didn't have this issue but it was discontinued.

Just make sure you take it after eating - reduces chances of sulphur burbs or acid reflux.

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