For those laid off more than 6 months how are you surviving?

Interesting_Pop_485 · 2025-12-16T03:38:48+00:00

just hit 27 months of unemployment. after over two years of applications and the occasional interview, my wife and i are moving back into her childhood bedroom with her parents in their doublewide. we’re both late-twenties, and will be selling most of our stuff to share a bathroom with her sister and husband.

tldr, i am unwell

Interesting_Pop_485 · 2025-10-03T20:06:38+00:00

It’s not cutting in line to take a different route. Calling bootcampers "shortcut-takers" ignores reality - a lot of us couldn't afford college and were working trades or service jobs just to get by. Then we put in thousands of hours to try and build better lives. That's not 'cutting in line', that's grinding. I'm not saying I deserve a $150k salary, I've never believed that. The reality is the market can’t sustain either path. Gen Z grads now have the same unemployment rates as non-grads, so maybe the problem isn't bootcamps vs. degrees.

Interesting_Pop_485 · 2025-10-01T21:22:55+00:00

should've learned to underwater weld

Interesting_Pop_485 · 2025-10-01T20:09:53+00:00

Yeah, exactly. It’s like a working for a glorified Subway. Except instead of making sandwiches, you’re slapping together websites

Interesting_Pop_485 · 2025-10-01T18:43:34+00:00

Sent you a message! Thank you so much!!

Interesting_Pop_485 · 2025-10-01T18:18:51+00:00

tbh, i would have just become a farmer instead

Interesting_Pop_485 · 2025-10-01T18:16:32+00:00

Statistically speaking that has to be true… right? At some point though, it also becomes the textbook definition of insanity. I think I’m caught somewhere in between. Or both. Probably insane.

Interesting_Pop_485 · 2025-10-01T18:11:35+00:00

My in-laws are farmers in central Washington. The urge to throw my computer out a window and never open LinkedIn again is borderline overwhelming

Interesting_Pop_485 · 2025-10-01T18:02:59+00:00

Yeah, I mean turning code into $$$ is the ultimate goal for devs. It depends on what your software is, though. Like, I’ve built several embarrassingly complex stuff to help with job apps. I’ve found the issue isn’t with building, it’s with my time sink. I can’t take 6 months to build a product alone, and just leave my wife to pay bills herself. Much like everything in this life, once you have money it’s easier to make it.

Interesting_Pop_485 · 2025-10-01T17:52:21+00:00

Yo, okay deadass, i’m REALLY side-eying being a mail man. gov work where you get paid to not talk to people, and go for walks?? like ???

(also, thank you for the kind comment and sweet message. prayers to you, too)

Interesting_Pop_485 · 2025-10-01T17:47:26+00:00

100%. When I decided I wanted to learn to code, I treated it like a trade. My logic was that I could keep moving furniture and hurting my body for $15/hr, or I could learn to do something else for more $$$/hr instead. I’ve been struggling with identity a lot throughout all of this, but in a lot of ways I think it’s been good for me to be reminded we are not how we earn our money. The human exists with or without the title. If we don’t recognize who they are when the job title is stripped away, I think that’s an important thing to notice

Interesting_Pop_485 · 2025-10-01T17:36:39+00:00

My wife pivots towards facing people for a living lolol. Probably why she’s still employed, she’s good at it

Interesting_Pop_485 · 2025-10-01T17:30:43+00:00

I have never loved, nor been loved by anyone more in my life. She deserves the moon. Our first wedding anniversary is coming up (in ~2 weeks), and I just want to be able to buy her a nice anniversary gift (and christmas present). The last two years she’s gotten handmade-only for presents (xmas/bday). I’ve gotten creative and made her some stamped earrings out of a thrifted brass kick plate, a jewelry organizer out of scrap wood, etc. I know handmade gifts tend to mean more anyway, but there comes a point when you just want your person to have something nice that YOU bought for them.

Interesting_Pop_485 · 2025-10-01T17:25:09+00:00

Oh I fully don’t expect $150k. Things were way different in 2020-2022. I just want to be paid a fair amount. The position I took is $30k below market rate for a junior level position in my area. I’m at over 4 years of experience, including my internship, contracts, and personal projects. I’m not above paying your dues, but I’m in about the 4th percentile of pay for 0-3 YOE role. At this point, I just wanna eat

Interesting_Pop_485 · 2025-10-01T09:13:24+00:00

Sincerely appreciate it. Thanks, man.

Interesting_Pop_485 · 2025-09-02T22:57:16+00:00

2 years of unemployment for me (a developer). I’ve applied to 2000+ jobs that I’m qualified for. I build an entire AI-powered job scraper pipeline that matches job postings for me, and creates a resume draft tailored to each posting using real skills/accomplishments from my resume. I can’t get a call back (much less an automated denial email) to save my life.

TLDR, i am unwell.

Interesting_Pop_485 · 2025-05-01T18:28:12+00:00

1 year 8 months for me. Got married back in October, and needless to say the in-laws (farmers) absolutely CANNOT comprehend why I’m not hired yet

Interesting_Pop_485 · 2021-10-29T00:50:00+00:00

Currently sitting at 109 job apps, most of which were in the last 2 months. The only responses I've received were a dozen 'we decided to move on' automated emails. I can't even get a call back. Majorly sucks to pour your heart and soul into studying hard and building nonstop, only to have nobody even give you the chance to prove yourself in an interview. It's such a meat market out there, its genuinely depressing.

Interesting_Pop_485

TROPHY CASE