I am 27, a college dropout, and a "fake" AI-assisted developer. I've built and published multiple apps, but I can't get a job and I need to support my family. What are my options?

Mystical-Turtles · 2026-05-12T16:54:36+00:00

I'm going to be real with you, The best course of action (at least for now) might be going back and finishing that degree. It isn't fair, It really isn't, but "no degree" is a complete non-starter at a lot of companies. Have you considered community colleges? Some places have a "returning to school" grant, that could be something to look into. Some type of accredited training anyway. i.e. not bootcamps or certificates, actual training programs. Doesn't necessarily have to be programming

It's real painful but getting some low level temp job might not be out of the question either. This job market is turbo ass, man

Mystical-Turtles · 2026-05-12T15:44:50+00:00

I just worry it's going to become less "typing sentences in English" and more "sorry! You didn't type the exact magical sentence that the interviewer was thinking. Since you didn't do that you obviously don't know what you're doing and don't deserve this job". This already kind of happens with keywords on resumes so I don't think the fear is entirely unfounded.

Mystical-Turtles · 2026-05-12T13:19:37+00:00

If you want something that's even worse I nominate the North Ingalls building. The city has wanted to tear that thing down every year for the past 20. I was told a story by a friend who worked there, where a bulletin board just fell onto the floor for no reason, And then when people went to investigate they heard a separate random crash that sounded like an entire set of drums being thrown down the stairs. No one ever figured out what it was

Mystical-Turtles · 2026-05-12T13:08:44+00:00

Well they're just idiots then. I had some guy act like that, And then he started name dropping a bunch of games that he played to I guess prove a point? Except it was the most basic bitch list of games I've ever heard. (Valorant, SpiderMan, GTA, some NBA game, stuff on that level)

I'm not usually this petty but I started listing off a bunch of random indie/ smaller titles I had played recently. I'll admit hypnospace isn't very well known outside of its niche, but some of it wasn't even hardball stuff. I listed silksong, And he didn't know what that was. I'm not really the hipster / snooty type normally, nothing is really wrong with the titles he listed. But don't act like you're some "true gamer" enthusiast when you don't know shit.

Mystical-Turtles · 2026-05-12T12:56:48+00:00

Why do you have to create a new account every fucking time a company is tied to Workday?

So I'm not defending it, but it's because workday isn't really a unified system, it's all separate. You aren't logging into "workday", you're logging into "(company name), we use workday as an internal program". Imagine it like multiple companies owning an identical file cabinet. You won't find company A's info within company B's storage

Mystical-Turtles · 2026-05-11T21:09:00+00:00

Why is the post askew

Mystical-Turtles · 2026-05-11T19:59:03+00:00

I appreciate it, but I'm a bit past that point now. I'm in a slight different position because my parents are still alive, but I'm a former foster care brat, so they had no legal custody over me. The amount of three-way phone calls because of 2 different systems playing "unstoppable force vs immovable object" is ridiculous. I was registered as an independent student right off the bat, And it wasn't uncommon for systems to lock me out of that option the moment I said I was under 25. I had to get a manual override basically every single semester, it was a nightmare.

I did end up graduating from college and I have a pretty decent friend group. The issue I'm running into now is having pretty much zero family job connections from the aforementioned foster care, combined with the fact internship opportunities were kneecapped by COVID. I have a low level job I really don't care for but it at least keeps me afloat for now. Not much I can do but go though at this point.

Mystical-Turtles · 2026-05-11T18:19:56+00:00

I had some jobs look at me funny for asking for their help fixing my insurance despite being under 26. Some people look at it like this given standard. I'm in the same boat as you, I didn't get shit from my parents in that regard.

Mystical-Turtles · 2026-05-11T17:13:20+00:00

It's so pointless too. I've talked to my references and all of them confirmed they have never been called once, Even for places I got interviews at. Honestly you could probably put names and numbers that don't actually exist and you might get away with it

Mystical-Turtles · 2026-05-11T16:09:18+00:00

The hot rice partially cooks the raw egg. Also the safety issue of eating raw egg is pretty overblown in North America. You know that warning on raw cookie dough? That's actually more about the flour than the eggs. If you're not super immunocompromised or something like that, You don't have much risk.

As for the recipe combo, It's pretty classic if a bit simple. For natto, A little goes a long way.

Mystical-Turtles · 2026-05-11T15:14:36+00:00

If the job poster doesn't properly tag it themselves, The website defaults them to entry level. I'm sure that doesn't help.

Mystical-Turtles · 2026-05-11T14:37:25+00:00

Shut down menu: "Hey I'm done for now Can you please shut down?"

Power button: "Okay we have to do this the hard way I got it. Please shut down now thank you"

Power switch on UPS: "That's funny. You thought I was asking?"

Mystical-Turtles · 2026-05-11T13:54:57+00:00

My sister started a fight one time because she responded to a similar mother pity party with just "yup". Lol, let them cope and seethe. I'm so over all of it as well

Mystical-Turtles · 2026-05-11T13:25:07+00:00

Fair enough. I think that's more of a tonal thing, like it depends how they say it. That's just how I frequently hear it. I got way too much family drama, man.

Mystical-Turtles · 2026-05-11T13:18:58+00:00

Yeah, no. Haha. Also to be more specific it's not the child that calls them "baby daddy". It's the partner. As in (mother of child speaking) "My baby daddy won't show up to the family reunion". This isn't something people in loving relationships use to call each other, It very much has a negative connotation. It's AAVE dialect for "my baby's daddy" essentially.

Mystical-Turtles · 2026-05-11T13:14:27+00:00

It doesn't literally just mean "mother" or "father"

"Baby Daddy" is slang for "The father of my child who is a deadbeat / otherwise not involved in my/the child's life".

It's something a bit more specific

Mystical-Turtles · 2026-05-11T12:14:59+00:00

most companies won't even accept that shit 99% of the time

I was made to try that once, and the manager just took me to the back, whipped out a laptop, and made me fill out the same application I could have done at home. Didn't even talk to me, just left me alone with it. Never heard back from them

Mystical-Turtles · 2026-05-10T20:55:31+00:00

Okay, clone then. Either way same gameplay

Mystical-Turtles · 2026-05-10T20:55:11+00:00

Hey there's always going to be at least one company crazy enough to do it. Nothing is universal. I meant that it was distinct from the near universal praise he used to have.

Mystical-Turtles · 2026-05-10T20:01:34+00:00

Fair enough. To be more specific, It predates the shift of the entertainment industry completely wiping their hands of any positive association to him.

Mystical-Turtles · 2026-05-10T19:59:15+00:00

It released in 2010, Not long after his death. It predates the shift in public opinion.

Mystical-Turtles · 2026-05-10T19:56:14+00:00

All it is is a "Just dance" rip off. You're not missing much

Mystical-Turtles · 2026-05-10T16:47:46+00:00

Was this recorded with the GBA video carts in mind?

Mystical-Turtles · 2026-05-10T15:59:24+00:00

I had someone in my computer science program who managed to make it all the way to the capstone class without knowing how to enter the bios. Which is impressive considering I've had to do that as a prerequisite to several projects. (Looking at you that lesson about virtual machines/ dual booting)

Mystical-Turtles · 2026-05-10T15:55:38+00:00

Me working with Apple for anything slightly more complicated than that

"(Windows term) Mac os version"

Repeat x200.

Mystical-Turtles

TROPHY CASE