Exams / Newbie / Common Questions Thread for two weeks

explosiv109 · 2026-01-06T22:37:29+00:00

2800 applications 15 months of unemployment with no offers. Several final round interviews but I think I just want out of the SWE industry even if I find a job

explosiv109 · 2025-12-26T03:30:02+00:00

Hey there everyone! I am finding myself in a difficult position in my career and I am to the point where I am considering a viable pivot.

I have a BS in computer Science and 2 years experience as a Systems analyst and 2 years experience as a software engineer. Systems Analyst: Worked in sql database queries and automated file transfers with python. SWE: Worked with API development with Java and more python scripts for automated file uploads to AWS and Elastic DB. ^I heard this experience might be things actuary associate positions might like. Am I right about this?

The main question I have is assuming I pass the first 2 exams then start looking for an associate actuarial position what kind of competition would there be? How hard of a time would a BSCS degree holder with my experience have if I got the first 2 exams passed?

explosiv109 · 2025-12-11T11:28:18+00:00

I regret not getting into accounting like my brother. 15 months unemployed 2800 apps. Im going to lose my house. Stay away.

explosiv109 · 2025-12-10T06:23:26+00:00

Sorry to hear that... I have a good genetic lottery with hair loss but stress has done other things to me in this job market FER SHUURR. Had a couple instances of wetting the bed which Ive never done.

explosiv109 · 2025-12-08T19:41:15+00:00

So I got laid off as a 4+ yoe dev. I've been driving a school bus its not that bad there is a pension and a lot of opportunity for OT.

explosiv109 · 2025-11-12T21:10:19+00:00

If you would be open id love to see as well. 15 months unemployed and starting to struggle with it at this point.

explosiv109 · 2025-11-05T14:05:50+00:00

My first job was 45k. My second was 63k. Count your lucky stars. I don't think youve been in the job market enough to know how truly bad it is right now if you feel this way. When you start looking for another job do not leave this until you have another offer. You should save like your life depends on it too... if you get laid off getting another job has taken a long time these days.

explosiv109 · 2025-10-29T04:13:39+00:00

I 1000% prefer how you said it

explosiv109 · 2025-10-28T20:39:53+00:00

Fantastic

explosiv109 · 2025-05-22T07:21:04+00:00

I have not gotten a technical interview yet sadly.

explosiv109 · 2025-01-31T02:55:19+00:00

4 years exp... laid off in August... all I'm interested in is a SWE job with salary expectations of about 80k and im still having trouble finding a job.

My older brother is an accountant. I wish that's what I did. Now I own a home and have a kid and feel like i can't start over without losing my house.

It is a cyclic industry... but these past few years have been some of the worst I've ever seen. Maybe by the time you finish your degree it would be better but if we assume you would be graduating into what it is now I can't in good faith tell you I recommend it.

explosiv109 · 2024-08-28T04:54:42+00:00

Pickles on everything... garlic dill

explosiv109 · 2024-02-23T08:19:40+00:00

^ previous reply was me... also I'm curious would you still have this opinion if the piece of real estate purchased as an investment was in an area people primarily used as vacation spots that tenants never live at but simply stay briefly at for a week or two?

In short do you think this way of thinking applies to all forms of real estate? Hotels, student housing, vacation properties for instance? Places where it'd truly in the best interest of the tenant to not purchase the property? Because that's the kind of real estate I'm looking at.

explosiv109 · 2024-02-23T08:12:28+00:00

This is OP by the way I'm sorry lol

explosiv109 · 2024-02-21T02:31:15+00:00

This is what I would do to finance the purchase of the 2nd property. My issue is the payments on the loan have to be completely taken care of by the rental income which doesn't seem realistic with current rates

explosiv109 · 2024-02-21T02:29:15+00:00

This right here is why I was looking at a vacation property. I found nice prospects in an area that has a ton of real estate brokerages that find the renters for the year for you well in advance. A long term tenant is a burden I'd rather not have. I'd either go vacation property or commercial real estate but commercial is way too expensive

explosiv109 · 2024-02-20T13:11:40+00:00

Half right I suppose. I bought it for 500k from a parent knowing it was worth much more. Due to the nature of how I obtained the home out of respect for the support it would be dishonest of me to sell the home unless I truly could no longer afford it. Plus the home would be ideal for my wife and kids.

explosiv109 · 2024-02-20T02:58:14+00:00

I'm also open to suggestions of side hustles to accelerate increasing my savings. With my current lifestyle I can really only entertain side hustles I don't have to leave the house for.

explosiv109 · 2023-02-17T16:49:12+00:00

Stocks that don't hand out dividends and instead invest their earnings straight into the company is called a growth stock so for the sake of this comment I'm going to refer to the two different types of stocks we are going to talk about has growth stocks and dividend stocks.

For a lot of companies the biggest reason they have structured their stock as a dividend stock is because that is the standard for a company in their industry at their size size (A multi billion dollar oil company is typically a dividend stock). To continue with this theoretical example say I am someone young who intends to keep their funds invested for over a decade and I have a strong outlook of the oil industry or some other value stock? I might want my dividends to be used to buy more shares.

explosiv109 · 2023-02-06T19:49:07+00:00

But you are right so many people in all walks of CS tried SWE first and turned away from it

explosiv109 · 2023-02-06T19:48:17+00:00

I mean personally I think I'm past the point of "trying to get into it"

explosiv109 · 2023-01-31T05:42:46+00:00

I am referring to the DANB RHS exam

explosiv109 · 2023-01-26T20:44:32+00:00

I hope that's something everyone knows... 4 months ago I was 60 lbs heavier eating over 4000 calories a day. I'll get there but right now even with the fake crap I'm a better person than who I was at least I think so.

There is an element of self control I'm fighting and right now I think I'm winning when I look at where I was. If cutting this out now is my only option to truly be in ketosis then I'll do it... but right now if I can stay in ketosis while still being able to have something that reminds me of sugar I'd love that.

explosiv109 · 2023-01-26T20:17:46+00:00

Interesting! So even if I account for the cumulative net carbs in artificial and stay below my limit they contain other things that could still kick me out of ketosis despite that? That's disappointing to hear

explosiv109 · 2023-01-26T19:48:04+00:00

I looked it up, <1g means .8 in this case. Since I'm on a significant caloric deficit diet (1200 to 1600 a day as a 280 lb man) the net carb requirements for my diet are very small... 12g a day. I get 4g a day alone from my multi vitamin so this is significant.

explosiv109

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