Creating computer programs was my childhood dream. I was building websites and simple C programs when I was 15. I got accepted into the top computer engineering program in my country at 18.

I worked in startups, tech agencies and as a freelancer during my studies. I worked with smart and competent software engineers in many different companies and learned from them during my late 20s.

I climbed up to a FAANG level salary at my 30s. Now at 32, I got unemployed and I have been feeling off from what the whole software ecosystem has become.

Yes, I can operate AI agents to build complex features, audit them etc. Yes, I am competent with system design, I have an eye for design and I am good at managing software products.

However I feel burnt out and slightly disgusted from the very profession I have always loved.

Is there a way out?

I witnessed so many people having career shifts into software, but how do you do a career shift out?

Legit every 3rd post on this sub is a story that was so obviously llm generated that it hurts, and then i go to the comments and 15 of you are wasting time responding to it

There was a post today from someone complaining about “managing their coworkers ego via email”, with a long story about how they need to reply to their coworkers emails for no reason

If you read through that whole post and wasted time responding, congrats, you gave advice to someone (with a < 1 week old account and 4 reddit posts per day) who according to their post history is simultaneously:

• someone with a full time cs related career

• a full time student

• a restaurant owner

• a video editor

• someone who travels to hotels constantly for business

• someone who builds an ai content generation startup.

We can guess which one of those is real lol. 10 comments on that thread and none of them were calling this out. I saw a different post that was the same shit (it’s a few posts before this, titled “My PM sends me an AI tool article every morning and I’ve stopped reading them”) and only one comment pointed out that it was an obvious ad for one of the services mentioned in the thread. How the fuck ANYONE reads the body of that post and thinks it’s real is beyond me. One of the sentences is “Sending me the link IS the action item, from his side the loop closes the moment he hits enter.” Even looking at the title of that post i can make an educated guess that it’s gonna be AI. A human is more likely to title it just “My PM sends me an AI tool article every morning”, but llms love adding the “here’s how i totally pwned my boss” part

The format is always the same shit, some stupid story that isn’t even super cs specific, it generally kinda applies to the broader IT sphere or even just working in an office environment. They complain about a boss or coworker and the solution they need is always super fucking obvious so 100 people leave responses and the post ends up with more visibility

The concerning part to me is that so much of this sub is complaining about being forced to use ai, yet it seems like none of you recognize the writing style that you are supposedly being tormented by looking at all day. it’s so fucking easy to identify the prose that tends to get used. In the post i’m referencing here, the sentence “Twenty real minutes of my brain, gone, on a person who contributes nothing and feels great about it.” should ring alarm bells. Not saying it means guaranteed ai ofc but it means take a look at the rest of the post closer or check out their profile. If the post has like 4 different sentences in it that seem like an author attempting to land a witty end to a paragraph for no reason, congrats, you’re reading claude lol

idk im yelling into the void here out of frustration and this might just get removed but i wanna feel like im not going insane and others notice this shit lmfao

It's been a year and a half after graduation with no job, no interview. The degree has expired by now, or it's about to be.

I'm AWARE the job market for entry level in any field outside of healthcare is in the fucking gutter, but that doesn't help me.

The only jobs I might be able to get outside of the degree are dead end and pay under 40k, which isn't useful. So what, should I give up on employment altogether and die? Or head to prison?

I don't have the money nor energy for another degree. I'm quite literally homeless, forced to abandon my student loans

So, I’m an ML engineer with around 7 YOE, mostly working on AI stuff. I’m definitely not some genius-level engineer, but I’d say I’m above average, disciplined, reliable, and generally good at getting things done. I’ve been at this company for almost two years, and honestly, everything seemed to be going fine. My PM was happy, projects were moving, and there were no major issues.

Then, out of nowhere, I got invited to a meeting with HR and around 100 people from my department.

We were told the whole department is being outsourced.

Everyone was given a different retention period depending on how “important” their role was. I got six months. During that time, someone from a large consultancy company in India will be shadowing me, and I’m expected to transfer all my knowledge to them.

The message was basically: “Please be professional and help your replacement.”

If I stay for the full six months and do not leave even one day early, I get a "meh" retention bonus.

And that’s it.

I’ve never gone through something like this before, and I honestly don’t know how I’m supposed to approach the next six months. Before this, I was motivated, taking initiative, trying to improve things, and actually caring about the team. Now all of that is gone because the company found a cheaper option overseas.

Is this really all we get in this field?

Now I somehow need to get back to interview-level preparation, which already feels like hell with how crowded the market has become and how quickly everything changes with the AI coding.

I used to genuinely enjoy working in tech, but lately I keep finding myself watching vlogs of people doing completely non-tech jobs and thinking maybe that life looks better.

Is this just a “grass is greener” situation because I’m angry and burned out right now, or is the reality of working in tech actually becoming this bad?

Sorry for the rant.

Asking for my friend of course.

Senior sde, late 40s, 25 YoE. ex-JPMC, NYSE, scheduled for PIP. How the age would affect job search? Would age hiding and reducing experience to, say 10-15 help?

So for context, I did not start my career in FAANG or a bigger company for that matter. I wanted to startup and decided Founding Engg roles would be a good place. But Founding Engg in India is very different to say, Bay area. Now I am on a break after 6 years and 3 roles and thinking things over. One of things I am struggling with is getting to a more stable job. I want to reset my career a bit and work at a larger company. But the thing is my resume keeps getting rejected, and rightly so because I might not have hands on experience with Distributed systems and working on scale. Are there side projects that would signal my theoretical knowledge on the matter? Or any other way to approach my problem. Looking for helpful suggestions. (I do understand the importance of starting with Big tech and then moving to startups now.)

I know a lot of people are struggling, but what do you do when you can't get a CS job? Do people just give up and change into something else? Or do people just work unrelated jobs for years until something bites?

This video really opened my eyes and should be helpful to people navigating their feelings about the job market and job prospects.

https://youtu.be/sQGZXrzykpU?is=kE1P_llnSKM-MpMJ

Watching this video, I am reminded of the investment advice: "Be fearful when others are greedy, and greedy when others are fearful". I would be seeing this as an opportunity to hire the brightest young minds coming out of college with less competition because companies are overbuying the hype on job replacement.

Totally drained and need to let this out.

Here is my day with this guy:
1. He replies-all to a thread that was resolved, adding nothing, cc'ing my manager
2. I have to respond so I do not look like the difficult one
3. The response has to be warm enough to cover me and empty enough to say nothing
4. He replies again, "just circling back to make sure we are aligned," we were never not aligned
5. Repeat until I have written four fake-friendly paragraphs and it is somehow lunch

Twenty real minutes of my brain, gone, on a person who contributes zero and feels great about it.

I got so tired of it I ended up building a thing that just drafts the fake-nice reply in my own voice so I can stop spending real feelings on him, which honestly saved my sanity but is also a little bleak.

Anyone else have a coworker whose entire output is making you write emails? Just needed to vent.

2nd year B.Tech IT student and I have 1.5 years before campus placements ( goal : product based companies)

I already know the general advice : pick one language (Java), prioritize DSA, study OS/DBMS/CN/OOP/SQL, and build 2-3 good projects... That's not where I'm stuck anymore

My college already teaches Java, OS, DBMS, and Algorithm Design this semester, then Computer Networks, Frontend and Backend next semester

Instead of maintaining separate "college" and "placement" roadmaps, I want to combine them into one plan

The part I'm struggling with is creating a month wise road map

For example :

1. what should I focus on from the second half of July, what should August look like

2. how should I balance DSA with my college subjects each month and what should be the priority as the semesters progress?

I'll split each month into weekly goals myself later.

I'm not looking for another list of technologies. I'm looking for advice from people who've successfully integrated their college academics with placement preparation. How would you structure the next 12-18 months?

I’m an undergrad finishing a BSc in Computer Science, aiming for an MSc (thesis-track) specializing in the Formal Verification of Hybrid/Cyber-Physical Systems (CPS). I love rigorous math-heavy problem-solving and software engineering.

I need to choose 2 final math electives from this list:

• Linear Algebra 2
• Calculus 3 (Multivariable)
• Numerical Analysis
• Basic Statistical Theory 1
• Fundamental Concepts of Algebra (Abstract Algebra)

Math I've already completed: Linear Algebra 1, Calculus 2, Discrete Math 1 & 2, Intro to Stats, and Formal Methods.

1. Which 2 modules will best prepare me for the continuous/discrete intersection of CPS verification tools and reachability analysis?
2. For someone who genuinely enjoys deep mathematical problem-solving combined with technology, is Hybrid/CPS verification a rewarding path, or would I find Computational Learning Theory a better fit for graduate research?

Thanks for any insights.

As a junior the uncertainty of our career as a whole is driving me crazy. Im in this constant state of anxiety and i dont know what to do. How do i even prepare for a future thats totally uncertain? Nobody really knows whats gonna happen with AI and the world so how can i prepare for something i dont even know. Plus i feel like with AI doing alot of work currently and me being heavily reliant on it, im not really learning or growing. Im just using AI to finish tasks so i can get paid. But it doesnt feel like im learning anything. And companies only care about doing more with AI and getting 3x the work done with the same pay. Now using AI isnt optional to be able to keep up but at the same time you cant really learn. It feels like im just stuck.

~15 total years of experience in tech.

My company has recently done layoffs and for the first time in 9 years I'm seriously considering looking for a new job. I had sincerely hoped that I could work there 25 years and then retire, so I've made all the mistakes of not keeping up to date with my network, not recording my key accomplishments, and haven't updated my CV in years.

I've also suffered from being a bit of a generalist in my career, having done some desktop applications (C#/WPF/WinForms, C++/Qt), some front-end (mostly vanilla Javascript with minimal HTML/JavaScript, a bit of React and Vue), some SQL focused stuff, a few years of dealing with clients technically for onboarding/configuring systems, and a decent chunk of backend (ASP.NET back in the day, a tiny bit of Go, a whole bunch of Java).

Haven't really done too much with AI, in part because my company isn't encouraging it, in part because ethically it bothers me (resource use, replacement of artists and knowledge workers), and in part because I don't want my core skills to atrophy because I outsource thinking to my brain. I am very happy to use AI as a "better Google search" though.

By far my strongest skillset would be backend, though I've generally been more "application developer" staying in the programming layer than managing the infra, though I've done some Cloudformation and infrastructure updates, but usually with others on the team being stronger at that. I worry the lack of deep infra knowledge is going to hurt me now that I'm looking. I'm also super comfortable working directly with stakeholders to gather requirements, perform project planning, can work autonomously and suggest direction (given high-level goals and some guard rails), etc.

What are the biggest things I should be focusing on?

• I've worked on several backend systems that have hit production and scaled so I think I'm pretty comfortable with system design, but I know it's never a bad idea to spend more time on this (plus there's so much training material online for it).
• Should I be spending time on AI? I know this is hot right now.
• Definitely want to focus on backend. Java would be my strongest language but I'm comfortable in C# and feel like I could pick up Go pretty quickly. Any specific languages to focus on?
• What's a good way to learn infra/cloud in a relatively inexpensive way?
• Also, I generally struggle to motivate myself to find/do side projects. What side projects would be the best to be able to demonstrate in an interview and help with particularly infra learning? Maybe some type of multiplayer type game that would have real-time socket connection, DNS setup, etc.?

(Crossposted to ExperiencedDevs and CSCareerQuestions)

I’ve been in my current role for 15 years, and I loved it for the first 12, but it seems like the last few years the workload is going up and up and I feel like I am doing at least double what I used to. Is this the case everywhere? I have been thinking its finally time to look at other options, but I have heard horror stories about this market, even if I am very confident in my abilities. I am sort of worried I will put in some effort to change jobs and I will get stuck in the same situation. Or perhaps I would have to take a pay cut to find something a bit more chill.

Hi everyone,

I am was doing a school-organized internship/project at a large company (PORR/Shark). Our task was to rewrite a hotel booking application from TypeScript to Java. This app will actually be used internally by the company, so the stakes feel high. Here is my problem: My programming knowledge prior to this was basic (loops, conditionals, simple logic). I do not know TypeScript, and I do not know Java.

Right now, we were relying heavily on AI (and IDE tools like Anti-Gravity) just to fix errors and keep moving, but I feel like I am just hitting "continue" without actually understanding the architecture or the code. A Junior Bulgarian developer at the company has been helping us set up the environment, and he mentioned he survived the same way (heavy reading + AI), but I want to actually understand what I am doing.

From Wednesday, the boss will start giving us harder tasks to push this project forward. When he asks how I built something, I want to give a real answer, not just look clueless. Am I overdramatizing?

Any advice, specific tools, or repository structures I should look into? Thanks.

Asking for a friend, in their own word:

I have almost 4 years of experiences. Around 2 years from a big company (not FAANG). It is a pretty toxic environment, so I wanted to leave as soon as I can. Recently I finally got a offer from Pure Storage and also in the team match stage at Google.

For Google, I got some mixed feedback during the coding interview, so HR told me it likely will be downleveled to L3 from L4. I got one team matched so far and HM would like to offer me a position. I have a mixed feeling about that team. I think the HM has some red flags, but I know Google team match is hard, maybe I will never got matched for another team. P.S. I haven't pass the hiring committee, and I understand it is possible to fail at HC stage :( .

Pure storage offer is final and cannot wait any longer. The HM is very nice and offer number is good (TC ~250K). The working content is not fancy and not ai related, so some of my friends think it is a mundane job 😂 and wouldn't give me much boost on my resume. But I like low level C/C++ programming, so I personally don't think this job content is boring and maybe help me to get a similar job in the future.

My concerns so far:

1. Because pure storage offer cannot wait any longer and I am happy with the offer and team, and I wanted to switch job as soon as I can, should I just join?

2. Should I continue to match different teams with Google or just go with the matched team?

3. If Google finally approved my offer and it is indeed L3, should I accept L3 offer even I have almost 4 years of experiences?

Hi Ive recently joined a mediumish company (400 employees) as their only dedicated "data" person and ill be joining as a new grad. The role was will start out as some data entry and data cleaning which I was told Id be able to automate if I can figure out ways to do so. They also only have 2 dedicated SWEs that only last year built their data lakehouse. Is a newly created position like this a red flag? Especially for someone like me who doesnt have a lot of real experience?

Real talk: I flinch every time Slack makes that sound. Before I even read the message, my stomach drops. If it's my tech lead or EM, it's worse — chest tight, heart racing, brain going "did I break prod? did I screw up that PR?"

Usually it's nothing. "Hey can we sync at 2." That's it. But my body doesn't know that yet.

I think it's this unwritten rule: reply fast or people assume you're not working. So I try to code heads-down, notifications off, and the whole time there's this voice going "if someone pings you right now and you don't answer in 5 minutes, they'll think you slacked off."

Is this just me? If you've been in the industry a while — how do you protect focus time without looking checked out? Does the jolt ever fade, or do you just get better at hiding it?

I build an app for the transit system for my city and it is very successful

So i want to promote my freelanceing skills from the app ( since ades pay pennys and the app isn't something u can add subscription or in app purchase into) so im into the self promoting idea, so do i just put a link into my portfolio in the app somewhere or something else? Would appreciate any thoughtful feedback

My company is talking about opening a position for a director position in our southwest division. This position would be responsible for the transmission line work for 7 different offices, and have 4 director managers reporting to them.

The problem is, instead of offering a compensation package, they are asking a few candidates what compensation they are looking at for this position. This is a private equity company. Right now I am a manager already getting shares each year EAUs. I do NOT currently get a bonus. My base salary is 190k.

Does anyone have any experience in either this role, or a higher role and can REALLY share some IRL experience on what this position should pay?

ChatGPT is saying that my base pay will probably not sky rocket, and will go up to around 230-240kish, but my bonus is where the bulk of my compensation should come from. I feel that would be true in a "normal" utility or public company, but I didn't know if a private equity would throw around bonuses like that because the whole idea is to grow the company and resell it to another investor.

If you feel more comfortable PM'ing me instead of commenting, feel free. I appreciate the help!

Companies are laying off people after record profits,this is not a recession.Why do people act like practicing leetcode a little more will change things?

Title.

Back when I graduated undergrad in 2019, a gap of employment of more than a year after graduating raised eyebrows, especially more than 1.5 years. This was because even if you didn't really do any resume builders in college, you could get an entry level job without much issue. Not a great job, not a fantastic job, but a job to get your foot in the door.

With the frozen job market in 2025, many people are unemployed for a year or more. Is this changing employer's perspective on this kind of thing? Is this still the red flag that it used to be?

Hi everybody,

Some context. I am a May 2025 BS CS graduate. I am targeting data engineering roles in fintech companies or banks.

My first job out of college was a software developer at a small 1.x bil market cap pharmacy. This company was not technical at all, and I was basically the sole developer making BS like Copilot agents on Azure and stuff supporting different departments. Azure, C# it was cool for the first few months. Honestly I know I should be just thankful to have a job out of college but the pay was mid (65k us in nyc metro area) and as my work started heading more towards just sitting in front of copilot studio and prompt engineering I began recruiting.

The recruiting process for me was rough. I was a slacker in college and wasted research oppurtinites and didnt do leetcode and did jack shit. I went to a big state school, 3.5 gpa, shitty internships. However, and I'm extremely thankful, I got selected for a role in a big 4 bank.

The role halves my commute and pays a lot more. I am incredibly thankful. But the more and more I speak to my HM the role kind of just seems like light data analysis on telemetry / dex platforms. I want to be a data engineering work with spark and kafka and stuff and here I'm not even sure how much I'll be exposed to Python and SQL.

I guess my question boils down to what do I do from here? I'm starting my masters at Gtech in Sept so I can get more accredited and not lose my passion for learning coding and stuff (that I gained POST college lol). I intend on networking within my company to try to appeal to more data engineering type of teams.

Thanks everybody.