Tell HN: I'm having the worst career winter of my life

Hacker News Discussion ↗

State of the market (UK, EU, US)

  • Multiple commenters say the UK software job market is “very rough,” with many layoffs and long job searches, even for senior people.
  • Some claim the UK (and even broader Europe) tech/startup scene is “dead” outside FAANG/hedge funds and AI hotspots like SF/NY; others strongly disagree, citing millions of devs, viable careers, and decent pay in Europe.
  • In the US, people report heavy competition: thousands of applicants per role, many overqualified candidates, and difficulty even getting interviews.

Remote vs in‑office dynamics

  • 100% remote roles are described as rare and hyper‑competitive; many companies officially require 2–3 days in office, even if some tech teams quietly get exceptions.
  • Several argue that insisting on fully remote severely narrows options, especially given recent return‑to‑office trends.
  • Relocation is repeatedly suggested, but OP and others note practical limits (commute, where they live, family, etc.).

Geography, salary, and global competition

  • For remote roles, commenters stress that candidates now compete with global talent willing to work for much less.
  • UK compensation examples: past total comp around £160k, with willingness to go down to ~£90k; day rates from ~£350–700. Some note high UK taxes make local engineers look expensive, pushing work offshore or to contractors.

Strategies to cope and get hired

  • Common advice:
    • Apply to in‑person/hybrid and “boring” sectors (manufacturing, finance, government, hospitals), not just startups and pure tech.
    • Leverage any connection to hiring managers; cold applications often vanish in the noise.
    • Be willing to take roles you’re overqualified for to restore income and savings.
    • Consider non‑UK/EU roles if you can relocate or work compliantly abroad.

AI and skills positioning

  • Some see traditional SWE work as commoditised by AI; they recommend domain expertise, entrepreneurship, and “AI + data” skills over pure coding.
  • Others emphasize quality, performance, and deep, T‑shaped engineering skills that AI can’t yet replace.
  • One long anecdote describes abandoning a saturated Ruby/Rails market for “Applied AI,” reporting better feedback and 25–50% higher salaries; advice is to pivot to AI while the window is open.

Psychological, philosophical, and life responses

  • A few discuss turning to faith and prayer; this triggers a long debate about the problem of suffering and the logic of an all‑powerful, benevolent deity.
  • Others talk about burnout from endless rejections, building personal projects for satisfaction, or considering leaving tech entirely for “regular jobs” or small businesses.

Meta: Hacking vs “regular jobs”

  • One commenter asks why HN focuses so much on normal jobs instead of entrepreneurship.
  • Replies: most people need stable income (family, mortgage), lack strong business ideas, or simply don’t want to run a company, even though many still “hack” on projects alongside employment.