Comment by burger_account
2 days ago
I’ve done that right before the market downshift in 2023. I’ve spent 3 months doing nothing, travelled to a bunch of cities that I’ve never been to, did tons of works in my own projects (both open and closed source), and actually managed to launch one that is still going.
Honestly, this in-between period was one of the most personally rewarding times I’ve ever had in my career, I was feeling great, I was waking up in the morning and coding for a hour before I even had coffee, I had good humor for such a long stretch of time that even people I don’t talk to daily started to notice.
But, despite that, actually looking for a new job was soul crushing. I had a spreadsheet to track applications, and the rows just kept piling up, interviews were not happening, when they were happening I got ghosted dozens of times, when I didn’t get ghosted, the code interviews were absolutely ridiculous is all sorts of ways, even I passed code testings companies paused hirings, when I finally got to the last step they’d say culture didn’t align. I got a job after 7 months and 137 applications. It was TERRIBLE, the feeling of hopelessness, the feeling that there is no future, the feeling that your entire 20+ year career is useless and the fear you’ll never find a job again. I don’t wish that on anyone.
In the end there are bills to be paid, and you can’t stay unemployed forever, so the reality means you have to thread this carefully. It sounds counterproductive and it is hard, but concentrate less on work, spend time doing things you want, and do not go out for interviews just yet. On top of having a shitty job, you’ll also have shitty evenings because you’ll get to this same soul crushing realization of mine.
Do the minimum acceptable at work, cut hours, take vacation, whatever that keeps you employed, and spend any energy you have left doing things you want. Workout, that pet project that hadn’t seen any love, binging Netflix, whatever you mind tells you to do. As long as it doesn’t get worse than it is, it is a win. You are going to leave the company anyway (either voluntarily or not), might as well stockpile some money if you can. The goal is to get better _despite_ the shitty job, to improve yourself while you are still getting paid.
Also important: go looking for social support, like lunch with friends and old coworkers, therapy, some meetups on subjects you have interest, whatever you can to talk to people. Mildly venting off helps, just make sure to not overdo and also listen.
I am currently a few months through a planned and budgeted break from my career to focus on traveling specifically for treating burnout. As such, I've had a similar experience to yours so far. I've been travelling and volunteering around the world, I'm also back to coding as a hobby again, and also working on other projects like robots, rc planes, and welding. Also exercising. I'm just living the life I actually want. And so fortunate to be able to live it with my partner.
This break, like for you, has been one of the most rewarding things ever in my entire life. On the days I really get to experience the spice life one way or another, I feel as much if not more accomplished than I ever did even shipping the largest projects.
I also try to remind myself every day to be grateful for the opportunity to pause my career as it is such a gift. I believe gratitude is critical for staying grounded as the person I want to be.
But it is also countered by the soul crushing job hunt. I haven't been fully focused on finding a job yet, but I have applied to many interesting opportunities already and not getting responses from these companies, despite me believing I have a somewhat strong resume, puts a pit in my stomach for the reasons you stated so well: questioning my own competence, and worrying about the future.
That said, the positives have been so huge, though, that I have to at least try to recommend a break like this to people who feel burnout, especially if they are burnt out yet again.
I would urge anyone to always be evaluating what is really important in your life and work towards that as an alternative to working to the bone for promotion and bonuses because we think we should. I wish we all could take the breaks our brains deserve, yet we have to do what we have to do. As one final thought, I will say that soon after quitting my job for this adventure, I was already feeling refreshed and better, and to anyone reading this, your life is worth more than money.
I feel you :hugs:
> the positives have been so huge
> your life is worth more than money
I agree with you, and I really wish that everyone could make that decision unbiased. Unfortunately, most people’s reality force them to consider money. Someone else mentioned to triple your estimate of how long you might be without a job, and sometimes not even that is enough.
In the end, it’s mostly about your safety nets. Can you quit, stay 6 months away, and if it turns into 18 months, what then? Can you move back into your parents’? Are you _realistically_ able to take a non-dev job (cashier at McDonalds) just to put food on the table?
Nowadays, affording a decent life AND the job not sucking is almost a luxury already. Shouldn’t be that way, and every toxic startup out there is a failure, regardless of their valuation.