
I'm young and I'm already burnt out on tech work. Could I get some life advice? - anonymouskid
https://medium.com/@axselgit/im-young-and-i-m-already-burnt-out-on-tech-work-could-i-get-some-life-advice-530a1568197e
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ilaksh
If that's your definition of 'burnt out', join the club of just about everyone
with a job ever. Although most won't admit it. Working for other people does
suck and yes it is inherently unfair. Despite all of the progress we've made,
there are still some fundamental aspects of the average human condition that
are not so great.

At least it's better than it used to be. Used to be quite common for people to
work for zero dollars or very close to zero. In other words outright slavery.

But yes, it absolutely is a goal for most businesses to just use their
employees to make as much money as possible, while the owners take in as much
cash as possible for as little work as possible. That it the reality and it is
quite unfair.

It is confusing as a young person when everyone accepts this situation and
won't complain about it. But you will learn, complaining about a common
problem will often just make you a target. Even if it's a common problem that
other people could use help with. Get with the program -- pretend you are a
happy little worker and shut up.

The solution is to get yourself into the ownership class, either by actually
building a business or some social manipulation (easiest is to convince
someone who likes you to give you money to invest in your idea). Then it is
your job to pay as little as possible and get the most out of your employees
so that your friends can get the most out of their investment.

~~~
brudgers
A young person who has heavily invested in an activity throughout their youth
discovering that the activity is no longer pleasant and enjoyable when
performed at some higher level is actually and exactly what burnout looks
like.

Burnout is realizing that "this thing that once energized me, now makes me
unhappy." It's not the same as the apathy of just going to a job to pay for a
data plan. Or the same as a bad job which was bad the first day.

------
shapiro92
if you can afford it take a step back. Take some time off.

Startups and those fancy big corporations imo are full of bullshit and are
built around bullshit. I am in Berlin where having drinks and a football table
are perks to be advertised but when asked to pay your bus ticket they are like
'ohh that actually needs effort from our accounting side'.

Take some time off, do research on the company you want to work for, find
something that they do and you like. Be it eCommerce/AI/ML/Data Analysis or
whatever, do research find a company that is not too small not too big and go
check them out.

Learn not to give a fuck. Honestly, I used to be so stressed with all the
bullshit that go inside the company, and if you see too much BS flying around,
go to the next company. Programmers/Developers are essential (Disclaimer I
dont know how is the employment in your area) you will get another job.

I could go on, but to sum it up, dont give a fuck, do your job well, speak
your opinion. It might get you fired but then you know you shouldnt actually
work for them.

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alpinecode
@anonymouskid, I'm 31 and have been working since I was 16. From 16 to 25
years old I did various construction jobs (tiling, roofing, etc) and always
worked for peanuts - many times I wouldn't get paid on time and sometimes they
wouldn't pay me at all. Including the US, I have lived in three countries and
had to learn the language and adapt at each country from scratch.

As a self-taught programmer in the Bay Area (no college degree) I made around
145K at my last job - my dream job! Yet I quit and went on a trip for a few
months to refuel. Now that I'm back in the Bay Area, I'm trying to start from
scratch once more and it's scary. However, I have faith in myself that I-will-
figure-it-out! I don't know how yet, but I know I will. After all, that was
the whole point of the refueling, to put myself in uncomfortable situations
and see if I can figure it out!

Sometimes you might feel burnt out, scared, angry, or confused. It's totally
normal - all these feelings are as important as happiness for a diverse life.
I have found that sometimes all I need is some refueling. Other times I've
needed to make drastic changes in my life - for example starting a new career,
moving to a different country, or committing to a hobby that has nothing to do
with programming or computers.

Life is all about trying different things. The other option is that it happens
on its own. When I complained to a manager once about a task, she reminded me
that "It's not rainbows everyday"... and indeed it's not.

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WheelsAtLarge
Can someone just say it? Programming as a hobby is great but as an assembly
line low level programmer, it just SUX!! I think this kid just found that out.
Good for him. Maybe he'll find what he loves.

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awesomepantsm
>the more I have a realization that a lot of the corporate speak they’re
telling us at these companies is for the company’s interest.

Are you joking? Who's interest would it be in? Do you think the world revolves
around you?

>in reality they’re just using me for money

Not to sound pedantic, but... why do you think they pay you?

>But I’m just really good at this

Citation needed. You said you get fired every 3 months. If they don't hire you
back, you're not "really good".

~~~
awesomepantsm
> I’ve been working and adulting for years

Also, lol, you are in your teens (17-19) and are tired of "adulting". Let me
laugh a little more

~~~
ordu
It is no point to laugh. It is much more difficult to be adult if you are not
used to it.

------
ordu
It seems like a major personality crisis for me. Any crisis makes you feel bad
and personality crisis all the more so. But there is a bright side,
personality crisis is a chance to grow above your head. I agree with
existential psychology on it.

I believe that you can help youself by learning some bits of development and
existential psychology. Development psychology describes some common kinds of
personality crises, and it helps to understand what going on when dealing with
concrete life story. Existential psychology can give advice what to do.

So my advice is don't start making abrupt changes in your life right now. I
think that your last failures can make anyone to feel depressed and to lose
faith in himself. You can stop trying to find your place in tech, but it not
be good to do it just because you feel depressed.

Give youself some time to learn youself, at least half a year. Read some books
or talk with psychologist -- some kind of existential psychologist will do, I
believe. As for books, I personally greatly like Kegan.[1]

If you see that "kicked in three month" is a pattern, and you don't understand
what precisely causes it, I believe that it needs some research. It is hard to
do such a research without external help, it can take years of struggling to
understand is cause external or internal, if it is some of your psychological
traits causes it or something else. You need someone with whom you will be
able to discuss this topic honestly. Again psychologist is one of the options.
The others is some close relative, it is better if she thoughtful person and
about thirty or older.

There are two opposite possibilities for you, either take sharp turns on your
life path, or try to adapt. I assure you that in either way this is not the
last time when you face such a choice in your life. So right now the most
important goal is to learn how to deal with it. How to make conscious decision
that will lead you to success and happy life. It is impossible to master this,
but nevertheless it becomes easier with practice.

[1] [https://vividness.live/2015/10/12/developing-ethical-
social-...](https://vividness.live/2015/10/12/developing-ethical-social-and-
cognitive-competence/)

------
DKnoll
Welcome to life. Be glad you get to work full-time in tech in your teens
instead of retail, service or hospitality like many others.

Your quality of life will likely improve when you're old enough to enjoy the
autonomy and independence having an income gives you which you can't fully
realize as a minor (assuming you're 16-17 or your blog post makes 0 sense to
me).

Make friends the same age who have a similar lifestyle to you (working, not
fully absorbed in school).

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ionised
That's not burn-out you're describing, it's disillusionment of the engines of
business and the bullshit of companies presenting themselves as forces for
good when they are anything but.

Welcome to adulthood. You arrived early, so take that opportunity to get a
head start.

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damnfine
Learn a skill. Find a job doing something you want to learn. With 2 or
morevaluable skills, you will have an easier time of life than those who rely
on only one.

------
cjbprime
Wait, you get fired after three months of every new job? Why? Do they give you
a reason? This is not normal, even when you're a teenager.

~~~
anonymouskid
My internships end and I have to go back to school

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andreasgonewild
This thread was a truly depressing read. Someone is fed up with the bullshit
and has the courage to speak their mind, and the best you can manage is
throwing stones to protect your own miserable bubbles. Here's some
constructive advice: Find something you love to do, then give it your best
against any odds and ignore the stones that will inevitably be thrown; you
will have to do it sooner or later anyway, or die regretting a wasted life.
And forgive them, for they know not who they are.

~~~
devotedtoneu
One possibility is that everyone in this thread has been that 19 year old at
one point or another, and they know where it leads.

Ultimately, there's a reason they pay you to work.

~~~
andreasgonewild
Keep telling yourself that; first impressions are vital, you go numb from
forcing yourself to conform. I too was 19 years old back in the days, I'm 40
now and I'm more certain than ever that doing my own thing is the only way
forward. In-between, I spent a long time playing your game; trying to talk
others out of rocking my boat.

~~~
devotedtoneu
I would ask you to consider the dangers of trying to fit everyone into your
existing narrative and the limiting effect it can have on your mental
flexibility.

~~~
andreasgonewild
Very good, now go write that on the blackboard until you understand who is who
in that sentence.

------
acrooks
Email me

