
Ask HN: If you had two months off between jobs what would you be doing? - break_the_bank
Trying to get some ideas on how to spend my time off.
======
Aaargh20318
I had three months off between jobs a couple of years ago. I did absolutely
nothing, just sleep in, stay up late, read a few books, watch movies and play
games.

After three months I almost felt like a human being again. That feeling was
gone 2 days into the new job.

~~~
Rooster61
That's...alarming. I don't mean to be presumptuous, but I think you might be
in the wrong line of work if that's the case. Work can suck, but it shouldn't
be that soul crushing.

~~~
Aaargh20318
Oh, it's not the wrong kind of work, it's just having a job at all. I'm
autistic, having to be among people is just so exhausting. It's the cost of
acting like a normal person.

Fortunately my current employer is very understanding, I work from home at
least one day a week or more if I need it. I can tone down the act a little
here, which is very helpful. Unfortunately I can't completely turn it off (I
wouldn't be able to function that way). If it were up to me I wouldn't leave
the house at all, unfortunately I need to eat, pay the mortgage, etc.

> Work can suck, but it shouldn't be that soul crushing.

Every job is soul crushing. Not because of the work, but because of the fact
that you _have_ to do it. The fact you have _zero_ say in how you spend your
time. The fact that you _have_ to interact with human beings. etc. There's no
way around it.

~~~
Rooster61
I'd argue that it still might not fit you. If I'm hearing you correctly, you
are in a software engineering position. That job unfortunately requires human
interaction, as the problem of correctly designing and deploying software is
HARD. It sounds like that isn't lost on you, though, and I can imagine having
autism would make this job exceedingly difficult. It sounds like a pure
programming job would be ideal for you, but I've never seen one personally. I
honestly hope you find one. I just got out of a bad job and I know how taxing
it can be.

I disagree that every job is soul crushing, though. At least not intrinsically
so. Different jobs are good or bad based on the situation of the one
performing it. We do have a choice in that we can choose not to perform that
job (although for many that isn't really a true choice).

In any case, I hope your current and future employers recognize your needs.
There are too many hard-ass managers with a "business mindset" that would
rather avoid working with perfectly productive individuals such as yourself.

~~~
Aaargh20318
> It sounds like a pure programming job would be ideal for you, but I've never
> seen one personally.

So far I have mainly worked for small startups in R&D type of roles, which
suits me well. The problems start when the company starts to grow.

At my current job I was the only developer when I started, now we’re at a
dozen developers and they are talking about hiring a scrum master. That’s kind
of my sign to start looking, which is a bit sad because this employer has been
really good to me. Experience has shown me, however, that sticking around too
long when a company gets over a certain size is not a good idea.

> I hope your current and future employers recognize your needs.

They do. Honestly they’ve been great about it, but unfortunately that doesn’t
mean it’s easy.

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projectramo
If you ask me before I take the two months off, I would plan to write a novel,
write, shoot and direct a movie, take the CFA, back test some trading
algorithms, and write three apps (one game, one very useful app in a new
industry I know nothing about, and some social app) while learning new
languages (mandarin and some variant of lisp).

If you ask me after the two months, I most likely caught up on Westworld.

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StevePerkins
This question depends very much on WHETHER OR NOT THE NEXT JOB IS ALREADY
LINED UP.

If I don't have to worry about my unemployment, then for two months I would
spend more time with my family and on personal interests that refresh my mind
and spirit.

Otherwise, I would spend the two months networking and interviewing toward the
next job. A job hunt IS a full-time job. Quite frankly, a more time-consuming
and stressful job than being a computer programmer is.

~~~
ghaff
Don't you read posts here? If you have a pulse you send an email or two and
have a new FAANG job paying $400K in a couple days. </s>

Somewhat annoyingly (but not really), the one time I had 6 weeks or so off I
did spend it job hunting. [This was during dot-bomb by way of context.]
Somewhat annoyingly because the conversation I had with a company owner I knew
literally about a couple of days after I was laid off led to an eventual job
offer at the small company. But, of course, I didn't know that at the time.

And the job after that was the usual case of "How soon can you start?"

If I knew I'd have a couple months off, I'd quickly book tickets to someplace
I wanted to take an extended vacation to.

~~~
malvosenior
> _And the job after that was the usual case of "How soon can you start?"_

That's when I would normally say that I've been planning a trip so I can start
in 2 months. Then you can relax with your next role lined up.

It actually works really well for negotiation too. While interviewing say that
you've been planning a trip/something else and that you weren't even really
looking for a job but the position you're talking about was so interesting you
thought it was worth exploring.

That helps because it gives the appearance of:

1\. Not being under financial pressure

2\. Having many options for employment that you can choose at will

Both are very helpful when negotiating. High end individuals usually won't
have to rush into a new job right away and will often do some intercontinental
travel or large personal project between roles.

~~~
ghaff
That's all fair. But, in this case, it was a role that was created
specifically for me and they really did want me to get started right away.

And I did somewhat split the difference. I had drawn up a short list of
vacation spots and, as soon as I got confirmation of the offer, I booked a
trip for 2-3 weeks.So it's not like I started the next day. (I also needed to
ramp down in my then current position.)

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exabrial
I just did that this summer. I saw a bunch of friends, went out a lot made
more friends, traveled around my state to see old friends...

But the thing that was most satisfying was committing to volunteer work every
single week. People complain so much about social injustice and how we should
tax this and that... Very few will open their pockets or put the time in to
_actually_ make a difference.

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keiferski
Personally I’d turn off my electronics, grab some books and go hiking in the
wilderness. At least for a couple weeks. You may never get a chance to be this
“unplugged” again.

~~~
dharmab
To be less extreme, I'd go road tripping, carrying a camera and
tablet/e-reader and not a laptop.

~~~
keiferski
To me, the point would be to unplug. Carrying around a camera and tablet
defeats the entire purpose.

~~~
dharmab
The camera is because photography is fun and the tablet is for information
which is invaluable on the road, especially in case of natural disasters like
wildfires. (Twitter came in handy for avoiding wildfire closures on my last
trip). You also need a way to contact your bank/credit card if you start
getting declined.

Just uninstall all your social media apps!

------
embwbam
Absolutely travel. Traveling solo is a hugely rewarding experience. Stay in
hostels to meet other people and make friends. If money is tight, choose a
cheap area. If you like outdoor adventuring, combine it with rock climbing or
summiting some mountains. (I can provide recommendations if you want)

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zimablue
I had a similar situation, I just ran, hit the gym, dated and learned Clojure.
Great times take me back.

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EnderMB
This actually happened to me before I started my current job. I was leaving a
senior-level role as a .NET developer, and was moving over to be a standard-
level developer in Ruby and Python. I left mid-way through November, thanks to
a ton of holiday I had booked for Christmas, and decided to join in January
instead of at a time when everything winds down in a lot of companies.

My Python knowledge was non-existent, so I spent most of my time sleeping in,
and working my way through a set of Python books. I worked through Learn
Python The Hard Way, and Data Structures and Algorithms in Python, and
although I've not done much Python this year it gave me the best of both
worlds. I was able to relax through the two months off, but keep my mind in
code and get over the initial impostor syndrome I'd get from joining an
established team with zero experience of their tools in anger.

Frankly, I still feel like my Ruby and Python skills are beginner-level, at
best, but those two months helped me hit the ground running at my new job, and
nearly a year later I've come to appreciate different languages as similar in
many ways. I feel that I can start a new non-trivial project and (if given
enough time) I can write working code in either to achieve a task - something
I didn't feel before, which I put down to the two months holiday I took.

------
giancarlostoro
Ask yourself what is the biggest thing you always stop yourself from doing
because you "don't have enough time" and go for it. For me it would be working
on more open source projects and ideas.

------
lettergram
I personally write blog posts I find interesting[1], catch up around the house
(new jobs typically take up more time than old), and take long walks or runs
(maybe play some video games or read).

Personally, I have trouble not being productive (or at least feeling
productive). Often this leads me to pick up a news skill (eg cooking Indian
cuisine, leaning Haskell, installing a news Linux district, etc).

Last time I had two months off I wrote a website to help you invest by tacking
insiders at companies who speak publically:
[https://projectpiglet.com/](https://projectpiglet.com/)

Incidentally, I'll likely be taking a month or so off shortly to just clean
the garage and build a couple pieces of furniture. Along with taking care of
my son (preturnity leave, but plan to leave him in day care a couple days a
week).

[1] [https://austingwalters.com](https://austingwalters.com)

~~~
sam1r
You want to provide a promo code?:)

Looks really cool! About to signup for the beta.

------
sjroot
Spend some time with your family and friends. You could "combine" this with
the many travel recommendations you are getting, by (1) visiting loved ones
who live far from you or (2) traveling somewhere with them.

Enjoy your time off!

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leesec
Go see all my friends who are all over the world, and eat long dinners and
drink nice wine and exercise everyday and catch up on my reading list and take
aimless walks and prepare for my new job, but at a relaxed pace.

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schnevets
A lot of folks would say travel, but last time I had a gap (3 weeks between
jobs), I did the exact opposite. I made an ideal routine - I ran every
morning, I started cooking, I read most evenings.

Between 11am and 4pm, I'd find some "work" to take care of - mostly home-
related and some favors for family members. I kept saying I'd do something
audacious - join an open source project, write an app, yadda-yadda - but this
would just bring me down.

I can't be motivated to excel until I'm absolutely comfortable where I am.
Sometimes it takes a few days of freedom to remember that.

------
mbrock
If I were single, I’d go stay at a particular Zen-inspired meditation retreat
center farm that I’ve lived at before between jobs. It’s a nice lifestyle of
meditation, cooking/eating/cleaning, drinking tea, farming, etc.

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loso
I just recently had 5 months off between jobs. I was already being recruited
for other jobs so I never worried about finding a new one. I relaxed and also
studied different things that I always wanted to but didn't have the time.I
basically wanted to enjoy a summer with no stress for the first time in a long
time. I would have taken 6 months off but my car had issues again so I decided
to answer some of those recruiters. I had a new job in 2 weeks making almost
double what I did before. But I say that with adding the caveat that I was
underpaid at my last job.

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esotericn
Open source development.

I often have long periods of time off - that's the nature of contracting. You
only need to work all the time if you want toys. So right now I'm learning,
training, and giving back.

~~~
stuxnet79
This is the ideal situation for me. I very strongly value personal development
and I feel it's impossible to get with a regular gig. I'd prefer work that's
more transient in nature and gives me time to explore projects for learning
and personal interest.

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shafiqissani
I'd do nothing. Yes, a lot of that.

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atx-dev
Two months is a long time. It's great to sleep in and stay up late and all
that, but it can get old fast. Now is the perfect time to take care of some
items on your bucket list. Don't have a bucket list? Great time to make one!
On a tight budget? Take the time to catch-up with friends and family. Be a
tourist in your area. Take some day trips to nearby areas. Seize the free time
so that when you start back to work, you don't look back on it as a wasted
opportunity!

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sarabande
Travel, learn a language, read, code on a personal project, help others -- it
could be anything.

One thing I've typically done is a breadth-first search of interests at that
point in time, so I know how to direct my activities to get fulfillment out of
life for the next few years. I've mainly been able to do that through reading
a lot (nonfiction mostly). It's hard to do when you're full-time working.

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vorpalhex
My only semi joking answer has been to hire a personal trainer and follow John
Cena's workout regiment in an attempt to get truly sculpted - while I hit the
gym frequently now, making it my job would let me get some awesome results.

Alternatively, I would take a hardcore tech break. Rent out a cabin in a
remote area and just relax, write and hike all day. Maybe pick archery back
up.

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hogu
I had 3 months between jobs 3 years ago. I watched all of Doctor Who (never
watched it before) and just generally relaxed, ate healthy, and exercised. I
also spent 2 weeks traveling. This was very useful because I was quite burned
out from the previous job.

I have a year off between jobs right now (finance non compete) and I'm using
the time to bootstrap a company

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hkchad
With enough notice and time to prepare I'd drive the PanAmerica Highway from
Prudhoe Bay, Alaska to Ushuaia South America camping along the way. Only thing
stopping me right now is time away from work. Might take more than 2 months
though.

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kowdermeister
I had these few months and rather casually I'm putting the finishing touches
on a side project. It was also beneficiary during the job hunting.

I wish I had traveled more, but laziness and monitor addiction is real :)

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duiker101
I just had 7 months off and I went travelling(mostly US and EU). Another time
I did a huge chunk of South East Asia with 3 months. 2 months would also give
you ample time to explore a lot of new places!

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finleymedia
I would finish a side project and hoping it would turn into something.

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tmaly
I would travel to a new country I have not been before and explore the culture
and food.

I would find a nice fiction novel to read, and I would try to build a habit of
working out each day.

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mangoman
If you don't already, workout every day! get in the habit while you have no
excuse not to go. Once you get in the habit, you won't stop after you start
working.

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towndrunk
Ride my motorcycle across the U.S. like this guy did.

[https://youtu.be/3OoEDJjE7RI](https://youtu.be/3OoEDJjE7RI)

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kamaal
Relaxing. Siestas. Spending time with my kid, taking her to parks, playing
with her. Taking wife to movies, dinner and reading books.

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Tcepsa
I would try to set up a healthier lifestyle, primarily by working on
establishing consistent exercise and eating patterns.

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pvinis
Same thing I did when I had 6 days between jobs. Work on my side projects and
have fun doing it. A lot of progress also!

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H1Supreme
Probably just more of the same stuff I do in me free time. Work on music,
cycling, beer drinking, and lots more sleep.

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ramshanker
I will study some math. Revisiting high school math textbooks. They really
hide the application part in those years!

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bayological
I'd travel to a different country, read some books, meet some new people & go
on dates.

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dsco
Divide my time between ML and crypto, trying to understand the fundamentals of
each discipline.

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nodefourtytwo
Studied and got an AWS certification. Played basketball. Traveled. It was a
good summer.

~~~
szilardboy
How has the certification benefited you since then? I am considering working
towards it as well.

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expertentipp
Beware of "cool" things - it's a waste of time and money, likely dangerous for
health. Skydiving and travelling to Cambodia or Mongolia is an unimpressive
cliche.

Catch up on health (posture, sight, diet). Catch up with family. Sort out any
outstanding paperwork (tax declarations, pension related). Sleep long. Read.

~~~
atom-morgan
Skydiving is both fun and not that dangerous. It's "cool" for a reason.

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amelius
Learn to use Blender. Or invent yet another new programming language.

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alemhnan
Solo backpacking in Central/South America or Asia.

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MikeLui
Go around visiting national parks for some eco-therapy

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jdlyga
I took a week off between my last job and current job. It really feels like
you've dropped out of society. I don't recommend doing that for more than a
week.

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Kagerjay
Travel, read books, work on side projects

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GavinMcG
I went on a 300 mile hike

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ionised
I'd go travelling.

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superdex
Riding my bike. A LOT.

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bra-ket
finish editing a couple of wikipedia articles

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make3
travel the world of course

