
Ask HN: What sort of advice can you offer to a 20 year old? - mrlurker
Hey there guys, it's been a few years since I graduated and things haven't been working out too well for me, nor do I see them working very well in the future.<p>I'm very poor. I'd like to turn my life around. I want to become successful and have a good career.
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SatvikBeri
I'm going to assume you're at least open to the idea of computer programming.
I was in a very similar situation at 20. I had a very hard time finding a job,
and when I did it didn't pay very well. I later moved, and repeated the
experience. Finally I figured some things out, and 3 years later I'm making 3
times as much and jobs are applying for me.

Here is my step-by-step advice: 1\. Look at the job postings in your
geographical area and try to find out what languages/technical skills they are
looking for. There should be a fairly common job title, such as "SAS Analyst."
You are going to paint yourself as the ideal candidate for this job title-it
should be pretty common amongst different companies, but also specific enough
that anyone will know immediately what you're looking for if you say "I'm
looking for a position as an XYZ." Being overly broad ("I'm looking for a
position as a programmer") is the kiss of death here! 2\. Learn at least one
of those languages/skills really well, and try to get some proof. This may be
a certification or some sort of app you build. I recommend SAS if it's
desirable in your area-it's very easy to get SAS certified and get SAS jobs in
my experience. 3\. Follow this approach to applying for jobs: i. Network. Talk
to people in your local area, especially those who are interested in the skill
you learned. Tell them you're looking for a job as a XYZ (your chosen job
title). Since you have a specific position in mind people will very easily be
able to refer you if someone they know is looking for a person in that field.
ii. Learn how to write a good resume. One very important tip is to add the
keywords related to that job. I found the advice at this site [1] very useful,
although beware that some of the other content on the site is a little out
there. iii. Apply to jobs using your improved resume and network. Note that
even with a great resume maybe 10% of job postings will reply-don't be
discouraged, this just means you have to apply to a lot and network a lot.

This advice is not optimized for getting you your ideal dream job-it's
optimized for getting a $50k job that will help improve your situation and
give you the resources to continue improving your life from there. Feel free
to ask/email me any questions.

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impendia
One lesson I have learned:

Embrace failure, embarrassment, confusion, pain. Don't go seeking them
exactly, but don't avoid them. If you are at all ambitious and adventurous in
_anything_ \-- entrepreneurship, grad school, dating, whatever, then you will
fail spectacularly and often. It will hurt. Badly.

But don't flinch. Consider it a good thing, it means that life has not
forgotten you. As my Buddhist friends like to say, experience what it's like
to feel pain. Remember that it will make a good story to tell your
grandchildren, and try again.

~~~
leslyn
I second this advice! In every experience there is opportunity for insight -
especially those in which we feel that we failed. I will encourage you to
spend some time considering your strengths. In my day job, I am a
therapist/coach and am happy to have an email exchange with you if you want in
an effort to help you think about your future and what you want it to look
like. A number of people have payed it forward to me and I am happy to do it
for you! email me at leslyn@uencounter.me

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glimcat
Manage your priorities like you're going to die at 30.

Take care of your health despite the cost and inconvenience. You may be able
to get away with a lot of self-neglect at 20, but it's much harder to repair
later.

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devs1010
graduated from high school? well, maybe consider going to college, you can
probably qualify for aid, etc. If you want to become a developer, all you need
is a somewhat decent computer and an internet connection and you can go from
there with all the online learning resources out there.

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yogrish
You need to open up, for someone to understand your problem and suggest any
solution. What is your specialization, your interests, expertise etc.

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jrubinovitz
Can you be more specific? Please let us know your skill set and what you'd
like to be doing.

