The 2025 Bum Thread

[throwaway4372]

I also kinda hate dev work (more the companies than the work) but can't see myself doing anything else. I would feel some loss of self worth if I traded my time for less money than I'm used to.

 

[Megahurtz400]

Same here, I can not work for a few years if I'm frugal. It's hard to push the anxiety about income to the side though.

I've been on an Ebaying binge since the start of the year just shifting anything I haven't used for a while, surprising what people will pay for some stuff!

I'm having a big career shift, and I'm not above working in a super market or something to keep a bit of fun money coming in while I make the change.

Much like @mid_gen has said in his post, while I think the IT/Cyber industry is where I want to do, I'm not having kids, so I'm lucky that I don't have to grind 40 hour weeks out doing something that I don't find fulfilling.

I've done quite well for myself in the last few years financially (not enough to retire in my early 30's of course ), I think a bit of a reset to properly remember the value of money will be good for me if anything

 

[mid_gen]

I'm having a big career shift, and I'm not above working in a super market or something to keep a bit of fun money coming in while I make the change.

Much like @mid_gen has said in his post, while I think the IT/Cyber industry is where I want to do, I'm not having kids, so I'm lucky that I don't have to grind 40 hour weeks out doing something that I don't find fulfilling.

I've done quite well for myself in the last few years financially (not enough to retire in my early 30's of course ), I think a bit of a reset to properly remember the value of money will be good for me if anything

Another aspect that is swaying my thinking is that a very good friend of mine that had planned meticulously for retirement, just died suddenly in his sleep last year aged 40 (undiagnosed brain cancer).

While I'm not in full YOLO mode, I am thinking a lot more about what makes me happy, and ultimately, since moving back to the UK in 2019 (just before Covid), the lifestyle here has just ground me down. People in the UK are so programmed to eat **** from their employers, it's quite depressing. People are gobsmacked I've quit a well-paid job because I'm not prepared to commute 4 hours a day, 3 days a week.

 

[Ayahuasca]

People in the UK are so programmed to eat **** from their employers, it's quite depressing. People are gobsmacked I've quit a well-paid job because I'm not prepared to commute 4 hours a day, 3 days a week.

I've noticed this a lot too, any kind of questioning of it is seen as negative and that you're work-shy.

The thing is, those implementing these RTO mandates know exactly what it's doing to people, but they don't care because they have all the power at the moment and even in niche areas they still have hundreds if not thousands of people applying for the role and even if only 1% of them are qualified and experienced, it's still more than enough.

 

[413x]

We are both fighting that cultural pressure to stick with the grind until retirement. Having no kids really turns that on it's head though, you don't *need* to grind for 38 hours a week.

We could get by on 20 hours a week each, minimum wage.

It's a bit tough to give up the software engineering lark though, it does pay well and (tooting my own horn), I am good at it. I am ready for a break for a bit though, at least while the games industry gets past this bust cycle.

I really wish there were more jobs that were flexible. I'd love to do my job 3-4 days a week not 5.
With not kids and no lifestyle creep I would in an instant sacrifice 20 percent of my salary for 20 percent more time.

Higher rate tax really makes time seem more valuable than salary.

 

[413x]

Another aspect that is swaying my thinking is that a very good friend of mine that had planned meticulously for retirement, just died suddenly in his sleep last year aged 40 (undiagnosed brain cancer).

While I'm not in full YOLO mode, I am thinking a lot more about what makes me happy, and ultimately, since moving back to the UK in 2019 (just before Covid), the lifestyle here has just ground me down. People in the UK are so programmed to eat **** from their employers, it's quite depressing. People are gobsmacked I've quit a well-paid job because I'm not prepared to commute 4 hours a day, 3 days a week.

Wow.

A good way to go though vs what others with cancer get.

But yeah when you see first hand this stuff happen it makes you re evaluate everything. Its caused a lot of rethink seeing someone pass away too young.

 

[Megahurtz400]

Another aspect that is swaying my thinking is that a very good friend of mine that had planned meticulously for retirement, just died suddenly in his sleep last year aged 40 (undiagnosed brain cancer).

While I'm not in full YOLO mode, I am thinking a lot more about what makes me happy, and ultimately, since moving back to the UK in 2019 (just before Covid), the lifestyle here has just ground me down. People in the UK are so programmed to eat **** from their employers, it's quite depressing. People are gobsmacked I've quit a well-paid job because I'm not prepared to commute 4 hours a day, 3 days a week.

My partners sister passed away a couple of years ago at 32, really puts things into perspective. I'm also not an invincible 25 year old any more, I'm tired and old before my time having worked 40-50 hour weeks running a business.

Combine that with not being a very materialistic person, I just don't see the value in grinding for "more." More what? More stuff you have to lug around whenever you move house? No thanks.

100% on the UK people just being so subservient to employers, you owe an employer nothing, they'll drop you for business reasons in a heart beat, so don't go above and beyond unless they're reciprocating in the same way.

I've noticed this a lot too, any kind of questioning of it is seen as negative and that you're work-shy.

The thing is, those implementing these RTO mandates know exactly what it's doing to people, but they don't care because they have all the power at the moment and even in niche areas they still have hundreds if not thousands of people applying for the role and even if only 1% of them are qualified and experienced, it's still more than enough.

A big reason for my change is that I want to work remotely, I worked in office all through covid and I just want a better work life balance.

The people mandating RTO are just the middle managers who are scared for their own jobs as it's harder to count the beans and be a pain to people to justify you job when everyone is at home

Although I did have a discussion with friends on this recently, I bet there is a huge chunk of people who are taking the absolute pee with WFH though, same as always, there's useless people who ruin it for the good ones...

 

[NickK]

I also kinda hate dev work (more the companies than the work) but can't see myself doing anything else. I would feel some loss of self worth if I traded my time for less money than I'm used to.

In the past dev work and the fine detail it required was good and interesting. However as I've gone on, the product and business side has become more interesting and, I hate to say it, the 'detail' of software engineering annoys the crap out of me, to the point it becomes a procrastination exercise when starting developing a new idea (I've been product/leading/managing and sorting problem projects out for a long time so the engineering is more a hobby now).

AI has changed that a little.. it can help get past that initial annoyance but then you're into the grind again. It feels like a whack a mole game and grinding for levels.

The course I've done has been a boon - there's quite a few interesting entrepreneurs (including those that have actually built and exited their companies) and it's something I'm interested in. It's also made me consider the fact that at 51+, the market sees age as being a problem - not sure why still but there you have it. So if companies don't want to employ older staff then I will have to work for myself, drive it myself and they can then pay through the nose for my experience and services (ie not contracting but my company). It also derisks from an employment perspective because I've been fired as a short term employment after delivering stuff and before the 2 year boundary a number of times now, it's basically a lie and they simply want contractors at non-contract rates. As you're under 2 years they can skimp on the costly FTE benefits by creating a two tier system. **** them and their law.

I've done entrepreneurship within a large organisation, but I'm missing the whole VC experience - it's different when you're hustling to get the board to recognise a new opportunity, then finally get to build a business case side of desk and defend it. You're still doing all the work but what I don't have is the contact or experience of the VC process etc.

 

[mid_gen]

Well, looks like I may get gardening leave, for the last six weeks anyway, was not expecting that to be approved. Win.

 

[Mr Jack]

It's a bit tough to give up the software engineering lark though, it does pay well and (tooting my own horn), I am good at it. I am ready for a break for a bit though, at least while the games industry gets past this bust cycle.

My experience is that people outside the games industry are keen to hire people who have worked in games. There's a widespread perception that Games Developers are a particularly capable bunch and it's generally easier to find a decent work/life balance in software outside games. You can probably get a payrise out of it too.

Work a couple of years and then start pushing for a four day week? Worked for my brother.