Should I Quit My Job? What’s Next? Part 2

[SW15]

Big Update: I Landed a New Tech Job

After I got that stern talking-to at my current job, I took @SW15 ’s advice, and started working on my resume plus applying to other jobs.

I sent out 70 applications, which got me a couple of interviews. One of the jobs offered me a position as a mid-level developer, paying me $120,000 a year. It’s also 100% remote, I’d never have to go in the office ever.

I am impressed that you were able to get a new job in 3 weeks during one of the slowest times of the year for job interviewing with 2 major holidays. This wouldn't happen for general business, white collar type roles.

The salary is awesome at ages 26-27. Women don't tend to judge 26-27 year old men on their money/annual income, but you're well set up for your 30s when that starts to become more relevant.

If you are now going to be 100% remote, when will you be moving to a more populated city that offers you more approaching opportunities? In the past, you had to live in a smaller town with an area population well under 150,000 in order to keep a job that required you to be in person at least part of the time.

That’s effectively a $45K raise. And I was hyped when they gave me a $7K raise at my first job for doing AWS Cloud Practitioner.

I was able to talk to the recruiter over the phone, and he give me a ton of hints on the kind of questions they would ask on the interview. I could tell he liked me off rip, which is great.

All good stuff. In general, the best pay raises that a person gets are from switching jobs. In terms of money, there's less incentive for staying at a certain company for a longer period of time. The incentives for staying with the same company for longer tend to be non-monetary incentives. Non-monetary incentives do have some value. It is rare that they are $45,000/annual worth of value.

 

[BackInTheGame78]

Big Update: I Landed a New Tech Job

After I got that stern talking-to at my current job, I took @SW15 ’s advice, and started working on my resume plus applying to other jobs.

I sent out 70 applications, which got me a couple of interviews. One of the jobs offered me a position as a mid-level developer, paying me $120,000 a year. It’s also 100% remote, I’d never have to go in the office ever.

Freaking Christ. That’s effectively a $45K raise. And I was hyped when they gave me a $7K raise at my first job for doing AWS Cloud Practitioner.

I was able to talk to the recruiter over the phone, and he give me a ton of hints on the kind of questions they would ask on the interview. I could tell he liked me off rip, which is great.

By the way, @BackInTheGame78 do you ever use ChatGPT? It’s insanely useful in this field. It’s helping me get tickets done faster, which is increasing my work speed. It was also fantastic at training me up in this interview. I pasted in the job description and told it to ask me mid-level interview questions on Java and Spring Boot. It hit a lot of the questions that they asked me.

I TOLD you that's how you do it!!

Congrats!

Yup, we actually use something called GitHub CoPilot which is basically ChatGPT integrated into our IDE that can help give code suggestions and even write code based off comments you write as to what it's supposed to do.

It's really helpful, especially for mundane boilerplate stuff. Not so helpful for more detailed stuff.

As I say, it's great for getting you from city to city on a cross country trip but not so great for getting you to places in the city once you are there. But that's OK, just gotta know it's limitations and roll with it.

 

[TheGrindEqualsHappiness]

If you are now going to be 100% remote, when will you be moving to a more populated city that offers you more approaching opportunities?

I have a better idea:

If you have opportunity of fully remote 120k/year job from US, I would strongly suggest geo arbitraging to close enough time-zone in somewhere middle/south america. You would get better standard of living for fraction of cost there and would be able to save/invest much bigger portion of your income.

Read "4 hour work week" by Tim Ferris.

Also if you believe that SMV if affected by mans resources, that 120k salary wouldn't also be too bad compared to local standards there..

 

[AAAgent]

This is gold. I actually have a one-on-one scheduled with my boss in a couple days. (We have one on one’s scheduled each month now.) I’ll be using this script.

Happy to hear that. I wish someone drilled this into me when i was coming up. I'm sure it was told to me but really difficult for this to sink in to the point where you can execute on it.

Always keep in mind this and you'll begin marching your way up the ladder. The better you understand your boss, and their expectations, the more comfortable you will make him/yourself feel, and the better you will make him look.

Good luck!

 

[BackInTheGame78]

I have a better idea:

If you have opportunity of fully remote 120k/year job from US, I would strongly suggest geo arbitraging to close enough time-zone in somewhere middle/south america. You would get better standard of living for fraction of cost there and would be able to save/invest much bigger portion of your income.

Read "4 hour work week" by Tim Ferris.

Also if you believe that SMV if affected by mans resources, that 120k salary wouldn't also be too bad compared to local standards there..

That causes major tax issues for companies and they WILL fire you if they find out. Not worth the risk, IMO. They are looking for that kind of stuff.

All it takes is forgetting to sign on via VPN one time and they have a permanent record of your IP address.

Not that simple.

 

[BackInTheGame78]

I am impressed that you were able to get a new job in 3 weeks during one of the slowest times of the year for job interviewing with 2 major holidays. This wouldn't happen for general business, white collar type roles.

The salary is awesome at ages 26-27. Women don't tend to judge 26-27 year old men on their money/annual income, but you're well set up for your 30s when that starts to become more relevant.

If you are now going to be 100% remote, when will you be moving to a more populated city that offers you more approaching opportunities? In the past, you had to live in a smaller town with an area population well under 150,000 in order to keep a job that required you to be in person at least part of the time.



All good stuff. In general, the best pay raises that a person gets are from switching jobs. In terms of money, there's less incentive for staying at a certain company for a longer period of time. The incentives for staying with the same company for longer tend to be non-monetary incentives. Non-monetary incentives do have some value. It is rare that they are $45,000/annual worth of value.

Agree, I have followed this pattern of job switching after 6mo-2 years 4 times now and it's been about 20K higher each time. Would have sh!t my pants if I got a 45K raise in one shot.

 

[TheGrindEqualsHappiness]

That causes major tax issues for companies and they WILL fire you if they find out. Not worth the risk, IMO. They are looking for that kind of stuff.

All it takes is forgetting to sign on via VPN one time and they have a permanent record of your IP address.

Not that simple.

Yep, I would agree with the employer first. It's bad idea to do this behind their back and eventually they would find out.

 

[AAAgent]

Agree, I have followed this pattern of job switching after 6mo-2 years 4 times now and it's been about 20K higher each time. Would have sh!t my pants if I got a 45K raise in one shot.

Only thing i would add to this is some employers see this as a red flag. Mainly "job hopping". It's not the end all be all but the higher up you get, you need to show some longevity in your roles. I also used to job hop a bit throughout my career. Have a good story to tell for why you were job hopping or taking certain jobs.

i jumped a couple of jobs before landing a my job in finance/saas sales. I started as an analyst first, then went into account management, then went into sales. During some of my sales interviews they would why i've been switching jobs so often as they really want to invest into someone that will stay at the company for the long term.

Always be prepared to tell a story to address why you want to work there and why your career looks the way it does. Have this story fit into the employer as employers don't want to invest into someone who will be gone soon. The higher up you go, the longer the track record you will need to show at companies to avoid having job hopping come up.

Story TLDR:

Finance SAAS sales

I believed good sales people need a strong analytical background to help with persuasion, strong account management to manage relationships, and i worked on those first. SOLD

 

[BackInTheGame78]

Only thing i would add to this is some employers see this as a red flag. Mainly "job hopping". It's not the end all be all but the higher up you get, you need to show some longevity in your roles. I also used to job hop a bit throughout my career. Have a good story to tell for why you were job hopping or taking certain jobs.

i jumped a couple of jobs before landing a my job in finance/saas sales. I started as an analyst first, then went into account management, then went into sales. During some of my sales interviews they would why i've been switching jobs so often as they really want to invest into someone that will stay at the company for the long term.

Always be prepared to tell a story to address why you want to work there and why your career looks the way it does. Have this story fit into the employer as employers don't want to invest into someone who will be gone soon. The higher up you go, the longer the track record you will need to show at companies to avoid having job hopping come up.

Story TLDR:

Finance SAAS sales

I believed good sales people need a strong analytical background to help with persuasion, strong account management to manage relationships, and i worked on those first. SOLD

Not in IT they don't. It's not even blinked at, almost expected actually.

 

[nicksaiz65]

Happy for you, brotha. 100k+ at 26 is remarkable, it only goes up from there! Keep at it!

Thank you fam! I’m really excited for the opportunity!

 

[nicksaiz65]

I am impressed that you were able to get a new job in 3 weeks during one of the slowest times of the year for job interviewing with 2 major holidays. This wouldn't happen for general business, white collar type roles.

The salary is awesome at ages 26-27. Women don't tend to judge 26-27 year old men on their money/annual income, but you're well set up for your 30s when that starts to become more relevant.

If you are now going to be 100% remote, when will you be moving to a more populated city that offers you more approaching opportunities? In the past, you had to live in a smaller town with an area population well under 150,000 in order to keep a job that required you to be in person at least part of the time.



All good stuff. In general, the best pay raises that a person gets are from switching jobs. In terms of money, there's less incentive for staying at a certain company for a longer period of time. The incentives for staying with the same company for longer tend to be non-monetary incentives. Non-monetary incentives do have some value. It is rare that they are $45,000/annual worth of value.

Thanks man. It is very lucky that I was able to secure this over the holidays.

I’ve heard that the best time to look for a new job is typically in January. Would that be true?

My dream salary would be anything $200K and above. But, we have plenty of time to achieve that.

As for the bigger city, the only thing I need to do is pay off some annoying ankle-biter fees that have been hanging around, then just allow my lease to expire. My lease expires July 2024. So this is plenty of time to allow my finances to stabilize, and then get to the big city.

 

[nicksaiz65]

I TOLD you that's how you do it!!

Congrats!

Yup, we actually use something called GitHub CoPilot which is basically ChatGPT integrated into our IDE that can help give code suggestions and even write code based off comments you write as to what it's supposed to do.

It's really helpful, especially for mundane boilerplate stuff. Not so helpful for more detailed stuff.

As I say, it's great for getting you from city to city on a cross country trip but not so great for getting you to places in the city once you are there. But that's OK, just gotta know it's limitations and roll with it.

Thanks man! I appreciate you putting me on game lol.

And definitely, for pointing you in the right direction, or even writing READMEs, it’s just fantastic. I don’t think I’ll be writing a README or a cover letter ever again lol.

 

[SW15]

I’ve heard that the best time to look for a new job is typically in January. Would that be true?

Generally, the earlier parts of the year are better for job searching. It's possible to get a new job at any time of the year, it's a matter of the level of effort needed to get a job.

When Is the Best Time of Year for Job Hunting?

All times of year are viable for changing jobs and making strategic career moves, writes career columnist Martin Yate. And now, during the Great Resignation, there are even more opportunities to choose from.

www.shrm.org

Do you know how November 15-January 1 is often a dead zone for meeting new women? November 15-January 1 is often a dead zone for finding new jobs, especially the last 2-3 weeks of December. A lot of hiring managers are using vacation time during this period and aren't available for interviews. The fact that you got a job during a dead zone period is impressive.

 

[nicksaiz65]

I have a better idea:

If you have opportunity of fully remote 120k/year job from US, I would strongly suggest geo arbitraging to close enough time-zone in somewhere middle/south america. You would get better standard of living for fraction of cost there and would be able to save/invest much bigger portion of your income.

Read "4 hour work week" by Tim Ferris.

Also if you believe that SMV if affected by mans resources, that 120k salary wouldn't also be too bad compared to local standards there..

4 Hour Workweek is definitely on my to-read list.

It says in the company contract that I must notify the company any time I leave the United States, for business or personal reasons, I MUST notify the company.

That being said, I would be down to travel more overseas once I am able to completely stabilize myself financially.

A very simplified version of my plan looks like:
Eliminate obnoxious ankle-biter fees in cash -> Move, in cash -> Establish emergency fund -> Pay off all consumer debt including student loans -> Save/invest 50% of income

 

[nicksaiz65]

Happy to hear that. I wish someone drilled this into me when i was coming up. I'm sure it was told to me but really difficult for this to sink in to the point where you can execute on it.

Always keep in mind this and you'll begin marching your way up the ladder. The better you understand your boss, and their expectations, the more comfortable you will make him/yourself feel, and the better you will make him look.

Good luck!

Thanks brotha. Although it doesn’t really matter anymore with this specific job lol, I’ll still ask him and report back.

 

[nicksaiz65]

Generally, the earlier parts of the year are better for job searching. It's possible to get a new job at any time of the year, it's a matter of the level of effort needed to get a job.

When Is the Best Time of Year for Job Hunting?

All times of year are viable for changing jobs and making strategic career moves, writes career columnist Martin Yate. And now, during the Great Resignation, there are even more opportunities to choose from.

www.shrm.org

Do you know how November 15-January 1 is often a dead zone for meeting new women? November 15-January 1 is often a dead zone for finding new jobs, especially the last 2-3 weeks of December. A lot of hiring managers are using vacation time during this period and aren't available for interviews. The fact that you got a job during a dead zone period is impressive.

Can definitely agree on that meeting women dead zone. I’ve been out before during Christmas and it’s been completely dead.

And yes, I’m very grateful. I got quite lucky!

 

[BackInTheGame78]

Generally, the earlier parts of the year are better for job searching. It's possible to get a new job at any time of the year, it's a matter of the level of effort needed to get a job.

When Is the Best Time of Year for Job Hunting?

All times of year are viable for changing jobs and making strategic career moves, writes career columnist Martin Yate. And now, during the Great Resignation, there are even more opportunities to choose from.

www.shrm.org

Do you know how November 15-January 1 is often a dead zone for meeting new women? November 15-January 1 is often a dead zone for finding new jobs, especially the last 2-3 weeks of December. A lot of hiring managers are using vacation time during this period and aren't available for interviews. The fact that you got a job during a dead zone period is impressive.

Companies also many times enact hiring freezes due to budget holds prior to the new year as teams often have to submit new budgets for approval next year before they can hire anyone else.

Obviously this isn't the case with all companies and some use different fiscal year time-frames, so their lull will be in early spring prior to June/July end of fiscal year periods

 

[nicksaiz65]

Companies also many times enact hiring freezes due to budget holds prior to the new year as teams often have to submit new budgets for approval next year before they can hire anyone else.

Obviously this isn't the case with all companies and some use different fiscal year time-frames, so their lull will be in early spring prior to June/July end of fiscal year periods

I just realized, I forgot to ask a really important question.

When should I submit my two weeks for my previous job, to keep myself the most protected?

I need to get my last paycheck from my previous employer so I don’t blow my budget. Also, something is telling me that I shouldn’t quit the job I already have until I have my first paycheck in hand from my new employer.

 

[SW15]

something is telling me that I shouldn’t quit the job I already have until I have my first paycheck in hand from my new employer.

This isn't feasible to pull off in reality in a lot of cases.

 

[nicksaiz65]

This isn't feasible to pull off in reality in a lot of cases.

Really, I just need to ensure money is coming in consistently with no gaps. My two weeks will be in before my end of year review, thank goodness.

I can absolutely overlap jobs for a bit. I can pull that off due to my remote status. But I couldn’t do that long term because of secret clearance issues.

What’s probably realistic is quitting J1 a few days into J2 so there’s no money drought. While ensuring that I’ve quit before my end of year review. I won’t be going to that, he’d tear me into confetti in it.

That being said, my current boss has given me many second chances and even gave me a full 2 weeks to train while telling me he wanted me on the team. I won’t lie, I feel a bit bad quitting especially since I like the team, but I’d be a fool to give up a job paying me $120K for a job making $75K. Like you said, job jumping is the way to go.