Episode 438: Software job after prison and working 60 hours per week at age 20 and feeling unfulfilled

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Dec 9, 2024

The conversation dives into the unique journey of learning to code while incarcerated and the challenges faced when reentering the tech job market. Personal connections and soft skills become crucial in overcoming societal stigma. A candid discussion ensues about the demanding work culture, with listeners reflecting on long hours and feelings of unfulfillment at a young age. The importance of balancing work commitments with personal relationships and meaningful life choices is emphasized, encouraging listeners to seek true satisfaction beyond career ambitions.

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ANECDOTE

Developer's Prison Experience

A formerly incarcerated developer, coding for 18 years in prison, seeks advice on re-entering the tech industry.
They have a non-traditional background, lack recent open-source projects, but possess a unique reference.

INSIGHT

Job Market Headwinds

Getting a first software developer job is currently very challenging due to the economy and AI.
Some believe AI makes junior developers obsolete, creating significant headwinds for new entrants.

ADVICE

Use Referrals

Leverage personal connections to get your foot in the door, as it's a significant advantage.
Companies value referrals to reduce hiring risks, so don't feel bad about using them.

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In this episode, Dave and Jamison answer these questions:

I am a first time caller and full time listener of your show.

I was released from prison a year ago and I coded for 18 years straight on all sorts of stacks as part of my job requirements in the pen. Imagine the irony when I discovered what codepen was.

A dev told me about an opening for full remote/full stack web dev at their company. I’ve used the tech stack before but I have a non-traditional background to say the least. I’m not worried about being qualified but I have never worked in a team and I have always been responsible for production.

I work for a large retailer in a non-coding role. I’m also doing some freelancing on upwork/fiverr, but the pay is low and the jobs are not fulfilling. I was self-employed before I was incarcerated and I know how to beat the pavement and get small time work, but this is an opportunity to work at a real software house. I don’t even care if it’s a feature factory, I just have loved coding since I was 14.

What do I do? I am confident in my skills and ability to deliver under pressure (in a place that has pressures you can’t imagine). I have a cover letter, but a bad resume and no open source projects from this millennium. I do have a reference - a Captain I worked for said he was willing. However, the opportunity was unexpected and I have not prepared anything.

The dev who brought me the offer was a casual friend in IRC and he told me that my resume was mentioned in some meeting. I know you have suggested in previous shows that having someone get your foot in the door is the best way but I really think that feels gross to me.

Anyways, longtime listener of your show and first time caller. In fact, when I was in prison, a few years before I was released we finally got tablets with an incredibly limited amount of content. Your show was one of a few on coding but I really enjoy your take on the soft skills because even though I worked in a non-traditional environment, teamwork was always the focus and I listened to everything from square one (took me a long time to get there).

So thank you for your podcast you don’t know how many times I could sit in my cell listening to your show and disappear from my cage.

Sincerely, Names have been change to protect the guilty
Second time caller from NYC! I previously wrote in as an 18-year-old CS graduate (Episode 332).

I’ve focused intensely on work for the past 4 years, consistently working 60+ hours per week.

I always assumed that this approach to life would eventually bear fruit, but a couple months into turning 20, I’m realizing that I haven’t really done anything memorable besides work (which is a scary realization at 20).

While I like working hard and want to ensure the success of the company I work for, I also want to feel like I am living. How have you struck the balance between work and non-work in your lives, and how has that related to the culture of the company you were working for at the time? I should also mention the company I work for (early stage, well funded) does have a culture where it’s expected to work everyday, and 60 hours is approximately the minimum expected.