At Crossroads

The Article that never was

Nobody can see the future. Because of the existence of human free will, I reckon that not even God can. Yet, people try to predict things all the time. It may come as a surprise for you, but journalists often write articles in advance for predicted events, such as two possible outcomes of a presidental election. When someone famous or important is near death, their obituary or necrology is usually written in advance, potentially years before their actual death.

Luckily, I did not write the article in advance, as I listened to the wisdom of my ancestors, who said "ne igyál előre a medve bőrére", which literally translates to "do not drink (i.e. rejoice) in advance on the hide of a bear (still at large)" , but can be more accurately translated to English as "don't count your chickens before they're hatched", or for the metaphorically challenged, "one should not depend upon a favorable outcome to one's plans until it is certain to occur".

So I did not write that article in advance. And that was a wise move by me.

Second Love / Graduating to the Next Level / I'm Out

These are all titles I would have given to the article, had I written it, and had the event I was counting on actually happened.

I have no love for work, so calling my job "love" would have been obviously sarcastic. Why Second Love, though? Because I was interviewed three times by a foreign company. The first interview was with a very attractive HR woman, who successfully seduced me to the company with her list of benefits I would get for working for them. The second one was with a programmer - I thought I screwed up, but apparently, he was impressed, and allowed me to proceed to the third one, which was with a more senior programmer. Sadly, I really screwed that one up, so the HR lady regretfully informed me, that much to her sorrow, I will not be her coworker, at least for the time being.

But wait a minute, I'm already employed, so why the interviews? Well, in case you haven't been reading my articles, I am highly dissatisfied with my current job. For a software developer, I am criminally underpaid (a measly net income of just 200 000 HUF per month after taxation - which is roughly 555 EUR or 653 USD - worse yet, I started out at 153 000 HUF per month, which is 425 EUR or 500 USD) - granted, the number is deceptive, as the lower costs of living make that 200 000 HUF more equivalent to 2000 USD than really 653 - , my worktime isn't as dynamic as promised, there are talks about bringing the workers back to the office, and recently, they made a coworker that I really hate the supervisor of me and 5 of my coworkers (previously, he was the supervisor of only one of my coworkers)., etc. Now my leave requests go directly through him, and not the guy who just approved them silently. He might even question me if I make a leave request. Basically, I need to bail out and switch jobs ASAP.

I used the allegory of "second love", because, at the beginning of July, 2021, I took part in a mandatory company meeting. For the most part, it was boring talks about this year's projects, but I also got to meet some of my other coworkers in person, like a nice and attractive HR lady, the CEO (who was genuinely a nice guy), etc. They were extremely overjoyed and happy to finally meet me in person. Following the boring project presentations, there was eating and drinking. Yet, deep down, I already knew, that my days with this company are numbered, as this event was just one day after the second interview with the aforementioned foreign company. I felt like an unfaithful husband dissatisfied with his wife, receiving one last gift from his wife with a fake smile, while knowing full well that the marriage's days are numbered, still having plans to divorce her, completely unbeknownst to her. I knew: come the third date with my mistress (third interview with this foreign company), and it'll be decided, whether I stay married to my current workplace or not.

Yet, that didn't happen. I screwed up on the third interview, so I did not get the better job. My monthly net salary would have been more three times my current net salary, or even four times, if I agreed to become a freelancer (commissioned to do projects for four of the company's subsidiaries) rather than a full-time employee. My schedule would have been completely dynamic (as opposed to my current quasi-9-to-5), with the only restriction being that I must do 160 hours per month at least. Had I succeeded on the third interview, I would have accepted the new job without any thinking. I would have told my current company: "you were nice to me, and I am thankful, but the honeymoon phase is long over, and I have to move on".

Yet Life Goes On

Slightly disheartened, I did not despair. Life is a war, a constant stream of battles: it is only natural, that you win some and lose some.

So, I kept looking for - and I am still looking for - alternatives. I keep applying to companies with remote opportunities, and in case I have to quit my current job without a another job in line, I already have at least two backup plans (one being a crazy business plan, the other being just tanking it, and burning through my savings to finish college).

The Honeymoon Phase is long over

When I first got my job on the July of 2020, it was almost like a dream come true. I was a failed college student, who, after 7 years of studying, failed an exam the 6th time, meaning that I was out. I instantly re-applied to college and got accepted back in, with a lot of the subjects I have already finished being recognized, but I needed a job to pay for tuition. So I went looking for one.

Me and my mother were expecting me - someone without a diploma - to only be able to get a shitty assembly line factory job. Much to my surprise, I got a job as a software developer, albeit a criminally underpaid one, as I said before, starting with a monthly net salary of 153 000 HUF, which - at the time of writing this article - is roughly equivalent to 425 EUR or 500 USD. I had to commute to work using public transit, which turned my de jure 8 hour workdays into de facto 12 hour workdays (which is precisely why I'll quit if they ever call me back into the office). Yet, I wasn't complaining, because in my head was the image of how worse my fate could be.

However, the honeymoon phase did not last long. I quickly started resenting the commutes. Luckily - for me, that is -, two months into work, the second wave of Covid-19 came, the government forced a lockdown, and the company allowed me to work from home. Finally, I worked 9-to-5, not 7-to-7 (I consider the commute part of work).

In January, 2021, they made schedules for us software developers semi-dynamic: as long as we did our daily 8 hours, we could start whenever we wanted (on paper at least), could take a break as however long we wanted, etc. So far, so good....

... but then, in June, 2021, they told me that it was unacceptable that I always began work two hours ahead of everyone, and wasn't available when the testers were having problems, causing delays that can be supposedly measured in days.

Back to the 9-to-5 it was, and it made me resentful. This was just one day before my birthday, and it was just four days, after a recruiter from the aforementioned foreign company sought me out, and gave me a test to complete. At the time, I was like "What the hell, I'll do it, what could I lose?". Then came the return to the 9-to-5, my birthday, and the next Monday, the first interview with the very attractive HR lady. I didn't need much seducing to seriously consider defecting to her company, as I already resented my current job. In addition to being interviewed by her - and eagerly looking forward for the next interviews and e-mails - I also began to send my applications to other companies as well. I registered at all sorts of places for remote work opportunities, and continue to do so.

Either way, to give you a timeline of the events:

• 2020, 26 of June: My 28th birthday, and also the worst day in my life. I fail the exam the 6th time, thus get kicked out of college. What should have been the demolition of the last obstacle standing between me and my college degree, instead became a black mark in my calendar. This day, will forever live in infamy, at least for me.

• 2020, some time in July: I get interviewed by the company I am currently working for. They accept me, and make me sign the contract.

• 2020, 4th of August: My first day at the job. My monthly salary after taxation is 153 000 HUF, which - at the time of writing this article - is roughly equivalent to 425 EUR or 500 USD. My commutes turn my de jure 8 hour workdays into de facto 12 hour workdays. I come home every evening exhausted. I gradually grow to resent my job.

• 2020, some time in late September: Due to Covid-19 and government restrictions, I start working from home. Real 9-to-5 begins. The novelty is great at first, but it gradually wears off, and I become resentful again.

• 2021, some time in mid January: A new system is implemented for the company that lets us clock in, clock out and declare our breaks. Also, my work hours are made semi-dynamic.

• 2021, 18th of June: The aforementioned foreign company's recruiter messages me on LinkedIn, and links me a coding challenge.

• 2021, 22th of June: I message her back, saying that I am saving the link for later, when I have time to do the challenge.

• 2021, 25th of June: My supervisor chews me out for beginning work at 7 AM instead of 9 AM, as my absence in the last two hours for the 9-to-5ers is supposedly causing delays.

• 2021, 26th of June: My 29th birthday. I complete the foreign company's coding challenge.

• 2021, 28th of June: My first interview with the foreign company, by the very attractive HR lady.

• 2021, 7th of July: The second interview with the foreign company. Interviewed by a programmer. I thought I screwed up, but apparently, he was impressed, and the HR lady congratulated me, saying that I can proceed to the third interview.

• 2021, 8th of July: I took part in the mandatory event of the company I worked for. Hours of boring presentations about projects I have nothing to do with, followed by drinking, eating and chitchat. Many were happy to finally see me in person, but deep down, I knew: my days with this company are numbered, and it's only a matter of time before I resign.

• 2021, 13th of July: Third interview, interviewed by a senior programmer. I screwed up badly.

• 2021, 16th of July: Results of the third interview. The HR lady told me that much to her regret, I am put on hold, not hired, which I guess is simply a euphemism for not being good enough.

• 2021, 19th of July: All of the sudden, the coworker that I really hate is my new supervisor. Not just mine, but also that of 5 of my coworkers. Previously he was the supervisor of only one of my coworkers. Now all my leave requests will go through him, and he will have the power to approve of them or not.

• 2021, 20th of July: Talks of workers in one region being forced back into the office. Not in the region where I work, but I figured: it's only inevitable before they say the same for me as well. That's when I decided: I need to find a new job ASAP. I need to bail out as fast as possible. So I begin franctically applying to every remote software development job I can find on LinkedIn.

• 2021, 21th of July: This is today. The date of me writing this article, and publishing it.

In Conclusion

In conclusion, I am approaching crossroads. As I am applying to companies, I am getting back e-mails from some, which will potentially result in me being interviewed by them. If I get accepted at any company that gives me a fully remote job for twice the payment I currently have, I'll take it without a heartbeat, and quit my current job.

If all else fails, I'll quit by the time they demand my return to the office. I have some saved-up money for college. I could also join one of those online courses that promises to give me a remote job with 90% certainty after completing it. All in all, I'm not afraid at all. I'm not even afraid of being fired.

Besides all my other complaints about my job, I also feel stuck. Like there are no advancement options. Yes, I know, me being concerned with the future of my career is very out-of-charcter, as I wouldn't even have a career (or care to have a career) at all if it wasn't de facto mandated by the economy, but, as long as we live in a UBI-less economy that forces me to be a wageslave, I'd rather be a wageslave with a high salary than one with low salary.

But to get the higher salary, I need achievements to brag about. And my current job doesn't involve using the new hottest JavaScript frameworks like Angular, React.js or Vue.js - not even jQuery. Instead, I am stuck making shitty GUI applications that configure obscure IoT devices that pretty much no one is buying - at least, no one I've ever knew. I feel like my job is a dead-end job. I'm not gonna get a promotion, and I'm basically being discriminated against due to my lack of diploma / college degree. In contrast, the foreign company I talked about would have offered me the gargantuan salary - at least by Hungarian standards - without a diploma.

In fact, pretty much every company - both foreign and Hungarian alike - is offering a salary at twice the one I get currently, without even requiring a diploma. The only issue remains my lack of professional experience with all those frameworks.

On the 12th of September, the story continues.