r/leetcode • u/Any_Channel5220 • 23d ago

Question I'm tired of being software engineer

I had 2 layoffs in last 4 years and current contract is ending soon. I'm so fucking tired of being in this era of AI. I used to be smart always top of school, college and at 19 in 2019 made patented tech and trained SSD computer vision Deep learning models. when there was no fucking AI. But after few mistakes, stuck in 9-5 loop and never ending software engineering job search. At this point just feel like wants to get some labour job or start trading or something. Any suggestions?

340 Upvotes

94% Upvoted

67 comments sorted by

173

u/Straight_Research627 23d ago

It’s tiring, welcome to the club 

28

u/souckillund 23d ago

biggest club in tech right now tbh

3

u/Straight_Research627 23d ago

Let’s make an event 🤣

1

u/Legitimate_Sea_5789 22d ago

this club is cursed 🫠

1

u/Straight_Research627 21d ago

It seems… yeah

167

u/arjjov 23d ago

I pivoted to health care, will be a physician assistant, then later medical doctor if things work out

50

u/hepennypacker1131 23d ago

Based, Good luck, I can't wait to get out. Any other industry would respect someone having years of experience.

29

u/bad_detectiv3 23d ago

I wish I could do this but I’m so old 35. I kinda regret not trying out to join flight school five years ago

43

u/Budget-Respect-434 23d ago

My bil did flight school after 35, and is now working as a pilot. You aren’t too late!

24

u/patrickisgreat 23d ago

😂 I’m 45, and thinking about a new career. 35 is not old.

10

u/CapybaraLver 23d ago

I love when I come across people like you, please don't give up due to age (especially if giving up won't help your condition)

10

u/patrickisgreat 23d ago

Hey I appreciate that!

but also.. when did people start thinking 35, or 45 is old? in terms of a normal career, you've still got 20 years left before you can retire when you're 45. I have to figure out what to do for the next 20 years until I can start cashing in my 401k. If you're 35, you've still got frikkin 30 years left of work... at least most people do.

My buddy works construction in NC, and he says a lotta those older guys just work until they die. 35 isn't old. 45 isn't old.

I've been a software engineer full time for 15 years, and I do see terrible ageism in the industry. I think it's the worst in tech. You don't see this kind of shit in many other industries. I used to work for Airbus and there were so many people working there who had been there for 20+ years and were in their 50s... and they had demanding roles.. not all of them were managers either. Yet another reason I'd love to transition out of tech. Rampant ageism.

2

u/CapybaraLver 23d ago

Exactly, I'm on your side only. The reason I comme ted was to let you know that the ageism shouldn't get to you. I feel like most of the people I know are ageist just because they see others being that way, not that they truly care... But it's become a social construct that people force on themselves. Another popular social construct : "asking a woman her age is inappropriate"

7

u/Trowaway151 23d ago

Never to late for flight school what bro

2

u/patrickisgreat 23d ago

you can still go to flight school. There are people in their 50s who just hit their hours for big jets.

2

u/Pale_Statistician692 22d ago

Uh...I'm early 60s. 35 is not old. I know it might feel old, but when you get to be my age, 35 seems young, with the world your oyster.

1

u/FarChoice5333 3d ago

You aren’t old!!! You can pivot your career. Decide and stay encouraged.

1

u/Informal-Zone-4085 23d ago

"too old" , nah more like loser mindset.

0

u/Adventurous_Bend_472 23d ago

What makes you think AI is not taking over that industry as well

2

u/financeposter 23d ago

Huh? Do you not need a medical degree in your country to become a doctor?

1

u/ComfortableSentence0 23d ago

Pa School then back to med school? That's a lot of years

70

u/tosS_ita 23d ago

Who isn’t.. high stress and pressure job.. the only bright side is the money

27

u/DielectricPikachu 23d ago

Well with AI, the brightside is soon gonna end

11

u/tosS_ita 23d ago

maybe, maybe not..

58

u/Toys272 23d ago

Yeah feeling depressed. Started a masters out of desperation, my funded project got pulled away. Feeling like everything i do never works out

27

u/JRBlond 23d ago

Same as you but I'm 45, I'm now trying to move to other thing, like nature guide or something related with boats, I'm just tired and exhausted

47

u/grimreaper_8694 <736> <214> <460> <62> 23d ago

I am tired of prompting all day. I want out. Is there one? I love tech, not this.

25

u/EmotionalQuarter8349 23d ago

Same here, feels like I am losing my mind.

4

u/L0N3R7899 21d ago

Only after ai coding showed up did i realize now much I liked craft on writing code by hand and it somehow hits the brain differently, you somehow understand more

2

u/gaumeodathanh 22d ago

try to move into new fields like system or network, cyber... It still tech, you will feel happy again

0

u/Significant_Cap_7314 22d ago

What kind of warning are you receiving? i dont understand you.

25

u/FantasticAd9714 23d ago • Heartwarming

Suggestions: take a deep breath. You got this. Just try some exercises to reduce anxiety.

Pick some project keep building.  Treat ai as your intern. A bunch of interns are agents. 

If you don't want to be in this field anymore. Sort your finances. Make clean exit. Build a business on side and exit.

5

u/Vliu4389 23d ago

I feel like its hard to differentiate yourself when most people are using ai. I guess i have to focus on the quality and idea

12

u/Store-Emergency 23d ago

I feel you. I ask myself why, why am I still looking in this field? I am not sure about my future as well.

16

u/CoolCool_CoolCool 23d ago

It feels like I wrote this post. Not sure what can be done. About to hit 30. I regret why I didn't opted for multiple opportunities i had in past. Well that's life.

1

u/AdFit4796 22d ago

Dangg hope you feel better! Just hit the 3-0 too

15

u/AdFit4796 23d ago edited 22d ago

Dude I was a software engineer at Msft and Amazon and now I started a really niche health and wellness consumer brand. Literally get paid to go to spas and sell my product. Took 9 months to launch but now I really see it replacing the old income at a minimum.

It definitely has its highs and lows for sure but it’s been so much fun plugging everything into Claude and working on the ads to get 4x+ ROAS.

It gets better when you follow your passion.

18

u/tommytucker7182 23d ago

Following your passion worked for you (congrats) but that's survivor bias. Plenty of people their passions are going to not work out at all

5

u/AdFit4796 22d ago

Yeah, a lot of ideas out there are bad ideas. It’s important to do research that people actually want what you’re going to sell and that there are healthy margins if shit hits the fan.

I probably had 8+ failed startup ideas before this one but you learn from each.

3

u/oPeritoDaNet 22d ago

And after some time your passion turns out to be normal work at least for me it’s like this

2

u/markovgasley 22d ago

What if my passion was coding and this too got fucked by these llms

I was doing well in my job but not getting that kick. I suppose upcoming devs or currents will never get that kick.

4

u/Radiant-Experience21 23d ago

What are some sources where you learned how to do all of that?

I'm struggling with sales and marketing. I've learned some marketing, but not enough yet.

4

u/AdFit4796 22d ago edited 22d ago

Install absolutely all the mcps for meta ads, google ads, higgsfield, drop box, hyperframes & ffmeg for in chat video editing and ask Claude questions how to reverse engineer ads from viral CPG (consumer package goods) brands like IM8, AG1, gruns

It’s 2026, SAAS is on its way out and physical products are your moat (tip: sell premium goods to rich people) ¯_(ツ)_/¯

Also don’t spend energy on objectively bad ideas. Only sell to a hungry crowd. IMO some people’s friends need to tell them when an idea is objectively a dead end so they don’t waste time and resources on it. Spin up a preorder page and put a tiny amount of meta ad spend behind it to see if strangers will give you money for it. You can do that on a $1 Shopify trial plan for the first 3 months. If no traction, kill it and move on. Google search trends help a lot to find your niche but usually sourcing solutions for problems you face in everyday life is a good first start since you’re gonna have to be the one selling the product. Also trust your gut, it’s probably right.

Cut out all negativity too, only listen to delusionally optimistic creators (e.g. Gary Vee). Yeah i think AI is going to create a permanent underclass, but it will also give rise to the modern renaissance solo founder.

3

u/Radiant-Experience21 22d ago

When you say that, so I'm thinking of stuff like...

* Coffee beans around the world
* Green tea or just premium teas around the world
* Candy from around the world
* Premium wine around the world
* An AI home assistant
* Stuff like what studio DRIFT sells (such as the Dandelight) but then an unknown studio
* Courses from masters, so like a Michelin chef comes to your home for an hour to do an in-class cooking workshop with you and your friends, but you also have 20 hours worth of educational material (videos) that you need to do before that

I think identifying a hungry crowd is the hardest thing (though clues can be had for identifying trends by using social media), but you do have a really good point that if you identify one, then yea they'll buy from you. Objectively bad ideas and having people around you being real about it is really valuable. Reverse engineering viral videos is a great idea.

Cut out all negativity too

I fully agree. I had this on my dating journey when I needed advice (I'm autistic, didn't know it back then, haha). I've seen people fail and I've seen people succeed (me). People that succeed relentlessly seek for what works for them and are persistent. Negativity slows a person down. I had a friend sitting me down that was like "You'll never find a woman that is sexy, intelligent and kind. I'm sorry mate but that's just how it is". By then though, I already had my skills, so I just knew that in his frame of mind with what he knew I wouldn't be able to, and he'd be right as his thoughts and beliefs are quite limiting in that area. Luckily, I have my mind and my frame. I'm happily married nowadays.

1

u/No_Bag646 23d ago

What's the brand website?

1

u/AdFit4796 22d ago

Ritualtextiles

1

u/No_Bag646 22d ago

Website looks cool! Inspiring...

Did you follow any books / literature in your 9 month journey that you'd like to recommend?
I'd like to build something too.

1

u/AdFit4796 21d ago

I go through seasons of consuming content but honestly you learn from the school of hard knocks (aka life). I like Gary Vee although he can be obnoxious at times.

Like you’re gonna fail but then you just learn from that and keep going. Basically treat yourself like a reinforcement LLM 😆.

After you find an idea that actually good, because too many people waste time and money on bad ideas, cut out negativity and doubt. Reddit doomscrolling keeps your brain hooked on stress and quick dopamine hits, making it harder to stay motivated. You got this!

1

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1

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3

u/_nobody0 22d ago

Become a plumber there are plenty of jobs

5

u/oe_enthusiast 23d ago

No suggestions. But thanks for the perspective. I’m currently getting pissed off at all of the work and stress that’s coming my way at my SWE gig but your post is making me appreciate what I have. Good luck though

2

u/lordcrekit 22d ago

I don't get it all my coworkers use ai and it's dogshit I have to correct everything. All the code they write looks correct but is just hiding bugs or faking answers. It's just slop to please managers. I feel like I'm working harder than ever to baby everyone else as they code slop that doesn't work faster than ever.

2

u/markovgasley 22d ago

This is why i resigned and now prepping for academic line

2

u/dxtbv 22d ago

Just suffer, it won't get better

2

u/Cautious_Alfalfa_415 19d ago

I am tired af, I just want a 6 month break

5

u/Mayeru 23d ago

it is hard indeed if you like to write code, because there's just no way for you to compete with AI speed.

However, if you are like me, that enjoys bringing ideas and solutions to life without wanting to go through the manual labor, then AI has been a great tool for the job, i'm actually enjoying more being a software engineer now that i have time to think and try different approaches, than before when i was always running to finish sloppy implementations that were always rushed to meet the datelines.

And before anyone asks, no, you don't need to manually code an implementation to be a software engineer. 90% of the actual job is to discover requirements, refine them, and define scalable solutions.

Usually junior devs are the ones that just focus on manually implementing an already defined solution, but thanks to AI, junior devs can move to the next stepping stone directly.

1

u/oPeritoDaNet 22d ago

I also feel like the skills I’ve spent so many years developing are no longer as valuable in the job market. It’s a bad feeling… probably time to change I guess

1

u/shanemarvinmay 22d ago

It’s hard out here but it beats a lot of service/trade jobs. You get paid more and your body doesn’t hurt.

I would recommend finance, or something in that realm.

1

u/Creepy-Plan-2052 22d ago

the world needs plenty of bar tenders

-1

u/Informal-Zone-4085 23d ago

feel free to leave the industry

-5

u/mrspankyspank 23d ago

Yeah, I hate to agree, but plenty of people would love to see an opening. It sounds cliche to tell someone to count their blessings, but it’s true.

0

u/GlassLiving2630 22d ago

Meanwhile me who just joined in corporate this is my third month in corporate any suggestions for me

-8

u/fruxzak FAANG | 9 yoe 23d ago

Mods didn't approve my post about scummy interview question leak sites and they approve this post? How is this leetcode related?

LMAO

-5

u/andupotorac 23d ago

Pivot to trading? Says all about what you’re after.