Challenges and Setbacks of a Job Hunting Programmer

Post Reply New Topic

A few things to note and share because I really do need all the help I can get.

First, I have a lot of interesting challenges. The downsides.....

1. I'm 40 with no social aptitude for moving up to management.
2. Fired for poor performance.
3. No professional references.
4. Lost confidence from being managed out.
5. I've become more of a recluse.
6. I'm scared of the whole "What if I'm bullied again?" at any prospective next job.
7. My unemployment just ran out.
8. I have therapists and counselors discouraging me from doing any in-between work that would be customer-facing.
9. Back issues make backroom physical labor a painful prospect.
10. Financial assistance appears to be limited to food stamps.


The upsides.....
1. I remastered over a decade's worth of math in 3 months. Proved to myself I'm trainable given the right circumstances.
2. I have Python scripts I've written for myself that I've personally found really useful.
3. My attempts to "network" has me pointing to training on Linux administration and getting certified. I'm hopeful that just going for that could drum me up some good will for having listened to advice.
4. I still have the option to crank out my Python scripts and share it with folks.
5. There's a ton of free stuff out there to help me earn that Linux cert.
6. As grossly unlikely as it is to work, I could throw a few resumes at some job board postings.

So yes, there are challenges. But I don't think it's the end of the world. I'm not helpless. And yet, I admit I could use the help from others. Any thoughts?

1. In the United States, we have state unemployment offices that will likely have a "jobs bank" that you can search.

2. If you have an official diagnosis, then you may want to consider working for the government in your country. If you are in the U.S., then there is a hiring effort to hire people with mental disabilities.

For example, https://www.usajobs.gov/GetJob/ViewDetails/354140000

Note: Temple Grandin has stated several times that "NASA" is a refuge for people with autism, she said she thinks half the people that work there are on the spectrum. I always thought it would be cool to work there so I could be among people like me.

I'm in the U.S.

My diagnostic is official as far as I know. I work with a BRS counselor. She tells me I'm okay to apply for jobs on disability job boards. (like abilityjobs) I see a therapist who specializes in autism. Three of the mental health professionals I've dealt with believe I have A.S. Do I have some kind of official certificate? No. Have I seen a psychologist who specializes in those evaluations? Also, no.

I'll follow that advice and check state JobBanks. I've only checked dice and abilityjobs so far. It certainly couldn't hurt.

NASA is one of those places I associate with Google or Facebook in the sense of them being places where "Only those with super high IQs need apply." But they also seem to like Python folks so it certainly is worth a shot.

Why not learn how to build something more in demand with your Python skills? For example, do the Django tutorial at https://www.djangoproject.com/ and get a modern web framework under your belt.

! just turned 35 and do freelance web development & tech work.
It's possible to do.
When I finish my current project I'm seriously considerng applying to several intensive programming courses ('bootcamps', though they don't like the term).
There are several that are free and a few are even paid internships with the promise of a job offer if you complete the course, and almost all of them provide top-notch job placement services & opportunities.
Most are 8 weeks or less in duration.

You might look into that as the free ones & the ones that pay you are much more likely to accept skilled programmers with experience & code to show off.
It's probably even a better idea for you than for me since though I've always had a knack for coding I've only been seriously doing it for a couple years, while you clearly have the experience to impress them.

Someone on here pointed me in this direction, so here's me paying it forward with a link to get you started:

Programming Bootcamps

I'd like to learn python at some point simply for portability.
Currently I'm mainly into PHP, though recently I've begun exploring jquery & javascript.

Good luck you you, my friend!

I'm a federal employee (since 1991). They are VERY accomodating for people with disabilities, mental and physical

They have to abide by their own rules - the Americans with Disability Act.

I have been working from home on medically necessary telework (meaning they can't just call me into the office if they feel like it like they used to) for 4 years. While I still have issues dealing with the office politics (the whole way my agency works affects me even though I'm not in the office).

I was a programmer in the 1980's. Would love to be able to learn modern languages, but my brain isn't allowing that to happen.

www.usajobs.gov is the source for all federal jobs. Good luck to you and if you have any questions on general federal employment, feel free to send me a msg

If you're just getting into the JavaScript world, look into Angular (front end framework by Google). It's looking like it will be the future standard for web development, and it's easy to get started with it because it has no dependencies.

Update:

There are more conversations happening with the outside world so I'm becoming a little bit less of a recluse. Mainly, opening up to past professors, current recruiters, and other folks I know. Volunteer work might be a logical next step for the sake of getting out of the apartment.

Success on a couple recent small Python projects I made up made for pretty good confidence rebuilders. Technically, some of the other strikes against me require the aid of medical miracles and time machines. But I am grateful for the things I do have control over.

Time is the big worry factor of the moment. No unemployment benefits plus living expenses make for a difficult situation for my poor working wife. On the other hand, it's recommended that I not put myself in a situation working with the public. I do have people recommending I go down the SSI application road. I'm not too thrilled about that prospect but it's something I will budget time for between my other project work and other hunting endeavors.


LoveNotHate:
Getting a NASA application in required registering with usajobs so that put me on a federal government hr database somewhere. I guess we'll see in time if that leads anywhere. My BRS worker feels that science-related jobs would be good for me. She also think the education requirements might be a challenge.

PowersOf10:
Django is an excellent framework. Much of my personal project needs work fine enough in a bash shell to not need a web interface so I don't play with web tech much as of late. Having been through the tutorials for django, I like the way it's all put together. Maybe it's time to revisit.

Bodyles:
Freelance web work seems like a sensible thing to look into. I'm sufficiently confident to get myself up to speed in that space since I have plenty of browser projects (professional and hobby) in my past experiences.

I don't know much about bootcamps since my brain is a bit of a paradox when it comes to training. Given fast-paced instructor lead seminars, I have crashed and burned. Given a self-paced training situation, I have tended to learn really fast. I like the idea of MOOCs personally.

That is all for now. Thanks again for all your input. It has helped.

The one advantage of programming over other careers is that you can create a portfolio of projects to show potential employers what you can do. Here's a detailed explanation and advice from a recruiter who works exclusively with programmers:

Advice from a recruiter to an Aspie programmer

Glenn
Employment Resource Pack for adults with autism

I agree with the sentiments but it doesn't reflect my experiences. My Github has been on my resume for years and I've never had a recruiter ask me about that.