I remember the feeling of disillusionment with employment after being laid off before, and the fantasy and reality of trying to switch to an AI operations position as a frontend engineer. Of course, it didn't work out, and I'm afraid of forgetting, so I'm recording it here.
Background#
After being laid off before, I took a few months off to take care of my mental health, and finally found a frontend job at this company nearby.
During that time, I thought about many things. On the one hand, I completely lost trust in the stability of companies, and on the other hand, I no longer trusted the relationship between positions and individuals.
Coincidentally, the shock brought by ChatGPT and SD sparked the idea of a career change.
Company and personal considerations#
Company instability#
I realized that the company's first goal is to survive, and the company itself is unstable, whether it's the abstract development strategy or the concrete human resources investment. The direction of development needs to be adjusted in a timely manner, and production lines, departments, and positions are all fragile. Once a decision is made to abandon a strategic goal, the attitude is resolute.
For individual employees, this is a disaster. You cannot predict whether you will still be here next Monday, whether the department will still exist next month, or whether the company will still exist next quarter. This requires a strong inner strength.
No binding relationship between positions and individuals#
In the past, when we discussed a product line of a company, we tended to have one architect, several senior developers, and a number of junior developers and outsourced personnel. The rough distribution included frontend, Java, product, testing, and pre-sales.
But in reality, under the premise of shrinking costs, no position or role is strongly bound, and the above conclusion does not hold. Anyone can be laid off to maintain the minimum cost of product operation.
If you are a junior developer or an outsourced personnel, of course you can be laid off. Even if you are a senior or experienced developer, you can still be laid off when the product has reached a certain scale and is running stably. Not to mention product, testing, and pre-sales.
This is also terrifying for individuals. In the past, we believed that junior developers could level up by completing assigned tasks, independently completing requirements, and independently planning the product pace. Now it won't be so smooth.
Are there any solutions? Of course there are. But these solutions are not related to the prosperity of the industry. It's just that the downturn in the industry has amplified the possibilities of different choices.
How can individuals continue to create business value#
Continuing to work as an employee, becoming a senior employee, or becoming a partner are all timeless best solutions, and they are also mindless recommendations for everyone.
Because everyone has different skill levels, personalities, and understandings of business, and different levels of support from family, it is unrealistic to expect everyone to start a business, work as partners, or develop independently.
Continuing to compete fiercely is something I won't mention anymore.
What about other solutions? We have seen many people trying to provide services, develop technical products, outsource, and work in human resources through podcasts. We can gain insights by digesting and absorbing the sharing of podcast guests.
But I pessimistically and mindlessly believe that it is not easy for programmers to earn money by improving efficiency or charging for knowledge IP.
My thoughts on a career change#
Before, when I looked at industry positions, I thought that there might be opportunities in remote work for Web2/Web3, and opportunities in AIGC products. I was particularly interested in an AIGC operations position because I had a special connection with product operations and data analysis in my previous work. And through podcasts, I gradually realized the importance of different Web Worker positions.
If I were to do my own thing in the future, product planning and technical development would no longer be blocking issues. The blocking issues would be acquiring customers and operations. I can imagine how to make more people aware of and use the product, and further convert them into paying customers. However, I haven't developed a systematic plan for this.
Should I switch careers and get involved in this field? Later, I directly approached practitioners to exchange experiences, but they honestly rejected me.
I am not suitable for this type of position. I am old, changing careers, and have no work experience. My resume won't pass the screening, and referrals are useless.
Internal positions are also in a state of despair now. Many people are leaving actively or passively, and job opportunities are precious. The competition is fierce, and projects, work experience, and education are emphasized.
The standard process of large companies doesn't offer much opportunity, and small companies need experienced hands.
Yes, I can no longer pursue this type of position. I need to find other ways to gain experience, through reading, paid knowledge, and practice to improve.
Conclusion#
I reviewed my previous thoughts on the journey of the heart and the shallow consideration of a career change.