People take sabbaticals all the time. They raise kids. They start businesses. They take care of sick family members. They work on personal projects. There are a shitload of reasons people take time off. And then they pick up at a new job.
We're all supposed to imagine that software is Very Hard Work that changes Very Quickly and so, you know, it just can't be done if you're too tired to come in at 9AM -- better to get your rest and get your brain ready for the Very Difficult Work Ahead -- and you'll fall irrevocably behind if you step away for a year.
Of course, that's all nonsense. But it makes us feel so, so good.
You sound like somebody that doesn't understands the issue the author is conveying. While it might not apply to everyone, it applies to many people that work at top companies.
When leaving a company that has coddled you for years (think top offices, great food all the time, drinks, snacks, perks of traveling, people recognizing the brand, etc...), it can be a tough adjustment for the first two months. You might not miss the work, but you will miss the perks for sure.
Also, the two years salary requirement is a good rule of thumb. It gives you enough time to: 1) Relax, travel, and decompress for few months and 2) Start your own project, and see it to completion (any non trivial project will take at least one year).
I did something similar, and I think the author's advice is good.
> That said, you're going to be unemployable after 2 years.
Sure, if you sit on your ass for two years. But people reenter the workforce after even longer hiatuses all the time. Is it harder than getting a job while currently employed? Of course. Is it impossible? Not at all. Ask the scads of former SAHMs who went back to work eventually.
> That said, you're going to be unemployable after 2 years
Bullshit. 2 years means time for personal projects that could even make you more employable. Even then, your skills and experience don't suddenly become obsolete. You might not get another job at Amagoosoftple but there are a lot of other companies out there that seek skilled workers.
It can raise doubts and suspicions with employers though. Why wasn’t he employed? Does he have a problem with work? Was he in jail? etc. Even if misplaced, you, can’t stop people thinking that way
Thing is, you don't need every job, you just need one job. It's not hard to find teams that are reasonable and don't get obsessed over traditional "red flags" that actually carry almost no useful signal.
If your company is working with outdated software, or ignoring software best practices like testing or security, or even if you've just started to specialize in a very narrow way, it can sometimes be difficult to translate the skills you're using there into other companies.
It's very common for people to start to specialize the longer they work at a company. You can end up knowing a few things really well, and not much else.
He didn't say 2 year's salary, but 2 year's spend.
I urge everyone in tech to try and get to at least 1 year spend saved up.
I didn't live through dot com crash #1, but if #2 is anything like it, a lot of us may be fighting for the same jobs and having your budget right will help.
The dynamic I've seen in myself doesn't sound too far off from your prediction.
When you start at a place some parts of it are great and some are not so great. A few are bad. You chip away at the things you can but at some point you've fixed everything you can. If you're content at that point than great. But if your itch for growth isn't being satisfied in some other way then you start to become uncomfortable.
On the other hand, Facebook is made of people, and if the people leave, there isn't a Facebook. If it's not going to happen all at once, it has to happen gradually.
The candidate pool for good devs is still relatively small, too. It does hurt them, incrementally.
People take sabbaticals all the time. They raise kids. They start businesses. They take care of sick family members. They work on personal projects. There are a shitload of reasons people take time off. And then they pick up at a new job.