[allthecybers]

I've never felt as stuck in a job as I have this past year. I've been searching for about ten months so far. During the great resignation, it felt like there was so much career portability and possibility. Want that dream job in another state and to stay in the home you bought at 3% interest? No problem. Want a 40% pay bump? Sure, you should have asked for 50%.

Today, most roles in my field of expertise would be a pay cut to half of my total compensation if I am lucky. Sure, I can live on just a base salary number, but it's a mental hurdle to accept, especially with all the inflation and price increases everywhere. Also, most roles want you on-site or hybrid, many in HCOL areas. Making a move like that means giving up a 2020-era interest rate and completely uprooting my family for a 50% pay cut.

I'm in an engineering subspecialty at a FAANG. Our service is built on industry-standard tools and technology, so I hope my skills will be portable. But with the poor prospects in the market, I may be more inclined to start my own company vs. trying to get in with another BigCo. Plus, all of the FAANGs are fully succumbing to enshitification and aren't that interesting to work for anymore YMMV.