[9o1d]

I can give you some advice. Imagine your favorite activity that you can do for free even on weekends. Look for such a job.

I am a programmer from Russia. I live in Siberia. I have not been able to find a job for a year. I continue to look, but I have already started to do some part-time work.

I participate in low-paid projects on image marking for training neural networks, checking the quality of their work.

I wanted to get a job in delivery, but our city is too small, and there is not even a delivery service. The only work in our city is drivers and store clerks, but also very low-paid (USD 300 per month).

I am doing a project to create a new programming language based on the C language, to unload the human brain from programming and give the opportunity to write programs in a human language. If you are interested, there is the first link to the article on my site azhibaev.com

[Gooblebrai]

> Imagine your favorite activity that you can do for free even on weekends. Look for such a job.

Sounds like a good way to start hating your favourite activity.

[bruce511]

Yes, and no. It depends.

On the one hand, yes. Turning fun into work can rob you of the pleasure part. I do ceramics in as a hobby and it's fun. I'm not terribly good. The fun is in the random creation and seeing how it comes out. If I had to make 100 pots the same I'd go mad. I made one piece on commission and I didn't like that.

On the other hand, I started programming at 12 years old. I got my first programming job at 22. By then I was well practiced at my craft, and I loved the work part - the completion of projects, the conforming to customer requirements etc.

Thirty-something years later and I'm still programming. I still enjoy it. It still gets me out of bed, and it still challenges me. I've made a career put of doing something I love, and that's a huge blessing.

So yes, it can kill joy in something you love, or it can lead to a fulfilling career getting paid for doing the thing you like most. The latter though is a rare gift most of us are not given.

[jasongill]

Can you send me an email (my HN username @ gmail.com) with your resume or some code samples? I have worked with programmers based in Novosibirsk for 20 years and can try to help connect you. No promises but at least can refer you to some people who might have better work than you are doing now.

[9o1d]

I answered you in a letter. Of course, I understand that this is only a message. Thank you for your offer of help.

[jasongill]

I forwarded your resume to a couple agencies in eastern europe that I know of, as well as a friend in Novosibirsk best of luck to you in 2025!