[L0j1k]

I guess people aren't too happy that I dislike thinly veiled attempts at trolling for a job on HN, wherein the author has failed to plan properly for a four month vacation ("sabbatical") and thus requires validation from complete strangers. It's pretty clear here that OP wasn't affected at all by the recent recession if he's complaining about not being able to find a job after only a month and a half. OP clearly needs to burn off his baby fat, and it's likely that this situation might be just what he needs to grow up.

[antoniuschan99]

Regardless of OP's actual intent it definitely is a first world problem. I'm sure OP is smart and a capable programmer but I also wonder, he did say he's 10 years into programming. If it's not that he's a bad programmer, or that his social skills are not lacking, maybe ageism could be an issue?

[L0j1k]

Interesting observation, about ageism.

That of course could be the case, but I've built a vision of this guy in my mind after reading his diatribe (against himself). He's clearly just incredibly insecure, frustrated, and possibly self-loathing because of it. It's possible he had/has an axe to grind and nowhere to grind it so he just comes off like an ass. When people get like that, it's almost as if they put off an aura of failure as soon as they open their mouths. After reading his post, it's no surprise this guy doesn't do well interviewing. If your friends -- who are developers -- are telling you in no uncertain terms that you're not a bad developer, and you don't believe them such that your next step is to then seek the validation of complete strangers on the internet, there's obviously something much bigger working against you (in concert with lack of confidence). Perhaps he has very poor hygiene -- or, as you mentioned, poor social skills -- or something else that makes a horrible first impression. First impressions are everything, and this guy clearly isn't making a good one. Then again, maybe it really is the case that he's a bad developer with shitty friends.

Having faced seemingly insurmountable obstacles that involved my nearly getting killed for years on end (and a divorce, and death of friends, and what amounts to enormously difficult daily hard labor), I have ZERO sympathy for this kind of crap. Can't find a job after your little vacation? Boo hoo. At least you have all your limbs, can go to the market without getting shot at, and your wife and daughter haven't been executed.