Betting Against The Trend
Two years ago, in September, I got laid off. I decided to use the opportunity to spend some time learning, building more projects, and improving my skills in preparation for the next stage of my career.
And over those two years, I did exactly that.
I joined the Recurse Center. I worked on various ambitious side projects. I explored new technologies, challenged myself, and put a tremendous amount of time and effort into becoming a better engineer. I did all of this because I genuinely wanted to improve. I wanted to see how much further I could push myself.
Looking back, what I failed to account for was just how much the world would change in that time.
The entire time I was working to become a better software engineer, AI systems were also being trained to become better software engineers. And boy, have they gotten better.
I made plans two years ago under the assumption that this profession would still be waiting for me when I was ready to return. Today, I'm sad to say that I feel like I've been fully replaced.
I'm no longer the junior code pusher I was before I took this break. At this point, I'd consider myself a senior software engineer. That's not to say I know everything. Far from it. But I know quite a bit more than I did two years ago, and I've put in the work to earn that knowledge.
Sadly, it increasingly feels like none of that matters anymore.
The more time I spend trying to find my next software engineering job, the less hopeful I become.
There was a time when side projects, technical articles, curiosity, and a genuine willingness to learn seemed to count for something in this industry. Now, it feels like none of it matters. I've applied for roles that align so perfectly with my experience and interests that you'd think the job descriptions were written straight out of my resume.
I'm sure you can guess how those applications turned out.
Out of fear for my future, I've spent a considerable amount of time exploring alternative ways to make a living with my skills. Among other things, I've experimented with building algorithmic trading systems, hoping to develop strategies that could eventually make me a consistently profitable trader.
One thing I've learned from trying to become a profitable trader is that you never bet against the trend.
And lately, searching for a software engineering job while watching even the biggest companies continue to lay off employees feels an awful lot like trading against the trend.
It makes less sense with each passing day.
I've tried to remain as positive as possible throughout this period. I've tried to convince myself that things will turn around, that the industry will find its footing, and that there will still be a place for people like me.
But every time I apply for a role I'm convinced I'm a great fit for, only to receive another rejection or no response at all, that belief becomes a little harder to hold on to.
I've never considered myself the kind of person who gives up. That's part of what makes all of this so unfamiliar to me.
For the first time in my life, I genuinely feel like my future is in danger.
As I type this, all I really want to do is go sit on a beach somewhere and let the water wash over my feet. It won't get me a job. It won't improve my prospects. It won't solve any of my problems.
But at least, for a little while, it might help me forget that I might actually be fucked.
It really sucks to spend two years experimenting, learning, building, and trying to become better at something, only to emerge on the other side feeling like every company you want to work for is telling you that you're not good enough.
I've spent so much energy trying to stay optimistic, trying to keep pushing, trying to believe that all this effort will eventually amount to something.
And I'm starting to run out of that energy.
I'm also starting to run out of money, which makes the uncertainty about my future that much more terrifying.
For the longest time, I subscribed to the belief that I'd be one of the few who managed to build a successful career without having to leave Ghana.
Perhaps I was foolish to believe that.
Software engineering jobs have never been particularly abundant here. And after spending several years in the industry, I've come to appreciate just how limited the opportunities really are.
The relatively few jobs available have historically offered abysmal salaries, often targeting fresh university graduates who are more likely to accept compensation that experienced engineers simply cannot build sustainable lives around.
Perhaps I was foolish to think I could carve out a future for myself in a system that leaves so little room for people like me to succeed.
Perhaps earning good money for a few years within that same system gave me the illusion that I'd somehow escaped its limitations. That I was an exception.
Whatever the case, the past two years have made it painfully clear just how difficult it is going to be to build the kind of future I want as a software engineer in this country.
I keep coming across roles that are almost perfect for me. The work is interesting. The technologies align with my experience. The problems are exactly the kind I want to spend my time solving.
But there's almost always a catch.
They're not hiring in Ghana.
And with the current economic climate, companies seem increasingly reluctant to sponsor visas or take chances on candidates who aren't already in the countries where these opportunities exist.
So here I am, watching opportunities I'd give almost anything to pursue go to people who have one advantage I cannot compete with: they happen to live in the right place.
Perhaps it's time I seriously considered getting the fuck out of this country after all.
I know this post might sound like I'm giving up.
But I assure you, I'm not.
I will never give up. I will find a way. I always have, and I intend to keep trying for as long as I can.
I just needed to get all of this out of my system.
Because the truth is, I'm scared. I'm scared about my future. I'm scared about the possibility that all the effort I've put into becoming a better engineer might not translate into the opportunities I once believed it would. And I'm scared that the path I've spent years building toward might no longer lead where I thought it did.
But I'll be damned if I don't find a way to win, even with all the odds stacked against me.
I'm just no longer sure that software engineering is how I make my millions.