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My Recovery From Programmer Anger

Jayme Edwards πŸƒπŸ’» on June 11, 2019

After reflecting on the content I've put out to help people in the software industry, I've realized I still needed help working through anger issue...
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Pan Chasinga

Thanks Jayme for doing this. I really admire your mission in humanizing tech culture.

I always felt I'm not a "geek" in the way that's similar to the norm in Silicon Valley. I flew over the US to California to join a small startup company because I'd believed in it and the founding members. It is now worth much more and had lost its way, killed my creativity and the the conviction I've had, and ended up letting me go in the most horrible way.

It is very easy for a for-profit tech company to forget the people and the culture and just focus on the numbers and features because the first don't yield right away. Most go for the easy way out.

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Jayme Edwards πŸƒπŸ’»

Thanks for the kind words of encouragement, and sharing such a personal story! It makes me sad how often I hear this. I hope you have found some support to help you get through that. I get career coaching clients coming to me after heartbreaks often. I don’t think we take it seriously enough sometimes that when employers do this to us it’s inexcusable and traumatic. β€œSucking it up” doesn’t work when it’s something we really care about! Hang in there!!!

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Pan Chasinga

I've been lucky to have my family backing me up, and I'm now working on building my own idea while. It is true that the incident had left a trauma, but more it had opened up a new outlook on employment and stability. Altogether with the COVID-19 lock down, it had given me a break from the constant rat race and reflect on what's best for me as a person.
I was so wrong to have fixated on my programming chop as my strength. Strength isn't what someone does well to get paid in a day job. Strength is character, and many employers, including mine, do not understand how to maximize their people's strengths, and punish them for failing in skills that might otherwise be improvable.

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Jayme Edwards πŸƒπŸ’»

Great insights. Yes, I came to the conclusion a few years back that employers, for all their good intentions, just don’t invest in growing skills for developers outside the technology. They might say they do, but it’s often lip service. Good to hear you’ve figured this out, many don’t! We can learn valuable career skills outside of just the technology, but we need to seek them outside of our industry. At least that’s been my experience.

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Mikey Sanchez

Jayme,
I applaud your honesty and courage in sharing the story of your struggles and triumphs. You are not alone in this fight as I, too, continue to battle anger, anxiety and depression.

Stay strong and keep doing you!

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Jayme Edwards πŸƒπŸ’»

Hey thanks Mikey that means a lot. I’d really like to see more companies create safer environments for diversity and sharing ideas.

No matter how badly I want that, I guess it really does start with me. How can I expect anyone else to be more calm and open minded if I’m not better at it myself!

Appreciate your feedback and support. πŸ‘

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Vico

Software developers make a lot of money
no

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Jayme Edwards πŸƒπŸ’» • Edited

You’re right in some markets. I probably should have said β€œsoftware developers have the potential to make a lot of money, and often do”. I've updated the description, thanks.

Hopefully if you’re currently underpaid you can find a better opportunity, or relocate to a more profitable region of the world.

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Vico

I'm joking actually, but in my region, many programmers are underpaid. But most of us take it easy😁

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Jayme Edwards πŸƒπŸ’»

Ha! Yeah, it wouldn’t be the first time I’ve stuck my foot in my mouth by making too general of a statement. Appreciate your correction. πŸ‘

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Victor Mbamara πŸ‡³πŸ‡¬

Stay strong jayme πŸ’ͺ

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Jayme Edwards πŸƒπŸ’»

Thank you sir. Right back at you!