Jupiter's Universe

[Jupiter]

You can have 3 months off for every month of work.

Yay! Thanks for the reminder, delay! I love to see it that way too. Since I have started working, I made back very quickly my year of all-expenses, no-income that I went through last year. Now, that extra money actually feels like I am building my FI wallet. "To infinity... and beyond!"

For some reason the anticipation of getting laid off is much worse than actually getting laid off. I wonder if there are good ways to deal with it.

Mmmm, I wonder too! In my case, distraction and denial are working really well so far, haha. Hopefully, I can distract myself enough from it that when it happens, it'll feel like ripping a band-aid off. ertyu seems to say that the opposite could serve me better... I will give it a try.

[Western Red Cedar]

I really love my job and I wish I could stay for longer. When I first started, it felt like falling in love. I had found a place where I truly enjoyed what I was crafting, why I was crafting it, with who, and how. If we disregard the few odd days, every day spent at my work has brought me immense joy and a deep sense of purpose. Never has any job procured me that feeling before. I still feel the love, a very deep and vivid one. Furthermore, the company has plenty of money, the project is ongoing and they need people to do it, and a lot of people in/out my team have expressed their wish for me to stay. This artificial rupture with my workplace feels disheartening, frustrating and unjustified. I want to keep growing in that space in which I got so emotionally involved. The emotional investment will backfire, and I will maybe have to accept that as the price to pay for living my passions within those terms and at that level.

Pressure of competition: The video game industry (I work as a game designer) is in a very bad state for the employees at the moment: a lot of mass layoffs/studio closures occurred since 2021, and not many gigs were created in the meantime. Hence, the competition is high on the employee side. For instance, a rare full-time role opened on my team recently. According to the requirements, I was fully qualified for it. I tossed my hat in the ring. Someone with 10 more years of experience than I have applied and got the role. I understand and accept that fact. I do find it hard however to realize that this is the kind of people I am competing against every time I put my CV into some recruiter's hands. I am not a competitive person, and when on a busy street, I will usually zig-zag into the alleyways to avoid the crowd. I can't really do that now that even the alleyways are bursting with people, and that it seems to be the case globally. That pressure might be another part of the passion fee...

Based on what you wrote here and elsewhere in your journal, I'd encourage you to proactively reach out to leaders in your company and/or field and start building relationships. Do you have professional mentors? If not, now is the perfect time to start acquiring them. Look for people who have roles and responsibilities that you'd like in 5, 10, or 20 years and ask them for a coffee or a brief meeting. Let them know how you feel about the company and line of work, and ask them for advice about how to continue growing in the field. Prepare well, and come up with a list of questions. Other females might be particularly valuable if it is a male-dominated field. If you establish a rapport, set up monthly or quarterly meetings to check in, talk about the field, and talk about your progress.

This is not only a good way to stand out in your company, but a great way to build professional allies early in your career that may prove invaluable down the road. Almost every job I got after graduate school resulted from a previous supervisor or mentor mentioning a job opening that I wasn't aware of. I wish I was aware of informational interviews earlier in my career. They are extremely valuable for young, motivated workers.

Even in a competitive job market, employers may opt to to go with a known quantity who has less experience if they know they have a good attitude, the ability to learn, and play well with others.

[Jupiter]

Based on what you wrote here and elsewhere in your journal, I'd encourage you to proactively reach out to leaders in your company and/or field and start building relationships. Do you have professional mentors?

I do have a mentor, but he's a senior on my team and there is not much he can do to help me at this point -- if I understand well, what you wrote about is a strategy to gain visibility. It means I would need to reach out to new people that could help me develop my network outside of my immediate circle.

Look for people who have roles and responsibilities that you'd like in 5, 10, or 20 years and ask them for a coffee or a brief meeting. Let them know how you feel about the company and line of work, and ask them for advice about how to continue growing in the field. Prepare well, and come up with a list of questions. Other females might be particularly valuable if it is a male-dominated field. If you establish a rapport, set up monthly or quarterly meetings to check in, talk about the field, and talk about your progress.

I will implement this to the dot. I made a list of potential mentors, mostly colleagues that I vaguely know, but that I would like to get to know better. For instance, there is one lead on my team that I barely talk with, even if he's supervising a bunch of my tasks, because he's not of the talkative/sociable type. Or, there is this badass women at the head of the AI team, technically not exactly my line of work, but I'm sure she could be of great advice.

I'm glad you took the time to write this, it makes me feel hopeful. Thank you so much, Western Red Cedar!

[Western Red Cedar]

Happy to help. Maybe others in the tech industry might have some additional thoughts or advice on this. I've spent the majority of my career in the public sector so the culture is probably a bit different. With that said, I did informational interviews with a handful of people in the private sector as a means of exploring career options in a low stakes fashion. They were extremely helpful and those I talked with were happy to talk.

if I understand well, what you wrote about is a strategy to gain visibility. It means I would need to reach out to new people that could help me develop my network outside of my immediate circle.

Gaining visibility is a major component of the approach, but is is also an opportunity to sit down with successful and intelligent professionals and pick their brain. You can research some general questions and develop your own list. Simply asking something along the following can be extremely helpful early in your career though:

What were some of the most important elements to professional success early in your career?
What advice would you give to yourself at 25/30/35 (whatever age is appropriate)?
What are some of the skills or programs I should focus on to progress in the industry?

Good luck and let us know how things turn out. Even if things don't work out with this particular company, it sounds like an excellent learning experience. It might open the door to something more interesting down the road.

[Crusader]

Technical IT manager here. Western Red Cedar's advice is good. I just came to say that there is a lot of luck involved in everyone's success. Yes, if you are the best at what you do, you will get what you want, but you also have to be at the right place at the right time. Networking with people and visibility is of good because it maximizes your chances, but if it doesn't all work out, don't feel bad.

In your position, since you have found something you love doing, I would try to make my next role (whether it is at the same company or elsewhere) align with the greater goal to get my foot in the door of that unicorn job

[Jupiter]

Hi Western Red Cedar! Hi Crusader!

I didn't plan to have an update so soon, but things moved fast here.

Good luck and let us know how things turn out. Even if things don't work out with this particular company, it sounds like an excellent learning experience. It might open the door to something more interesting down the road.

Last week, my director & I had a meeting. He told me that the company would probably not be able to hire me because of the dreadful headcount, and that I should be looking for other jobs when near to my contract's end. He said it in a lovely way, telling me he wished that they would hire me and that he'll still try whatever he can to make it happen, but I'm less hopeful than I was, that's for sure. Especially as he didn't seem to believe that him trying anything would give positive results...

I've decided nonetheless to do everything in my power to convince them that I would be a great hire. That's the "no regrets" mentality: if you give it your best shot, then you maxed out your stats and the remaining part is the unavoidable luck component that is compressible up to a certain extent, but never the extent that would make it negligeable.

Technical IT manager here. Western Red Cedar's advice is good. I just came to say that there is a lot of luck involved in everyone's success.

How did Crusader know????

I had a chat with the badass AI team lead yesterday, which was lovely. It wasn't super formal and I didn't ask a ton of career-related questions, but it was really candid and I feel like I made a friend.

I have a meeting next week with an HR person to ask about options/what I could do more to make myself attractive to the company (without falling into the pitfall of losing my sense of self, I promise!). So yeah, progress!

I wanted to know, do you have any interesting stories about being a mentee or getting some kind of help/advice from a mentor? What were the encounters and opportunities that were impactful for you?

[Jupiter]

August 2024 expenses:

I saved 75% of my income wooooh! That feels very rewarding that I can do so 2 months in a row

August considerations:

August was really fun! I participated in a game jam, and the game turned out great. I also did a lot of game development on my own time, to improve my skills in domains touching mine. My brain is levelling up fast! But, on the other hand, I didn't get much sport in, so now I am looking for some opportunities to move more. Job-wise, I continued my quest to figure out my next career step, by meeting with mentors and by applying to jobs. I got 2 interviews, each one with a different company. I am feeling slightly better about my chances to find work now, even if the interviews might not lead to an offer (I will have to wait for next week to see!). I was super grateful for the interviews: I got good feelings coming out of both, I think they could be great places to work at. It makes me very hopeful!!

[BibblyBob]

Just want to say congrats on the savings rate! 75% is awesome, great job! I wish you luck on the job search, and in your interviews!

[Jupiter]

Just want to say congrats on the savings rate! 75% is awesome, great job! I wish you luck on the job search, and in your interviews!

Wooo!! Thank you BibblyBob

I will do my best! ^-^

[Jupiter]

September 2024 expenses:

I saved 70% of my income wooooh! Still on the right track.

September considerations:

I was really tired this month... I think I overdid the job search, it has been very stressful to apply and I find myself constantly looking at job board, trying to find opportunities early enough so my resume won't get swamped in the giant pile that recruiters must receive. I still have the 2 interview processes I started in August ongoing, but at a rate of 1 meeting per month. It's moving so slowly, I wonder why. I was expecting some more speed, because of stories I've heard.

I also had the usual volunteering (2 events coming up soon, very intense prep for those), the indie game making on the side (I love my team, they are all awesome), the long work hours, the many gatherings with friends... and I took on 2 online classes: one is a drawing class and the other a design class. Luckily, the design class is an intensive, and it'll be over soon, as a significant part of the volunteering will. This will release the pressure!

Also my grandpa has been doing so well lately, that fills me with joy!

[Jupiter]

October 2024 expenses:

I saved 60% of my income, which is less then the last few months. It was a special month in many ways however, so I am not too sad about it!

October considerations:

What a month! I found a new job ^^

I am so happy and grateful for it. I got very lucky -- a friend of mine asked their friend to meet me for a chat, and that person lobbied for me at their company, until HR invited me for an interview for one of their positions that they had open. This was a good reminder of how powerful relationships are...

The little dip in savings may or may not be a consequence of me hosting a farewell party & going out to the restaurant for many farewell lunches and dinners. It made me really happy to take the time and energy to properly say goodbye to my colleagues. I also did a lot of crafting for gifts, and overtime to finish my tasks. Overall, it was super enjoyable.

[Chris]

This is excellent!

I got very lucky -- a friend of mine asked their friend to meet me for a chat, and that person lobbied for me at their company, until HR invited me for an interview for one of their positions that they had open.

Alternate perspective: your new employer is lucky to have found you via such a circuitous route (-;

Yes, your trading of financial capital for social capital is likely the right move. Plus you enjoyed it.

Looking forward to the job-search stress disappearing from your journal entries, replaced with excitement about new things.

[Western Red Cedar]

Well done! Congratulations.

[Jupiter]

Thank you Chris, thank you Western Red Cedar ʕ♥ᴥ♥ʔ

Alternate perspective: your new employer is lucky to have found you via such a circuitous route (-;

We both are so lucky!! I cannot wait to work super hard, learn so many things, make a ton of new friends and become awesome at my new job!!! Life is so fun! \( ﾟヮﾟ)/

Yes, your trading of financial capital for social capital is likely the right move. Plus you enjoyed it.

Having/taking the time to say goodbye properly helps tremendously to go through transitions like that. I was expecting to be really sad, as I was crying quite a lot at the idea of leaving a few weeks ago, but celebrating my friends and celebrating with my friends made me feel so much love that there was no room for sadness anymore.

It had also happened to me for 1 of 2 of my grandmas, when they had passed. Proper closure brings peace.

Social capital rules!

Looking forward to the job-search stress disappearing from your journal entries, replaced with excitement about new things.

I am on it! (づ｡◕‿‿◕｡)づ⌒*:･ﾟ✧

[Jupiter]

November 2024 expenses:

I saved 60% of my income, which is less than what I like (I like around 70% better), but I bought a bicycle (from a friend, they were selling their old bicycle) and I registered to a university class so hopefully they are good investments and worth the little dip!

November considerations:

I started my new job, woohoo!! It's been very unsettling, but in a nice way. How a game is made varies widely across studios, but that reality had not really sank in until now. I find it so fascinating... My new position feels very different from the previous one even thought on paper it had a similar description, but I like it a lot so far. I am also slowly making new friends. I appreciate that people here are really into board games & music (they play games or jam together at lunch time).

Besides job stuff, I am doing a lot more physical activity, which feels amazing. I am also slowly getting back into my other hobbies. I've been cooking, writing (but not as much as I'd like), drawing, learning languages and meeting with friends. I think that the job search takes so much free time... It's liberating to have it behind me! I feel very relaxed and with great peace of mind.

Another exciting thought, I will be travelling home during December. I cannot wait to see my family and friends!

On the monetary side of things, which I haven't thought about in a long time, I think that things are well. Achieving 60-75% saving rate consistently seems to be my new norm, with 60% being closer to the 0 effort to save, average spending month. I would like to play with that and see if the new basis can shift towards 65-70%. I have noticed that I spend more money now that I have been employed for a full year. A big part of that is having working professionals in my friendship circles. Since they can afford expensive activities & going out to the restaurant more often, I find myself wanting to follow a greater rhythm of spendings to enjoy those times with them. Nothing too dramatic, but I'd like to see if I can propose cheaper alternatives to counterbalance this tendency. Yay for fun little challenges!

[Jupiter]

December 2024 expenses:

I saved 70% of my income, hooray! I will try to achieve that as my 2025 average.

December considerations:

I just got back from my trip to visit my family. It was amazing, I feel full of energy and ready to face new challenges ^^

I have been trying to figure out what I want to focus on this year, and I am having a hard time to do so. I want to make significant progress in many areas, and I believe they are too many so that it can fit my schedule. I will have to make some choices! At least, all avenues seem promising & pleasant, and it's not going to hurt anything if I change my mind along the way. Exciting!

[Jupiter]

January 2025 expenses:

I saved 75% of my income, woohoo! Feeling great about it, especially as it was easy to achieve.

January considerations:

I had grandiose plans of starting many projects, but I also suddenly got a great deal of responsibilities at work, which means overtime. There is a huge deadline coming, and of course, I want to do well since I am still a noob. If I want to stick around, I feel like I have to make work that stands out. I have been doing my fair share of 13-17 hour days. So far, I've been dealing with it well, but I wonder if I can do the whole February like that... We'll find out soon, I guess!

[brainstorm]

Sounds like you got those new challenges you were asking for

Good luck with your busy period at work! In my experience, those times have a very good way of revealing how sustainable my work environment/practice really is. Sticking to my regular meal and sleep routine is one of the biggest factors for me to not blow up.

[Jupiter]

Sounds like you got those new challenges you were asking for

I am not sure why, but everyone keeps telling that to me now

Thank you, brainstorm! Sticking with a sleep schedule and good meals seems like a solid strategy. I'll try to focus on that.

[Jupiter]

February 2025 expenses:

I saved 68% of my income, very respectable although below my target average.

February considerations:

The month went by so fast!! I barely remember what I did. Sometimes I am glad to examinate my expenses and think, oh yes! This is what I was doing on that day. I mainly worked a lot and had fun celebrating birthdays with friends, which I could summarize as overall having a wonderful time. I also kept up with my exercise routine (that has been going since November). I enjoy it greatly, so I'll continue ^^

Very excited for March!