This is about my 26-year old son, not me. But it isn’t completely off-topic because his situation is one of the big unknowns that make us scared to FIRE. Hoping for advice from the hive-mind. Particularly the I.T. industry hivemind.
His story:
Hobby programmer as teenager. Degree from an art college in Digital Media, with some practical courses in websites.
Job1: First job was related to his art skills (3-D modeling) in our provincial hometown. But the company needed more people for their web QA department. Figured out DS could write scripts and moved him to the QA department, told him to watch a few online courses and put him to work. About a year later, the company lost a big contract and they laid off a bunch of people including DS.
Job2: After many month gap, hired provisionally as a web programmer for a traditional-atmosphere company in Hometown. Was late too many times and was fired (after being warned! Parental facepalm!)
Job3: After longer gap, took 6 month contract QA job (via 3rd-party agency) in far-away Arizona. Near the end of 6 months was told that they wanted to extend his contract for 12 more months. A month later they say, we’ve decided not to do phase 2 of project after all. All you contractors go away.
Job 4: After being flown in for interview with Company4 in Denver, gets web QA contract job (via 3rd-party agency). Moves to Denver to start job. 2 months later, he and another young contract guy who was hired the same day are laid off with no notice. He has no clue about reason. Swears he wasn’t late a single day. His supervisor contacted him afterwards and said that it was rotten and that it wasn’t supervisor’s idea.
It has now been 9 months. Still in Denver area. Lots of recruiting calls, a few interviews but no job offers. He has put together a combination of part-time gig-economy work to pay the rent. Sorts boxes at a distribution warehouse, delivers groceries, stocks shelves. No benefits, no sick time, no financial safety margin at all. Has a catastrophic medical insurance policy, but we know if something bad does happen we’re the only ones who can pay for it.
One talkative recruiter told him that when the recruiter had put him up for a job, the client said no because of the shortness of the prior jobs.
DS is introverted and socially awkward. Would not tell a slick story even if there was one to tell. Is there any hope of him ever getting back to a programming job? We are willing to pay for education if we thought it might work. We just can't FIRE until this kid is really launched.