Ask HN: Is it possible for someone to not be cut out for software engineering?
I have nearly 8 years of being a professional developer. I didn&#x27;t graduate, and got into the industry while in college before dropping out. So there are some differences between us in years in the industry and educational credentials.<p>First quarter 2016, I was laid off from my job as the first engineer&#x2F;tech lead of a small startup. I have been searched ever since then, and your experience mirrors mine exactly. I have been on over 25 in person interviews and gone through untold degrading whiteboard interviews, code tests, trick questions, and take home projects; all have ended in rejection. This industry has a need to torture candidates because we are all considered to be liars by default.<p>Much is said about combating impostor syndrome in ourselves but we are too eager to cultivate it in others. It seems people in this industry refuse to understand that some people are not perfect. I never graduated college because I hated it with the very fiber of my being, so I am, like you, not particularly great at white boarding answers to algorithm questions off the top of my head in a high pressure environment. If I need them during my job, I look up answers and learn from people who are much smarter than I am.<p>My personal identity has been shattered, as I thought my ~5-10 year history of success in the industry indicated I was in demand and talented. I saw posts like this and thought that if the worst happened I&#x27;d still be able to find a job. The idea that there is a talent shortage is a lie, or candidates like me wouldn&#x27;t be treated as I have been. I&#x27;m not asking for a free job, or a handout, or a huge salary. I have had a successful career so far and am capable of doing good work.<p>I have struggled with bipolar disorder and suicidal ideation most of my life. I&#x27;ve dealt with the death of beloved family members and pets over the past two years with only minor lapses in control. Nothing has caused me to consider taking my own life as much as the past 6 months. It seems there is no future for me in the only career I have any skill in and which is a huge part of my identity. And to constantly be told that there is such a shortage of engineers only salts the wound.<p>If you are expecting things to get better with experience, they won&#x27;t. It&#x27;s up to you to decide if you can take the mental strain of continuing in an industry with such inhumane hiring practices.