I lost my job as a software developer some time ago.

Flipping burgers is WAY more demanding than I ever imagined. That's the danger of AI:

It takes jobs faster than creating new ones PLUS for some fields (like software development) downshifting to just about anything else is brutal and sometimes simply not doable.

Forget becoming manager at McDonald's or be even good at flipping burgers at the age of 40: you are competing with 20yr olds doing sports with amazing coordination etc

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parpfish 9 hours ago | parent | next [-]

There’s the issue of the job itself being more demanding, but also the managers in “low skilled” jobs being ultra-demanding petty dictators.

As a white collar computer guy, I can waste some time on Reddit. Or go for a walk and grab coffee. Or let people know that I’m heading out for a couple of hours to go to the doctor. There are a LOT of little freedoms tha you take for granted if you haven’t worked a shitty minimum wage job. Getting on trouble for punching in one minute late, not being allowed to sit down, socializing too much when you’re not on a break.

I’m pretty sure that most tech employees would just quit when encountering a manager like that

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sarchertech 5 hours ago | parent | prev | next [-]

> Forget becoming manager at McDonald's or be even good at flipping burgers at the age of 40: you are competing with 20yr olds doing sports with amazing coordination etc

I have no idea what in the world you are talking about. Most 20 year olds working at McDonald’s are stoned and move at half a mile an hour whether it’s a lunch rush or it’s 2am. I worked retail for years before I finally switched full time to programming. It’s certainly not full of amazing motivated athletes with excellent coordination. You’re lucky if most of them can show up to work on time more than half the time.

	▲	booleandilemma 2 hours ago \| parent [-]
		Do you really wanna be competing with those people though? I'll be honest, I don't even want to be in the same room as them.

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Borg3 12 hours ago | parent | prev | next [-]

Ugh.. sorry to hear :( I am myself unemployed right now. Its really hard to land a job in tech.. Luicky, I dont need to flip burgers for now...

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fragmede 12 hours ago | parent [-]

Who's gonna play you to flip burgers with no experience doing it and everyone else needing a job as well?

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wombatpm 9 hours ago | parent | next [-]

Who’s buying $6.00 burgers when the old customers have been replaced by AI?

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ddtaylor 11 hours ago | parent | prev [-]

There is a huge demand for low-skill labor in other industries. Stuff like plumbing, HVAC, and a ton of other traditionally unsexy jobs that can barely keep enough people in a town to perform these jobs at higher costs than normal.

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uxcolumbo 10 hours ago | parent | next [-]

I wouldn’t call plumbing and other trades low skill.

	▲	ddtaylor 7 hours ago \| parent [-]
		I agree. I didn't mean to disparage anyone. I have a massive appreciation (and some involvement!) in these trades. The amount of knowledge these guys have about their trade is impressive.

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paulryanrogers 9 hours ago | parent | prev [-]

Those jobs don't often pay well until you graduate out of journeyman / apprentice, or are a business owner. They usually require some training and testing ahead of time. They also carry a higher risk of serious injury or death.

	▲	ddtaylor 7 hours ago \| parent [-]
		The average salary for a software developer in Montana is $88k/yr. The average salary for an HVAC technician in Montana is $58k/yr. The average salary for a software developer in Oregon is $118k/yr. The average salary for an HVAC technician in Oregon is $74k/yr. It's for sure less, but the gap is smaller than some might think. I think some markets (SF) distort the cost a bit.

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ddtaylor 11 hours ago | parent | prev [-]

I have worked in the restaurant industry within the last 5 years and I'm probably older than you.