dontfeartheringo wrote: Mon Feb 09, 2026 10:10 pm Man oh Manischevitz, got blindsided with being laid off, today.

I'm on the market if anyone's looking for a drummer/drum tech/IT Helpdesk Manager/Technical Writer. Shit came out of the blue.

The bummer is that I was completely remote and was super ok with the way things were going, but I don't think the company was ready to have a remote employee. So, last in, first out. Sucks.

Wait--what the hell? This is just days in, isn't it? That's absolutely awful of them.

Maurice wrote: Tue Feb 10, 2026 10:21 am

dontfeartheringo wrote: Mon Feb 09, 2026 10:10 pm Man oh Manischevitz, got blindsided with being laid off, today.

I'm on the market if anyone's looking for a drummer/drum tech/IT Helpdesk Manager/Technical Writer. Shit came out of the blue.

The bummer is that I was completely remote and was super ok with the way things were going, but I don't think the company was ready to have a remote employee. So, last in, first out. Sucks.

Wait--what the hell? This is just days in, isn't it? That's absolutely awful of them.

I've been there since June. They fucked up hiring a remote employee before they had the boots on the ground to support one. They're actually beating the bushes to try and find me another remote gig, which they definitely didn't have to do. Sucks, though

dontfeartheringo wrote: Wed Feb 11, 2026 10:07 am

Maurice wrote: Tue Feb 10, 2026 10:21 am

dontfeartheringo wrote: Mon Feb 09, 2026 10:10 pm Man oh Manischevitz, got blindsided with being laid off, today.

I'm on the market if anyone's looking for a drummer/drum tech/IT Helpdesk Manager/Technical Writer. Shit came out of the blue.

The bummer is that I was completely remote and was super ok with the way things were going, but I don't think the company was ready to have a remote employee. So, last in, first out. Sucks.

Wait--what the hell? This is just days in, isn't it? That's absolutely awful of them.

I've been there since June. They fucked up hiring a remote employee before they had the boots on the ground to support one. They're actually beating the bushes to try and find me another remote gig, which they definitely didn't have to do. Sucks, though

That sucks. I got hired once because I had a lot of experience and the company wanted someone like me. The first week there, it was alarming. They didn't know what team to put me on, so they kept creating new positions for me. I eventually was taken aside by the CTO to do some experimental work. I spent 10 months there doing shit all other than experimenting on ideas that never turned into anything, being thrown on teams that didn't need me. The irony was the whole time they had this one team that was led by this guy who didn't really know how to build what they were building, with a team of engineers who didn't understand the language or the framework, and had trouble completing projects on time, and I was one of the few people in the company that had the experience of both the language and the framework and the team leadership to be able to train the engineers and build features on time. I ended up quitting, since I spent most of my time looking for a job.

dontfeartheringo wrote: Wed Feb 11, 2026 10:07 am I've been there since June. They fucked up hiring a remote employee before they had the boots on the ground to support one. They're actually beating the bushes to try and find me another remote gig, which they definitely didn't have to do. Sucks, though

It absolutely does suck. That's a serious bummer. I'll keep an eye on remote listings. (Also, we Know A Dude.)

Maurice wrote: Wed Feb 11, 2026 10:52 am

dontfeartheringo wrote: Wed Feb 11, 2026 10:07 am I've been there since June. They fucked up hiring a remote employee before they had the boots on the ground to support one. They're actually beating the bushes to try and find me another remote gig, which they definitely didn't have to do. Sucks, though

It absolutely does suck. That's a serious bummer. I'll keep an eye on remote listings. (Also, we Know A Dude.)

I definitely called The Dude. I guess I have the time to study some js now!

Hang in there, and good luck with the search for a new gig, FM DFTR.

Freelance translation work is becoming an unsustainable proposition, as one might imagine. Built a good thing with no formal training in my late-thirties / early-forties just to have tech and world history catch up with me and begin to tear it down. Oh well. Angry deep down inside but no space to even process it.

I am still grappling with what I should probably be doing now, how to transition to something that might be able to sustain me through the next 20 years.
I don't have a degree. Thought about going back to school, debatably should have started to do that in the first year of the pandemic, but was too distracted. Have thought about care work. I am spoiled here with my flexible schedule (especially parenting-wise) and my partner depends on it to do her work, which has her on the road over a full month spread out over the year. Bit of a puzzle to be solved.

What would you all do if you were looking to start a new, sustainable career or job existence at 50? Or if you are doing just that, what are you doing?
I could use any inspiration I can get. Remote work, desk job, manual labor, working on your feet, whatever you got. I have various patchwork experience in all those things, gathered through the decades. Thanks in advance!

jeff fox wrote: Sun Feb 01, 2026 10:15 am Just putting out the feelers for my husband, not on the forum. 35+ years experience in hospitality management and technology. Looking for anything where this experience may be applicable. Recently did some independent consulting work in the field. Remote would be fantastic, but definitely not necessary. Chicago based.
Thanks!

Damn, these mind fuck personality tests they make you fill out, where there's no right answer...really sick stuff. Glad to be self employed, I tell you what.

Wrigley Field had a posting about a Food & Beverage Manager as recently as last week.

jimmy spako wrote: Thu Feb 12, 2026 10:14 am What would you all do if you were looking to start a new, sustainable career or job existence at 50? Or if you are doing just that, what are you doing?
I could use any inspiration I can get. Remote work, desk job, manual labor, working on your feet, whatever you got. I have various patchwork experience in all those things, gathered through the decades. Thanks in advance!

If I figure that out, I'll let ya'll know.

I feel like an asshole because I have a good job and have been doing it for well over 20 years but I am starting to hate it. I would love to never have to step foot in an airport again. And it seems like the remote stuff has largely dried up or I just don't know where to start looking. My job is so niche but the skill set is applicable to practically any industry.

jimmy spako wrote: Thu Feb 12, 2026 10:14 am What would you all do if you were looking to start a new, sustainable career or job existence at 50? Or if you are doing just that, what are you doing?
I could use any inspiration I can get. Remote work, desk job, manual labor, working on your feet, whatever you got. I have various patchwork experience in all those things, gathered through the decades. Thanks in advance!

I forget where you are. Germany? UK? I dunno how it works in those places but in the USA, alcohol (beer, wine, liquor) sales. Always jobs in alcohol sales. It's a good way to age out of the workforce if the compensation package works for you. Definitely allows for a flexible schedule.

major wrote: Thu Feb 12, 2026 10:38 am

jimmy spako wrote: Thu Feb 12, 2026 10:14 am What would you all do if you were looking to start a new, sustainable career or job existence at 50? Or if you are doing just that, what are you doing?
I could use any inspiration I can get. Remote work, desk job, manual labor, working on your feet, whatever you got. I have various patchwork experience in all those things, gathered through the decades. Thanks in advance!

If I figure that out, I'll let ya'll know.

I feel like an asshole because I have a good job and have been doing it for well over 20 years but I am starting to hate it. I would love to never have to step foot in an airport again. And it seems like the remote stuff has largely dried up or I just don't know where to start looking. My job is so niche but the skill set is applicable to practically any industry.

I hear you. And you're not an asshole for wanting to be happy too. Hope you find your way as well.

enframed wrote: Thu Feb 12, 2026 10:44 am

jimmy spako wrote: Thu Feb 12, 2026 10:14 am What would you all do if you were looking to start a new, sustainable career or job existence at 50? Or if you are doing just that, what are you doing?
I could use any inspiration I can get. Remote work, desk job, manual labor, working on your feet, whatever you got. I have various patchwork experience in all those things, gathered through the decades. Thanks in advance!

I forget where you are. Germany? UK? I dunno how it works in those places but in the USA, alcohol (beer, wine, liquor) sales. Always jobs in alcohol sales. It's a good way to age out of the workforce if the compensation package works for you. Definitely allows for a flexible schedule.

Germany. Thanks, man, I will add that to the list of things to look into.