Questions: Education & Career

At my peak as a frontend developer (software developer), I was making $76,000 a year or equivalent to around $36/hr. AI has crushed my prospects and ambitions in the tech industry, and it has become too volitile and cutthroat now.

Today at 32 years old, I now collect disability checks and work a 24-hour-a-week job as a security guard making $16.50 an hour.

Even with my disability aside, I wouldn't want to return to work full time anyways because what is there really left that isn't going to be automated and doesn't pay like shit?

Did DoorDash for past 3 months a few days per week (some weeks just once), and I'm almost out of my annual data of 20GB as well as rating system revamped to screw anyone who isn't a Top Dasher over. I can either top-up a few GB for 30 days at a time; however sadly, the data is capped to LTE so no 5G anymore or I can pay for another annual plan, but my current doesn't expire until next January. Sick and tired of delivering and I'll probably get banned eventually like I was on UberEats for low ratings due to just a few bad customers downvoting me, and at Silver tier the support agents refuse to remove low ratings.

They used to willingly remove max 2 a week when I was still Gold, but with new rating system even removing my single 1 star rating won't make me jump back like before. The retarded on-time rate is never consistent with whether I'm marked as on time or late, and there's too many factors that don't always let me deliver early. Even with tips and minimum wage top-up here, I still only make probably a few hundred bucks max a month from this shit; even if I did full time probably at most a grand as I deliver by bike, so algorithms favour cars and motorcycles over me. I also do TaskRabbit but colder weather means less clients to hire me.

Hello all.

I'm a masters student in UX design. I'm working hard to be succesful but I fear I'm focusing on too many skills at once.

Here are the stuff I'm trying to be good at.

1. Learning UX design skills. This is ofcourse my priority as it's my career.

2. Improving Illustration skills. While not directly linked to my career, I do enjoy drawing and want to earn some money on the side with art commissions etc.

3. I also learn Martial arts for fitness. This is purely a hobby so just showing up 4 days a week in the dojo is fine.

4. Lastly, I'm learning French as a foreign language. Once again it's not a priority and just a hobby, hence I don't need to put too much effort here.

As you can see I have a lot of hobbies and I enjoy doing all these. But I wonder if I'm putting too much on my plate? Or are these manageable?

Thoughts?

I work security for a large, frequently busy location.

I came across a medical emergency the other day while patrolling the exterior of the premesis. It was a child who struck her head and lost consciousness. I spotted an ambulance near an entrance on the property. No one bothered to call us. We weren't notified of this at all.

I pull the security car to the side and entered the area to investigate. I asked what happened, and others at the location briefed me of the incident. I arrive to find 2 upset parents with the mom holding the child. EMS was already there. The child apparently already regained conciousness. When I approached the scene, the mom gave me a dirty stare and asked who I was as if I wasn't supposed to be there. I introduced myself as security and stated I was just standing here. I asked for backup and none of my coworkers showed up. The entire time, the mom just gave me this hostile stare while EMS was evaluating the child as if she did not want me present. It was awkward and rather disrespectful. EMS didn't want to acknowledge me, and I could tell they felt annoyed by my presence.

When the parents declined treatment and transport, I walked behind the parents and child as they left the property. They were visibly upset. I asked the father if I can speak with him for a minute, and he was rather a dick about it and darted off, telling his wife "I don't want to speak to that guy."

I understand emotions are high seeing the situation, but I was only there to assist and help. It just kind of solidified to me that I was a nobody and out of place for the situation.

Me and my wife are going to produce and sell signs that attach to traffic cones. My wife majored in printmaking and has taken an interest too.

Here are some examples:

In magenta ("DOT" Pink):

• "INCIDENT AHEAD"
• "HIGH WATER"
• "ROAD DEBRIS CLEARING"
• "HEAVY SMOKE"

In white:

• "FIRST AID STATION"
• "EVENT PARKING"
• "RESERVED PARKING"