wow it has been a super long time. i hadn’t read your site in a long time, since i remembered it was mostly in chinese when we were at ConU and i don’t read chinese (funny that since we were the only chinese ppl in our circle at the time).

Anyways, i agree with your sister you are brave really brave to have given your first shot a living on your own right when your whole family moved back. Having moved out on my own as well (all the way to British Columbia) i can say that it is scary and it takes bravery to do it.

And Spiro is right too. Being out of the field sucks but sometimes shit happens, and you know in an interview that is all you have to say. As long as you don’t say “for that period in my life i did nothing and just lived at home” when they asked why you haven’t worked. You decided to try something, risked a lot and learned alot, there isn’t anything wrong with that and growing as a person is always going to be more important than growing as just some programmer.

Also i’ll point something out that others might not have noticed. I have been doing interviews for job openings and must people don’t really noticed this but communication skills are an important part of programming. I get a lot of chinese guys applying, and to be honest their english sucks. You have a very unique strenght, one whos rarity isn’t mentioned enough. Just look at your english, it is far and away a million times better than the resumes i look at, this means more than their GPA to me. So you can do chinese and you can do proper non-broken english, this is so valuable.

Another point where our stories kind of align is that not only did we both move out on our own, but we both have non-tech periods on our resumes. Coming out to B.C. and only having 2 years out of 4 from SoEng is certainly a handicap. Then not working for a tech coming for my first year and a half didn’t help either. But intelligence isn’t something a school or books can give you, it is something we both posses and it in forever part of us. Getting into tech has less to do with what is on your resume and more to do with what you are, so don’t over value your non-work experience on your resume.

I used to really want to go back to finish SoEng, but i have never had enough money to get it finished and deep down i know i suck in traditional academic settings as much as i admire them. Also not have a degree always makes you feel like you are less in people’s eyes with out it, but there are always you can find to make you feel this way. (as i have discovered from friends who have degrees) Ultimately the worthwhile people will judge you are your intellect and not what some papers (resume or degree) say.

Notice how i say i used to really want to finish SoEng, after reading resumes from graduates who should wipe my ass on the floor (because i never graduated) and then seeing how shitty they are, it makes me disappointed in how universities let people graduate who don’t know anything. I have always wanted degrees to mean something, but the “real world” has shown me that degrees don’t necessarily equate to ability.

Kal, you have got ability don’t let yourself doubt that for a minute. Life always has ups and downs but you will be able to survive and live life the way you want by using your natural abilities and your intelligence.

Btw, there are lots of good positions here in vancouver for someone who can really speak english (like i know you can) and knows chinese. Vancouver is like hong kong 2, if you are willing to come back to canada. (hey ahmed is only 2 hours away, i just saw him today for lunch)

Also if you are any good at PHP doing the MVC thing then shoot me your resume. (but you have to move to vancouver) Cake or Symfony is a plus and you would have room to grow your skill set in ways you wouldn’t believe.
(spiro is right about meeting the right people and what we learned at ConU)

You are totally not a failure. You are one of the smartest people I have had the chance to know! Yes we got good jobs in Seattle, It’s not because we’re better than you, it’s really a matter of luck, being there at the right moment, giving your CV to the right person, etc. You know, at this level, we’re all good at what we do.

I really don’t think you’d be in a bad spot because you took a break after school. Many people do that, and most people interviewing you will probably “wish they were able to do that before they got tied down to a job, a family and their miserable life”.

Of course, if you’re out of the field for like 5 years then it will be harder to get back in. If you choose to get into the family business, all is not lost. You made some great friends during your studies, and you learned how to reason, solve problems, etc. These are invaluable skills. And if you get into ERP software, that fits right in our field of study!!! There are advantages to taking on a business like that, for one, you get to be your own boss more or less. That’s something we’re going to have to work for years to achieve any kind of decision-making power.

Haven’t seen/talk to you in a long time. I guess you are having a rough time now. You know, there is never a bad choice. So what if you can get the highest paying IT job in the world. As long as you are happy doing whatever you are doing, it is all good. I always envy you because you get to travel a lot. You get to see the world, explore different culture, learn different things. You know, at the end of the day, it’s not money that counts. It’s how much you enjoy your life. Sure, you might think it is not very enjoyable at this moment, but later when you look back, I am sure you will be very satisfied with yourself. At least you’ve tried everything you’ve always wanted to. You traveled to Japan chasing your dream. I am sure this is many people’s dream (including myself), but how many people actually did it? How many of us is brave enough to spend all our savings to do something we like? Nobody. We are all scared. Scared of failure. So you should be proud of yourself. It is life experience you are gaining. Don’t only look at work experience. Work is only a small part of your life.

Another thing is, resume doesn’t mean anything. Having experience or not, does not actually influence how your resume look like. Resume is the place where you “BS” the most. You should make the smallest/easiest project seem like it is as complicated as a space shuttle design project. It all depends how you phrase things. If you like, just shoot me an email and I’ll do my best to give you suggestions (I am not that good, but better than nothing). I don’t know if you know, but it is actually quite hard to find a job in Japan. A lot of them prefer native Japanese people because they want someone who is willing to commit to the company for life (and of course it is also related to the language). But be patient, I am sure you will succeed. I know some websites that list job offers for English speaking IT people. I’ll post it here once I find it. Heck, you can always teach English. There is always an alternative solution, right?

Don’t be discouraged. You should be proud of yourself because many of us are. TSG will always be here. Just email us whenever you need anything. You have our emails. Take care my friend.

P.S. My brother’s DE is finally lv52. My sister’s Mage can now summon 3 dires.

Home is always here for you. you are not a failure, no one knows what will happen and that’s why we let you try. Just don’t mind how much IT experience your past work gives you. What is past is past. Don’t close your eyes in front of other possibilities other than IT because you will close your doors. Don’t let the resume depress you. Your life is not about the resume. Having dreams is good but if these dreams leaves you in pain, you can wake up and we are here. I admire your courage for trying at least this is what I don’t have, just don’t give up because of this little thing.

Love always!!!

It doesn’t matter an IT job or not, you can succeed in other things and I don’t mean earning millions, you have normal IQ and have no handicaps, just be patient. and stop thinking about how your past experience messes up your resume. This is all bullshit. don’t let it put you down.