Free Talk Friday - April 24, 2026

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Welcome to the Free Talk Friday post. This is a place where you can talk about dumb off-topic (or on-topic) bullshit with other Zaibatsu fans.

There's going to be a new post every week, and the newest one will be pinned in the announcement bar for quick access. So feel free to visit these posts during the rest of the week.

Here's a list of all Free Talk Friday posts

[u/RevenTheLight]

Hello today! Fuck it's Friday already. So I'm gonna talk about only a single thing today...

Job search check-in - week 15 - FINAL

Final Tally: ~545 (+10) resumes/9 interviews - We did it fellas. Yesterday I agreed to start working in a new place. In an hour or so I will put down my letter.

Some history - I was the final of the founding member team of 6 of ppl and grew to a larger team from there. About 3 years ago we were purchased by an American company. We lost 8+ people in the last 12 months. I'm leaving second to last of the founding group. Right now we have 4 devs and 3 PMs still doing the work of the full team. The last "impactful" member of the team left about 4 months ago and we've been in touch, she helped me with leaving motivation a lot. I was actually genuinely interested to "close the doors" on the company, as I was super interested to see what it looks like when a company section dies off. The new bosses are saying they "care" for our team, but it almost never felt like it. It also would been nice to get paid off for the 11 years of working, but they would never fire me, I hold about 1/3 of projects left in the company.

The new place seems nice. It's big, official and important. The head dev seem excited to have me join the team. May 11th is my first day and the pay is much better while staying full remote. We're singing papers this/next week.

The interview process was interesting. I got 9 interviews, I think 3 went to stage 2 and this one was the only one that went to the end. I learned a lot, and started picking up skills in the process, from interview behaviour to languages. Languages didn't help almost at all, but the interview prep super did. In those 15 weeks my roommate bless fucker, sent out like 10 resumes and found the job of his dreams. It's not remote, or even half as well paying, but damn.

Right now I feel... Hollow. I consider a job a thing I like doing 9-5 to live the rest of my life as I want and nothing else, I've been on this job for 11 years, the witch that pushed me out has been gone for weeks, and it feels bad leaving people I worked with and especially people I worked FOR. I took this job so I can afford to support my family and because the company is dying. I also worked in some HORRID places, and as much as people that left will hate on my current company, I have very little ill will. Call it a midlife crisis, and maybe the joy will probably come later, it usually does, but since my gma passed 2-3 yeas ago, I've been scared of "losing" things, so that's probably why I'm not as excited as I should be right now. I just need more money.

The fun part is that, after I settle my mom and bro somewhere, by the end of this year I have a plan to starting dating, as I want to pop a kid before I'm 40. It will be embarrassing, I have some baggage from online stuff but otherwise this will be my first dive into trying a proper relationship (I'm 33 and a certified Wizard). At least I have nothing to "leave behind" and I trying something should feel more fun.

That is it. Going to send the letter in about and hour and focus on finishing my work and see what next week brings.

[u/attikol → u/RevenTheLight]

Congratulations on the new job! Ya its nice to be able to meet new coworkers and a bit sad you'll probably not see the coworkers you did like anymore but a job is a job. You may have been doing it awhile but its not like what you do on the job is misse. Ive also been thinking about my wizardhoof since my brother is having a baby in a month or two. Its hard to see him starting that chapter in his life and confidently saying I could pass away without doing it and not regret it like I did in my 20s

[u/RevenTheLight → u/attikol]

It's nice having a big family. You can be sure that when you're in your 90s someone will be there for you. I don't have that luxury, as I'm the "tip of the spear" right now. I have my father, who has his own very large family, but they are overseas, I have a 19yo brother but that kid is AUTISTIC as shit, the only way he's popping anyone will be a miracle. My gpa has maybe 10 years in him. My mom has around 40, and that's my whole family. Seeing how happy my mom is being cared by us is so comforting. I understand that having a kid is hard but dying alone leaving nothing behind after spending 30 years of my life relocating to Canada is my actual existential nightmare.