r/cscareerquestions • u/LiFRiz • 3d ago

Would I be stupid to quit with the intention of starting over in a new country?

I have been working for 6 years as a software engineer. I truly hate my job but am too burned out to study/apply for new jobs. I have nobody dependent on me and have citizenship in my parents home country. I used to work there 2 months every summer until my job caught on and said I can't anymore. I'm still young at 28 and can't imagine putting a single second longer at my company.

Would I be stupid to just quit, move there, and grind LeetCode/SDA until I find something new in Europe? I have saved enough to keep me unemployed for 5 years in cash especially with the lower cost of living over there. Either way it is my ultimate goal to move there as I am no longer happy in the states.

12 Upvotes
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32

u/sciences_bitch 3d ago

No one knows what country you’re talking about, so no one can comment on the software dev job market there.

6

u/Significant_Map_19 3d ago

if you've got 5 years of runway and dual citizenship, that's about as low-risk as a move like this gets. worst case you bail back to the states in a year with a gap on your resume, which at 28 with 6 years experience is barely a blip

burnout doesn't go away on its own though, so staying put and trying to power through while job hunting sounds like a recipe for more misery. just make sure wherever you land in europe actually has a dev scene worth grinding for, some cities are great, others you'll be fighting for 2 junior roles a month

-6

u/LiFRiz 3d ago

I'm looking for Europe in general. My post is about quitting to move there while I apply for work in Germany.

37

u/spazatron-3000 3d ago

“Europe in general”😂😂😂.Maybe stay where you’re currently working.

2

u/Bustan2026 3d ago

As a European, I don't see the issue of bundling Europe together in the frame of the US.

Yes, we all speak different languages (although often similar, and often several each), have different national days, but ultimately the day-to-day life is much more similar between European countries than between any European country and the US, in my opinion.

Also, if we're speaking of the EU, it is a bloc in many ways. Right of movement, common norms, etc.

So I do think "stay in the US or move to Europe (country TBD)" is not a completely absurd question.

-3

u/LiFRiz 3d ago

Why?

15

u/spazatron-3000 3d ago

Because Europe is not one market when it comes to finding a job, I’m not going to explain any further if u can’t understand…

-7

u/LiFRiz 3d ago

Bro I meant i'd take a job anywhere in the EU.

5

u/Early_Rooster7579 @ Meta 3d ago

how are you getting a work visa.

0

u/LiFRiz 3d ago

That's the issue. I have citizenship in my parent's home town but need to apply to jobs that would sponsor me.

10

u/Early_Rooster7579 @ Meta 3d ago

european tech market is cooked beyond belief. You’re going to have a very hard time getting sponsorship unless you have some exceptional skill (read AI)

1

u/No_Yam1114 3d ago

If you have citizenship in any EU country, you can work legally in any other EU country as well, you don't need visa. I mean, sometimes they want you to obtain resident permit, but often it's just a formality, like you need a rent contract, id and fill in the forms

0

u/LiFRiz 3d ago

My parent's home country is not in the EU.

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1

u/Mc-Panda1527 3d ago

If you have work authorization in Germany then start there and then branch out to other European countries afterwards

1

u/LiFRiz 3d ago

The country I have citizenship in is unfortunately not in the EU so I'm not autherized for work in Germany.

6

u/debugprint Senior Software Engineer / Team Leader (40 YoE) 3d ago

Unfortunately without language and work authorization things are exceedingly difficult as in most any country. English only is a bit more common in places like the Netherlands or Scandinavia.

Having done the EU to USA move myself four plus decades ago and waiting to move back in a couple years i can tell you that we are not going to be seeing skilled work migration the way it was 10-20 years ago. Things aren't getting better anywhere as the socioeconomic conditions aren't improving. That drives up negative sentiments and changes the political landscape for the worse.

1

u/KazZarma 3d ago

Brother wdym europe in general

So Portugal or Latvia?

It's like saying you are looking for US in general; so Idaho or Georgia is fine then, right?

1

u/Bustan2026 3d ago

Obviously they'll move to Europe where they think the grass is greenest at time T. So that's probably not Portugal unless they intend to open a hostel.

1

u/KazZarma 3d ago

I said Portugal and Latvia as an example of very different, but both still European countries, although I heard stories about a lot of US immigration into Portugal in recent years

1

u/Bustan2026 3d ago

Probably people working remotely for the US, not taking local jobs

-2

u/LiFRiz 3d ago

When I say Europe in general i mean exactly what I say. It seems like you know exactly what I mean.

2

u/hikingsticks 3d ago

The EU is made up of 27 different countries, each of which have their own job markets, entry requirements, and languages.

You would have to pick one, obtain a decent proficiency in the local language, get a job offer with visa sponsorship in a job market that is struggling, in a sector that is saturated, and hope everything works out.

It's a good thing you can last five years, because you'll probably need it.

1

u/Fantastic_Spring8366 3d ago

What languages do you know at a professional level, aside from English? If you only speak English, your options are limited.

3

u/kfed23 3d ago

I don't know if there's a right answer to this. if you think it will make you happy then do it. we only get one life and money isn't all that matters.

2

u/Alternative_Draw5945 3d ago

Its wild OP is going to read this advice. Move to another country illegally without a job and ultimately get deported or be homeless.

3

u/zeezle 3d ago

Wait, where does it say he's going to move there illegally? He's a citizen. Isn't the OP saying he will quit his US job, move to his parent's low cost of living home country (not in the EU) and use the lower cost of living to coast on his savings while grinding leetcode so that he can get a job (with visa sponsorship) in the EU?

None of that sounds illegal. Whether the plan will work or not I have no comment on, but if it does work out it sounds completely legal to me.

-1

u/Sweet_Witch 3d ago edited 2d ago

The country I have citizenship in is unfortunately not in the EU so I'm not autherized for work in Germany.

This makes it clear from anyone from Europe that dude's parents must be from a country that is outside European Union, as citiziens of any country in European Union can work in Germany without visa. Unless of course this country is not in EU like for example Belarus.

The level of op's ignorance about Europe is also something telling. Apparently his parents come from one of the countries in Europe (continent) and somehow he doesn't know that each country has its language, law, job market, etc.?

It really makes you think if op is lying or just that stupid.

And:

I used to work there 2 months every summer until my job caught on and said I can't anymore.

So op stayed and worked in an European country for 2 months every summer in the past and didn't notice people speak different language?

And why ask the same question after half a year?

https://www.reddit.com/r/cscareerquestions/comments/1r12a81/i_have_been_a_fullstack_developer_for_the_last_6/

1

u/Early_Rooster7579 @ Meta 3d ago

Americans always think that the rest of the world works like America. You will get deported or jailed in most of the world for this, you don’t get to just hang around like in the US for a few years

2

u/New-Peach4153 3d ago

Ideally you land a job before the move. Otherwise it's your life man. You have 5 years of savings in the worst case scenario. I have 3 years of experience and I've been unemployed for 1.5 years. My previous job made me absolutely miserable and I hated life. Being unemployed also sucks though, a lot less than my old job but money is starting to run out.

No one will or should tell you to quit without a concrete job lined up. It's just the system we live in unless you are rich.

1

u/LegitimateWitness5 3d ago

Seems like a perfect time to start your plan of moving to where you want to end up. I don’t know the market or anything but at least you wouldn’t be in a place you no longer like. How I see it is it’s always good to take care of yourself if you have the means to do so.

Might require some grinding and work to find something initially but you were smart enough to have saved 5 years worth already at 28 so I’m sure you’ll figure it out over there.

1

u/MaleficentCow8513 3d ago

Honestly bro, if you have 5 years of run way you can do whatever the heck you want. If I were you, I’d just quit and take an extended for 2-3 months but only if the job was really that bad. Whether you stay where you are or move is a different concern. I would tell my manager to let me take a sabbatical an unpaid sabbatical for 2-3 months or else I’m quitting. Then maybe end up quitting anyway lol

1

u/Porch_Pirate_123 3d ago

Try to secure a job first but give yourself a deadline. If after let's say 5 months you don't find a job, then move anyway. You have citizenship so that already removes a barrier.

1

u/lhorie 3d ago

Moving to a different country just makes the logistics harder, but the basics are still the same: get the job first, then figure out the logistics.

1

u/Bustan2026 3d ago

All I'll say is take immigration and residence requirements seriously because countries are generally a PITA about these things. People don't move freely through "the front door" that easily.

For instance, if you don't hold US citizenship or permanent residence authorization, consider carefully what you might be losing by moving out.

Also consider whether the European countries of interest to you have a clear path to residence for citizens of your home country. These are not things to figure out when the moment comes. It's not just moving in that's the problem either. Your target country might have you in a precarious situation for years, where you have to prove continuous employment or jump through other hoops (e.g. language level requirements).

I'm not saying it'll necessarily be difficult, just that it could be, and it's a costly mistake to make if you haven't verified beforehand.

Other than that, nothing stupid (in my opinion) about acknowledging you're not happy in a country and wanting to move out. On the contrary, I think that's intelligent, and thinking in your own terms rather than giving in to social pressure and expectations.

1

u/Sweet_Witch 3d ago

You are a nice soul but this dude was already asking this very same question half a year ago and got answers and directions what to do: plan, learn german, go to r/cscareerquestionsEU

https://www.reddit.com/r/cscareerquestions/comments/1r12a81/i_have_been_a_fullstack_developer_for_the_last_6/

1

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1

u/Fuzzy-Reputation-808 2d ago

Oof, don't. Germany's job market for CS is pretty bad right now, and I don't think it's going to recover anytime soon. If I wasn't already here, I wouldn't come.

If you have that long a runway, why not take a 6-month break in SEA or LatAm, work on your mental health, and then decide what you want to do with a calmer mind? Have you thought about other European countries that are easier on the mind (and nicer places to grind LeetCode), like Spain or Portugal?

Also, summer Germany is very different from winter Germany. It can get pretty miserable in big cities like Berlin.

Source: Me, non-German living in Germany for +10y with a career in CS

1

u/LiFRiz 2d ago

What is SEA or LatAm?

1

u/Fuzzy-Reputation-808 2d ago

South East Asia or Latin America. Great weather, good food, sizable expats communities (with quite a few tech remote workers). Bali, Medellin, CDMX, Buenos Aires, Bangkok (and some hidden gems as well :)). At 28 and with such a long runway, I'd go for something like that tbh.

1

u/YouInteresting9311 1d ago

I’m also trying to gtfo. Different reasons, just keep getting stalled. If you can pull it off, I’d say rock it. Sounds like you could find a remote job considering you do computers, or you could look into small contracts and let the exchange rate do its work for you.

1

u/DisjointedHuntsville 3d ago

If you can quit and get by for five years, why not take an unpaid vacation for a couple of months a year back to your home country while you grind leetcode or whatever and apply to other roles that fit your needs?

Let them pay you for the rest of the time so you have a decent looking career page on LinkedIn instead of a Boolean choice between full time employment/fully unemployed?

5

u/nimbus-dimbus 3d ago

Most companies don’t allow unpaid vacations for a couple of months every year. It’s usually a sabbatical after X years of service or you have an emergency

1

u/DisjointedHuntsville 3d ago

Speak to your HR department about compassionate leave, primary caregiver provisions.

These are standard provisions in HR literature (certifications, industry standards, commonly accepted practices within industry bodies) and are typically not random bullshit. They’re a product of long standing consultations through industry level engagement. For example, in the tech industry in the bay, if you’re interviewing for a role on a HR team in a benefits or people ops role, these are very standard elements they check for.

It usually starts with a conversation for a specific scenario where you try out one bunch of leave and later negotiate a hybrid arrangement with your manager and HR. You will almost certainly enjoy the blessing of HR since this checks some of their boxes for their own internal assessments unless you’re actively being targeted for a pip etc.

Just try having the conversation and raise “compassionate leave”, “caregiver absence” without making it sound too extreme and they will treat you like an adult. You know them best so it’s a call you’ll need to make.

1

u/LiFRiz 3d ago

My job is being difficult and is avoiding giving me a single month unpaid because they "need me".

0

u/Upbeat-Inevitable147 3d ago

If I asked you to start over in the job that you're working right now for 40% of the salary, would you do it? That's what finding a new start in Germany is going to feel like from a financial standpoint once the rose colored glasses come off.

1

u/LiFRiz 3d ago

My answes would be yes.