Please critique my plan to become a software developer and move to a town with cheap housing in 5-10 years where I can work from home

[rosierev]

@adefela77 Depends on your career goals. Project manager, team lead, technical BA, QA, all reachable without Fundamentals.

Framework is apex, based upon java (old, janky ass java but still), lwc is javascript based. T-SQL SOQL and SAQL, Opportunities to learn aws, mulesoft, git, etc etc etc, also all of the soft skills: requirements gathering, stakeholder management, etc

All transferable skills if salesforce disappears in a few years time

 

[charlesaugustine]

@kayvin Tech market is a bit shit right now, because inflation is high and investors are pulling from growth stocks, tech companies rise fast and fall fast. If the tide turns, and immigration stays where it is now, there will be a huge demand for software devs as tech starts to grow againm and you will have a chance to ride that wave. Right now, finding a fully remote position as a junior dev is harder than ever.

 

[codewarrior]

@charlesaugustine Good call.

 

[hallbee66]

@kayvin Your plan is not a bad one but as others have said it is useless without execution.

Again as others said there are remote roles but they are reducing. Lucky for you software developers are still somewhat of an exception in a lot of cases. IT is much more about ability and skill than education, so you would be able to demonstrate that in more like 2 years if you applied yourself like you say you will

 

[gamebai886]

@kayvin Interesting write up. Here's my thoughts from someone who's knocked off 13 years off a 25 yr mortgage on lower end salary, been 95% of my life in 2nd tax bracket. Put your plan into a timeline and try to reach each goal, be prepared to fail most times and adjust to the best of your ability. Live below your means and track weekly how much your saving, I went thru buying a cheaper house (chch) first instead if saving then buying (had partner). You can calculate and project how much your gonna have in like 1, 3, 5 and 10yrs and adjust. It doesn't really plan out, well for me it didn't, I ended up having to work another job to reach my goal because my first plan of working my way up didn't happen, kids & home life and not being good with books made it difficult, still is. Buying assets early and having them over time is key I have found.

 

[nutja21]

@kayvin

I'm dumbfounded as to why we aren't seeing more software developers and those able to WFH move to cheaper regions.

We are. I know at least 20 people who moved from Auckland to Christchurch for a cheaper house and fully remote work.

It will be even more in the future, just people with experience already set up their families here (and they can afford Auckland).

Btw you should be able to save way more as a software engineer. We save 100k/year after tax...

 

[lovegod1989]

@kayvin I basically did that. But as a game dev. Started at 24, am now 35.

Didn't buy my own house and can't stand living in places like the ones you described. Did try it. It was the lack of social connection that does it, those places have people who live gray lives under gray skies (literally, places on SI can have a fair amount of time in winter without daylight).

My #1 tip is do not work for NZ companies. I started out freelancing for companies in US, EU, Canada primarily. Its slim pickings at first. The work was few and far between. I worked my way into niche areas in high demand and now I usually get flooded with offers even when not advertising. This has slowed down noticeably with the world going to shit, but that currency conversion definitely makes up for it.

The few NZ companies who have attempted to engage me reek of NZ culture where employers feel like they're owed more than the time they pay for (and not just time, they project a mentality or feeling that they're doing you a favour by employing you). There's none of this in other countries, its extremely liberating doing away with that shit.

It is very rare that NZ companies can pay you properly also. One of the biggest benefits is not being constrained to the boring ass projects NZ companies settle for or the lesser educated devs you work with.

 

[tonyann]

@kayvin Who’s paying $1.2k a week for a software dev with no qualifications?

 

[kayvin]

@tonyann I'm not working as a software developer right now.

 

[tonyann]

@kayvin Yea but after you do the courses you still won’t have any qualifications. If you do want a decent job to start out with you really do need a Compsci degree. I’m a senior software engineer and when even when I see graduate cvs with only certs and no degree they usually land straight in the bin. It sounds rough but it really is the truth, the markets flooded with low quality candidates there’s only so many job postings for developers because it’s hard to find good ones

 

[katstamper]

@tonyann You don't need a degree just code examples or a work history

 

[tonyann]

@katstamper Idk man I’m a senior engineer and hire developers, that’s not what you need to need to get a job at any company I’ve been with

 

[nickyw1993]

@kayvin Ya dreaming mate

 

[nowforever]

@kayvin Buying a house for cash is not necessarily a great move. Consider the crappy type of house you could buy for $300,000 in 10 years time. If it appreciates 50% in the 10 years you live in it you are then living in a $450,000 crappy house and have made a $150,000 capital gain. You have also suffered in that crappy house for 10 years with an unhappy wife. You sell that house and buy another crappy one for $450,000.

Now consider if you gear up with that same cash and buy a $1.5 million house with a 20% down-payment. It also increases by 50% so you've made a $750,000 capital gain while living in a nice house with a happy wife. You sell the house at the end of the 10 years and and buy a cheaper one for cash for $750,000 + the $300,000 down-payment = $1.05m. (Assume the repayments over the 10 years are equal to your savings over 10 years had you paid cash for the house so you have that too.)

 

[andro]

@nowforever Perhaps you have missed a few posts in NZ finance. There was somebody a few backs who did exactly what you said, bought a 1.5m house last year, which is now worth about 1m and they can't pay the mortgage anymore due to rising interest rates.

The guy with the 300k paid off mortgage has zero financial stress, whilst the 1.5m person is now 500k in negative equity, forking out their whole paycheck on something and is facing bankruptcy.

Your story misses out on a lot and assumes only rising prices while house prices are tumbling and people won't be able to cover the mortgage as interest rates increase.

 

[nowforever]

@andro In the short term the value can drop but over a 10 year period houses have always gone up.

 

[shadowenoch]

@kayvin For most roles now even software it’s generally hybrid if you’ve got a ton of experience you can possibly negotiate full remote. Looking at your plan I think your best to work full time now for one year and then go into education full time (short term pain - long term gain etc), mixed in with full time/part time hours with your year worth of savings you will be be living just fine.

Your plan looks well thought out but by the time you are ready the world can change drastically I think in 3-5 years there is going to be an over saturation of software devs (just a guess). Most industries there are work from home roles you just need to have experience and ability (i started in retail management and now have a WFH role for last few years and live in a lot more affordable place than Auckland yet get paid Auckland wages).

Just my 2 cents

 

[kiwisteve]

@kayvin Hosing price explosion lol

 

[eva090715]

@kayvin Big corporate office jobs usually flexible with wfh, doesnt have to be softdev. You should stick to a short term goal, 6 mobths boot camp n 6 months to get a job.

 

[judy126]

@kayvin You'd better be a very very good in demand dev if you want to work from home.

Edit: wfh 100% of the time