Now I make a proactive effort to track both my job security and the job market so I'll know when the optimal time is to go back into working in porn.
*NSFW. Duh.
The industry has vastly consolidated and the margins are now much leaner than they once were. No more refuge for that smart hacker type who has a computer crime felony on his record, unfortunately. It was one of the last places on earth folks like that could provide value.
He was easily the most qualified candidate for the position and we failed to win him over because a bigger company offered some perks we couldn't, he was fought over by a couple of companies afaik.
If so: we're hiring ;)
The salaries are mostly lower for software engineers than in the US while the taxes are higher. Counter to that is the stronger social net, universal healthcare, unemployment benefits. It gets obviously more complex depending on where you move as the cost of living fluctuates wildly.
That doesn't really matter as much as it seems you think: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AIMA2f6JmvE
Only in German at the moment, sorry, will be updated soon. We have English only devs working for us and our working language is english.
Coming back into the "real world" after my time spent in adult was like going back to high school in terms of social dynamics within the workplace (politics and niceness over competence). Everything moves in slow motion comparatively.