I Spent Months Looking for a Job. Then I Said No to One.
I’ve been working in the industry for almost a decade, mostly under the title of iOS Developer . For most of that time, I was continuously employed. I had a fixed salary, benefits, taxes handled by the company, and the comfort of knowing that another paycheck would probably arrive next month. That security made life easy to plan around. I travelled, bought things I liked, satisfied the weeb…
For nearly a decade, the reporter had worked as an iOS Developer, enjoying a stable salary, benefits, and predictability. However, after almost ten years, they became unemployed for months, causing their previously secure life to vanish. Despite applying to various companies and roles, including Flutter, React Native, backend, and DevOps positions, the reporter faced numerous rejections.
During this period, they focused on learning agentic coding technologies like GitHub Copilot, OpenCode, and Claude Code, which significantly reduced their manual coding efforts. Eventually, an old boss hired them as a freelancer, and they also collaborated on a side project. Currently, the reporter remains freelancing, working on personal projects, utilizing AI tools, and exploring various career paths.
Although they are no longer unemployed, their income remains uncertain, and they have returned to working nights. Recently, one of the companies that rejected them reached out, offering a higher-paying mobile developer position for one of their US clients. Despite the offer's appeal, the reporter declined due to their newfound preference for daytime work and their commitment to their current freelance work and side project.
The reporter acknowledges the comfort of employment and the uncertainty of freelancing, but they currently value the control over their time and the freedom to pursue their interests.
Written by urgent.news from Dev.to's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
