Just talked to my older son, who decided that he should be making at least 250-300K, is vastly underpaid, and that’s why he quit. Ah…alrighty then. I’m hoping this isn’t a case of delusional thinking, but plenty of confidence. This is a strange world that I don’t understand, and I sure hope it works out for him.
Honestly, I thought when my kids got older I would stop worrying about them, because they aren’t nearby. But I don’t stop.
Wow, my S and D put together don’t make anywhere near $250-300K, even if you throw in several co-workers salaries! That’s quite a lot of money, in my book. It is indeed a strange world I don’t understand either. I’m sure your older S will figure it out–maybe he’ll even tell us once he figures it out.
I’m hoping he figures it out, and doesn’t get disappointed. I think the tech industry is insane in SF, particularly for some companies. It’s funny, because he’s a person who only spends money (for the most part) on rent and food. He wears his clothes to rags and I don’t know if he owns a single thing that we haven’t gotten for him as a present, or as a free tech t-shirt from a conference. I think with these tech guys, they aren’t about spending money…though I could put it to good use!
Yes, I suspect he doesn’t want to feel he’s being taken advantage of and wants to be paid what the “going rate” is for the crazy hours and deadlines they put up with. There’s a lot more job-hopping in some areas and industries than others. Our S likes clothes but also loves deals, so he will find the perfect clothing at great prices online and if it doesn’t quite meet his expectations will re-sell it with no problem. He still has a lot of free shirts he got from college, plus the nicer things he’s bought himself. He has gotten some rather attractive $5 wool sweaters from Express.
S is so far OK with his wages, as they are fairly standard for his level of experience and responsibilities. He isn’t all that much of a spender, as he’s amazing at spotting deals. 
I’m with your son on the deals, I love a good deal. I try to not get suckered into buying something just because it’s a good deal, and I absolutely loathe shopping. However…if it’s a really good deal, then I can bring myself to get it. Even clothing. Ugh!
If I ever see my kids go clothes shopping on their own, I’ll probably have a heart attack.
Online shopping has kept my kids in clothing–otherwise they’d just be wearing free college tshirts and stuff that I bouht them decades ago. S has just learned that he can still wear some clothing in kids sizes at a huge savings (even tho he hated it back in the day when I bought him things in kids sizes). I’m glad they have figured out how to buy things that work for them and they look great in.
I should recommend that. Men’s sizes are pretty standard, unlike the incredibly wide variety that women have to put up with. But I think I’ll wait until S1 actually has another job lined up (just our luck a recession will be around the corner), and S2’s job looks more secure. Until then, they can keep wearing their raggedy clothing!
I know I’m old school. I had a tough job in CA, worst manager in 25’years, and low paying. I stuck with it over a year until something else showed up. Kids today don’t not do that. My dad grew up with the big Depression thinking any job that paid you, u kept, until something much better was there.
My dad was self employed most of his life. I often had PT jobs, which I kept for group health plans, and worked for myself.
Like Busdrivers son, our sOns will always need a salaried job.
I know next to nothing about the tech industry but does the old adage that it’s easier to find a job when you have a job no longer hold true? Perhaps the tech industry is so hot it doesn’t matter.
I’ve been told that it is so time consuming to study for and interview for jobs that you’re better off being unemployed. But I have a hard time with that. I think though, it is pretty common for people in the tech industry to job hop, and to quit and take a break.
I know two young adults in SV. They both quit/were fired but had no problems finding new jobs at higher pay. They enjoyed the time between jobs as a vacation. Our S works in EE for the fed govt and has been encouraged by them to transfer every few years for raises and promotions. So far he’s transferred once since starting in 2011.
I had a successful friend in his 50s. When his mother in her 80s visited him, he tried to bring her suitcase in for her, She stopped him saying it’s too heavy for him and brought it herself.
Iglooo, I’m gonna be that mom! And chopping up their meat in bite sized pieces so they don’t choke. I even do that for my husband, who laughs…and I say, “Oh, it’s because it’s easier to warm up in the microwave that way”. :-S
I always say, first step in crisis management is crisis prevention. There ya go. A spin on fretting.
Here’s what I think the difference between a Mom and a Dad is (no offense to overprotective dads):
The sound of the car speeding down your street. The toddler flings open the door, runs down the driveway and into the street. Dad grabs the toddler away, just in time to not get hit by the car.
Or Mom is the one who is home. She hears the sound of the car and instantly locks the door, because she just knows what’s going to happen. Or she already always keeps the door locked, because she knows it might happen.
Probably too much of that going on in my house. 
Men come in different shapes also, so some men may not find the commonly available clothing cuts to be suitable for them (more of a concern for dressier clothing than the casual stuff that many men wear daily). Also, the men’s clothing sizes that are supposedly the actual measurements may not be.
http://www.esquire.com/style/mens-fashion/a8386/pants-size-chart-090710/
SO true! Oh man, I even do that with the cats. We have two indoor cats and one of them has figured out how to open the sliding screen door to the backyard. It doesn’t matter how carefully you lock the screen, she knows how to play with it until it unlocks. When my husband goes outside, he always leaves the outer glass door open and the smart cat always follows him outside, casually flicking that screen door. He’s usually able to get her back inside before anything happens to her or other wildlife but he never learns. By contrast, whenever I hear the telltale signs of him going outside, I go right to that door and close the glass door (while chiding the unapologetic cat).
Any updates here? Curious, what “job search” site is your DS/DD using most? Linked In or other?
DS2 had contact with the long-presumed bird in the hand. He might have to stall while he awaits word from the two in the bush. Wish this would hurry up! He graduates next week.
D is back on the summer job search. She went for training this week at the wildlife park that had offered her a position. It would have been pure unpaid scut work, maybe working her way up to cutting fish for the otters by the end of the summer. For someone with two years experience with direct contact while taking care of a deer herd, it was a big letdown more matched to a HS senior than a college senior majoring in zoology.