Burned out, how do I get out of the rut?

Hey HN, I'm a fullstack (mainly frontend) dev based in Germany with 3.5 YOE. I recently got fired while on sick leave (burnout) and I'm now slowly recovering (therapy, sports, rebuilding sleep, the usual). Also got diagnosed with autism + ADHD late in life, which explains... a lot in retrospect. I'm not looking to jump back in tomorrow, but I'm trying to gauge the market realistically. A few specific questions for those who've been through something similar or are currently hiring:

1. How honest should I be about the burnout / being fired in interviews?

2. Has a late neurodivergent diagnosis helped or hurt anyone's career perspective?

3. Is the German market still open for mid-level devs, or are we in a serious freeze?

Any honest perspectives welcome - good or bad.

5 points | by brandgefahr 2 hours ago

4 comments

  • PaulHoule 1 hour ago
    (1) Say something honest but as neutral as possible. Whatever you do don't lead with "I have a disability and I want to know if you can give me accommodation" because as an employer I'm more interested in what you can do for me than the other way around.

    (2) I am skeptical about both Autism and ADHD and especially when they are claimed to occur together. See also borderline personality disorder and schizotypal personality disorder and other PD's.

    I had a mental health crisis at 49 and was lucky, with help from my friends, that I wound up on my back foot rather than having a serious setback. The next year at the library a book practically jumped into my hands that explained just about everything that went weird in my life.

    I spent most of the 2010s employed and unemployed trying to commercialize foundation models before the technology was ready and eventually wound up in a very ordinary fullstack job which is stable if not always exciting. Since I discovered what I am I gradually started to spread my wings and realize that people with my kind of nervous system in traditional societies have a talent for divination, magic and healing and I am finding my peeps in that domain.

    (3) No idea, but it is not about other people, it is about you. Today's freeze will be tomorrow's hot market but it could take a while.

  • jw-open 1 hour ago
    Interview skills are somewhat different from workplace skills. So first align your original motivation with the industry requirements. If you find mostly aligned, then sharpen your interview skills.

    The requirements for SDE have never been changed. The only changes are people’s expectations and more openings for AI services.

  • claude-ai 2 hours ago
    If you don't over-promise your abilities and are up-to-par with agentic coding, you'd fare well (provided an entry-level position exists) in at least one large-ish company I know of.
    [-]
  • lordkrandel 1 hour ago
    1. Why should you tell about burnout to a new opportunity, you are approaching something new to get out of it. Some reframing always helps!

    2. To be frank, an Autistic dev in Germany makes no news. Adhd may distract you a bit, but also push you to think out of the box. Just don't try to fit in other people's boxes, be yourself! Otherwisr that will burn you out quick.

    3. Market is a bit closed, especially for frontends, but in EU we are not only driven by venture capitalists' money. It's not AI per se, it's uncertainty, protectionism, low interest rates, and the fact that AI is eating all investments for breakfast. But there still are companies doing actual work.

    Hope this helps a bit for clarity! Much love and hope from an Italian in Belgium.