From $500K a year to homeless: 28-year AI engineer's job hunt sparks debate
ericelliott_ · x · 2026-11-01
Replying to Tony Stewart's plea, Eric Elliott reveals his own situation: two months of full-time minimum-wage work would barely cover his rent, car payment and registration — not counting food for his family. He was saved by people he once helped now helping him back.
This continues the discussion around Stewart's story — $500K/year three years ago, 28 years of experience, three technical books, now living in his car and unable to find work. Replies argued his AI-slop personal site and resume pitching failed the smell test, advising him to rewrite his pitch around concrete AI work from the 90s.
The exchange highlights how brutal the senior engineer job market has become and how personal-brand packaging can backfire in the AI era.
Related event: Veteran AI Engineer Once Earning $500K a Year Now Homeless(3 posts)→
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