21–30 of 31 posts
Find something you'd like to do, and the only way to do that is to explore other things than what you are currently doing (since you are obviously not finding real satisfaction in it).
Might I suggest volunteering your time or a charitable activity? That can be a very fulfilling activity for some.
Start your own company, or a side project. See how it goes.
The former isn't a decision to be taken lightly. It's also not a good idea if you're not in the right place mentally. Think of a company as an automobile that drains your emotional gas tank. If you start out with a low tank, you're going to have a bad time. Side projects however are great provided you enjoy the experience and don't let it turn into a job.
This is going to sound odd but I'd recommend journaling. You need to spend some time free writing to access your subconscious and gain insight into how you really feel and especially what you value. You'll be amazed at how effective it is. I'm of the opinion that a substantial share of ennui arises from a failure to commit to routine and honest introspection. With respect to software, your feelings may stem from a pe…
Thank you for the reply. The journaling part sounds very logical for anybody of any situation :) your words do ring a clarion Bell. Thank you so much
There are a lot of flaws with this line of reasoning, but mainly the activity of writing code becomes secondary to defining the problem domain and solution.
I had the same issue around the middle of my job. I took a break, started a cafe, thought F&B would be something better. It immediately shocked me back into programming. That's one approach - just do something else (preferably low cost) and see what you like more. Some people did up liking F&B more than tech.
>> I don't like people that much though I do put up a front
Question: Do you not like people or do you not like the people you have to interact with on a regular basis? If you have to eat lunch with the people you work with, can you enjoy it or do you tolerate it/hate it?
I used to work in the consulting arm of a software company and got to interact with a lot of different teams. After the novelty of having a new challenge (new language, new algorithms, new project, etc) every few months wore off, I started to realize work was more enjoyable when I didn't mind spending time with the people I worked with. When I felt forced to work with people I didn't click with the work itself didn't matter - I felt either bored or frustrated. I asked about lunch because sometimes I'd rather have done anything else than try to force a conversation with some of the teams I used to work with.
"Enjoying" spending time with the people you work with is also not about after-hours or having a lively conversation. I used to work with a machine learning algorithm team that was filled with brilliant people, but they had zero interest in the typical office banter, small-talk, ping-pong, etc. Put them at a lunch table together and there conversations were not very animated. But after a while, an observer would realize these folks enjoyed spending time together, and there was a reason they had been together for 10+ years despite getting offers from big name companies who paid a lot more.
In my view it's easier to find a job with the a particular technology than it is to find a place where you can tolerate the people you work with for 40+ hours a week. I love to code and I'm introverted, but I struggled to fit in with the typical "developer" office environment and found myself happier in teams were I get to code but my role is more business facing.