21–30 of 67 posts
I am an electrical engineer and in the same boat as you. While being an engineer can be rewarding, the sedentary aspects kill the reward. It is physically draining. To remedy the situation, I decided to get a Ph.D. and become a professor. I am in my first year of grad school right now. While I know that professors have to do a lot of paper writing and grant writing, most of their work isn't necessarily computer relat…
I went through the process of getting my Masters in Architecture. It is a long and very arduous process and something you shouldn't do without being passionate or dedicated to the discipline.
The crazy thing about it is that you will end up spending most (if not more than you already do) of your time in front of the computer. Sure there is some hand drawing and model making, but the industry is digital now, and working on digital drawings, digital models, renderings, post processing takes so much time – even though the transition to digital was supposed to speed up the process...
And the other thing is the compensation. As people have pointed out, architects don't make that much money (although that doesn't seem to be one of your criterium).
With my degree I've become a design problem solver generalist. I work on architecture problems, business problems, programming problems, whatever is of interest to me – and hopefully that I can get paid for. In the past couple of years, the greatest insight I've had into the difference between architecture and software/web development is the time it takes to realize things. Architecture is a very long process. You might be able to make a drawing quickly, but getting it built will take a long time. A programming development project might have a long development timeline, but there are so many milestones that give instant gratification (i.e. enabling a new feature).
Unfortunately film editing nowadays involves mostly sitting at a computer (unless you're an oldschool star editor who can demand a Steenbeck flatbed editor and real tangible film).
I am an electrical engineer and in the same boat as you. While being an engineer can be rewarding, the sedentary aspects kill the reward. It is physically draining. To remedy the situation, I decided to get a Ph.D. and become a professor. I am in my first year of grad school right now. While I know that professors have to do a lot of paper writing and grant writing, most of their work isn't necessarily computer relat…
How did you get into a PHD program?
If you truly learn the craft and work hard at marketing, you can create something of high value to others–be it art, helping other companies (through commercial work), telling stories (journalism or editorial), or personal (portraits/weddings).
Having spent the last 15 years as a developer, I'm now working toward a career as an opera singer (I'm a tenor). Admittedly I find it difficult to identify many similarities between opera and software development. People often make a connection between music and mathematics, but for me the non -mathematic aspects of opera are what I find most attractive. The sheer thrill of dramatic expression through controlled scre…
I am always surprised at the way in which architecture as a profession is romanticized. I blame Mike Brady... I went through the process of getting my Masters in Architecture. It is a long and very arduous process and something you shouldn't do without being passionate or dedicated to the discipline. The crazy thing about it is that you will end up spending most (if not more than you already do) of your time in front…
1. Sell baked goods 2. Sell clothing
The job market, at least locally, ain't great.
I went through a brief period where I was convinced I wanted to be a carpenter, specifically making furniture. I've also worked as a builders mate and roofer in the past both of which I enjoyed and all of which settle my desire to create something. It seemed better to be building something that actually existed in the real world, not just on the internet. These days though I'm just trying to make enough money in the…
I hear this very often - I am working at a job which I dont want to do till I achieve a financial goal. For folks who know what they are passionate about, I wonder if it is worth it in the long term to postpone following their dream. Especially in a country like US or Uk, where standards of living are pretty reasonable for most professions. I for the most of my life did not even know what I really like - by the time…
For me that's travel, adventure and photography (landscape, wildlife, culture). There's two ways I can achieve my goal, make enough so that I don't have to work again (I make it about £1.2m~), or failing that live cheaply enough that money no longer plays a major factor in my life, i.e. I don't spend most of my adult life paying off a mortgage. The plan for that would be to buy a nice old, cheap yacht and live as frugally as I can whilst exploring the world.
So either way hopefully within the next couple of years I'll be living my dream.. id rather be "financially responsible" and do it, but I'm prepared to make sacrifices if that's not possible within my given time frame. :)
I went through a brief period where I was convinced I wanted to be a carpenter, specifically making furniture. I've also worked as a builders mate and roofer in the past both of which I enjoyed and all of which settle my desire to create something. It seemed better to be building something that actually existed in the real world, not just on the internet. These days though I'm just trying to make enough money in the…
I hear this very often - I am working at a job which I dont want to do till I achieve a financial goal. For folks who know what they are passionate about, I wonder if it is worth it in the long term to postpone following their dream. Especially in a country like US or Uk, where standards of living are pretty reasonable for most professions. I for the most of my life did not even know what I really like - by the time…