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Ask HN: Have you ever thought of leaving programming for something else?

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Re: Ask HN: Have you ever thought of leaving programming for something else?

#451

Post by david927 »

iand wrote: post #239
david927 wrote: post #114

I currently work in a good environment where I'm appreciated and paid well. Not many people in the world can say that, so I have a lot to be thankful for. Programming has done good by me. But I don't love it. Alan Kay is right, it's like building "an Egyptian pyramid with millions of bricks piled on top of each other, with no structural integrity, but just done by brute force and thousands of slaves". There's no eleg…

> It's an Asperger profession; smart but artless. Your point was good, it didn't need this poor stereotyping.

You're right -- my apologies.

Re: Ask HN: Have you ever thought of leaving programming for something else?

#452

Post by JamesBarney »

thenomad wrote: post #447
amelius wrote: post #242

Earlier quoted context omitted.

But at least those jobs don't have the stigma of being (in the words above) Asperger professions. This makes it difficult to share your problems with other people, and of course, also because people in general would, I suppose, find the problems that musicians or theatre writers have more interesting, and more approachable than the problems of a software developer. Also, this makes that a musician can be a "musician"…

Speaking as an ex-film producer - nope. It's tremendously difficult to share the problems inherent in most showbiz professions. That's partially because they tend to be very complex and counterintuitive. If we wanted to have a conversation about my problems selling a feature film (assuming I was currently doing so - thankfully I'm not), I'd first need to give you a 90-minute seminar on how selling films works in 2016…

I think listening to someone talk for 90 minutes about how selling films work would be freaking fascinating.

My wife however does not feel the same way about a 90 minute lecture on how compilers work.

Re: Ask HN: Have you ever thought of leaving programming for something else?

#454

Post by clentaminator »

oftenwrong wrote: post #420

Yes. I love programming, but I really dislike how inactive I must be to work as a programmer. I don't like sitting/standing all day, and being chained to the computer. Short activity breaks, and workouts in the morning and evening don't cut it. When I'm outdoors and active, I am so much happier. If I am on a multi-day outdoor trip to hike or rock climb, I feel like a completely different person. This is especially tr…

I've considered both of those career switches (ranger and mail carrier) myself for those exact reasons. Deliveroo too, as the idea of being able to cycle around all day seems quite appealing.

Re: Ask HN: Have you ever thought of leaving programming for something else?

#455

Post by robynsmith »

I'm a huge fan of this essay:

Don't Call Yourself A Programmer, And Other Career Advice | Kalzumeus Software ---> http://www.kalzumeus.com/2011/10/28/dont-call-yourself-a-pro...

I prefer not to call myself a programmer, although it's a decent way of describing what I do.

I create [value] and solve problems. I used to this by fixing hard datacenter problems as an IT/Ops person, and now I do it as a Full Stack Web Developer. The creating things / solving problems mindset is what is really important to me. Programming is just one interesting "medium" to do this in.

I could see myself creating things and solving problems in other profession. One that I thought heavily about is medicine, law, and writing. I think there are many possible places you can do this in life - it's just a matter of picking a medium you enjoy.

If you need to work on something else, then you can always pick it up as a side project or hobby. I used to find philosophy fascinating. I spent probably a decade of my life reading it as a hobby. Part of me wanted to go back to school or somehow figure out a way to learn it/do it professionally...but I honestly got what I needed out of the hobby. Now I've moved onto other things.

ANYWAY.

If programming made me miserable, I'd consider getting a second degree in psychology and perhaps doing a ph.d eventually. Or maybe go into management. Or maybe go into medicine. Go with the flow or something.

Re: Ask HN: Have you ever thought of leaving programming for something else?

#456

Post by bebop »

dadro wrote: post #395

I bought a small commercial fishing boat and occasionally do that on the side. I make no money but love every minute of it. I'm working on getting my charter license so I can take folks out fishing and hope to do that p/t when I retire in 20 years.

Sounds like a blast! What are you fishing for?

Re: Ask HN: Have you ever thought of leaving programming for something else?

#457

Post by terminalcommand »

digler999 wrote: post #436
terminalcommand wrote: post #383

Earlier quoted context omitted.

As a law student, I experience this a lot. Computers and programming were/are my only passion and obsession. My life is dedicated to computers, but professionally I have to be a lawyer. I just had an interview at an IT Law Firm, and made a fool of myself. That's why I completely agree that, we as "people who are good at computers" need to keep seperate identities. Because if you go full Aspergers, you make yourself v…

> and made a fool of myself. Good. you got out there and made mistakes. Now you can learn from them and you wont ever be that bad henceforth, hereunto. I made a total ass out of my self the first few programming interviews I went to. First one, recruiter called me (woke me up at ~10am) and I thought I'd show "initiative", I said "sure Ill be there in 2 hours". Went totally unprepared, didn't even bring a copy of my r…

Thanks for the support. It's been an embarrasing experience, but I've learnt a lot.

First, I shouldn't mention my passion for computers. They're looking for a lawyer, not an engineer. They already employ engineers, who are active in legal research. Second, I should pick a career outside of IT-Law. Solely working on technology feels too close to the heart. Third, I shouldn't speak a lot and reveal details about my life when I'm too excited during an interview.

Now, I only have to endure the next couple of days, then the sting will go away. After a couple of months, I'll remember this as an experience and I'll laugh at how foolish I was.

Re: Ask HN: Have you ever thought of leaving programming for something else?

#458

Post by marcosdumay »

asveikau wrote: post #380
Fifer82 wrote: post #308

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Get over it man.

Is that ever a valid response to a disorder or illness? Cancer? Get over it man. Depression? Get over it man. This is not cool.

It's a perfectly valid response for denial.

Yes, it's happening. Get over it.

Re: Ask HN: Have you ever thought of leaving programming for something else?

#459

Post by Grishnakh »

digler999 wrote: post #436
terminalcommand wrote: post #383

Earlier quoted context omitted.

As a law student, I experience this a lot. Computers and programming were/are my only passion and obsession. My life is dedicated to computers, but professionally I have to be a lawyer. I just had an interview at an IT Law Firm, and made a fool of myself. That's why I completely agree that, we as "people who are good at computers" need to keep seperate identities. Because if you go full Aspergers, you make yourself v…

> and made a fool of myself. Good. you got out there and made mistakes. Now you can learn from them and you wont ever be that bad henceforth, hereunto. I made a total ass out of my self the first few programming interviews I went to. First one, recruiter called me (woke me up at ~10am) and I thought I'd show "initiative", I said "sure Ill be there in 2 hours". Went totally unprepared, didn't even bring a copy of my r…

>I learned quickly, eventually got good at interviews, and ultimately got a job at bloomberg, which is fairly difficult to get past their interiew process.

Bloomberg, where it's just one giant open noisy room? Doesn't sound like much of a reward to me.

Personally, I wish I had never gone into programming. I wanted a profession where I could sit in peace and quiet and work on interesting intellectual problems on my own. Little did I know that programming would not be like that after the year 2010. If I had known this, I would have chosen a different profession, probably something involving medicine, since at least there's lots of women in those workplaces.

Re: Ask HN: Have you ever thought of leaving programming for something else?

#460

Post by neom »

pimlottc wrote: post #56
neom wrote: post #32

Fun reading this as I very frequently wish I was a programmer. :)

What do you do?

My career has mostly been spent building and growing business around people who are programmers, and while I'm relatively technical, I'm not a proficient software developer. In part because of dyscalculia. I went to art school.
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