>I want to leave tech, here are some alternatives I’ve considered
>all tech roles
Ask HN: Burnt out from big tech. What's next?
91–100 of 182 posts
Re: Ask HN: Burnt out from big tech. What's next?
#92If you are able to, I'd recommend to take a sabbatical. I took 6 months off 9 years ago and I'm still super glad I did. Give your mind some rest and peace, disconnect and everything will follow. If that's not an option, why not join a smaller company where you can work fully remote and only 4 days a week? I have yet to meet somebody that went from 5 to 4 days/week and regretted it. There are so many profitable companies that pay good salaries (although not on a FAANG level), but don't come with the politics, give you the freedom to structure your day while still doing impactful work.
Re: Ask HN: Burnt out from big tech. What's next?
#93I am now going to be mean, pardon my early morning attitude:
You spent > 10 years at a FAANG and you are burnt out. Oh-kay, if you played the cards even half way right, you have more money in the bank than any three of us, and you can just leave and figure out which one of those (good) ideas you listed you would like to do. Heck, you probably made a lot of good connections there, and could take your (deserved) abbatical and then create a startup with friends exploring one (or more) of those good ideas at your own pace.
To me, in my eyes, what I just wrote down sounds like a pipe-dream. If I could I would...
Re: Ask HN: Burnt out from big tech. What's next?
#94Cryptography and security, on a professional level. But I would say just take a sabbatical, travel and enjoy life without a computer. P.s. Italy has good food :)
Re: Ask HN: Burnt out from big tech. What's next?
#95Earlier quoted context omitted.
if the cause of burnout is from overwork, then instead of moving, i'd consider part-time (say, 3-4 day work week). If the cause of burnout is disillusionment - aka, you are such a small cog and your work doesn't seem to matter, despite how hard you actually worked - then moving to a different, but still big company, will not change that. Startups, imho, is where to move to, in order to feel impacts. If the cause of b…
From experience, 4 day week doesn’t really help. You end up doing just as much work as people on 5 days but getting paid less, getting overlooked because you’re less present, and consequently feeling resentful AND overworked. A 4 day week is great for other reasons though.
> You end up doing just as much work as people on 5 days
either you're doing too much work, or everybody else is doing too little. Cut back.
As for promotions, if you intend to do 4 days, prepare to face zero career progression in the same company - unless you're extraordinary and indispensable. But this is the price you pay for a 4 day at this point.
Re: Ask HN: Burnt out from big tech. What's next?
#96[flagged]
> You are not a contributor to HN -- just created this account 7 hours ago
You are aware of the concept of throwaway/burner accounts on a pseudonymous forum, right?
Re: Ask HN: Burnt out from big tech. What's next?
#97Look back from 2030. Which one of these will have added most to the stories you will tell your grand-kids.
Re: Ask HN: Burnt out from big tech. What's next?
#98If you are able to, I'd recommend to take a sabbatical. I took 6 months off 9 years ago and I'm still super glad I did. Give your mind some rest and peace, disconnect and everything will follow. If that's not an option, why not join a smaller company where you can work fully remote and only 4 days a week? I have yet to meet somebody that went from 5 to 4 days/week and regretted it. There are so many profitable compan…
+1 to this. March for me will be one year and if I would have known the effects beforehand, I would have done so much sooner.
What I would like to add is have purposeful time off. Reconnect with friends and family. Do all the things that you have not been able to for the first couple of months. Read, exercise, laugh, cry, meditate, but most importantly LEARN. Make it a habit to get into the thought process of learning so you are intrigued again. Once you start to become curious again, you won't NEED to be motivated externally anymore, you will just be motivated internally.
Most importantly, if you can, go and talk with someone, either a mental health professional or a friend that will keep it 100%. Once I got full control over my emotions and how they were affecting me, it is as if I unlocked a superpower. Knowing how to cope and deal with the day to day stresses of life and not having to be feel bad or compare has been so you relieving you have no idea. I have gotten better sleep and am way happier than ever before. If you are not dating, I highly encourage dating just to date. Go in with no expectations, and be fully transparent about your intentions. Having someone to spend time with through part of your journey can also be beneficial. Obviously everyone's mileage will vary, I wish you well. Also, take some time away from electronic devices and try and do things with a purpose and do other things without it. Go and read to just read, go for a walk, just to walk. The entire process/purpose of a sabbatical is to recharge your batteries, reevaluate, assess , relax and plan for the future.
Best of luck!!
Re: Ask HN: Burnt out from big tech. What's next?
#99When it comes to burnout, the general advice I received is take minimum 1 year off work. I left my job a few months ago as the burnout got so bad I wasn’t able to conjure up the motivation to tackle the simplest of tasks. First couple months I didn’t feel any better and I was getting worried. But I’m _just_ starting to feel better now. I’m finding myself more positive and less stressed. So what am I doing? I’m living…
Yeah I'm sure everyone can be unemployed for a year straight and live out of their car. That sounds completely reasonable and not absolutely, in any way, privileged or insane.
There's a half-way house for this. For someone that doesn't have a family, its possible to e:g work on a ski resort for the winter making minimum wage plus possibly tips depending on the job, live simply, basically drain your savings but slower than you otherwise would. Then go travelling in the summer with a bit of camping, sleeping in car etc. I've done that, had some savings but hadn't earned silly money, and didn't drain the savings too badly. Was single at the time. Would've been cheaper to do that as a couple with both working and some shared resources. I think someone that had, say $10k saved, might be able to do this. Thats enough for expensive car repair or other unforeseen cost. (OK , healthcare can be in issue in the US, in which case might need more. Also student loans. So YMMV). Reason for this post? Just to show people that don't think they can, that maybe they can actually have a period of freedom and adventure and reflection. Lots of people here on HN seem burned out and not very happy. There's an escape route of sorts , you needn't be very rich to do it, working in tech at all probably gives you an opportunity to save. I'm super glad I did it, looking back now as a parent with far less freedom and energy and commitments to just take off and explore. EDIT - an old Japanese car that is fuel efficient but you can sleep in counts for a lot here. As does having some skills in cheap nutrition - though rice, pasta, beans, porridge (oatmeal), fresh fruit & veg, eggs, tinned fish pretty much does the job.
Re: Ask HN: Burnt out from big tech. What's next?
#100I am now going to be mean, pardon my early morning attitude: You spent > 10 years at a FAANG and you are burnt out. Oh-kay, if you played the cards even half way right, you have more money in the bank than any three of us, and you can just leave and figure out which one of those (good) ideas you listed you would like to do. Heck, you probably made a lot of good connections there, and could take your (deserved) abbati…
Do you have an idea that you want to turn into a startup? What is stopping you right now?