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Ask HN: If you were to switch career, what would you do?

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Re: Ask HN: If you were to switch career, what would you do?

#191

Post by dionidium »

magic_beans wrote: post #96
kyoob wrote: post #77

I'd open a bookstore/cafe that sells tech and engineering books. We'd run tech classes in a space in the back, with a discount for vets and artists looking to change careers. I'd live in the apartment above the store, with a garden on the roof. The wifi would be phenomenal.

What is the point of owning tech books when a) much of the content is online and b) there are new developments in languages/frameworks all the time?

This isn't an argument for tech books, per se, but dead trees are still the most convenient and comfortable way to read words.

Re: Ask HN: If you were to switch career, what would you do?

#192

Post by randcraw »

If we're really dreaming, then I'd like to go back in time 30 years to write a monthly column for 80s/90s era tech fanzines like Creative Computing, WiReD, or InfoWorld.

I'd describe the science behind a different technology each issue and interleave an interviews with pros in that space about why it's hot or not -- like "Mathematical Games" a la Martin Gardner, but set in a a more cultural context that made the most of the gogo enthusiasm that infused those heady days.

Computing was a blast then.

Re: Ask HN: If you were to switch career, what would you do?

#193

Post by rev_bird »

misiti3780 wrote: post #137

I would be a modern day philosopher/thinker (like Taleb, Dawkins, Harris). I would start with the classics and read everything, learn ancient Greek, Aramaic, as well as Italian, French and German (maybe Russian also, who knows) I would study the first proof in mathematics all the way up through modern probability theory. I would throw away my cell phone and do all of this work from a nice modern loft in the Trastever…

I can see how this would be a heavenly existence, but it seems like a stretch to call it a "career," in the sense I think the original poster meant. Sure, there are some people who have managed to become famous authors doing those things, but this basically seems like saying "I would switch careers to being a celebrity."

Re: Ask HN: If you were to switch career, what would you do?

#194

Post by paulrpotts »

This sort of depends on whether I had the "money problem" solved or not.

Assuming I magically had enough saved to pay for all my family's housing and food and assorted expenses with passive income, then I would probably work on the following:

- Several book projects that are in the pipeline, one near completion

- Podcast production projects, maybe a business like Dan Benjamin's 5x5

- Work with homeschool groups to teach classes on electronics

- Possibly run a small maker space

- Maybe go back to school (at nearly 50) and study some things I'm interested in: architecture, some upper-level mathematics?

- Teach again at a university level (with guaranteed income, I could afford to be an adjunct and teach programming)

Re: Ask HN: If you were to switch career, what would you do?

#195

Post by gambiting »

I work as a C++ programmer. I wouldn't mind being a professional driver, even driving a taxi would be fine for me. I could work as a professional interpreter(I speak two languages fluently and have some official qualifications). I would love to have a bike and/or car repair shop. I would like to try being a park ranger and doing physical work outside.

Basically, anything that doesn't involve staring at a screen all day long.

Re: Ask HN: If you were to switch career, what would you do?

#197

Post by eutectic »

fa17 wrote: post #66

Doctor. The idea of studying human body and saving lives fascinates me. Having said that, i think Docs should be more accountable, like for ex: they could screw up a surgery resulting in a loss of life and no one would even know about it, is something always scares me.

If you want people to be honest about their mistakes, they need to feel that doing so won't come back to bite them. The airline industry sets a great example in learning from failure to improve safety.

Re: Ask HN: If you were to switch career, what would you do?

#199

Post by randomdata »

kevinSuttle wrote: post #151

Farmer.

That is the career I moved to after establishing a career as a developer.

Being around all the high tech machines on the farm has gotten me quite interested in mechanical engineering of late, so if I were to make the switch again, it may be in that direction. Especially, to bring things full circle, with a focus on integrating my software experience into those machines; robots and such.

Re: Ask HN: If you were to switch career, what would you do?

#200

Post by dvcrn »

Something creative while at the same time completely opposite to what I do now. Probably become a presenter, video content creator or entertainer.

I'm shy, suck in presentations and am not very funny. Plus I work all day from my laptop without talking much.

So naturally I really really want to do the opposite, work creatively on a show to tackle that, talk in front of big audiences of people and entertain people. Maybe YouTube.

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