In this thread: lots of stories, but no one (so far) permanently moving out of coding .
There's one right above you: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=14390879
Ask HN: How did you move from IT/software to something unrelated?
81–90 of 185 posts
Re: Ask HN: How did you move from IT/software to something unrelated?
#82I have a comp eng degree but was completely burnt out after graduation. I jumped into digital learning instead; it's ideal for me as it's still "IT" but combined with my other favourite areas, education, product and design. The learning curve wasn't so bad, there are plenty of good WYSIWYG authoring tools with only barebone knowledge of HTML/ CSS/ JS required - although you'll quickly find that that's much less impor…
I just made an account here to reply to your account .Could you please elaborate on how you got into digital learning/edtech or how can a fellow software engineer get into digital learning/edtech?
Oh goodness, I'm glad someone found this intriguing, I think I came across as a bit self-promotional before :o
It was mainly accidental that I got into digital learning. I was pretty traumatised from my degree, even today I still feel irrationally reluctant to code.
But I've always been passionate about design and education. I also wanted to "self-heal" if you like, to repair myself as a person and as a learner. And what better way than to learn how to learn and teach??
One of the best parts of my job is I can get away with being "dummy". I tell my subject matter experts that it's helpful to assume this position, so I can be empathic to all types of learners, but really I'm a slow learner myself haha. And yes you do end up designing better eLearning! Being in Learning And Development also gives a good overview of the whole organisation, as you need to understand how it works and where the gaps are in order to tackle them with training (or not.) I learnt a lot, and dare I say I am much more confident as learner, teacher and professional.
Lately though I've been feeling that I have a debt to pay. I consider myself lucky to "survive" depression, and to live in a good country with lots of opportunities. So I am moving to my own edtech project focusing on literacy for children, with lots of interactive eBooks :)) I do have a backup remote gig though.
If you're really interested, google up "Instructional Design" and "eLearning" just to get a flavour of the field. As I said, there are WYSIWYG tools but increasingly organisations are moving towards mobile-friendly courses, which is great news for developers as it means more coding opportunities. Have a look at "Adapt", an open source authoring tool which requires a bit of HTML/ JavaScript knowledge. "Unity" is also increasingly being used ... and there's a growing trend for VR learning.
Hope that's helpful, if not just email me via my profile.
Re: Ask HN: How did you move from IT/software to something unrelated?
#83"over a year ago, I've had no success in finding further work" I'm sorry to be blunt, but if this is the case then your skills are very much rock bottom. So you have two options: 1. get better at your job. IT is in boom now, so if you can't find a job in a reasonable amount of time then there is something very wrong and you should do something about it. 2. admit that you are not only not any good, but you don't even…
> I'm sorry to be blunt, but if this is the case then your skills are very much rock bottom.
Job-finding skills, maybe. But those don't necessarily correlate with job-doing skills. All of my job searches have been >3 months ("Absurd! In this job market?! You must be awful."), yet managers have made it clear to me that they've been extremely satisfied with my work.
OP, if you're anything like me, you need interview practice and networking.
* Interview practice is easy. Drill yourself over and over and over until you're comfortable with the kind of things that get asked during interviews. Then, once you're comfortable, find someone to do mock interviews with you.
* Networking is hard. Your best option is to talk to people you previously worked with and let them know you're looking for a job. If you're not in contact with former coworkers, try going to programming meetups and talking with people.
Re: Ask HN: How did you move from IT/software to something unrelated?
#84"over a year ago, I've had no success in finding further work" I'm sorry to be blunt, but if this is the case then your skills are very much rock bottom. So you have two options: 1. get better at your job. IT is in boom now, so if you can't find a job in a reasonable amount of time then there is something very wrong and you should do something about it. 2. admit that you are not only not any good, but you don't even…
> I'm sorry to be blunt, but if this is the case then your skills are very much rock bottom. Job-finding skills, maybe. But those don't necessarily correlate with job-doing skills. All of my job searches have been >3 months ("Absurd! In this job market?! You must be awful."), yet managers have made it clear to me that they've been extremely satisfied with my work. OP, if you're anything like me, you need interview pr…
Yeah parent comment's tone is a bit too judgmental - if self-marketing is the real problem, then can I add that having a nice portfolio website is always super helpful. Even if you can't "show" your code stuff, at the very least just talk about the projects you've done.
Make sure that the website is built rock-solid so you don't shoot yourself in the foot as a front end dev ;))
Re: Ask HN: How did you move from IT/software to something unrelated?
#85Would you think about working in libraries?
The developer background would be a plus if you wanted to use it in the future* but in the meantime you could apply for front desk type roles. You would develop people skills and it can be a decent paying lifelong career - which retail / food service often isn't.
I don't know what the employment opportunities are like in Canada but you could start by looking here: https://ca.indeed.com/Library-Assistant-jobs-in-Vancouver,-B...
Re: Ask HN: How did you move from IT/software to something unrelated?
#86Sell. Sell. Sell. If you can crack the sales mystery and get good at it, there's nothing you can't have. Good sales folk make $$$$$$$$$$.
“It takes brass balls to sell real estate.”
Re: Ask HN: How did you move from IT/software to something unrelated?
#87I'm currently working as a programmer and building a side business in the apparel industry. I didn't suspect how much my technological background would be an advantage, when creating an apparel brand in 2017.
Re: Ask HN: How did you move from IT/software to something unrelated?
#88Earlier quoted context omitted.
No Uber in Vancouver, unfortunately. It's one of the very few cities in North America without Uber and Lyft.
The rules were changed and ride sharing will be legal later this year.
Says who? Last I heard the liberals were trying to use it as an election-year bribe and it backfired on them heavily. I believe the recount is today, so we don't even know if they won yet. They haven't actually changed any rules yet (unless you have a more recent source).
Re: Ask HN: How did you move from IT/software to something unrelated?
#89As someone who has worked those type of jobs for years, the grass is indeed NOT greener on the other side.
Those jobs have a much lower barrier to entry, so in addition to being paid less, employers can hire and fire much more easily.
Also don't fall for the "sales is such a great skill to have!" When was the last time a salesperson convinced you to buy something?
What will you have to show for the years you're going to waste in these type of jobs besides a few bullet points on your resume?
Re: Ask HN: How did you move from IT/software to something unrelated?
#90"over a year ago, I've had no success in finding further work" I'm sorry to be blunt, but if this is the case then your skills are very much rock bottom. So you have two options: 1. get better at your job. IT is in boom now, so if you can't find a job in a reasonable amount of time then there is something very wrong and you should do something about it. 2. admit that you are not only not any good, but you don't even…
I think you're response is quite inappropriate. I am not sure how you were able to deduce that the person's skills lack in someway. I don't think there is enough information in the post to make that judgement. "IT is in boom now" Are you by any chance living in the 80-90s? :p. Apologies but I beg to differ. My personal opinion is that the field has peaked, which is why you are finding people writing up a webpage and…
Writing software you can get a job straight out of college making 2x more than the median family income of the US. Within 5 years it is common to make 4-5x the median income. The same pattern emerges for system administrators and SRE's, but quite as steep of an income growth curve. The requirements for working in IT help desks is basically 'basic ability to install software and click the button to image hd's, and shows up to work'.
Companies are outright desperate for even entry level skills. If you can't even find work in this field, that is very atypical, and I think it is reasonable to assume that something is going on there. Maybe it's substance abuse, maybe it's a complete lack of skills, but it's something, because there are far more jobs than people to fill them.