Hacker News Board Hacker News, browsed like a classic message board
Live data from Hacker News

Switching Jobs

flowingdata.com

Post reply on HN
Print view View original

11–20 of 43 posts

Re: Switching Jobs

#11

Post by kiteracer »

There are some interesting quirks in the data if you click through the 'see a random occupation' button enough times. I wonder if they're artifacts of the sample size, or of the way certain professions are classified. Of people in the following professions who left their jobs -

Power plant operators, distributors, and dispatchers:

* 33% became Food batchmakers

* 11% became Bakers

Veterinarians:

* 46% became Actuaries

* 36% became Software developers, applications and systems software

Fish and game wardens:

* 87% became Detectives and criminal investigators

Psychologists:

* 25% became Urban and regional planners

Re: Switching Jobs

#12

Post by nautilus12 »

The top jobs that computer programmers switched to are all other computer related jobs, some nearly identical depending on how you treat the term programmer, vs developer.

Kind of depressing that once you become a computer programmer, you can't really escape computer work. Id like to hear more about people that go on to do something totally different successfully, like baking. Maybe its too uncommon. Also interesting, the top non computer jobs are lawyers and judges, and then accountants.

Re: Switching Jobs

#13

Post by gervase »

Is there any way to view the inverse, "Which professions were most likely to switch to X?" I'd be interested to see where most developers are coming from, instead of where they're switching to. I couldn't figure out how to see that information from the page.

Re: Switching Jobs

#14

Post by xahrepap »

nautilus12 wrote: post #12

The top jobs that computer programmers switched to are all other computer related jobs, some nearly identical depending on how you treat the term programmer, vs developer. Kind of depressing that once you become a computer programmer, you can't really escape computer work. Id like to hear more about people that go on to do something totally different successfully, like baking. Maybe its too uncommon. Also interesting…

I worked with a guy who left to take over the family farm.

Re: Switching Jobs

#15

Post by [deleted] »

nautilus12 wrote: post #12

The top jobs that computer programmers switched to are all other computer related jobs, some nearly identical depending on how you treat the term programmer, vs developer. Kind of depressing that once you become a computer programmer, you can't really escape computer work. Id like to hear more about people that go on to do something totally different successfully, like baking. Maybe its too uncommon. Also interesting…

[deleted]

Re: Switching Jobs

#16

Post by smallnamespace »

nautilus12 wrote: post #12

The top jobs that computer programmers switched to are all other computer related jobs, some nearly identical depending on how you treat the term programmer, vs developer. Kind of depressing that once you become a computer programmer, you can't really escape computer work. Id like to hear more about people that go on to do something totally different successfully, like baking. Maybe its too uncommon. Also interesting…

> Kind of depressing that once you become a computer programmer, you can't really escape computer work

Can't, or not rational to?

The monetary returns to being a dev vs. other lines of work are high and have been growing for the last 2 decades.

One can do much worse than golden handcuffs.

Re: Switching Jobs

#17

Post by gumby »

nautilus12 wrote: post #12

The top jobs that computer programmers switched to are all other computer related jobs, some nearly identical depending on how you treat the term programmer, vs developer. Kind of depressing that once you become a computer programmer, you can't really escape computer work. Id like to hear more about people that go on to do something totally different successfully, like baking. Maybe its too uncommon. Also interesting…

> Kind of depressing that once you become a computer programmer, you can't really escape computer work.

Not necessarily, I like programming. I have spent to Working as a medicinal chemist, and in sales and in marketing, but am back programming which I really enjoy.

Re: Switching Jobs

#18

Post by rojobuffalo »

nautilus12 wrote: post #12

The top jobs that computer programmers switched to are all other computer related jobs, some nearly identical depending on how you treat the term programmer, vs developer. Kind of depressing that once you become a computer programmer, you can't really escape computer work. Id like to hear more about people that go on to do something totally different successfully, like baking. Maybe its too uncommon. Also interesting…

It isn't easy but it's possible to change routes. I did software for 6 years, then quit. In the last 2 years I've worked as a farm engineer, a cook, done tree work, and carpentry to pay the bills. It's not something I would recommend to everyone. Part-time side work in something your interested in might be a good way to test the water.

Re: Switching Jobs

#19

Post by twblalock »

nautilus12 wrote: post #12

The top jobs that computer programmers switched to are all other computer related jobs, some nearly identical depending on how you treat the term programmer, vs developer. Kind of depressing that once you become a computer programmer, you can't really escape computer work. Id like to hear more about people that go on to do something totally different successfully, like baking. Maybe its too uncommon. Also interesting…

I know a few people who left careers as software engineers to go to grad school in a different field, some to a humanities field.

It's easier to escape computer work than most fields -- computer workers tend to have relatively high salaries and ought to be able to survive the transition period if they saved enough money.

Re: Switching Jobs

#20

Post by smelendez »

kiteracer wrote: post #11

There are some interesting quirks in the data if you click through the 'see a random occupation' button enough times. I wonder if they're artifacts of the sample size, or of the way certain professions are classified. Of people in the following professions who left their jobs - Power plant operators, distributors, and dispatchers: * 33% became Food batchmakers * 11% became Bakers Veterinarians: * 46% became Actuaries…

With the game wardens, I wonder if it's common to transition into the state or county police
Post reply on HN