Painter, sculpture, architect (residential homes), musician...
I love being a software engineer but I would love it more if I didn't have to rely on it for paying living expenses.
Ask HN: If you were to switch career, what would you do?
31–40 of 55 posts
Re: Ask HN: If you were to switch career, what would you do?
#32Sport medicine and diet: I would like to help people get fit, healthier. Plus, I like learning these topics.
Also, it would be great to have flexibility in work, and ability to be more outside. I find it so unnatural and sad that we have to sit on our arses and look at monitors locked within 4 walls for our best healthiest years. I slightly suffer internally every time, when the weather is great outside.
Re: Ask HN: If you were to switch career, what would you do?
#33Years ago, the best software engineer I've ever known took a break from programming and became a long-haul truck driver. He found it a fantastic experience. He claimed that there is more overlap between the skills needed between the two than you'd think (and that he met a surprising number of other truckers who used to be software engineers). If I decided to change careers, I'd seriously investigate that.
This sounds like a blatant "grass is greener" mirage. Guys drive trucks because it's all they can do to support themselves, not for any other reason. When I fall asleep at my terminal, I get fired. When I fall asleep at the wheel, I die.
Nope. "The grass is greener" refers to falsely thinking that something you don't have is better than what you do have.
This guy drove trucks for three years. I think his assessment of his experience is not based on an illusion.
He also wasn't saying it was better than software development. He was burnt out in the software world and drove trucks simply to do something that wasn't that. After a few years of truck driving, he returned to the software world, which is what he is still doing today, and speaks positively of both that and truck driving.
Re: Ask HN: If you were to switch career, what would you do?
#34I try not to limit myself to having a career.
Re: Ask HN: If you were to switch career, what would you do?
#35I can't find the proper words right now, because many folks here share so many traits with me, which leaves me speechless.
I too want to switch career and do something else, completely different than technology and as many of you mentioned, I want to deal with handcrafting, anything that falls under the "art" category, really.
In my opinion, my mind and body tells me that 80% physical activity and 20% mental / intellectual is the best combination.
That's my ideal concept I believe.
Re: Ask HN: If you were to switch career, what would you do?
#36I can't find the proper words right now, because many folks here share so many traits with me, which leaves me speechless. I too want to switch career and do something else, completely different than technology and as many of you mentioned, I want to deal with handcrafting, anything that falls under the "art" category, really. In my opinion, my mind and body tells me that 80% physical activity and 20% mental / intell…
Yes! I feel that too.
Recently, I moved from the Bay Area to midwest city where family and some friends live, and have a 3 week old.
I plan to build a homestead in the coming years, transitioning from an office job to working on the land -- building/developing land, growing food and living a simpler, if perhaps more strenuous lifestyle.
Re: Ask HN: If you were to switch career, what would you do?
#37trekking guide. I really want to be the trekking guide
Re: Ask HN: If you were to switch career, what would you do?
#38Working in garage like "gas monkey"
Re: Ask HN: If you were to switch career, what would you do?
#39There would be various paths for me to travel. In my student days I did a lot of bartending (in smaller pubs), loved that work. I found that it's very cool to treat guests like small projects. As in, keep them happy. The project always finishes within the same day :-)
Re: Ask HN: If you were to switch career, what would you do?
#40Years ago, the best software engineer I've ever known took a break from programming and became a long-haul truck driver. He found it a fantastic experience. He claimed that there is more overlap between the skills needed between the two than you'd think (and that he met a surprising number of other truckers who used to be software engineers). If I decided to change careers, I'd seriously investigate that.
This sounds like a blatant "grass is greener" mirage. Guys drive trucks because it's all they can do to support themselves, not for any other reason. When I fall asleep at my terminal, I get fired. When I fall asleep at the wheel, I die.
> When I fall asleep at my terminal, I get fired. When I fall asleep at the wheel, I die.
And if a pilot falls asleep the entire plane falls down, when a surgeon falls asleep someone dies under the knife.