Either scientist or chef
Ask HN: What would you do if you didn't work in tech?
31–40 of 141 posts
Re: Ask HN: What would you do if you didn't work in tech?
#32Doctor. Still want to explore "systems" to diagnose issues and build plans for improvement.
When I was 45, I did briefly consider making the switch
Re: Ask HN: What would you do if you didn't work in tech?
#33I’d probably become a chef - cooking has always felt like the most natural non-tech path for me. It’s a craft and a very creative process, with immediate, tangible results.
Re: Ask HN: What would you do if you didn't work in tech?
#34Many of us have to do this job(personality quirks, ASD, etc). I remember talking to a nerd friend(Verilog/VHDL guy) 25 years ago, in the time before Google salaries when engineering wasn't a job most people desired. He shared that thought and it rang true with me. I've met many folks who I don't think would have done well outside engineering. Myself, I have a good brain for engineering but have a marked lack of common sense. I'm a jack of all trades but as that implies I'm not particularly good at anything besides systems programming or electrical engineering.
Back in college('97) a guy offered me a job as an elevator repair tech. I almost dropped out since the money was better than what I'd make as an engineer($50/hr plus OT). My first engineering job, doing embedded SW and some EE work for a large consumer electronics company was $37.5k/yr.
Re: Ask HN: What would you do if you didn't work in tech?
#35Tech pervades all things. These days in particular it's impossible to do anything too well without advice from AI.
I could and I do daytrade options, which however is more tech than tech itself, whether by hand or by a bot.
I would however like to be a consulting speaker, but the research for it can't really be done without a steady and heavy dose of tech.
Re: Ask HN: What would you do if you didn't work in tech?
#36Bus driver in SF or near a tech hub, so I can listen to mindless grifting and endless complaining by tech workers that would re-enforce the life decision I made.
Re: Ask HN: What would you do if you didn't work in tech?
#37Audio Engineering and Production
Re: Ask HN: What would you do if you didn't work in tech?
#38But i dont work in tech
Re: Ask HN: What would you do if you didn't work in tech?
#39I'd be a cook/chef, which is what I decided on in HS, but I let everyone talk me into tech, which I regret in hindsight.
Interesting, why do you regret it?
I assume:
Why programmers like cooking: You peel the carrot, you chop the carrot, you put the carrot in the stew. You don’t suddenly find out that your peeler is several versions behind and they dropped support for carrots in 4.3
https://www.reddit.com/r/ProgrammerHumor/comments/agv5ol/why...
Re: Ask HN: What would you do if you didn't work in tech?
#40I imagine my answer will be a bit unique - I'm in tech because I like computers and I'm good at working with them, but I feel a strong conviction that if I'd had my way, I would've gone into some sort of sex work, likely either porn or pro-domme work. There was an article posted here[0] a few years ago by an escort reflecting on her experiences, and the conclusion, which spoke to the human element of the work, deeply resonated with me - in fact, I recently left the IC track for a manager role because I'm realizing how meaningful I find work that exercises empathy to be.
Human sexuality is the one thing in this world that's more interesting to me than computers, and while I'm grateful for my stable job and career that allow me to explore it as a hobby, I'm infinitely curious about what that other life would have looked like.