111–120 of 125 posts
I work at https://payitgov.com. Would be happy to chat more about it
I work in order to provide for them. Otherwise I’d be off running around the woods or something fun.
If I weren't working for the school, I would want to work for a company whose core competency makes the world a better place in some way. I felt fulfilled working for a test prep company because I could help people take the next step in their education. I've also worked for a consumer-facing electronics company and felt very little motivation to go above and beyond because ultimately I was helping sell crap to people who didn't need it.
I work for companies that create things I find valuable. Currently I work for a company that makes electric vehicle chargers. Previously, I worked for a company that was making software to help streamline medical approvals. Profit is a requirement for these companies to exist, but they are creating things that do good in the world. That said, to me the purpose of life isn't in work. It's more that I want to feel that…
>I work for companies that create things I find valuable. I've found this to be really important for my satisfaction. My current employer ships food to people who otherwise would have a tough time getting nutritious food (largely Medicare patients). This helps people age in their homes and delays the need and cost of nursing homes. It improves people's health outcomes significantly. The work I do every day helps that…
I work for companies that create things I find valuable. Currently I work for a company that makes electric vehicle chargers. Previously, I worked for a company that was making software to help streamline medical approvals. Profit is a requirement for these companies to exist, but they are creating things that do good in the world. That said, to me the purpose of life isn't in work. It's more that I want to feel that…
Earlier quoted context omitted.
Is that a downside? Clearly if his code hadn't worked those 2 people would not be alive right now, so in that sense yes bugs will kill people. But if there is no consequence on the world when you write bugs, can there be purpose in the work?
Not a downside per se, but I wonder how, in the context of other engineering disciplines which are highly formalized, software engineering fits in. One of the typical arguments against the feasibility of formalizing and licensing software engineers as PEs (in the USA) is that the stuff we create "cannot kill anyone" unlike, for example, a civil engineer whose work is very structured and vetted.
Take a look at Medical Device Regulation, which sets out standards for medical devices - software included (in fact, any medical software is automatically considered an active medical device).
The demand for supervision is so high, there are now third party companies (Notified Bodies) taking care of the approvals. They are appointed by their respective Certification Authorities (which are governmental organisations).
The approval usually works in the way where the manufacturer classifies the device and performs all the necessary tests and submits the documentation to the Notified Bodies where they verify that the device is correctly classified and all the necessary tests for the given class of the device have been performed and that the documentation checks out.
MDR: https://www.ema.europa.eu/en/human-regulatory/overview/medic...
Earlier quoted context omitted.
Is that a downside? Clearly if his code hadn't worked those 2 people would not be alive right now, so in that sense yes bugs will kill people. But if there is no consequence on the world when you write bugs, can there be purpose in the work?
Not a downside per se, but I wonder how, in the context of other engineering disciplines which are highly formalized, software engineering fits in. One of the typical arguments against the feasibility of formalizing and licensing software engineers as PEs (in the USA) is that the stuff we create "cannot kill anyone" unlike, for example, a civil engineer whose work is very structured and vetted.
In 2019, the PE software exam was discontinued: https://ncees.org/ncees-discontinuing-pe-software-engineerin...
If you are of the hacker mindset, you could also hunt bugs through any number of programs—you make a living and software gets safer.
There are an almost limitless charities that all need quality staff to help their missions; technical or otherwise. You did not say what you were looking to to but charity organizations typically have horrible tech.
Then there are the nonprofits that work in the public interest. Great options in health, policy, environment, etc.
Also foundations and think tanks that tend to be purpose-driven and less motivated by profits.
You could start a foundation, nonprofit, charity or other mission-driven organization! Never before has there been so much capital and so many great tools to form and run your own thing. Leverage your public sector network (after your cooling off period, if applicable).
I feel your pain working in the public sector, but you have options and there is purpose and mission out there! Good luck.