Interpreter.
The feeling of learning a new word and using it correctly is like crack. I still have pretty good memories of learning words like "however" and "nevertheless" when I was a kid.
Ask HN: If you were to switch career, what would you do?
371–380 of 881 posts
Re: Ask HN: If you were to switch career, what would you do?
#372I would like to be a painter. I used to learn to paint during the whole my childhood, but I gave up to be a painter and switched to be a tech guy. I really like paint and I do some doodles in the weekend now.
You and me both. I still paint, and it's one of the most enjoyable things I do. Although I do wonder if I switched to it full-time if it would lose its lustre.
I think it's when you start doing things for money that they loose their lustre.
Re: Ask HN: If you were to switch career, what would you do?
#373Earlier quoted context omitted.
There's a lot of variety in electronic music. Lots of the popular stuff isn't great in my opinion but I find it hard to believe that you wouldn't like any of it.
I am aware of the variety of electronic music genres and artists. I still believe electronic music is the lowest tier. I consider top 40 to be better than most electronic music. I did go through an electronic music phase for a while, and I find that to really enjoy it, you must be high.
What an odd opinion. Especially considering how much current top 40 music borrows from electronic music.
For decades now I've enjoyed plenty of electronic music with my friends and none of us ever bothered to get high to do so.
Re: Ask HN: If you were to switch career, what would you do?
#374Woodworker. From running two small ecommerce companies I think I've learned enough about MVP, shipping, inventory management, etc. From 25 years as a software engineer I've learned about building tools to automate steps. I'd pick some "hard to find / expensive niche (e.g. Greene and Greene, Art Nouveau, etc.), but offer repeatable designs, not do custom work. That would allow for lots of jigs, fixtures, using cheap m…
I love this. My single regret about doing programming for a living is that I rarely have anything physical to show for my work at the end of the day. I've been looking at hobbies to pick up that involve making things with my hands. This is an innovative way to do both.
> My single regret about doing programming for a living is that I rarely have anything physical to show for my work at the end of the day.
This is the most challenging thing about most IT jobs. I was working "maintenance" (read: janitor that occasionally builds things) at an outlet mall before I fell in to an internship that led to the VoIP/MSP job I've been working for the last decade.
I'm making a lot more money and I never have to clean up bodily fluids, but rarely does this job provide any real end-of-day satisfaction. Maybe once a month I get to work on a project that when complete I can stand back and have something tangible to be proud of.
On the other hand from just a summer of working at the outlet mall there are a half dozen things I worked on that I can see from the highway as I drive by now 12 years later. Even the cleanup work had a clearly defined "task complete" state that anyone could see.
Re: Ask HN: If you were to switch career, what would you do?
#375Woodworker. From running two small ecommerce companies I think I've learned enough about MVP, shipping, inventory management, etc. From 25 years as a software engineer I've learned about building tools to automate steps. I'd pick some "hard to find / expensive niche (e.g. Greene and Greene, Art Nouveau, etc.), but offer repeatable designs, not do custom work. That would allow for lots of jigs, fixtures, using cheap m…
This reminds me of Matthias Wandel. He's really one of the most impressive woodworkers I've ever seen. It's so clear to me that he still thinks like a software engineer.
I was going to make the same comment. I believe he worked as a developer for RIM (Blackberry). I would urge all to check him out on YouTube. Entertaining and you will likely learn something new.
Re: Ask HN: If you were to switch career, what would you do?
#376I invest the money I earn as a programmer into what I would like to do after; so far a brew pub/restaurant since a few months which also contains my computer museum. I am adding a pizza oven which is the thing I am most interested in; making the best possible pizza. And yes, during the summer here (which is long) that is competitive with programming pay if done well. Not that this would be a money thing; I just want something else to do if I ever start hating code. I love coding so I am sure that after it I will move back to it but who knows.
Re: Ask HN: If you were to switch career, what would you do?
#377I'd like to be a teacher. That's what I wanted to do originally but I gave in to family pressure and majored in computer information systems. I've enjoyed the career, but I sometimes I really wish I had gone into education.
Many countries have a serious lack of qualified IT high-school teachers. Depending on where you live, it might be easy to branch into teaching this way.
Re: Ask HN: If you were to switch career, what would you do?
#378Earlier quoted context omitted.
I am aware of the variety of electronic music genres and artists. I still believe electronic music is the lowest tier. I consider top 40 to be better than most electronic music. I did go through an electronic music phase for a while, and I find that to really enjoy it, you must be high.
I don't want to bring the discussion off topic, but I find that hard to believe. Some good electronic artists that I enjoy are Aphex Twin, Boards of Canada, Burial, and The Avalanches. I agree that there is a lot of crappy electronic music on the internet but I think that's true of any genre. Why do you think its the lowest tier?
> Why do you think its the lowest tier?
I'd assume because it's easier to make.
Any fruity-loops beat artist might be convinced their tune is as good as any club topper.
Re: Ask HN: If you were to switch career, what would you do?
#379I would work in agriculture, producing food and managing honeybees (currently a hobby). I think we desperately need more small, local, sustainable farming practices which inevitably will require more individuals actually engaged with food production. I would focus my time left to advancing this practice and writing about it.
My second choice would be as a researcher in a field of biology. As many others have said, the interest in tech lends to a natural interest in how humans and other life forms work, and I'd like to explore this more. The time for this has probably passed me by, sadly.
Re: Ask HN: If you were to switch career, what would you do?
#380Earlier quoted context omitted.
This is funny, I came into programming from being a high end cabinet maker. I had to give it up because I'm allergic to the components that make up the 'smell' of red oak. Which we worked with a lot. Theirs a real satisfaction in looking at a your work at the end of the day and being able to SEE it.
I've always whittled as a fun side hobby. My desire to do anything bigger is limited by a fear of the table saw. As a lefty, nothing in the shop plays nice with me. I'm too worried about losing a finger which would impact my income stream as well as my other hobby, piano. But, I still spend more time looking at joinery than I do on HN.
Saw Stop might interest you: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eiYoBbEZwlk