Painter (of canvasses, not of fences). It does occur to me sometimes that I could sink everything into a small cottage somewhere and live very simply, trying to make it as a small-time, local artist. It usually occurs to me shortly afterwards how quickly I'd (probably) get bored.
Ask HN: If you were to switch career, what would you do?
51–60 of 881 posts
Re: Ask HN: If you were to switch career, what would you do?
#52Doctor. Since no one has said it yet. My fascination of machines has turned inwards as I've gotten older and the mysteries of our bodies are still waiting to be discovered.
Re: Ask HN: If you were to switch career, what would you do?
#53Welder. It's everything that makes a skill desirable to learn. Very easy to start, impossible to master. Pays reasonably well too if you can find work. Also most welders are people who don't put up with much BS so it's refreshing coming from pretty much any other field.
Although I've dabbled in tech and code for the past 15+ years, I've never been able to find a decent tech job. I got into the trades and have bounced around everywhere. Welding is one of my most valuable skills IMO, but as a career I've seen some of the most terrible conditions and communities. YMMV
Re: Ask HN: If you were to switch career, what would you do?
#54I 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.
Re: Ask HN: If you were to switch career, what would you do?
#55I like creating things and I like entertaining people, that's why I originally became a games programmer. I love cooking, mostly for the same reasons. I think I would be a chef at a fancy restaurant or maybe a restaurant of my own.
Re: Ask HN: If you were to switch career, what would you do?
#56I'd buy a sailboat and take people on tours in Greece. Except I hate people, which is why I work in tech.
Re: Ask HN: If you were to switch career, what would you do?
#57Car mechanic / electronic
Re: Ask HN: If you were to switch career, what would you do?
#58I imagine that I could be happy building wood furniture. Or maybe becoming a car mechanic. I think that I'd still like to either make or repair something, if I wasn't going to be a software developer.
I got into building up my arsenal of tools about 4 years ago and have found that there are quite a bit of programmers and engineers into the hobby. It can also be a decent source of side income, even starting out (cutting boards for myself)
Re: Ask HN: If you were to switch career, what would you do?
#59Motorcycle mechanic or astronautical engineer
Re: Ask HN: If you were to switch career, what would you do?
#60Sitting and thinking about this for just a moment...is unnerving. I'm not convinced I could "move away from the tech world" for too long. My brain is wired to tinker and build in the digital realm, my physique is accustomed to stationary existence, I've allowed tech to build a house of cards within myself which props up my life. It gives my day structure and when I take breaks (2-3 days here and there), i'm often at…
Try a creative hobby. Go out and take photos, try drawing, or writing. It came up in another HN thread recently how transient all the stuff we build is. Whatever it is we're building right now will one day be replaced. A photograph, or a painting, or a story can persist for a much longer time (maybe 'forever'), and provides a productive outlet that feels more connected to the 'real' world, at least for me.