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Ask HN: If you were to switch career, what would you do?

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Re: Ask HN: If you were to switch career, what would you do?

#561

Post by lightedman »

jdhn wrote: post #558
lightedman wrote: post #325

I do exactly that as a break from my other businesses of lighting and network installation. Mining is awesome stuff. You get outdoors, you see awesome views, you can go it solo or with friends, and if you use your brain a little bit, you can make some serious cash in a short period of time. There are tons of BLM lands with abandoned claims just waiting for someone to re-register the claim and open it back up, or land…

How does one go about re-registering abandoned claims?

Pretty easy. You just file a claim over that one. If you already know the quadrangle and township and sector, plus some other small details, taking over the old claim is pretty much as simple as filing paperwork and paying a fee.

Re: Ask HN: If you were to switch career, what would you do?

#562

Post by rodolphoarruda »

I would run a "wellness" center with various activities. I'm a Aikido black belt, so giving classes would be my "technical contribution" aside from running the business. I have a special attraction to wellness topics: meditation, massage, therapies etc.

Re: Ask HN: If you were to switch career, what would you do?

#564

Post by dasil003 »

thatmiddleway wrote: post #161
misiti3780 wrote: post #137

I would be a modern day philosopher/thinker (like Taleb, Dawkins, Harris). I would start with the classics and read everything, learn ancient Greek, Aramaic, as well as Italian, French and German (maybe Russian also, who knows) I would study the first proof in mathematics all the way up through modern probability theory. I would throw away my cell phone and do all of this work from a nice modern loft in the Trastever…

I agree, "the unexamined life is not worth living." We should start a club for expats that all want to do this.

The problem with a club like that is your fellow members would at best dispel the romance of the setting, and at worst be thoroughly insufferable.

> I refuse to join any club that would have me as a member –Groucho Marx

Re: Ask HN: If you were to switch career, what would you do?

#565

Post by scarya »

satysin wrote: post #512

Therapist/counsellor. I love technology/coding/hacking but what gives me the best feeling is helping someone on a personal level. I have realised (from having been told) I am a good listener and I think I would have done quite well in some kine of mental health role. Not a full on doctor but someone who listens and helps a person during difficult times.

If this is something you'd be interested in doing in your spare time, I'd recommend looking up your local crisis/suicide prevention hotline for volunteer opportunities. I've been doing this for about 1.5 years and it's been an incredibly rewarding experience.

Re: Ask HN: If you were to switch career, what would you do?

#566

Post by swasheck »

Though not a developer (I'm a production DBA), I'd like to move toward a career in sustainable development in developing nations. I think that water and sanitation would be what I'd like to focus on, though I'd wager that social policy would need to be a large part of it as well.

Re: Ask HN: If you were to switch career, what would you do?

#567

Post by swasheck »

CIPHERSTONE wrote: post #314

Would like to be a back country forest ranger. Someone who does work out in the remote woods. Not one of the rangers that has to deep with the public. The problem like most of us have is that our position and tenure in IT has lead to salaries that make such a change (and reduction in pay) almost impossible. Add kids, etc. and it gets set permanently in the dream category. I know the logical response to this statement…

I just said what I'd do if I switched now, but when I retire I want to do this ... exactly this.

Re: Ask HN: If you were to switch career, what would you do?

#568

Post by [deleted] »

mattmanser wrote: post #532
derekp7 wrote: post #476

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Most of the time when someone loses a finger on a table saw, it is because they were doing something that they know better than to do, or because they didn't know that a particular action is high risk. What really helps is to initially work with someone who knows what and what not to do, so they can correct any bad techniques that you have. Common errors are things like trying to cut a piece that is too large / awkwa…

That you have an opinion on this and know the circumstances seems to suggest you know multiple people who have lost their fingers, which would suggest the risk is actually quite high.

[deleted]

Re: Ask HN: If you were to switch career, what would you do?

#569

Post by kernelbandwidth »

ttcbj wrote: post #146

1. Write children's books - because I love reading good books to my children, and if successful, the revenue scales and they have great recurring revenue potential (much better than adult books, I think). 2. Try to bring software development education to underprivileged kids in some way that eventually scales and has real career potential. There is part of me that feels this has potential, because the opportunity for…

I did #2 for a time on the south side of Chicago while I was in graduate school. We founded a non-profit; begged, borrowed, and stole computers; and wrangled a lease for $1. Paid for internet and power out of my and my co-founders pockets.

It turns out the educational systems in areas like that are, ah, pretty bad. We ended up teaching more basic logical thinking and occasional math (arithmetic) than real programming. Still, we got the kids to make HTML/CSS websites, a few picked up some basic JavaScript, others made Arduino robots. We offered a safe, educational space for free or as close to free as we could.

It was very rewarding, but also one of the most brutal experiences of my life (earning I still keep in touch with one of our students, though. I like to think we really helped him, at least.

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