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

• deleted 10y ago
  [deleted]
• matzhouse 10y ago
  I would like to be an astronaut. It has the physical and mental aspects I'm looking for. The skills learnt during training are also super interesting.
• ddorian43 10y ago
  I would try to be a martial arts teacher (i always try to teach others at my kickboxing gym, why not get paid). Also, any hobby/sport that gives you big addrenaline rush + makes/keeps you fit but doesn't slowly kill you (example: (kick)boxing kills your braincells) ?
• SeaDude 10y ago
  Sitting 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 a loss for what to do with my time. It takes a good week for me to find my pre-tech self, something I haven't done in 6-8 months. If I were to quit today, I would spend time unschooling my child. Maybe along the way I could rediscover some important lessons about how to live a more physically present life.
  • ddorian43 10y ago
    That's messed up. Really no hobbies beside tech ? Try jiu jitsu or something.
    • mathw 10y ago
      I concur. Aikido is one of the things that keeps me sane after a day fighting a JavaScript runtime.
  • fredley 10y ago
    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.
• khedoros1 10y ago
  I 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.
  • scrapcode 10y ago
    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)
  • conorcleary 10y ago
    Look into producing beehive equipment; even if you're not a beekeeper, there is a constant and large demand for high quality, low price woodenware. Fairly easy to set up jigs and it is easy to find blueprints. By the end you'll be a beekeeper anyway ;)
• relics443 10y ago
  I'd probably go into a medical or bioscience field. It's always fascinated me (and I read medical journals as a kid).
• lyricwai 10y ago
  I 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.
  • fredley 10y ago
    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.
    • tonyedgecombe 10y ago
      I think it's when you start doing things for money that they loose their lustre.
• deleted 10y ago
  [deleted]
• bjelkeman-again 10y ago
  I started on a journey towards sustainable agriculture, working with dessert coast greenhouses. But got sucked back in to work on data systems for international development, which has been quite a success so far.
• DrinkWater 10y ago
  Shepherd.
• gravypod 10y ago
  Welder. 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.
  • scrapcode 10y ago
    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
  • traviscj 10y ago
    I also love welding. My grandpa wanted to teach me, but he didn't have a second helmet. So he has me wear the helmet because he can weld by sound, so he just looks the other way and lays down a bead that is more perfect than lots that I see in the wild. (He started and ran a machine shop for most of his working life.)
  • hunterjrj 10y ago
    There was a study done recently linking airborne manganese (below federal occupational safety levels) and neurological symptoms similar to Parkinson's disease. https://www.chemistryworld.com/news/manganese-exposure-puts-welders-at-risk-of-parkinsons-even-at-low-levels/2500208.article https://www.chemistryworld.com/news/manganese-exposure-puts-...
    • gravypod 10y ago
      There are far worse conditions that arise from welding (and more so from welding incorrectly) that Parkinson's is the least of your worry. Even then, "so what" comes to mind. If you love doing it the fear of death shouldn't stop you. A youtuber I love once said "Has anyone ever noticed how there aren't any old welders? (cynical chuckle)". He's right but people still do it. You can also, in some cases, avoid using manganese based fluxes. There are quite common rods without the presense of manganese.
• chintanshah24 10y ago
  I would get into the hotel business. Build a hotel on a fairly under discovered tourist spot and work my way up this domain.
  • pc86 10y ago
    If you knew what spots were going to be big with tourists in the future you could make money a lot easier than by running a hotel.
    • jderick 10y ago
      How? Buying property I guess could work but might be difficult in some foreign locales.
• bassman9000 10y ago
  Philosophy or history if salary wasn't an issue. Something mechanical/physical if it was. Mechanic sounds good. Who knows, from there to CNC master, 3D printing...
• p333347 10y ago
  Indie movie maker (with story, screenplay, editing, cinematography, directing and money all being mine so that I am in total control of creativity). Making movies has been a long time dream for me. I will do that when I am older and have enough time and finances to experiment, more than what I have been able to so far. And when I do that successfully, I would be simply swapping software & moviemaking for what is profession and what is hobby.
  • thenomad 10y ago
    See my comment above - https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=13336068 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=13336068 You can make a feature on your smartphone. Time is more of an issue, but you really, really don't need much cash. And you can make a short film in a weekend on a zero budget, comfortably. See this article on "Layover" - made for $6k - and remember that you could shoot for much less. http://www.thewrap.com/redefining-micro-budget-filmmaking-the-6000-layover-guest-blog/ http://www.thewrap.com/redefining-micro-budget-filmmaking-th... Hell, Sundance sensation "Tangerine" was shot on an iPhone. Turning that into a full-time profession is a different animal, though. If you really want to do that as a career, I'd advise learning a lot about the realities of the indie filmmaking life before jumping. It's not a great time for that move.
• ardivekar2 10y ago
  Novelist.
• anexprogrammer 10y ago
  I already did after 25 years in development. I'm tempted to do a side-project or startup now after a few years away. If I was to return to tech I'd be very focused on creating real benefit and progress (think perhaps environmental, climate change, medical or learning etc), rather than a shiner bauble or "disrupting" something that really shouldn't be (internet connected kettles? Making everything a consumer replaceable). My driver was the rant that easily followed on from the above. :) Basically wanting something more substantive, less ephemeral, more tactile. I ended up in restoration. I'm enjoying it hugely and the things I'm doing will have life of many decades, perhaps sometimes centuries. The surprise was, even after 3 years, discovering there's still more satisfaction in physical tiredness and manual activity at the end of the day than just mental. I'd already experienced this in car restoration and various projects but assumed much was from hobby and novelty interest.
  • lj3 10y ago
    > restoration What type of restoration? Cars? Houses? Pinball machines? > The surprise was, even after 3 years, discovering there's still more satisfaction in physical tiredness and manual activity at the end of the day than just mental. My motorcycle broke down in Silicon Valley once. The guy I called to come pick it up had a normal ford truck. The bed was outfitted with a dual motorcycle winch. I got to talking to him on the way back to SF. He used to be in IT. Specifically, he used to manage and maintain one of Amazon's data warehouses in Seattle. I asked him if he missed IT and he told me pretty much what you just said: the physical tiredness at the end of the day is more satisfying than just the mental exhaustion. He also got to make his own hours and he made more money towing motorcycles.
    • anexprogrammer 10y ago
      Houses. Well houses++ really. Working at an old estate preserving and restoring. There's a little of everything including the old farm equipment etc. I'm a strange mix of restorer, labourer and extremely junior apprentice (seems like every trade these days needs a vocational course and piece of paper before you're "allowed", even when clearly able). They try and use my project and IT abilities when they can too, though I try and discourage them. :) I'm tempted to focus on blacksmithing as it's so interesting, satisfying and just a little magic to watch the guy work. Much to learn if I follow through on that. I looked around at many things, including car and motorcycle restoration, steam trains (lots of volunteers, few jobs!), and more current things like environment and alternative energy. Many either needed me to go back to uni, or have assorted bits of paper and experience first rather than able to learn as I go.
• tuananh 10y ago
  I will be a farmer. I love farming and growing stuff.
• logronoide 10y ago
  Gigolo
  • logronoide 10y ago
    Well, seriously: to own a winery.
  • thecourier 10y ago
    what about a gigolo's funded winery? think about the possibilities
    • logronoide 10y ago
      Bizarre, but I will think about it
• mathw 10y ago
  Not that I'm saying I'm capable of it, but basically I'd want to move into doing my hobbies for a living. I'm an aikido instructor already, but making a living from it is not very easy (and incredibly poorly paid compared to programming). Also I'm not sure I'd like it so much if it was my entire career. I'm also a musician, but I'm not good enough to make a living performing or teaching. I might be able to if I had funds for two or three years of intensive practice, training and bloody hard work beforehand I suppose. But yeah, in dreamworld I would make my living from a mixture of aikido, music and some code on the side, because honestly I'd never want to give it up entirely.
• taneq 10y ago
  I'd take up a trade. Either be an electrician, or a machinist. Edit: Or HV mechanic. I love big engines.
• kem 10y ago
  Weird to read this, because I'm thinking of switching into software development. But if I were going to switch into something else, it would probably be something involving the outdoors, with a tangible physical aspect to it. Surveying?
  • ganley 10y ago
    A colleague and good friend of mine was a surveyor before he went to college in CS. He said the surveying was very pleasant, but the job also involves a lot of driving.
  • Chris2048 10y ago
    Maybe we should focus on things worse than IT? Like accounting...
• xavor 10y ago
  I would be a cook/barman in my own small establishment. I actually prefer the work to dev (after 30+ yrs since childhood) but lack the finances to make the transfer.
• abricot 10y ago
  I would become a teacher of some sorts. Probably secondary school.
• deleted 10y ago
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• palerdot 10y ago
  I'm actually thinking of switching into video editing career slowly, just as a backup for my current programming profession. The reason is I'm not sure whether I can survive as a competitive programmer in my late 30s and also I think I kind of like editing.
  • BjoernKW 10y ago
    You make it sound like programming is some sort of competitive sport where you can't reasonably compete anymore when you're past your prime. There's clearly no obvious reason why someone in his 40s shouldn't be able to develop software just as well as someone in his 30s. Apart from a more or less healthy lifestyle, staying competitive in this line of work is more about mindset than about age. You stay young by exposing yourself to new ideas and challenges. I've met 30 year olds who act twice their age because they've settled into a cosy big corporate job that doesn't require anything but will get them safely to retirement. I've also met 50 year olds who're still avidly learning new stuff and who've managed to remain quite competitive in the software consulting business. Another thing to keep in mind is: Level up. When athletes in competitive disciplines can't keep up anymore they often become trainers and mentors. For various reasons this makes sense in software development, too. Coaching / mentoring / teaching is a rare skill, as is competent management. Then there's always the opportunity to create your own software product (I know, easier said than done but much more doable still than in many other disciplines) and sell value instead of your time.
  • thenomad 10y ago
    Unless you have a very good reason to believe you're in a low-competition area for video editing, I'd avoid making this move for career reasons. Video editing is a far, far higher competition field than programming. Lots more people wanting to do it, lots less jobs, on average for lots less pay and much worse hours.
  • PaulRobinson 10y ago
    Dev in his late 30s here. I went up the management chain for a while (startup CTO, etc.), and it kind of burned. Switched back to dev for a larger (200 headcount) e-commerce. My experience is valued very, very highly. I look at designs from younger developers and help them shape it a bit, and it's normally appreciated. I am willing to bet I am a better developer now at 38 than I was at 28. I expect to be better still at 48. The "young people are smarter" thing is a myth. This is not a competitive sport built out of hours worked: it's about being able to write good code, and that takes experience and practice. Keep crafting, good luck.
• EJTH 10y ago
  CNC operator or something like it.
• alexander-edge 10y ago
  Constructing bespoke Scalextric circuits http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-nottinghamshire-38518856 http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-nottinghamshire-3851885...
• zbuf 10y ago
  Lawyer. With years of building and debugging code I find the logical aspects of the law rather interesting. Though the amount of reading, less so.
  • motdiem 10y ago
    Same here. I find law intellectually fascinating, and my limited working around jurists and lawyers showed me there's a significant proximity with debugging and testing.
  • arethuza 10y ago
    My wife was a litigation lawyer for many years (she now works in-house) and while I can see the similarities with coding & debugging I think it would be the most frustrating thing imaginable. Imagine having code where the people writing it never run it (the people writing contracts often aren't the people who would run litigation) and where you would spend months arguing with other people what you think the code would do if it was run and only very rarely actually "run" the code in court and when you do it's difficult to predict what will actually happen!
• sssilver 10y ago
  Architecture Motorcycles Cooking/chef
• eliasbagley 10y ago
  I'd still want to create. Maybe something with my hands. Being a luthier or cordwainer sounds attractive. Assuming money were no issue, perhaps a musician.
• babyrainbow 10y ago
  I want to become a toy maker.
• stillworks 10y ago
  - Pilot - Fiction Author - Location Hunter for Cinematographers (basically get paid to travel to wonderful scenic places) - Landscape Photographer (very hard to get paid for this I guess)
• jdmoreira 10y ago
  - Film director or screenwriter - Electronic musician (Just hardware, no software involved) - Cartoonist / Illustrator I lack the skills for all of them but at least I'm allowed to fantasise :) I don't regret being a programmer though, computers are probably my favourite thing.
  • thenomad 10y ago
    There has never, ever been a better time to be an amateur film director. And the best way to learn the skills is by making films. I was a professional filmmaker for almost 20 years before my move into VR, and I can assure you I didn't have a lot of cinematic skill when I started :) You can cheerfully shoot a festival-worthy film on a modern smartphone. If you want to go a bit higher-end you can rent all the kit needed to outfit a professional two-week shoot for a few grand. You'll still need to find people to cast and crew, but that's a solvable problem. It's a terrible time to be a professional filmmaker, because of distribution woes, but if you want to make films and you have another job (and you're not terribly worried if they don't get distribution beyond some festival showings), there has never been a better time in the history of the medium to do it.
    • smprk 10y ago
      Very helpful words from someone who has been there and done it. I am not sure if distribution woes are as bad as I hear they are. With transparent platforms like https://studios.amazon.com/ https://studios.amazon.com/ it seems to me (from far) that ease of distribution is at its best too. I don't think it is still easy, but is it not easier than it was say 10-20 years ago?
      • thenomad 10y ago
        It's trivial to make your content available to purchase. It's very, very, VERY hard to get anyone to purchase it. One of the main issues is simple: there are over 10,000 feature films made a year. How many feature films do you watch a year? Generally it is considered a remarkable achievement - considerably beyond "noteworthy" - in the indie world (and I get this from various communities of indie filmmakers) if your independent films manage to make you minimum wage, never mind any more.
• taway_1212 10y ago
  I wonder if asking such question (and inspecting answers given) is not enough to refute the idea behind basic income - that it allows people to retrain into their desired profession, thus making the society more productive. Seeing that most people desire only a relatively small subset of careers (and almost no one want to be for example a dentist, an accountant, not to mention telemarketer or toilet cleaner), I don't think it's going to work.
  • anotherarray 10y ago
    Wrong. Basic income doesn't end supply and demand of labor. In other words, if all you want is money, you'll still perform these jobs.
  • harterrt 10y ago
    Hmm, that's really interesting - "toilet cleaners" in particular stuck out in my mind. There will still be folks doing this job, but I imagine they'll be paid more. Money becomes less valuable the more you have. For example, your first $1000 dollars buys food and shelter, while your next $1000 buys nice food and a bigger house. With BI, everyone should have the basics covered so any earned income will buy luxuries.
  • jogjayr 10y ago
    > Seeing that most people desire only a relatively small subset of careers (and almost no one want to be for example a dentist, an accountant, not to mention telemarketer or toilet cleaner), I don't think it's going to work. Or...these careers would either pay a lot more (wouldn't begrudge toilet cleaners making more money), eventually be found unnecessary or uneconomical and go away (no more telemarketers?) or be automated away. That doesn't sound like an entirely bad outcome. Besides you'd be surprised how many people genuinely want to be dentists or accountants; those careers may not be for you but I'm sure many dentists and accountants enjoy their work.
  • div0 10y ago
    Interestingly I actually want to be a bathroom cleaner. Nothing dismays me more than walking into a dirty bathroom.
• mrlyc 10y ago
  When the tech world moved away from me (doing mainly embedded C for the last thirty years might not have been the best idea for my career), I became an aged carer for my disabled mum. I learned a lot about cleaning, gardening and adding subtitles to films as she is going deaf. I also learned a lot about editing spoken word audio files for pacing, volume and noise reduction as she wrote a memoir then recorded an audio version. In the future, I could be an aged carer as I really like looking after people, although it doesn't pay well and there can be a lot of poo to deal with. On the other hand, one of my former managers has been working at Google for about ten years and is quite enthusiastic about my working with him there. Unfortunately, they are in California and I am in Melbourne so I'd have to move.
  • kbart 10y ago
    "When the tech world moved away from me (doing mainly embedded C for the last thirty years might not have been the best idea for my career)" Strange, why do you say so? We live in the era of IoT and everything has at least one chip inside them. I also do system/embedded programming, but never felt the lack of possibilities to advance my career.
    • planteen 10y ago
      I'm also systems/embedded and the OP made me a bit nervous. I have been primarily writing C (with some C++ and other languages) for my career of ~8 years. It seems like there are enough jobs available. Certainly not as many as web dev, but at the same time I have been able to work on things I consider interesting (spacecraft, MRI, automotive). OP, what do you wish you had done differently? Web? Enterprise Java dev?
      • mrlyc 10y ago
        It depends on where you live. Embedded and device driver jobs disappeared after Australia's electronics industry died and went to China. Six of my friends working in that area moved overseas, four to the States and two to England. I wish I had learned C++ but my KISS alarm went off when I looked at the language, which is a bit of a worry as we say downunder. I avoided learning C# as I found Microsoft's business practices to be utterly repugnant.
• planteen 10y ago
  I'd love to work in an underground hard rock mine. Being under the surface has always fascinated me. One of my favorite hobbies is caving. I live in Denver, so the Henderson mine isn't too far away...
• lj3 10y ago
  Product designer. :)
• gorbachev 10y ago
  Something with absolutely no deadlines. Digging ditches sounds really great at times.
  • ryandvm 10y ago
    Fuckin' A.
    • ndstephens 10y ago
      Office Space reference?
  • monochromatic 10y ago
    Along the same lines, something with no multi-day projects. When I go home, I'm really done for the day. And tomorrow, I start fresh with no lingering issues.
  • randomdata 10y ago
    My wife has family in the ditch digging business. It can be very lucrative, but there are definitely deadlines.
• astrange 10y ago
  I always wanted to do translation - but video game translator is another job that doesn't pay well since everyone wants to do it, so this pays better. Other issue is how much thinking about code has ruined my creative writing skills. There were no sign of humanities at my school, not that anyone would've had time for electives, and the "tech writing" class I tried was more interested in how to use styles in Word than anything else!
• hdkmraf 10y ago
  Herder. Most likely taking care of goats.
• fredley 10y ago
  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.
  • emeraldd 10y ago
    I'm using this one right now to get away from a computer at the end of the day ... Much better than watching TV or similar. Heck even when I'm writing (fiction ...) I'd be sitting in front of a computer screen.
  • crpatino 10y ago
    What I coincidence; Painter, as in fences, was the first thought I had by just looking at the title. Probably not a trade I'd take on for the long term, but if I'd be leaving my programming career for good today, I'd definitively need some activity that would allow me to remain active and earn a modest cashflow while I figure out what to do with the rest of my life. Painting is something I am more or less competent at, is relatively safe to do, and therefore would be at the top of my list.
• drcross 10y ago
  Doctor. 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.
• xedarius 10y ago
  I 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.
• FigBug 10y ago
  I'd buy a sailboat and take people on tours in Greece. Except I hate people, which is why I work in tech.
  • aepearson 10y ago
    I feel ya - the struggle is real.
  • randcraw 10y ago
    Well you don't have to bring them BACK...
  • sailfast 10y ago
    Save the money and deliver sailboats. Large market for trained crew to take yachts from Point A to Point B. :) No people except those you bring. Free yacht.
    • HockeyPlayer 10y ago
      Can you tell us more about the training and experience required to be delivery crew?
      • sailfast 10y ago
        If you want to drive the boat yourself and not get too many questions, you probably want to start looking at a Captain's license. That requires a number of hours on the water and a test. The same is typically required or at least desirable if you want to run a chartering business. https://www.uscg.mil/nmc/credentials/charter_boat_capt/ https://www.uscg.mil/nmc/credentials/charter_boat_capt/ RE experience, if you're totally new to sailing I'd start first with some basic sailing expertise at a sailing academy. J-World and others offer "learn to sail" courses as well as cruising courses. An American Sailing Association boat-handling certificate is probably useful as "proof of experience" for future crews. US Sailing's "Safety at Sea" typically run annually in different cities is another good one, and required for most off-shore regattas. Once you've got the basics down, I'd suggest being a ride-along with a more experienced skipper / crew. Places like Offshore Passage Opportunities provide listings of folks looking for crew, but I'd recommend due diligence if you decide to make the passage: https://www.sailopo.com/ https://www.sailopo.com/ You might also get yourself on a mailing list for local regattas or sailing forums and say you're looking to help with deliveries. How long / where these things happen will likely vary by region. People do transits from Florida to Carribean all the time. Same with New England to the South each year. Racing boats go from Mid-Atlantic / New England to Florida / Key West around end of the year. In Midwest, deliveries from Mackinaw are common in July after the Mackinaw races. West Coast - not sure, but Transpac (Hawaii - SF) returns and/or Coastal races are probably common. Best of luck! :)
• tomtompl 10y ago
  Car mechanic / electronic
  • a1studmuffin 10y ago
    Yeah I second this. I could diagnose a PC problem, pull it apart, swap hardware out, put it back together again without a second thought. But something goes wrong with my car and I'm all like "car's broken, better call the mechanic". Can anyone recommend a beginner's guide to mechanics? I feel like even some basic knowledge would go a long way.
    • LeonM 10y ago
      Buy a cheap car (i.e. a MX5/Miata) and go racing (on a racetrack). Stuff will break and you will have to fix it, since it's not your daily car there is no pressure in having it fixed on time, just take your time and figure out how to fix whats broken. Youtube is a great source for instruction videos. Even if the car does not break, you will still need to wrench on it to upgrade the brakes, engine, transmission, suspension etc, make it more suitable for racing. In the end you'll have the knowledge, a racecar, a great new hobby, a lot of fun and meet a lot of cool people.
      • pycal 10y ago
        This is actually how I became a programmer; cutting my teeth on problem solving physical systems, and learning how to self-teach using Haynes manuals fixing a classic F-body Trans Am.
      • Jeema101 10y ago
        Or next time you buy a new car, just keep your old one as a project. That's what I did when my old car died. I was originally going to sell it for parts on Craigslist, but then I got the crazy idea in my head to buy some tools and attempt the repair myself over the summer. Got it back in working order and I've been wrenching on it ever since. Like you said, no pressure in having it fixed on time if it's not your daily driver.
    • 10y ago
• dragonorta 10y ago
  Motorcycle mechanic or astronautical engineer
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• dkns 10y ago
  Dancer / Dance teacher. I find dance and especially social dancing an incredibly joyful experience after few hours of sitting in front of computer screen.
  • deleted 10y ago
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• fa17 10y ago
  Doctor. The idea of studying human body and saving lives fascinates me. Having said that, i think Docs should be more accountable, like for ex: they could screw up a surgery resulting in a loss of life and no one would even know about it, is something always scares me.
  • ceejayoz 10y ago
    > Having said that, i think Docs should be more accountable, like for ex: they could screw up a surgery resulting in a loss of life and no one would even know about it, is something always scares me. I'm curious about where you got this idea. In the US (and I'd presume any other modern healthcare system) a patient dying in surgery leads to a full incident review.
    • wyldfire 10y ago
      I believe they're referring to a mandatory publication of these events or even all outcomes, linked/contingent with licensure. AFAIK the incident reviews are protocols that physicians and administrators use as tools for teams to learn, not for patients to consider which physician to choose.
  • randcraw 10y ago
    Given today's plentiful tech resources, it only makes sense to record video and audio of every surgery. These would be useful for accountability as well as refinement of technique and protocol. The added cost would be negligible.
  • eutectic 10y ago
    If you want people to be honest about their mistakes, they need to feel that doing so won't come back to bite them. The airline industry sets a great example in learning from failure to improve safety.
  • dikdik 10y ago
    Some people actually have trouble getting a risky surgery performed because surgeons don't want to screw up their stats. It's a very tricky problem to solve.
• anotherarray 10y ago
  Something that doesn't have a process or technique. Something that can be done out of my heart.
  • dasmoth 10y ago
    Pretty much this, I think. The trouble I run into is that there seem to be people rather eager to create process for any field where there's much money to be made. That said, areas like agriculture do look kind-of enticing.
  • gglitch 10y ago
    I upvoted this for its sincerity, but I'm having a hard time thinking of...anything, really...that doesn't reward process or technique; by disposition, I also really embrace process as a psychological circumstance that almost inherently creates meaning. What are you thinking of that comes from the heart but doesn't get processed? Process for me implies art, craft, care, learning, documenting, participating, communicating.
  • deleted 10y ago
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  • therealdrag0 10y ago
    Doesn't everything have process or technique?
• samsolomon 10y ago
  I'd be an industrial designer. I'm a product designer (software), but I have a deep appreciation for simple, beautiful things. I have no experience with CAD software, but given the time, it's definitely something I'd like to explore. Alternatively, I'd like to be a product reviewer and write about products. This may be more attainable as I was a journalist in college and still blog occasionally. All that said, I love designing software. Don't see myself leaving the industry anytime soon.
  • fegu 10y ago
    Oh my god, are you me?
  • RickS 10y ago
    cinema 4d is a good entry point into working in 3D if you're a designer
• collyw 10y ago
  Civil Engineer. I love the scale of huge projects like dams and the challenges that they bring. Watching a documentary the other day about the new Chernobyl Safe Confinement shelter was fascinating (they couldn't use wheels as the structure was to heavy for ball bearings). https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chernobyl_New_Safe_Confinement https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chernobyl_New_Safe_Confinement
• psiops 10y ago
  A 3-D ocean farmer: http://greenwave.org/3d-ocean-farming/ http://greenwave.org/3d-ocean-farming/.
  • hanniabu 10y ago
    That's a very interesting concept. I've worked in aquaponics before so I've also been intrigued by the idea of being able to recreate sustainable ecosystems. If I had the time I'd love to be able to create a database and 'calculator' or sorts where you can enter inputs such as the type of herb crop you'd like to grow, and going by the preferable water salinity, pH, ppm, ds, and a few other criteria, you'd be given options of what crustaceans and fish you'd be able to incorporate into the ecosystem. It's a huge endeavor, but I believe it's something that would have a tremendous impact on society since too often there's reinventing the wheel with this type of stuff and that destroys the runway for a lot of startups that have grander visions.
  • vladsanchez 10y ago
    I've dreamed of doing this but in the Caribbean. I dream of farming Spiny Lobster, Scallops and Red Snapper along with Blue Crab and Oysters. Weather is the biggest challenge in the zone. Thanks for sharing psiops.
• squozzer 10y ago
  Sniper. Then I could blow people's heads off at 1000m. But my eyesight isn't 20/20 anymore. So exotic dancer it is.
• mathattack 10y ago
  Teach martial arts.
  • roymurdock 10y ago
    Which discipline though?
    • mathattack 10y ago
      Jiu jitsu
• sidcool 10y ago
  Physicist. I love applied math. I love to explore and understand how everyday things work. And I love Richard Feynman.
  • quantumhobbit 10y ago
    I went in the opposite direction mostly because the academic job market sucks. I would love to get back into scientific computing in some sense. I miss all the math.
    • anthk 10y ago
      >I miss all the math. Odd, in Spain you need advanced linear algebra to even pass the CS career. You could do half of the classes without a hitch. Half of CS here is Math , 1/4 physics and the rest is coding even on paper.
    • kburke 10y ago
      Neuroscience PhD student here, looking at how to transition out of academia and chuckling to myself about all of the people who want to "study the body" here....
• kyoob 10y ago
  I'd open a bookstore/cafe that sells tech and engineering books. We'd run tech classes in a space in the back, with a discount for vets and artists looking to change careers. I'd live in the apartment above the store, with a garden on the roof. The wifi would be phenomenal.
  • willis77 10y ago
    "Shelf Overflow"?
    • spraak 10y ago
      If this were reddit I'd give you gold!
      • napworth 10y ago
        Get out.
      • spraak 10y ago
        Really confused why my enthusiasm for your idea was so downvoted.
    • muninn_ 10y ago
      I was going to go register that domain. It's a site already apparently... http://www.shelfoverflow.com http://www.shelfoverflow.com
      • oneshoe 10y ago
        Well, you should be only registering .io domains anyway ;)
        • muninn_ 10y ago
          Why's that? (Honest question)
• milge 10y ago
  Metal Fabrication. I've actually been taking metal classes for the last 6 months and just finished my first pair of motorcycle foot pegs on the CNC machine last night.
• fbernier 10y ago
  I'd probably ride the beer brewing wave like everyone tells me I should do. I love programming and live well off of it while having lots of fun homebrewing so I don't think I ever will.
• 67726e 10y ago
  I'm tired of busting my ass for a bunch of corrupt businessmen. I'd either be a bartender and do music in my free time, or join the military[0] as I'd rather let someone else make the decisions. Being "smart" is starting to feel more and more like a burden on my well being. [0] I realize the irony given the "corrupt businessmen" comment.
  • deleted 10y ago
    [deleted]
• mxuribe 10y ago
  Not in any particular order...And, either one or some combination of the following: * Dance music DJ or music maker - I love me some house music. (Notice I said "music maker" - i.e. a maker of tracks/songs, and not "musician"...i just don't have the formal training to play an actual instrument...however, if time travel existed, then yes a musician). * Indie film maker / director / screenwriter / or even actor/performer. * Custom motorcycle maker. Although custom choppers are fine and all, I'd lean towards custom made naked or cafe racer style motorbikes. * Own/run my own little cafe - with a few small food offerings - showcasing small, local bands, and maybe even a teen dance night. (There was a local dance club that had a teen night where I grew up, and I always thought it was such a cool idea.)
  • Shriken 10y ago
    Get a quality keyboard and a piano tutor. They'll keep you accountable, and you'll learn much faster.
  • saghm 10y ago
    > Notice I said "music maker" - i.e. a maker of tracks/songs, and not "musician"...i just don't have the formal training to play an actual instrument...however, if time travel existed, then yes a musician. It's actually much more feasible to teach yourself to play instruments than people realize! Obviously being taught makes things easier for most people, but what really makes a difference more than anything else is just spending substantial amounts of time practicing, which is still necessary even if you do take lessons. Plenty of famous musicians were actually self-taught, including some who were at the absolute top of their field, like Hendrix, Clapton, and Moon: https://www.joytunes.com/blog/music-fun/15-famous-musicians-totally-self-taught/ https://www.joytunes.com/blog/music-fun/15-famous-musicians-...
• jawns 10y ago
  It's interesting that the majority of these answers are professions that pay nowhere near what a software developer's salary would be. If the question were, "What other job would you like to do, if it paid at least as much as software development?" I could probably come up with some creative answers. But even though I'm not particularly driven by money, given that I have a family to support, mortgage to pay, etc., I probably could not take a job right now that would significantly reduce my income. With that constraint in mind, I suppose I would say I would return to my first career (journalism) and become an editor again. This would involve a significant drop in salary. So I would have to ramp up the time I devote to my second job. I'm an author of nonfiction books, which has been mostly a side project, but a relatively lucrative one. If I could bang out a book a year, on top of working full time as an editor, I could probably keep our household finances afloat.
  • bbcbasic 10y ago
    Based on this extra condition to make as much money, I would develop real estate
  • pc86 10y ago
    Unless moving out of SF/NY is a deal breaker, it's not necessary to make $100k+ a year to have a solid middle class life. You won't be driving a BMW making $55k a year but you won't need to eat Ramen to make the mortgage payment either. Obviously kids make this harder and my perspective is certainly biased as my wife and I don't plan on children so our nut is much lower every month than our friends with kids in HS or college.
    • up_and_up 10y ago
      > it's not necessary to make $100k+ a year to have a solid middle class life Depends on your circumstances. 100k with one salary?
      • cschep 10y ago
        "Obviously kids make this harder..." If you didn't have kids you would feel incredibly rich. You could pay off your house in five years and feel even richer.
• tazjin 10y ago
  I'd open a bar/pub with good cask ale and decent electronic music. Actually whenever I get too stressed out at work I consider doing this, I've got the necessary capital and in a city like Oslo where people don't care about beer prices it can surely be made into a profitable thing.
  • ainiriand 10y ago
    DO IT. NOW. Seriously, I think it is an excellent idea. It could also be a tourist meeting point if properly placed.
    • dx034 10y ago
      Open a bar is something you should really only do if you don't have to take on debt and can pay for the starting costs without ruining yourself. Very few bars turn out to be profitable, even those with excellent ideas.
  • js2 10y ago
    https://www.jwz.org/about.html https://www.jwz.org/about.html
    • slig 10y ago
      NSFW. Do not click that link from HN.
    • tazjin 10y ago
      I'm not sure if you linked to the right page / responded to the correct comment?
      • DanBC 10y ago
        JWZ looks at referrer headers. Right click and open in incognito window.
    • fjdlwlv 10y ago
      Please remove this link. JWZ.org attacks viewers referred by ycombinator.com
• dasmoth 10y ago
  Something where I can immerse myself into a project for at least a few weeks without needing regular state-exchange with others. I thought programming was the thing, but does seem to be moving in a rather collectivist direction right now. Farming and winemaking both appeal due to the feeling that you're working on something that will come to fruition months or years into the future. Tax arrangements make small-scale winemaking in the UK somewhat unattractive (beer and especially cider get better deals), but I do ponder given it a go sometimes.
  • dark_ph0enix 10y ago
    Ever considered moving to a more wine friendly country?
• frenchman_in_ny 10y ago
  Such a timely question -- not in the tech world (banking/finance), finding myself fairly dissatisfied & feeling like I've been doing the same thing in a loop for the last 10 years, and I have no idea what to do next.
• charlesdm 10y ago
  Tax law.
  • Chris2048 10y ago
    really?
• avisk 10y ago
  Open a used bookshop
• dark_ph0enix 10y ago
  Baker. Been baking as a hobby for a few years now and it's the one thing that I keep coming back to, no matter how much life changes.
  • hkhall 10y ago
    I came here to say this, what do you like to bake? I am a becoming a bit of a sourdough fanatic and am starting to see some results [1]. Thinking about building a wood-fired oven and baking a little for the farmers market this year to see if it could be a sideline I enjoy (in gradschool). [1]https://imgur.com/a/skH9O https://imgur.com/a/skH9O
    • dark_ph0enix 10y ago
      Looks great, a very nice rise to it (although a bit too blackened for my taste eheh). How did you manage to get those bubbles? Double kneading? Wood-fired oven gives a nice taste to the bread (to whatever you cook in it anyway) but controlling the temperature is a challenge. With all of that said, when I said baking, I meant cake baking. (although I dab a bit with bread (and can make a nice loaf)). I specially enjoy taking recipes and iterate over them adding twists in terms of flavour to them (last year I went through my vanilla pods phase, currently on a nuts phase[1]). [1]http://imgur.com/W5oXz67 http://imgur.com/W5oXz67
• coldcode 10y ago
  I would write books except I hate working alone, I prefer being around people. Maybe some kind of writer's workshop?
  • Chris2048 10y ago
    I overheard a guy on a plane once - old guy telling is life story. He'd done various things, been a pianist, engineer, parent etc. Now he writes, he says it's the most fulfilling career he's ever had; Though I expect he's already financially stable.
• gwbas1c 10y ago
  Build high-end speakers. I really enjoy it and I like the idea of high-end speakers that you can just plug into your TV and they "just work" without juggling remotes.
  • Natales 10y ago
    That's my hobby. Anyone who enjoys creating and building speakers and sound systems, should absolutely spend the time and build a pair of Linkwitz speakers" http://linkwitzlab.com/ http://linkwitzlab.com/ -- I yet have to hear anything better anywhere at any price point than the LX521.4.
• robinhood 10y ago
  If I were to quit technology, I would try to find something that keeps me as far away of a screen as possible. For instance, quitting the tech world to become, say, an accountant, where I would still looking at a screen all day long, seems useless to me. This would therefore probably be a profession where I either see a lot of people (doctor?) or use my hands (carpenter).
  • beachstartup 10y ago
    doctors stare at screens all day now also.
• Chris2048 10y ago
  > decent electronic music And square circles too?
  • Jackim 10y ago
    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.
    • deleted 10y ago
      [deleted]
    • criveros 10y ago
      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.
      • Shoop 10y ago
        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?
        • Chris2048 10y ago
          > 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.
          • Shoop 10y ago
            I'm not sure why you'd judge a genre by its worst music.
• galfarragem 10y ago
  Related reads: https://sivers.org/futures https://sivers.org/futures https://sivers.org/hsu https://sivers.org/hsu
• stevenmays 10y ago
  Writer.
• shawnmgoulet 10y ago
  I would do good. I would build homes for veterans or work for my local non-profit that supplies dogs to support veterans having a tough transition back to civilian life. Or I would work with the diabetes type 1 JDRF so that my wife would no longer have to worry about her glucose levels. I would support teachers the right way, supplying them with proper training for 21st century skills so that kids are inspired to learn, learn, learn. Because I believe that doing good is very much needed right now in our world.
• anabisengrin 10y ago
  When I leave my current job I'm going to apply for an adult course on wood working. I love to build things, and wood is the most available and easy to work with material (compared to plastic, rock or metal). And seriously, I bought a saw, a hammer, a screwdriver last year, it got me crazy. Same as having a unix terminal and an Internet connexion.
  • conorcleary 10y ago
    Look into producing beehive equipment; even if you're not a beekeeper, there is a constant and large demand for high quality, low price woodenware. Fairly easy to set up jigs and it is easy to find blueprints. By the end you'll be a beekeeper anyway ;)
  • coldpie 10y ago
    I've been getting into woodworking over the past year or two. It's great fun. It's something I would consider doing as a business, but I think that's a hard road to go down. I wrote a bunch of words on the tools I've gathered: http://www.smokingonabike.com/2017/01/01/hand-tools-for-a-newbie-woodworker/ http://www.smokingonabike.com/2017/01/01/hand-tools-for-a-ne...
  • aidos 10y ago
    I also think it seems pretty appealing. There have been some interesting things on HN over the years about it. I loved this talk about how the tools you use determine how you look at problems (Tim Ewald - Clojure: Programming with Hand Tools) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ShEez0JkOFw https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ShEez0JkOFw And if you haven't seen him before, you're about to fall in love with Matthias Wandel: https://www.youtube.com/user/Matthiaswandel/videos https://www.youtube.com/user/Matthiaswandel/videos http://woodgears.ca/ http://woodgears.ca/
    • anabisengrin 10y ago
      Cool ! It is true that I haven't looked online to learn wood-working related stuff. I'll look into it
  • 10y ago
• aezell 10y ago
  Curator at an art museum and publisher of unique writing about music, art, and humans.
• Heraclite 10y ago
  Philosopher
  • osullivj 10y ago
    Well I did a BA in Philosophy in the late 80s, and it's served me well as a developer. Software development is just applied ontology really...
    • Ascetik 10y ago
      I studied Philosophy as well, with a heavy scholastic leaning, Thomism, and object oriented programming makes the most sense to me. Although not a programming language, that's probably why Powershell makes a lot of sense to me because it is all very focused on concretes.
• meigwilym 10y ago
  I live on the edge of a national park. In summer they advertise for Wardens to help with patrolling the park, on a voluntary basis. If I could afford it I'd happily code for 6 months of the year, then be a warden for the rest.
  • maxxxxx 10y ago
    I thought being a park ranger would be cool. Doing that and do programming on the side is probably easier than the other way. I would definitely go for a job that gets me more outside and involves manual activity.
  • snicky 10y ago
    Try this first: http://www.firewatchgame.com/ http://www.firewatchgame.com/ :)
    • ngokevin 10y ago
      Makes me want to do it more.
• clueless123 10y ago
  Relief bush pilot on the Amazon jungle... Today, there is so much need for transportation of Doctors/Teachers/Helpers within villages in the Jungle. Unfortunately most of the obstacles to achieving this are purely political/Bureaucratic.
  • pc86 10y ago
    I'd love to get more information on this. Is it largely a lack of willing pilots? What are the political obstacles you've encountered?
    • clueless123 10y ago
      In the Peruvian Amazon, the restrictions put on aviation because of the "war on drugs" have effectively crippled any private/small commercial aviation activity. Some examples: It is illegal to transport or sell aviation grade fuel without an (impossible to get ) permit. The bureaucratic (permits/certifications/plain corruption) obstacles to operate an aircraft makes it to expensive to operate. To certify a pilot or an aircraft takes at least a year.. including flying an inspector to the US to inspect the aircraft before it can fly into the country. I could go on for hours on this topic...
  • RUG3Y 10y ago
    There are several Christian groups that do this. They deliver missionaries into isolated areas but they also bring supplies, doctors, etc. I know some people who are involved and it's pretty cool.
    • clueless123 10y ago
      Yes.. a few years ago one got shot down by an "overeager" drug patrol interested in cashing the $$ reward the DEA puts on such planes. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2001_Peru_shootdown https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2001_Peru_shootdown
      • RUG3Y 10y ago
• uptown 10y ago
  Residential architect or dog walker / doggie daycare operator.
• jenkstom 10y ago
  Very easy... finish paramedic school. EMS is the perfect antidote for a lifetime of sedentary computer programming. Plus, you get to work with people - or at least you'd better learn how to work with people.
  • ggrs 10y ago
    I am with you there. In fact, I'd say flight medic. Have been volunteering in EMS for going on 10 years now, and find that I particularly enjoy both the flight and very critical care aspects of helicopter EMS.
  • JshWright 10y ago
    What's stopping you from getting your card? I am a full time developer and part time paramedic. I generally pick up one shift a week (usually a weekend day, but also the occasional weeknight). I'm sure there are agencies in your area that would hire a part-time/per diem medic.
• felideon 10y ago
  Photojournalist
• jinfiesto 10y ago
  Pianist, though if I'm being honest, I'll never be good enough to be A-list. Which is why I'm a developer.
• NumberCruncher 10y ago
  I would never leave the tech world entirely. I would shift focus from coding and solving bullshit issues generated by business people to dealing more with real people solving real problems. I have ideas how to do that in a fun way but I am not there yet. I think coding is really fun and creative occupation if you can decide what you code and when you code. I know if I would make my dream come true and would teach teenagers self defense I would end up spending my nights coding the website of my dojo by myself...
  • Ocerge 10y ago
    This is where I am as well. In the end I think I would enjoy my profession more if I stopped working on bullshit invented problems. I then remind myself that pretty much everybody hates that their jobs are ultimately not contributing to the greater good. Get in line, essentially. I think a good compromise may be finding something in bio tech, not sure. One of my goals this year is to do some market and tech research to see where I could feasibly become employed to do something worth a damn.
• anthk 10y ago
  from IT? Telecommunications Engineering. Half of it is shared with CS, so is kinda the same but more fun. C is still the main language for standards so I could find myself at home, as I am a OpenBSD user and zealot. http://websdr.ewi.utwente.nl:8901/ http://websdr.ewi.utwente.nl:8901/ No GNURadio here, sadly, but is WIP. Hacking comm devices is funny. Even something simple as SDR's are interesting too.
• blazespin 10y ago
  Charter sailboats in Caribbean, Mediterranean, etc
• fsargent 10y ago
  I'd be an economics teacher. I'd love to teach High School and/or College economics. Since this is my own fantasy land, I'd be able to set my own curriculum. 1. Why do we work? (Jobs, Businesses, and the individual economy) 2. What is wealth, and how do I get it? (Saving, investment, real estate) 3. Is it supposed to be like this? (Capitalism, Government, modern political economy) 4. Systems Design (If you want to change the system, how should it work? How do we measure things that aren't money? Love, time, attention?) I wish I'd had an education like this earlier in life.
  • grenoire 10y ago
    Higher education in economics quickly ramps up to using actual mathematics. Your curriculum is more in line with high school or International Baccalaureate styled diplomas, with a focus on the "old" philosophical economics.
    • romgrk 10y ago
      https://www.project-syndicate.org/commentary/mathematical-economics-training-too-narrow-by-robert-skidelsky-2016-12 https://www.project-syndicate.org/commentary/mathematical-ec...
    • fsargent 10y ago
      Yeah, absolutely. More of a "Home Economics" tint to it, but something I feel most people are missing in life. I feel the math should be used to prove the philosophical points. It's rare that the math actually improves understanding without a novel hypothesis behind it.
  • Retric 10y ago
    Economics 101 seems completely useless as taught, but it's just there so people understand the jargon. Unfortunately, it's often a general elective so that foundation wasted. So, I can see plenty of ways to make it useful. What is wealth? Things people want. Money = wealth not because it's directly useful but because people want it so you can trade it for things you want. Why do people want Money? Taxes, and loans. If you sell stock to buy a car, you need extra money to hand to the government. Further, if you have a mortgage or credit cards you need to come up with cash on a very regular basis. Then build on this: What is the demand curve? Different people are willing to pay more or less and buy more or less of the same things. ex: 3rd car. However, you would be much better making this into a book than teaching a class. As again Econ 101 is setup so people can do a lot of math in Econ 301.
• projectramo 10y ago
  I love to watch the "grass is greener on the other side" effect. Other jobs always seem easier, more rewarding, more exciting till you try them.
• cmrdporcupine 10y ago
  Winery / cidery. More on the vineyard/orchard side of it, but would like to own the business.
• chiph 10y ago
  Recreational vehicle repair. Sales are way up since the industry almost died after 2007/2008, and the manufacturers are producing crap quality in order to satisfy sales demand. It's not uncommon for someone to spend $400k on a new RV and have to take their new purchase back for a months worth of rework -- only to find out there's no service openings for 5 months. What's stopping me is the up-front capital requirements to lease a building, hire technicians, and buy the tools & equipment needed (you can't just use an ordinary car lift on a 50,000 pound bus).
  • pilom 10y ago
    Mobile RV repair is extremely common and doesn't have quite the same capital requirements. The challenge is getting set up with a manufacturer to be a warranty specialist. Most of the warranty work required is interior stuff anyway like plumbing, electrical work, cabinet and door re-hanging, re-carpetting, etc. Leave the "roof replacement" jobs to the big shops and you could get started quicker than you think.
    • chiph 10y ago
      Yeah, I wouldn't do things like glass replacement - even as a shop owner I would call the vendor for that. So far as getting certified for warranty work from WBGO or Newmar, etc. I would think they'd want you to have a bricks & sticks location. Not sure yet. How has RV life been for you?
      • pilom 10y ago
        Pretty fantastic. We're stationary for the winter with the RV in storage (my wife is working at a ski resort and I go skiing every couple days) but we'll definitely be back on the road come spring. Had 3 breakdowns this past year and used a mobile tech for one of them and got towed to small town mechanic for the other two.
  • SigmundA 10y ago
    I have thought about this too along with selling the house and going full time in the RV. One interesting sub-niche of this is RV solar installation, this seems to be booming as well with few who know how to do it right. AMSolar is the premier one and are booked solid months out.
• knicholes 10y ago
  Pornographer.
• lightedman 10y ago
  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 lands adjacent to that claim which were never touched and possibly have tons of material the other claim couldn't get to/missed during survey. And then you get to start your own D&D-style real-life dragon hoard and put it on display. Very few people are unimpressed by nature's splendors.
  • jdhn 10y ago
    How does one go about re-registering abandoned claims?
    • lightedman 10y ago
      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.
      • eel 10y ago
        Is the process state-dependent? Can you only reclaim mines in public lands (and does it matter if it's NF vs BLM?), or can you claim an abandoned mine on private property?
        • lightedman 10y ago
          The process is pretty much the same as mining claims are in the jurisdiction of the Federal Government. Just look up the Bureau of Land Management for your state and they should have everything you need to know on the website.
  • civilian 10y ago
• treehau5 10y ago
  I would love to be a performing artist. I can play various instruments, and am recently really loving playing Piano. Would love it if solo pianists could practice to virtuoso level and make a decent living, but sadly, they cannot. Unless you have the magical combination of proper connections, prestigious music school credentials, timing, and luck, you cannot hope to make the kind of salary I am making programming. My sister, a Soprano who went to NYU taught me this early on. Funny story, her school call her a couple weeks back and I happened to be in the room with her, and you could tell it was some undergraduate performing some capstone research project, and he asked her "If you could tell students now one thing, what would you tell them?" to which she cynically replied, "Don't waste your time if you hope to make a living." and "Only .05% of you will go on to have successful music careers." Brutal.
• jharger 10y ago
  I find this question kind of hard to answer, because there are so many things I'd love to try. Though I'm an introvert, I'd love to try bar tending or waiting tables for the social aspect of it. I'd love to try out really small scale farming or herding goats to get away from tech entirely. Law (tax or business law, not something like criminal) is fascinating to me too. If I was really forced to choose, though, it would be art or writing. The idea of capturing ideas and feelings, or creating worlds, characters and stories in visual or word form has a lot of appeal to me. That's probably why I make video games as a hobby.
• misiti3780 10y ago
  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 Trastevere neighborhood of Rome - starting every morning with an espresso, and ending it with good food and two bottles of Red French or Italian wine. Back to work ..
  • thatmiddleway 10y ago
    I agree, "the unexamined life is not worth living." We should start a club for expats that all want to do this.
    • personlurking 10y ago
      In a sense, I do this. I work/earn 10% of what I could, and spend 90% of my time studying all the things I want, moving around different countries. On one hand it's very nice but on the other, earning little gets tiresome (especially now in my 30s). My 2017 is for reversing the percentage.
      • ritchiea 10y ago
        How do you find consistent work doing that? I try to work part time as a developer and usually either my clients pressure me to full time or hire someone else who will.
        • personlurking 10y ago
          I'm a VA with one long-time client who can only offer me part-time work, plus the occassional small project related to the work. I also sometimes get a few side jobs from previous employers. For the last several years, I've generally worked an hour per day, M-F. Living abroad on dollars, and staying out of native-English speaking countries and Nordic ones, it's quite easy to live an average lifestyle on around $600/mo. However, to live like this you end up going through a few dry periods where you really are struggling. Three-fourths of the time, I'm living the same lifestyle as I did in the US, except it's more interesting and I'm not working a full-time job I don't like just to make ends meet. My free time is spent exploring cities, learning languages which I teach myself and then practice in-country, reading and watching documentaries about everything that interests me (I was born curious), volunteering and working on some online side projects (non-monetary) related to growing my knowledge. If this were a few hundred years ago, I would be the first person to sign up for overseas voyages, but since there are no more unexplored/untouched lands these days (barring the final frontier), I try to do the next best thing - explore subjects and places that are, in the least, not previously explored by me. Another way to look at it is to say I was born (SF in the early 80s) a few decades late, otherwise I would have grown up hippie and probably fit right in (rather than have friends who make amounts I can't even comprehend).
• draz 10y ago
  Epidemiologist or homocide detective. Both (at least from the outside) seem like they require extreme skills at picking out a needle in a haystack.
• thasaleni 10y ago
  I'm currently a software developer, if I'd change I would go into genetics, more like what CRISPR is doing, from programming computers to programming living beings :D
  • _Wintermute 10y ago
    Be prepared for 10+ years of training to get paid the same as a call center worker.
  • anthk 10y ago
    Check bioperl and biopython
• DrSarez 10y ago
  Elon Musk ^^
  • abledon 10y ago
    read the Ashlee Vance biography, his life.. its brutal!
• erjjones 10y ago
  Architect
  • max_ 10y ago
    FYI: Architecture student here, the field is not fairly compensated like Software Development
    • OJFord 10y ago
      What makes it 'unfair'?
      • max_ 10y ago
        Salary:Work ratio
        • OJFord 10y ago
          fair fɛː adjective 1. treating people equally without favouritism or discrimination. [0] You may not like the salary:work ratio; that is not sufficient for it to be unfair. [0] - https://www.google.co.uk/?q=define+fair https://www.google.co.uk/?q=define+fair
          • max_ 10y ago
            Sorry for the poor English. What I mean is that it is not financially rewarding..
• preordained 10y ago
  Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu competitor/instructor. I'd need some years back to be anywhere near the level I should be for that. I don't think I could switch to anything (significantly different) right now with a realistic chance of keeping afloat.
• jbrown 10y ago
  Open a CrossFit gym or be a tango dancer/teacher.
• ttcbj 10y ago
  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 self-development is so high, and the cash costs of the tools low. There is part of me that worries it is futile, because I suspect software development jobs actually require more deep and diverse basic knowledge of math and reading than I could hope for in underprivileged environments.
  • mkaziz 10y ago
    What kind of children's books, out of curiosity? I have some interest there myself.
    • homarp 10y ago
      the ones you can't find right now with the message you want. e.g. the pleasure of being a maker. the pleasure of finding things out.
      • whiskers 10y ago
        Have you seen the Andrea Beaty books? http://www.andreabeaty.com/ http://www.andreabeaty.com/ I have them for my daughter and the messages are very positive for exploring ideas and experimenting.
        • homarp 10y ago
          I've seen "ADA TWIST, SCIENTIST!" but not "Fluffy Bunnies". Thank you, I will look at them. So far, the one we like the most is "Secret Science Alliance" but it's not for younger kids.
  • whynaut 10y ago
    For #2 I have thought considerably about this as well. It seems to boil down to two things: 1. Lack of awareness. In many of these environments "software engineering" doesn't really mean anything to anyone, especially if few households own computers in the first place. Growing up in Detroit, my Dad lugged in our first (huge, ancient) PC when I was in the 4th or 5th grade - if I had simply been pointed in the right direction, I could've started my learning much earlier. I remember lots of kids in our middle school getting super interested in HTML/CSS, but only having access to PCs for an hour or two after school. 2. Learning ability. Obviously not to say there aren't any smart underprivileged people, but it is not often made clear that one's ability to learn is, in itself, a powerful asset. I believe this is the strongest factor in one's ability to program outside of personality inclinations, and that anyone can increase this capacity (within whatever local spectrum their personality and lifestyle allows).
• pc86 10y ago
  Flight instructor/local commercial pilot. The pay is garbage compared to software development but if you're an independent CFI there is as much time freedom as there is being a remote dev, and the pay is still good enough to cover all the necessities.
  • zeroc8 10y ago
    I used to flight instruct in my twenties. Couldn't make a decent living in aviation and had to switch to something else. Software development has its benefits, but having an office in the cloud beats everything else.
  • btgeekboy 10y ago
    CFI is my retirement job. Already have my private, so I'm working towards my commercial now. Once I'm starting to feel like the old man of the team, it'll be time to move to a beautiful part of the country with lower living expenses and let students try to kill me all day. Bonus: if I work in the tech industry long enough, I can afford to pick up a few 150s and start a school.
• ainiriand 10y ago
  I am slowly working towards becoming a fiction writer. At the moment I am a software engineer and I feel I can make it if I put enough effort into it. My specialties are psychological terror and sci-fi.
  • arethuza 10y ago
    "My specialties are psychological terror" What about moving into project management?
    • livatlantis 10y ago
      ... it hurts from laughing too much. Wow.
    • ainiriand 10y ago
      I am not that dark.
  • mkaziz 10y ago
    Got any tips for someone trying to do the same?
    • ainiriand 10y ago
      Write everyday. And read double than that.
• kevinSuttle 10y ago
  Farmer.
  • randomdata 10y ago
    That is the career I moved to after establishing a career as a developer. Being around all the high tech machines on the farm has gotten me quite interested in mechanical engineering of late, so if I were to make the switch again, it may be in that direction. Especially, to bring things full circle, with a focus on integrating my software experience into those machines; robots and such.
    • kevinSuttle 10y ago
      I'm in 100% agreement. The first time I ever fixed anything mechanical was when the pulley on my push lawnmower broke. I thought to myself: "If I can write an iOS app, then this is nothing."
  • JSeymourATL 10y ago
    These guys could probably use your skills > http://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2017/01/09/the-vertical-farm http://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2017/01/09/the-vertical-fa...
• jwatte 10y ago
  Creating music and writing. Things I did as a youth but didn't pay the bills like computers!
• Arubis 10y ago
  The one that fits my current lifestyle: carpentry. I love woodworking but am not particularly practiced at it. Opening up a garage full of tools and building real tangible things with my hands that still exist when the lights go off has huge appeal. The one that doesn't quite fit my lifestyle (married, love it that way, spouse has a stable job with a set location, thinking about kids): travel journalist. My wife and I have both spent a significant portion of time living and working in semi rural areas of underdeveloped countries. I'd do it again in a heartbeat, and would love to get it all down on paper. But that really doesn't fit in with giving kiddos access to education, so maybe in thirty years!
  • conorcleary 10y ago
    Look into producing beehive equipment; even if you're not a beekeeper, there is a constant and large demand for high quality, low price woodenware. Fairly easy to set up jigs and it is easy to find blueprints. By the end you'll be a beekeeper anyway ;)
• towndrunk 10y ago
  Homebuilder building unique semi-modern homes not the typical 5 4 and a door. I have remodeled several homes doing everything myself including electrical, plumbing and even structural. I love working with tools and heavy equipment.
• knieveltech 10y ago
  I'd open a shop and small school dedicated to archaic crafts like blacksmithing and boat building.
• html5web 10y ago
  Dentist
• PascLeRasc 10y ago
  Definitely theater tech, especially audio work and sound design. I loved it all through high school and it was fixing old sound boards that got me into electrical engineering where I am now. But I'd love to do theater sound full-time forever.
• beat 10y ago
  Record producer. I've been recording and producing music for years and love doing it. It'd be nice to be able to make a living at it.
• kakaorka 10y ago
  I'd be a physicist. I actually want to start doing that as a side job; especially quantum mechanics seems very interesting and it needs a lot more research!
• jhwhite 10y ago
  I'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.
  • mafribe 10y ago
    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.
• kageneko 10y ago
  Since early in college, my 2nd choice has always been psychology -- so much that I went back to school to finish up a BA in Psychology. I would focus on either cognitive or industrial/organizational psychology. With cognitive, I'd focus on motivation. With two children, I'm always wondering what motivates them to do the things they do. In I/O, I'm looking at workplace optimization and comfort -- mostly comfort.
  • sjg007 10y ago
    On a related note, there is huge world wide need for BCBAs in developmental and behavioral psychology to help expand ABA and other early intensive intervention programs.
• wyldfire 10y ago
  I've thought about the concept of a business in private education for (older) kids for software/computer science. And I've never spent any time with music but I think it would be a really enjoyable endeavor.
  • creativeembassy 10y ago
    I learned programming from small private classes when I started the 3rd grade. It drove me to found a hackerspace a few years ago, and I finally got to start teaching other kids how to program and do robotics. I highly recommend it, education is very fulfilling.
• lucasnemeth 10y ago
  Primary school teacher
• max_ 10y ago
  I want to be a Game Designer like Hideo Kojima!
• rglovejoy 10y ago
  I would move to Wyoming and become a cowboy.
• ngokevin 10y ago
  Tournament poker player or national park ranger.
• ryandrake 10y ago
  There are two possible interpretations of this question actually: 1. What would you do if you were not worried about finances and could simply do what you most loved for a living? 2. Given your financial and career needs/desires, what would be more rewarding than your developer job? I'd answer these two questions totally differently, and I suspect many in this thread would as well.
  • Melk 10y ago
    I came here hoping to find some viable alternatives but I don't think children's book writer or thinker are it.
• josephv 10y ago
  Forest ranger
• jordz 10y ago
  Bar tender.
• MiddleEndian 10y ago
  I would like to be the mayor of my city. I would focus on improving infrastructure (transit and internet) and supporting the arts.
• Tasboo 10y ago
  HVAC. I love figuring out proper air flow for some reason and have made modifications to the ducts at my house. I could see myself doing that stuff for a living.
  • OJFord 10y ago
    For the unacquainted, is the purpose of the modification to improve efficiency, and thus get to temperature faster or reduce costs?
    • mturmon 10y ago
      Increasing comfort can be as big or bigger a driver.
    • Tasboo 10y ago
      Both, sort of. I installed dampers on certain vents to reduce the amount of air that goes to certain vents. This causes my heating and cooling to run a bit longer when it comes on, but it now runs much less frequently and my house has a more even temperature from room to room. I also did modifications to some ceiling registers because they were never installed correctly and were leaking air into the ceiling of my basement. That helped with the temperatures down there without really affecting anything else in the house.
• randcraw 10y ago
  If we're really dreaming, then I'd like to go back in time 30 years to write a monthly column for 80s/90s era tech fanzines like Creative Computing, WiReD, or InfoWorld. I'd describe the science behind a different technology each issue and interleave an interviews with pros in that space about why it's hot or not -- like "Mathematical Games" a la Martin Gardner, but set in a a more cultural context that made the most of the gogo enthusiasm that infused those heady days. Computing was a blast then.
• paulrpotts 10y ago
  This sort of depends on whether I had the "money problem" solved or not. Assuming I magically had enough saved to pay for all my family's housing and food and assorted expenses with passive income, then I would probably work on the following: - Several book projects that are in the pipeline, one near completion - Podcast production projects, maybe a business like Dan Benjamin's 5x5 - Work with homeschool groups to teach classes on electronics - Possibly run a small maker space - Maybe go back to school (at nearly 50) and study some things I'm interested in: architecture, some upper-level mathematics? - Teach again at a university level (with guaranteed income, I could afford to be an adjunct and teach programming)
• gambiting 10y ago
  I work as a C++ programmer. I wouldn't mind being a professional driver, even driving a taxi would be fine for me. I could work as a professional interpreter(I speak two languages fluently and have some official qualifications). I would love to have a bike and/or car repair shop. I would like to try being a park ranger and doing physical work outside. Basically, anything that doesn't involve staring at a screen all day long.
• imsofuture 10y ago
  Distill whiskey.
  • jotux 10y ago
    I would love to open a distillery and make Rye.
• dvcrn 10y ago
  Something creative while at the same time completely opposite to what I do now. Probably become a presenter, video content creator or entertainer. I'm shy, suck in presentations and am not very funny. Plus I work all day from my laptop without talking much. So naturally I really really want to do the opposite, work creatively on a show to tackle that, talk in front of big audiences of people and entertain people. Maybe YouTube.
  • alexhutcheson 10y ago
    You should try taking some improv classes. You might surprise yourself.
• greedoid 10y ago
  Podcaster.
• upatricck 10y ago
  Be a musician.
• tjic 10y ago
  Woodworker. 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 machines in duplicate to eliminate setup times, etc. ...and then after growing sales and shaking the bugs out of the production, I'd hire assistants to keep cranking stuff out. Eventually I'd allow customers to start turbing a few "knobs" on products, via a website tool (this isn't too much falling back into software, is it?), which results in customized cut lists being kicked out for my assistants. Mass customization.
  • Toadsoup 10y ago
    I like this. I've been thinking about a lot about software to help improve workshop efficiency or to design interesting things.
  • creativeembassy 10y ago
    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.
    • wolrah 10y ago
      > 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.
• santaclaus 10y ago
  Start a crappy band, have a cool band camp page, travel around the country in a van playing shows in DIY performance spaces and dive bars.
• FiatLuxDave 10y ago
  I'm not a developer (I'm a physicist), but someday I'd like to go into medical research. I like the idea of coming up with things that directly help suffering people. I hope that the problem solving skills I've acquired would prove useful. Of course, I'd need to go back to school for a few years to get up to speed first. Unfortunately, I have too much to do still in the applied physics world. It takes too damn long to commercialize inventions. I'd love to move on to the next new thing, but there is no one you can just hand off an invention to; if you want to see it deployed and profitable it seems you have to carry it all the way yourself.
  • randlet 10y ago
    Have you looked into Medical Physics (mostly concerned with radiation therapy and imaging). Best of both worlds in my opinion! If you tire of research you can likely pursue a clinical career and clinical physicists get paid pretty well ($120k-$200k in Canada at least, not sure about US).
    • FiatLuxDave 10y ago
      I appreciate the kind advice, since you are correct that Med Phys is a rewarding field for many. However, I'm already more than familiar with Med Phys, since that's most of the "boring day job" I use to pay the bills. I was on the design team for some of the most widely used devices in the field. Unfortunately, as a field of applied physics, it is the epitome of slow steady progress with almost no real breakthroughs. There's nothing wrong with that, especially when it helps people, but I'd prefer to work on things with the potential for big breakthroughs. So I work on the boring stuff during the day, and do mad science at night.
• petewailes 10y ago
  Doing this in a few years when we've sold. Going to found a company building mid end speakers. Prototyping this year.
• bpyne 10y ago
  I'd like to teach Music and CS somewhere in grades K-12. I'm not sure which age group right now. During Summer breaks from school, I'd gig, write code, and try to refine my teaching skills.
• pknerd 10y ago
  Would love to become a theoretical physicist.
• Stoo 10y ago
  Writer for roleplaying games. Either as a game / setting designer or writing adventures.
• dsp1234 10y ago
  Executive security
• ohstopitu 10y ago
  build modern versions of classic cars. It's a passion of mine (and probably something I'd do for fun in the future) to get an old mustang (preferably ~1964) and convert it into a modern car (electric, heated/cooled seats, power windows etc.) oh and build competition grade racing drones. and be a tech reviewer.
• SteveNuts 10y ago
  Something outside. Maybe work in a state park, doing tours and educating children about the outdoors. I have fond memories of going on field trips to state parks in elementary school.
  • joss82 10y ago
    I have fond memories of programming a "guess the number" game in basic as a kid. Let's become a professional software developer!
    • onion2k 10y ago
      My first VB app was a lottery numbers generator. That immediately got me interested in writing software, and I've been writing code professionally for the past 20 years. A small start is more than enough to spark a life long career.
      • joss82 10y ago
        That's what I and most of us did, I guess. But isn't the professional stuff totally different from that initial first glimpse?
    • RUG3Y 10y ago
      Come on, giving educational tours to children isn't anywhere near as rigorous as being a software developer. What point are you trying to make?
      • OJFord 10y ago
        My reading was that if there's any regret about choosing professional SE, one should be careful not to think something else would be better for a reason similar to that the choosing SE.
        • SteveNuts 10y ago
          I'm not a software engineer. I also didn't say I regret it, I do plan on retiring to something where I can work outside.
• cableshaft 10y ago
  I did stop being a developer for a year and a half in order to work for a video game publisher as a producer. I really enjoyed it, worked on five games (four of which were released on Nintendo, Microsoft, or Sony consoles), got to go on fun business trips to game conferences, and got to meet some important people in the industry, but I got nervous not programming for that long because I thought my skills were atrophying due to lack of use. Nowadays if I were to do it again, I'd probably go into board game design or publishing. I'm a bit more in tune with the board game industry than the video game industry nowadays. I'm actually actively working on several board game designs and trying to get my first game signed. Hopefully one or two of them will be a hit and I can afford to stop working a 9-5, maybe just do some freelance development part time on the side. I would consider going back into video game publishing too, though.
  • TeffenEllis 10y ago
    Could you tell us about how you got into video game publishing? I'd love to make the transition myself.
    • cableshaft 10y ago
      My route is probably hard to duplicate, and was more by chance than anything. I made a game for Microsoft's Dream-Build-Play game dev competition (Proximity HD, now called Proximity 2), on their new upcoming Xbox 360 Indie Games Service. It was a finalist in the competition (you can see me on the list here: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dream_Build_Play#2007_Challenge https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dream_Build_Play#2007_Challeng...), and was on display at their XNA Gamefest conference in Seattle along with my name and my city. A guy who worked for the (small) publisher attended the Gamefest, saw that I was local to their office, and called me up to stop by and discuss a possible deal to publish it on Xbox Live. Halfway through the discussion I mentioned I was looking to break into the game industry, and the discussion morphed into a job interview. I was brought in for a second interview with their parent company in Japan via teleconference, and was asked questions in Japanese and had my answers translated back, and apparently my answer to "What's my favorite game right now?" being "Tetris Attack" was a great one, since I found out later I was being interviewed by ex-Bulletproof Software guys who developed Tetris for Game Boy. I got the job, and immediately had to become a competent producer, video editor (for ESRB ratings and game trailers), localization and certification checker, evaluating games for possible publishing, advertising asset designer, the local expert on managing the console dev machines for evaluating builds, and overseer of entire QA teams, had to come up with new game features and prioritize which bugs got fixed, despite having pretty much zero experience in any of that before I got the job. It was intense, but rewarding. I learned a ton while I worked there, and wore many hats. If you have any questions about it, I'd be happy to answer them.
• geff82 10y ago
  While I am happy with being in IT... If I could try something completely different, I would do "Iranian Studies" at the university of Marburg, which is nearby as I have some unexplainable love for Iranian culture and language (to the point I found a girl from there and married her). I'd try to work in research at university or as a consultant for businesses that are interested in the country. The other boy dream not come true (but still dreamed): being a pilot, preferably for cargo planes or other mid-sizes special missions.
  • fegu 10y ago
    I would also prefer cargo planes. Less people :)
    • geff82 10y ago
      Seems to be a thing for nerds :)
• newdayrising 10y ago
  Become a novelist and write adventure stories.
• stevekemp 10y ago
  Plumber. Locksmith. Similar. Jobs that you can do at your own pace, and with the kind of SEO skills I have I'm sure I'd do well. Plus these kind of jobs cannot be out-sourced.
  • taway_1212 10y ago
    Witnessing a plumber literally taking a flow of shit falling on his face from a pipe, I think I'll pass.
    • logfromblammo 10y ago
      Having experienced that same situation metaphorically too many times to count, I think getting it literally would actually be a refreshing change of pace.
• eof 10y ago
  I've been fantasizing about getting into timber framing.
• dnqthao 10y ago
  I would want to become a researcher in a theoretical field such as applied math, physics or economics.
• diverted247 10y ago
  Roast Coffee. Done.
• auganov 10y ago
  A cat nanny.
• mtberatwork 10y ago
  Astronomer, if we are talking about quitting completely. It's what I wanted to be as a kid. If we are talking about quitting for a "little while", then I'd just go travel the US with my mountain bike and hit up any and all trails I can get my hands on ala Craig Bierly [1] and become some kind of cliche bike blogger. [1] http://runutsadventures.com/bike/ http://runutsadventures.com/bike/
• odammit 10y ago
  Archaeology. I was really interested in the idea as a kid but my mom pointed out you might not get to bathe that often (and I was/am a neat freak) so I quickly lost interest. Now I find most of my vacations are centered around traveling to ruins or going to live in small towns with interesting cultures. Way cooler than software. FML.
• soundwave106 10y ago
  Craft beer brewer would probably be the first choice. I already homebrew, and I actually think it's possible to envision a profit-making craft brewery (even as crowded as the marketplace is these days). I'm also a musician (synthesizers / piano) with enough skills to play in cover bands in the past. But that's a very difficult market to break into, and the types of jobs that actually make good money either aren't usually the type of music I'd really want to play, and / or are a market that I'm too old to enter, and / or are well beyond my current skillset. It's a good hobby to pass the time with though.
  • chaosphere2112 10y ago
    I homebrew as well, and this always floats around as something I'd like to do. Then I picture hauling 55 pound grain sacks up a catwalk and dumping them into the grain mill, for a mid-to-low margin business. Sigh.
  • scarecrowbob 10y ago
    IMO, "breaking into the market" as a musician isn't tough... the problem is that the market pays so little. I know (and gig with) a lot of folks who play music as their primary or only source of income, and it's doable if you are never going to retire and don't mind living out of your car. Or possibly have a spouse that makes better money.
• batz 10y ago
  Train horses, perhaps at a reclaimed monastery that runs silent and teaching retreats for guests who study math, classical philosophy, and martial arts. Maybe start a barbell gym.
• eel 10y ago
  I would love to get into structural engineering. I just can't justify the cost of school, and the end salaries are not even going to be better than a software developer's. Or maybe be an auto mechanic. Or a woodworker/metal worker/welder. Or a farmer (seriously). Part of me wants to embrace the city and "book" knowledge to further my career, and part of me wants to abandon it and go back to a rural life and just make/repair things.
  • leesalminen 10y ago
    My grandfather was a farmer. It always seemed to be quite rewarding and challenging. I've thought about going down that path myself.
    • notyourwork 10y ago
      Same here - my father's side of the family was from the country. Acres of farm land, crops, and animals. My father was one of the first to shift into a non-farming job. Growing up I always had chances to work on the farm or spend summers down there. There are times I dream about what life would be like for me as a farmer today. Also the reward of a hard day's work is under appreciated in today's society (if you ask me).
      • leesalminen 10y ago
        > Also the reward of a hard day's work is under appreciated in today's society (if you ask me). I couldn't agree more. My parents always taught us growing up that my (and my brother) brain was our biggest asset. We both chose career paths that valued brains over brawn. I recently helped a friend out build shit for a couple days. It was the best time I'd had in a while. Maybe it's not too late for me to switch.
  • Breefield 10y ago
    Same. I'm a software engineer who's been going down the metal fab/welder pathway for the last 1.5 years. It's highly rewarding, but also the overhead continues to grow and grow. Probably because the scale continues to grow as well. I need to be happy making small physical things instead of huge physical things... http://www.breefield.com/projects/prodigal-swan http://www.breefield.com/projects/prodigal-swan I've also looked into the timeline involved in becoming a PE. Not only do you have to take 6 years of school but you have to work under a PE for 2 years to become one. The pay doesn't seem to justify that much training (considering my anecdotal interest in the field). Call me new-school, but I continue to enjoy working on systems that can't kill or maim people.
• mauvehaus 10y ago
  Interesting timing. I'm quitting my development job at the end of the month and going back to school full-time to become a furniture maker. I have a lot of reasons for wanting to do this. The most straightforward ones are that I want to create something tangible and enduring with my time.
  • conorcleary 10y ago
    Look into producing beehive equipment; even if you're not a beekeeper, there is a constant and large demand for high quality, low price woodenware. Fairly easy to set up jigs and it is easy to find blueprints. By the end you'll be a beekeeper anyway ;)
  • mrexroad 10y ago
    I've always wanted to do the same. What type of schooling? Industrial design or something more materials / mechanical?
    • mauvehaus 10y ago
      Traditional wooden furniture making. A large part of the appeal to me is that while power tools can make the work go faster, you can accomplish an immense amount using only a relatively small set of hand tools and time. For example, I built a pole lathe[0] (almost) entirely by hand in September. I bought 4x4 posts at Home Depot, milled them square with bench planes, chopped the mortises by hand, and cut the tenons with a hand saw. To make the dead centers, I chucked a big lag screw in my drill press and ground the head into a point with an angle grinder. Now I'm (slowly) trying to teach myself the basics of how to turn.
  • taway_1212 10y ago
    > The most straightforward ones are that I want to create something tangible and enduring with my time. Maybe not tangible, but a lot of the backend code in financial organizations etc. is pretty enduring ;)
    • blauditore 10y ago
• ilkerburak 10y ago
  Lion Whisperer https://www.youtube.com/user/LionWhispererTV https://www.youtube.com/user/LionWhispererTV
• tinnet 10y ago
  something in the lines of fitness coach + nutrionist + physiotherapy (aka "actually helping people") OR lumberjack in the far north (aka "i've had enough of all this" :))
• innot 10y ago
  The world seems full of possibilities that would be interesting to check. Doing all forms of art, travelling without destination goals, learning chemistry and making my own boat. I'd change my name to Alexander Shulgin. Or perhaps Genesis C-Ereal. If the technology revolution stops happening, we should move to the original path.
• aerique 10y ago
  I would do some climate activism, become a crew member on a Sea Shepherd boat. That, or help out my political party (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Party_for_the_Animals https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Party_for_the_Animals) since we have elections early this year. The party's name is unfortunate and its Wikipedia description as well. It is more well-rounded than that and also is the best party in the parliament wrt privacy, civilian rights, etc. (dutch link: https://www.privacybarometer.nl/pagina/45/Actuele_stand_van_de_privacy_barometer https://www.privacybarometer.nl/pagina/45/Actuele_stand_van_...) And Judo, more Judo.
  • Fnoord 10y ago
    Is Judo your current hobby? You could consider to take a sabbatical for a time on the Sea Shepherd. I don't have the right personality for that (I'm too withdrawn/passive, not social enough) but I have a lot of respect for people who devote time, energy, and money against the strong tide of corporate selfishness. Your party's name makes it sound like a one issue party. I recommend to change it, or merge with GL/SP.
    • aerique 10y ago
      Sorry, I should have said "the party I am a member of" :-) And, yeah, they're unfortunately pretty resistant to changing the name.
• gol706 10y ago
  I took a bunch of urban studies and GIS classes in college for the hell of it, and might have done it as a major had they not just started offering it my Jr year. I think I would enjoy urban planning or map making. On the more creative side I'd love to take my Arduino hobby to the next level and build interactive art installations for museums.
• JDDunn9 10y ago
  Urban planner. I'd love to try to create my version of a utopian city (no non-essential vehicles allowed, built for the pedestrian/cyclist/subway) the way they are building new cities in China or Dubai.
• Fnoord 10y ago
  An appropriate lyric about this would be Nick Drake - One Of These Things First [1]. I'd love to be a farmer, a painter, a philosopher, a writer, a chef, or a combination of that. However since the world is changing so much due to technology, I'm not sure how feasible or enjoyable those jobs would be in the 21st century. I find it a bit pointless to think too much about it, since its unrealistic, unless you're interested in changing. For good or worse I'm gonna stick to development for the upcoming years. Who knows what's next though. [1] https://duckduckgo.com/?q=nick+drake+-+one+of+these+things+first&ia=lyrics https://duckduckgo.com/?q=nick+drake+-+one+of+these+things+f...
• jchendy 10y ago
  Lawyer. With those skills and credentials, there are lots of clear and direct opportunities to help some of society's most vulnerable people.
• jitix 10y ago
  Mechanical engineer specializing in guns - guns are quite impressive works on engineering.
  • jimbokun 10y ago
    Yes, but wouldn't you feel like Tony Stark in the first Iron Man when you see video footage of terrorists brandishing weapons with your logo on them?
• morgante 10y ago
  I wish I'd had the opportunity to work in finance/IB for at least a little while. It's something I was always interested in, but would have taken more work to break into (vs. getting great-paying jobs for tech pretty much right out of high school). Or consulting. I think I'd pick up interesting skills there. I might still follow this path by getting my MBA. My biggest frustration is that professionally it's very easy to top out in tech. I'm still quite young and already make more than most developers. Really the only way to significantly level up professionally is to take on more risk (by founding a company).
• JDiculous 10y ago
  Entrepreneurship. It's a lot of upfront work, but you've got the ultimate upside in terms of money, control over one's lifestyle, impact, and fulfillment. But more realistically, I'd probably pursue product management because it seems interesting and isn't hard to transition into as a developer. If I didn't have to worry about money, then I'd be trying to make the world a better place, doing things like spreading awareness of and advocating for a basic income.
  • beachstartup 10y ago
    > ultimate upside in terms of money, control over one's lifestyle, impact, and fulfillment you sound like one of those semi-retired lawyers that thinks opening a restaurant is a carefree experience just like hosting a fun dinner party every night for 300 of your best friends.
  • tonyedgecombe 10y ago
    I've been running my own business for 19 years now, financially I would probably have been better off with a job.
• prodtorok 10y ago
  FBI Agent. Any interesting crime work.
  • JSeymourATL 10y ago
    Turns out the FBI needs you > https://www.techdirt.com/articles/20160906/17042035450/fbi-wants-to-hire-young-tech-savants-has-no-idea-how-to-attract-them.shtml https://www.techdirt.com/articles/20160906/17042035450/fbi-w...
    • prodtorok 10y ago
      pay isnt there
  • deleted 10y ago
    [deleted]
• jmsduran 10y ago
  I would go into finance, maybe as a CFA or some sort of investment/financial analyst. If I could go back in time and restructure my career aspirations as a teenager, I would pursue a career as a medical doctor (possibly specializing in cardiology or clinical pathology). I don't know if this is normal, but I feel burnt out after working 6 years in the tech industry. So much so, that in my spare time I occupy myself with hobbies completely unrelated to software engineering. I enjoy reading books about finance and medicine, and have also grown an appreciation for cinema/film-making. My side projects have definitely suffered as a result, because often times I find myself preferring to read The Economist instead.
  • jmcgough 10y ago
    Same here - I'm actually studying to take the first actuarial exam. Not sure if it's something I want to seriously pursue, but it's fun learning the math.
  • ccostes 10y ago
    Side note: having hobbies unrelated to your day job is perfectly normal and healthier, imo, than spending all of your time on one thing. Life is all about balance.
  • tenpoundhammer 10y ago
    I consider it normal to not work on side projects. How many other industries consider it normal to work 40 - 50 hours a week and then your "free" time working on other projects? Everyone I know clocks out and does something completely unrelated to their work in the off hours.
• rileyteige 10y ago
  Charter Pilot. Been working on that transition for 3 years now, getting my CFI soon ;) Love development, but I'd much rather do it on the side than 40 hrs/week.
  • JHof 10y ago
    If you're going to do it, I'd try to join the industry ASAP. It's a good time to get in, though entry charter jobs can be pretty brutal.
• Pica_soO 10y ago
  Open a german bakery somewhere non-german.
  • NumberCruncher 10y ago
    As a non German living in Germany I think this is the best idea in this thread. German bakery products are the best and can be sold everywhere despite of their high end price.
    • livatlantis 10y ago
      That and I never understood why knödel never took off. I love knödel! I actually brought some back the last time I was in Germany (before learning I could buy them right here in Paris).
      • collyw 10y ago
        Too heavy. Its like lugging a brick around in your stomach after eating them. And the liver ones?!?! Ewwww.
• denzil_correa 10y ago
  I'd be a lawyer - specifically in the common law system. I like making arguments based on past cases.
• number_six 10y ago
  If I could go all the way back I would study astronomy. I would love to have a job looking at the stars and doing really difficult math.
• CIPHERSTONE 10y ago
  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 is: Reduce your needs and the reduced pay won't be an issue. While true, I don't think I am that flexible sadly.
  • jdc0589 10y ago
    The bit about salary is huge. I do a moderately good job of keeping my needs/lifestyle pretty basic (I could do better). In the back of my mind, I'm always telling myself "you aren't saving to retire from work early. you are saving so you can retire to a different career early".
  • ZeroFries 10y ago
    You are that flexible. If you were forced into making do with less you would adapt. What it really is, is the dream is not something worth pursuing to you, all things considered.
  • komali2 10y ago
    Oh man there's some sort of volcanic park north of Berkely, CA that we visited once, and up on some mountain was a firewatch tower with a dude just chilling in there looking for smoke. He worked up there in 2 week shifts, just up on a mountain reading books and watching for smoke. Seemed like an awesome job, especially if you could get a data tether (he did) and do some programming on the side.
    • jdavis703 10y ago
      I think you're thinking of Mount Diablo. It's not quite volcanic anymore though (however when California was just the ocean it was), but is instead caused by uplift to the earth's plates: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mount_Diablo#Geology https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mount_Diablo#Geology.
• yesimahuman 10y ago
  I'd probably try to start some kind of non-tech cashflow business. Beyond that, writing or photography. Hard to answer because in reality I'll just want to start another tech startup :)
• trumbitta2 10y ago
  From UX Engineer to Apprentice Woodworker on top of a mountain.
• seanplusplus 10y ago
  Navy SEAL
• jmcgough 10y ago
  Was just there two days ago, that place is like an engineer's wet dream.
  • tomr_stargazer 10y ago
    Briefly, and without an intent to shame or embarrass you - I think it's worth thinking more carefully about using (presumably male-centered) sexual language here, especially since the bookstore is named after a pioneering woman engineer.
    • elliotec 10y ago
      Women have wet dreams too.
      • tomr_stargazer 10y ago
        I understand, but this is a pedantic reply that doesn't address the spirit of my comment. To be a little bit more explicit: sexual comments are one of the ways in which tech spaces are made less friendly to women.
        • elliotec 10y ago
          Women make sexual comments too. What makes it less friendly to women is singling them out by odd, completely off topic comments like these.
        • jmcgough 10y ago
          I appreciate your wanting to make tech more inclusive, but I am a woman, and I don't need to be protected from comments that reference sex.
        • sergiotapia 10y ago
          Thank God you're here to police these threads otherwise women would sully their eyes with such filth! /tips fedora
        • 10y ago
• tehwalrus 10y ago
  Politics. The only way to fix the broken stuff in the world. I have stood in a bunch of elections and lost them all. I'm not dissuaded yet.
  • paseante 10y ago
    You brave
  • fjdlwlv 10y ago
    Is that better than making money in tech and then buying a politician?
  • cafard 10y ago
    Interesting. At what level? And are you involved at all in your local party, on the precinct or county level?
    • tehwalrus 10y ago
      In the UK. I've stood in local council elections three times, and for Parliament once in 2015: https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/North_East_Hertfordshire_(UK_Parliament_constituency) https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/North_East_Hertfordshire_(UK... (I came 4th).
  • cafard 10y ago
    Interesting. At what level? And are you involved at all in your local party, on the precinct or county level?
• mindcrime 10y ago
  Good question. At one time I considered going back to school and getting a degree in Exercise and Sports Science and doing something related to athletic training. And I wrestled in high-school and have always thought I might one day want to do something with coaching wrestlers or something. So maybe some combination of that stuff. I also spent a lot of time in my life as a volunteer firefighter and was an instructor with qualifications to teach Firefighter I & II certification classes, as well as Incident Command and LP Gas Firefighting. I love that world, especially the teaching part. So something related to teaching and emergency services could be appealing. The problem is, there's not a lot of money to be made doing that stuff, except at the higher levels.
• mkrajnak 10y ago
  Rocket scientist. My brother is a propulsion system engineer working at ULA, over the years he's been on the Delta III, Atlas V, and now Vulcan. We compare jobs all the time, both have lots of politics and stress, but he wins hands down on sheer awesomeness.
• david927 10y ago
  Film maker. I'd like to write and direct short films (initially -- maybe moving to feature length later). Maybe also write and produce plays. Until that happens, I think the next step is to write and produce a play at my local theater.
• innocentoldguy 10y ago
  I would write short stories and novels, and I'd also like to teach at the high school or college level.
• creeble 10y ago
  8th grade science teacher. In a private school, where I can use lots of fire. I figure if I can inspire one or two pupils into truly understanding thermodynamics, maybe -they- could change (or save?) the world. Doesn't seem like I'm going to.
• creeble 10y ago
  8th grade science teacher. In a private school, where I can use lots of fire. I figure if I can inspire one or two pupils into truly understanding thermodynamics, maybe -they- could change (or save?) the world. Doesn't seem like I'm going to.
• euroinexile 10y ago
  I would choose to be a physical therapist. You to to actually move around all day and also help people and interact with them. Also great potential for research as this is a developing field. Sure would beat starting at a screen all day long, takes about 5 years to train though, 3 full time in school and then would take several more years to match software engineer salary.
• deleted 10y ago
  [deleted]
• euroinexile 10y ago
  I would choose to be a physical therapist. You get to actually move around all day and also help people and interact with them. Also great potential for research as this is a developing field. Sure would beat starting at a screen all day long, takes about 5 years to train though, 3 full time in school and then would take several more years to match software engineer salary.
  • kvcrawford 10y ago
    Me too. I've been going to physical therapy for 2.5 years now, and I really love it. Unfortunately it would take me 7 years of schooling, and they make significantly less than a software engineer.
  • deleted 10y ago
    [deleted]
• manmal 10y ago
  Designer. And I'm actually doing it this year, with a slow transition. I will most likely not fully give up coding, but I hope for a 70/30 mix of design/coding, if possible.
• grok2 10y ago
  All the carpentry-as-an-alternate-career comments here reminded me of something Fred Brooks wrote in his "The Mythical Man-Month" -- how he described programming, reminds me of carpentry (note: it's a quote from the book all the way from here): Why is programming fun? What delights may its practitioner expect as his reward? First is the sheer joy of making things. As the child delights in his mud pie, so the adult enjoys building things, especially things of his own design. I think this delight must be an image of God's delight in making things, a delight shown in the distinctness and newness of each leaf and each snowflake. Second is the pleasure of making things that are useful to other people. Deep within, we want others to use our work and to find it helpful. In this respect the programming system is not essentially different from the child's first clay pencil holder "for Daddy's office." Third is the fascination of fashioning complex puzzle-like objects of interlocking moving parts and watching them work in subtle cycles, playing out the consequences of principles built in from the beginning. The programmed computer has all the fascination of the pinball machine or the jukebox mechanism, carried to the ultimate. Fourth is the joy of always learning, which springs from the nonrepeating nature of the task. In one way or another the problem is ever new, and its solver learns something: sometimes practical, sometimes theoretical, and sometimes both. Finally, there is the delight of working in such a tractable medium. The programmer, like the poet, works only slightly removed from pure thought-stuff. He builds his castles in the air, from air, creating by exertion of the imagination. Few media of creation are so flexible, so easy to polish and rework, so readily capable of realizing grand conceptual structures. (...) Yet the program construct, unlike the poet's words, is real in the sense that it moves and works, producing visible outputs separately from the construct itself. It prints results, draws pictures, produces sounds, moves arms. The magic of myth and legend has come true in our time. One types the correct incantation on a keyboard, and a display screen comes to life, showing things that never were nor could be. Programming then is fun because it gratifies creative longings built deep within us and delights sensibilities we have in common with all men.
  • Sk1pp 10y ago
    I love this quote. Probably going to read the book. When I look at a lot of the comments here I see people talking about they hate what they're creating. Maybe - relating to the mudpie example in a lot of corporate environments is that there isn't much room for creativity in programming: its all pretty defined from start to finish.
• edw519 10y ago
  Stand-up comic. I would never have to write a thing. After all these years in enterprise I.T., I have enough material for life. I'll just tell them stories from real life at work. I doubt I could write anything nearly as funny as what actually happened. Example: Jimmy: I closed 7 tickets this week. How'd you do? Kim: I had a bad week. I opened 2. Boss: We have too many open tickets! Kim: Don't blame Jimmy and me. We closed 5. (I'll be here all day, folks.)
• Normal_gaussian 10y ago
  Climbing and sign language instruction, supporting me just enough to enjoy life and start writing. I'd try drawing as well, though I doubt it would be profitable.
• ramonvillasante 10y ago
  Sustainable development, https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sustainable_development https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sustainable_development choosing topics and skills you are passionate about. It's fantastic for people, planet and yourself
  • therealdrag0 10y ago
    I'd like to do software relating to this. But most of what I've seen is low level or hardware/mechanical.
• agjmills 10y ago
  something with racehorses
• agjmills 10y ago
  Horse racing!
• surrey-fringe 10y ago
  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.
• tluyben2 10y ago
  I 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.
• jly 10y ago
  I 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.
• Balgair 10y ago
  Surf-instructor. Surfing all day long could be a lot worse. You'd have to teach mostly tourists, but then you get to talk with people from all over the world too. Read the rythm of the waves a
• ndstephens 10y ago
  Interesting. I see a lot of interest in woodworking/carpentry. Also read a surprising number of people talking about film. I started in film. Evolved into carpentry/metal fab. I'm now starting my career in programming. I'm excited about all the ways that programming is NOT carpentry or film.
• legohead 10y ago
  professional rock climber assuming I could live on the crap money, of course
• rcazangi 10y ago
  I always liked the idea of being a small farmer. In particular, a tea farmer. Most recently I have enjoyed doing physical therapy with my dog -- so that'd be another option.
• dorfsmay 10y ago
  Accountant! The only use of pure math in real life! No pesky real world to mingle with your results, if a cent is missing it is because somebody took it. Also, when 0 = 0, you know when you're done!
• d1ffuz0r 10y ago
  park ranger or physics teacher
• prograhammer 10y ago
  I'm a web developer now. If I could switch, I'd absolutely love to be one of those forensic science technicians. To use science to put away the bad guys (or exonerate the good guys) sounds so gratifying.
• svanderbleek 10y ago
  Research Mathematician. I'm going to try anyway but I doubt I'll even make it to grad school and the career prospects for an average mathematician to do research near full time are dim.
• prograhammer 10y ago
  Forensic Science Technician. I'm a web developer now. If I could switch, I'd absolutely love to be one of those forensic science technicians. To use science to put away the bad guys (or exonerate the good guys) sounds so gratifying.
• matthewhall 10y ago
  I would go into filmmaking or become a doctor. Maybe...
• pmtarantino 10y ago
  I'd love to open a bookstore and a publishing house. But I also would love to be art curator, or something related to art dealing. I read a lot of books (fictions, too) about collecting, fakes, etc. I find that world quite amusing, but I think it is impossible to do a career there without money or networking.
  • dilemma 10y ago
    I'm doing this.
    • stevenj 10y ago
      Are you an art curator or dealer?
      • dilemma 10y ago
        Publisher and gallerist/bookshop owner.
• jdc0589 10y ago
  Probably a custom/bespoke leatherworker. I sell stuff as http://www.vulcancrafting.com http://www.vulcancrafting.com on the side now, I'd love to do it full time.
• callesgg 10y ago
  Something in film. I can sit for ages thinking about how movies and TV series are cut and edited, i think it is fascinating. Surgeon would be interesting. It is however not a big leap from the fundamental reason i am in tech. I like to figure out how stuff works and fit together. I don't feel it maters that much if it is a computer or a human body.
• franze 10y ago
  Yoga Teacher (for developers)
• msoad 10y ago
  Same thing, maybe more machine learning. Our jobs are amazing! Every minute we're solving a problem that probably hasn't solved before. It wasn't solved in our work context for sure. I can't imagine doing a job that is repetitive. Even teaching seems repetitive.
• cafard 10y ago
  Teach, I suppose: high school history or English, or maybe with some brush-up, math. (Over the years, I have earned money as busboy, stock clerk, landscape worker, driver, proofreader, copy editor, tech support worker, and developer. At this point, I don't know that my back is up to some of the manual labor, and I think that I'm too much of a wool-gatherer to be a good commercial driver. I wasn't a bad editor, but it doesn't pay well: people know when their computer systems don't work, but don't know or don't care when their texts are unreadable...)
• kingkawn 10y ago
  I would be a dolphin.
• nanoanderson 10y ago
  Camera repairman. edit: Film camera repairman
• samtho 10y ago
  Might be close to tech, but I would run a Makerspace/Hackerspace full time if I could sustain myself doing it.
• rbur0425 10y ago
  Skip college, work a part time job and build SaaS products. With the recurring revenue would be able to hire people to manage the product and then become a digital nomad.
  • MylesHiIdebrand 10y ago
    I like this one.
• npmanor 10y ago
  Designing and building automobiles without all the gadgets and gizmos present in modern vehicles. A vehicle designed to embrace the visceral experience of motoring and minimizes interference to that experience.
• slowm5 10y ago
  working at a car club - like ccc in nyc
• mikecsh 10y ago
  I quit my job as a software developer to study medicine. Although I still work as a developer for a medical education startup to pay the bills... perhaps there is no escape ;)
• jeffsaracco 10y ago
  I'd be a baker - I've recently (as of the past year or two) started baking my own bread and find it incredibly therapeutic, fun and interesting. Maybe open up a small bakery with a cafe and if it went well expand it to teach classes on how to make bread, pizza, etc... If anyone is also interested, I'd recommend the book Flour Water Salt Yeast (https://www.amazon.com/Flour-Water-Salt-Yeast-Fundamentals/dp/160774273X https://www.amazon.com/Flour-Water-Salt-Yeast-Fundamentals/d...) as a starting point
  • fjdlwlv 10y ago
    Opening a bakery would destroy all the pleasure you get from baking
    • fusiongyro 10y ago
      They said that about programming but I still enjoy it.
    • smoyer 10y ago
      Read the E-Myth Revisited: https://www.amazon.com/Myth-Revisited-Small-Businesses-About/dp/0887307280 https://www.amazon.com/Myth-Revisited-Small-Businesses-About...
  • fusiongyro 10y ago
    Love that book! Just got Bread Baker's Apprentice too. With you completely. My 10-year-old niece is on-board, telling me about how we're going to do this next week. I'm pretty sure I'd miss programming too much though.
  • muraiki 10y ago
    If you are really considering this, I recommend that you first see if you can volunteer a bit at a local bakery. I also was considering a career change to becoming a baker. I knew someone who worked at a fairly large yet still artisan bakery (their brick oven was built by some specialists who came from France). He let me come work for a day to see what it's like. I quickly realized that as much as I love bread, I'd get bored doing relatively the same thing every day. I think that it's also a life where you can't easily take time off, which depending on your current situation in tech may not be much of a difference. :)
• ignorantguy 10y ago
  I would like to become a farmer. I think producing something physical would make me feel good I guess.
• Frondo 10y ago
  Musician. Knowing what I know about marketing and outreach, and seeing how my musician friends falter at getting the word out and getting the money, I would have no problem making a decent living playing music for cash.
• echelon 10y ago
  Anybody in Atlanta interested in film? I use almost all of my spare time to pursue my hobbies, and this year I want to get started learning filmmaking. I'd like to incorporate programming with filmmaking, too. I've had an idea for programmatically switching between several cuts of a scene based on user input and other variables. With enough shots and a clever enough script, one might be able to turn a film into a game. If there's anybody locally into film, I'd love to buy you a coffee and see if we might be able to work together.
• ChemicalWarfare 10y ago
  I'd open a brewery. It's a pretty saturated market but from whatever little business planning I've done break-even point is at about 2 years which would be fine if I was running it as a side business. The problem is it's a full time job :)
• Overtonwindow 10y ago
  I would move to the Carribean and open a beachside bar with pinball machines and a large jukebox.
• Drome 10y ago
  Movie director, no doubts
• teh_klev 10y ago
  Train driver. In particular, pootling around the highlands of Scotland in a Class 37.
• omar12 10y ago
  Music Curator/DJ: Not a Top 40 DJ but more like Gilles Peterson. Have a collection of unique and eclectic playlists.
• OliverLassen 10y ago
  In the summer I would just like to work outside.
• rocky1138 10y ago
  I've always thought being a dictator would be an easy way to get things done.
• runevault 10y ago
  Novelist would be my initial attempt. Mind you I'm working on doing it as a second job NOW (I'm about 80% done with my current novel)
• wastedhours 10y ago
  Chocolatier. Nearly went into it before taking this job, but the numbers didn't add up and wanted to try a different city. Whenever I've had a hard day I was wonder what if... It's easy and therapeutic, and a great conversation starter. A few examples http://stevefarnworth.com/channel/taste http://stevefarnworth.com/channel/taste
• clishem 10y ago
  I'd probably become a monk.
• byoung2 10y ago
  Travel writer/photographer: I travel enough for pleasure as it is, I could probably do this as a side gig, but doing it full time would be interesting. Indy rapper: My favorite artists are all YouTube stars (Futuristic, Devon Terrell, Kyle KiD), and I have some talent for music and I've been freestyle rapping in my car for decades. I could bring a unique perspective to rap as a black software engineer turned rapper (from python to gettin my rhyme on?). Motivational speaker: My first career was teaching so I have experience with public speaking. Specifically I'd like to create a series of seminars that teach people how to negotiate pay raises. I'm horrified when I hear about people who don't negotiate, or accept 3% raises. I have averaged an 20% increase annually over the past 10 years and I think I can teach others to do the same.
• xseven 10y ago
  Professor
• johnhenry 10y ago
  Politics. I feel like the world is in a state such that I need to try to change it personally. Incidentally, is it safe to assume that most hackernews readers are developers? I'm a developer, but I wonder what other readers do in their day to day lives? Perhaps people from other fields looking to transition into development?
• heurist 10y ago
  Artist - currently trained in code, oil paints, and poetry (to a lesser extent). At the moment my creativity is bounded only by time, money, and a certain lack of technical expertise that would be gained through focused practice. Scientist - researching complexity and complex systems, my longest-standing passion. I hope to one day contribute significantly to the study of cognition and artificial intelligence. Politician - after thoroughly studying mathematics, economics, and law. I have strong opinions on humanity's direction and my views are not well represented in US government. I haven't ruled out any of these for a future life. I'm hoping entrepreneurship will earn me enough cash while I'm still young to fund my future escapades.
• curun1r 10y ago
  I'd be a SCUBA instructor. I almost decided to take a few years off to do it so I could dive full time and put in as much time around live coral while there still is some, but an injury sidetracked me. There's really nothing like living in some beautiful, tropical place where you get to spend a ton of time in nature. And diving regularly makes me feel 10 years younger.
• postwait 10y ago
  High school teacher.
• segmondy 10y ago
  Investment banker.
• Detect 10y ago
  Carbon farmer. Figure out ways to sequester carbon in soils while providing nutrient dense food to the local community and making a profit doing it.
• switchstance 10y ago
  Surfing instructor.
• languagehacker 10y ago
  Lounge singer
• quizzas 10y ago
  1. Guitar player in a band, either rhythm or lead 2. Study and compose (not lyricist!) I can spend all day playing my guitar and jamming with other passionate musicians from all walks of life. I would love to take the time to explore jazz, blues and classic rock. I have guitars and I just don't seem to make enough time for them. Unfortunately, I don't believe I'll make any real money in this space, so my assumption is that food and board is paid for by a patron so I can play music publicly in return.
• losteverything 10y ago
  Retail. Work at Walmart.
• tdy721 10y ago
  Advanced Cash Crop Agriculture. I've also always liked the idea of being a welder or machinist. Whatever it is, it must satisfy my need to tinker and experiment.
  • tdy721 10y ago
    I changed my mind! Professional RC Drone Pilot looks like a heap of fun.
• ascendantlogic 10y ago
  Get into motorsports in some capacity.
• Kluny 10y ago
  I'd like to be a workplace safety inspector or ergonomics consultant and help people do their jobs better without risking injuring themselves as much.
• krrishd 10y ago
  I'd be interested in working in media and/or politics given how significant their impacts are (and how rapidly things are changing). It'd be far less likely to work out but I'd also love to be able to professionally produce music.
• astrostl 10y ago
  Pro event photography.
• satysin 10y ago
  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.
  • scarya 10y ago
    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.
  • Arubis 10y ago
    I firmly believe that this -- really sitting down and listening to an individual and holding the microsystem that they live in, giving time and space for someone to trust and to heal -- has a far more beneficial and long-reaching benefit to society as a whole than anything that we can ever "scale".
• ipince 10y ago
  I have a few options/dreams. 1. Become a musician. I love all kinds of music and drums/percussion in particular. On the side, I'm working my way to being able to play drums+timbales for Cuban timba music. I've only been doing this for about a year and think I have a talent for it. 2. Go into criminology and/or politics. Crime is one of the biggest problems in Venezuela, with murder and kidnappings at all time highs, affecting me personally and frankly every Venezuelan. I'd heavily use technology to help me. If I can play a significant role in eradicating that problem, I'd be very proud of my life. 3. Open up a bar/restaurant. I love hosting people and providing an environment for people to have fun. Live music and a dance floor would be a must, but a nice chill lounge area should be available too. Again, I'd like to use technology, e.g. having automated beer taps that you can open with your RFID wristband or code and get automatically charged, and having something similar for standard mixed drinks (of course, I'd still keep bartenders for specialty cocktails). I guess there are more, but these will suffice for now :)
  • gist 10y ago
    > Become a musician. I love all kinds of music and drums/percussion in particular. Back in the day this was a common theme. "I love boating so..." or "I like golf so..." Doing something part time is much different from doing it full time or as a career. Waking up every morning and having to be creative or perform or boat or golf. The intermittent part of certain activities is what makes it fun. Not always but many times. Plus you have to be good enough to earn a living and/or accolades to keep you going. I am reminded of the time when I sold my first company and was able to boat anytime I wanted. Honestly got tired of it almost immediately when able to do it without the pressure of actual work 'to get away from'.
    • deleted 10y ago
      [deleted]
  • mattmanser 10y ago
    Re:2, I've know people who work for the police in the Uk, and from the stories I've heard, the police have absolutely no respect for any civilian's opinion. Statistician telling cops they're spending all their resources on the wrong thing? Got facts and figures to show that throwing more uniforms at a problem won't help? They won't listen and then will tell you that you don't understand policing.
• deleted 10y ago
  [deleted]
• patryn20 10y ago
  Focused, neighborhood context-sensitive and environmentally conscious real estate development. The goal would be to replace the typical boring stick-built midrise, minimal setback, blank sided commercial and residential you see being built in most cities. With a stated goal of providing space for existing businesses being displaced by the new development as well as public spaces when possible. Yeah, my returns wouldn't necessarily be as high, but at least it would improve the neighborhood without unduly displacing the things that made the neighborhood desirable in the first place. Or being a generic, overpriced pile of blank like most modern pop-up construction.
• raindev 10y ago
  I'd be a fashion designer. Oftentimes I feel like software engineering doesn't give me an opportunity to fully realize my creative self. Mostly because of people, not because of technology. Creativity is not valued for its own sake in software development and you cannot just say "that's the way I see". I feel it narrows down my life perspective too much.
• oe 10y ago
  Trains.
• dverma 10y ago
  Football(Soccer) Journalist. Have been doing it as a hobby but would love to spend more time immersing myself into the beautiful game.
• jusuchin 10y ago
  Landscaping designer, worker/Handyman. I get such joy from it and the creating/design aspect stems from my programming ability. Also, anything weather/meteorology related, as it's a side passion.
• mud_dauber 10y ago
  Run a dog sanctuary. The more I read about how people in the US treat each other, the more I want to work with innocents. Screw the money. I've got enough saved to live simply but well. And yes, I'm married.
• fma 10y ago
  Tennis coach. I am decent (rated as high as 4.5 in my prime) and I love to teach. I have a 5 month old daughter, so I'll be able to do that within a few years :)
• shapath 10y ago
  Physicist
• joeblau 10y ago
  I would start a coffee shop. I don't even really like coffee that much, but the thought of literally selling the same product day in and day out seems calming after working in environments where the formulas for everything are changing literally every day.
• pkamb 10y ago
  - Picker/Seller of antiques and vintage items. Fun hobby and comes easily if you're already sourcing for your own home and collection. - Historic building salvage crew and/or restoration of historic buildings. - Bed and Breakfast / AirBnB / wedding venue proprietor with healthy dose of the above history/restoration work on the side.
• cprayingmantis 10y ago
  Well a couple years ago my answer to this would've been very different, but now I have a wife and I have to give her some consideration. I'd probably just go back to the family business of farming. I would probably only make 60-80% of what I do now but it'd be debt free and I'd be on my own terms. I'd have to become a morning person all over again but I know how to do the work and I find it particularly enjoyable. Plus maybe I could tinker with my dream of a self driving electric tractor a little more.
• jsd1982 10y ago
  Audio engineer or full-time musician.
• brooklyndavs 10y ago
  A USATF certified coach, probably focusing on distance running with one-on-one training for adults. There are apps with algorithms that create personalized training programs for things like marathons and 1/2s but they aren't there yet. Plus, nothing is like in person human interaction for on the fly adjustments to training and for motivation. http://www.usatf.org/Resources-for---/Coaches/Coaching-Education/One-Box.aspx http://www.usatf.org/Resources-for---/Coaches/Coaching-Educa... OR Somehow get into climate science. I almost went to school for meteorology in the early 00s but on a tour of a college atmospheric sciences department when I was 17 an old professor told me it was a hard career to get into with very limited job prospects. :(
• jay-anderson 10y ago
  Music Typesetting. I've published a book and have been involved with a few related projects. I do pretty good work here. It pains me showing up to rehearsal and seeing poor quality sheet music on my stand. It's worse when these mistakes cause stoppage during rehearsals--usually easy mistakes that the person creating the end product could have fixed saving rehearsal time.
  • tetraodonpuffer 10y ago
    very interesting, I've sometimes done transcriptions etc. in Sibelius for personal use and it sure takes quite some time! I have never been able to get things looking as nice as something like the Henle Urtext editions though, wonder what they use to put those together.
    • jay-anderson 10y ago
      I believe Henle was one of the last hold-outs doing hand engraving of their scores (there are some good videos on youtube showing the process). Today I'm not sure what they use (I've seen one reference say they use finale). Here's some work to recreate that style in finale: http://notat.io/viewtopic.php?t=46 http://notat.io/viewtopic.php?t=46 I use lilypond. It tends to get scores mostly right saving time in proof reading and tweaking. With each new version of lilypond it feels like less needs to be tweaked to make it correct.
• 8draco8 10y ago
  A truck (lorry) driver ideally in the states. I found something oddly relaxing about driving, full throttle, 18 wheeler down the road through Rocky Mountains or Alps. I actually have lorry driving licence (C class here in EU), I need only one class higher (C+E) to drive a proper 18 wheeler.
• findjashua 10y ago
  interior design
• rodolphoarruda 10y ago
  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.
• swasheck 10y ago
  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.
• dagw 10y ago
  If I didn't have to worry about losing lots of money, I'd become a freelance reviewer of skis and ski resorts :)
• samstave 10y ago
  I want to get into the legal marijuana business.
• amorphid 10y ago
  Development is my dream job. The day to day is completely different than I imagined, but a good fit for me overall. Learning how to be content in spite of all the blockers to "just coding" had not been trivial, but doing anything well is always hard. If I had to pick something else, I'd probably get bored.
• petarvasilev 10y ago
  I would be the funniest guy in the world.
• russelluresti 10y ago
  I'd probably go into academia, honestly. I'd probably want to be a researcher, though I'm not sure which field of study I would focus on. Either cognitive psychology or linguistics, I imagine.
• logfromblammo 10y ago
  I'd design and build concrete shell homes with basalt reinforcement bars and transverse light-transmitting fibers, for the rural and suburban markets, and factory-manufactured home modules that are rack-mounted and transportable via intermodal shipping containers and forklifts, for the urban market. One of the disappointing things I have learned is that many municipalities limit the visible height of residential buildings from the average grade level to its highest point to only 30 or 40 feet. That means, in combination with the depth of the frost-heave line, that spherical shells are not possible for a family-sized home, and the only feasible tornado-resistant shapes would be severely-flattened ellipsoids and toruses. I had a hypothesis that I really wanted to test regarding the humidity problems experienced with geodesic dome homes, but that one zoning issue makes testing it pretty much impossible. I have been pretty disappointed with all of the stick-built homes I have ever lived in, with regard to maintenance and infrastructure issues. In short, I'm sick of paying through the nose for cheap, slipshod crap. If I'm going to pay through the nose anyway, I'd rather get something that could survive a nuclear strike on the nearest strategic asset, where I would never have to use a plunger in any toilet because the architect never talked to a master plumber, and never need to tack up visible wires because the existing wiring plan stinks, and also never have to carry the laundry up and down two flights of stairs because no one bothered to minimize the distance between that particular appliance and all the bedroom closets. I just want to rebel against the existing market conditions in housing. Realistically, I would likely be an abysmal failure in that sector, and would have to return to software development--with my tail between my legs--in less than 5 years. But I'd also get a kickass house out of it, which would slowly reveal its agonizingly severe problems over the following 10 years, which would have bankrupted my company anyway, had it succeeded. Then I'd write a book about my experience, which would sell 30 copies. I'd become a bitter old geezer, and none of my co-workers would talk to me unless they had a question about our crufty, legacy C++21 module that everyone else is afraid to touch. My best friend would be a red Swingline stapler. I would be buried with it. Then concrete shell homes would sweep the nation in a flurry of unexpected popularity. I would get frequent reports about it in "The Special Hell for People Who Don't Really Deserve It, But We Torment Them Anyway, Just for Fun", which would be effectively indistinguishable from my pre-demise existence as a software professional, except Special Hell gets 3.5 weeks of PTO, and Columbus Day off, because even pure evil has limits.~
• koevet 10y ago
  Photography (fashion/portrait) I gave myself a target: to have my first paying client by end of April 2017. I have been photographing for 20 years, did some paid work here and there, but never found the cojones to move 100% to photography as a job. I'm very comfortable doing my 8-5 job as dev/architect in a large financial institution. I have lost pretty much any interest and I want to do something I like. I hope my plan works out :)
• tmsam 10y ago
  Campground host. Camp all day every day. Be nice to everyone. Rest for years...
• ultra-jeremyx 10y ago
  I would become a full-time MUT runner (mountain/ultra/trail) and adventurer like Kilian Jornet (http://www.nationalgeographic.com/adventure/adventurers-of-the-year/2014/kilian-jornet-burgada/ http://www.nationalgeographic.com/adventure/adventurers-of-t...) or Karl Meltzer, who broke the fastest known time on the Appalachian Trail this past summer here in the U.S.
  • Humdeee 10y ago
    How would your outlook on income be? I'm sure you're quite familiar with Sage Canaday and his girlfriend then. I'm simply a filthy marathoner, but there's so few great personalities that vlog/blog/do social media in the running community. Opposed to our profession where no one is short on opinion about the pros and cons of each and every technology. I feel like getting sponsored is a must, and even then, it's likely living a minimalist lifestyle (which is fine!). Unless you can compete with the East Africans for prize money or the top dogs in US road races, the money in running is very scarce. It seems the niche in competitive MUT is conquering the few popular 100 miler races that are put on annually.
• johnward 10y ago
  Something physical. That's the one thing I miss in the IT world. Being chained to my desk for 60 hour weeks is putting a toll on my body and mind. I'm only 30 and I feel wore out from this field. The money is OK but It provides happiness to my family. The construction workers I know can make more on a good year. Plus they get laid off for weeks or months at a time. I've never been off for more than two weeks since I was 14 so that sounds amazing to me.
• zappo2938 10y ago
  I'm the opposite of a lot of people. I was a private yacht chef now trying to switch career to web developer.
  • pmyjavec 10y ago
    Not that I'm trying to discourage you, but why? Stability ? Money ?
    • zappo2938 10y ago
      At first because I had an idea for an app which I could not afford to implement unless I did it myself. Now, for love of coding only -- trying to make the switch has cost me everything.
      • pmyjavec 10y ago
        Good luck on your journey !
• cosinetau 10y ago
  To me the only answer is: asteroid field miner.
• simonebrunozzi 10y ago
  I am tempted to partially abandon my career in cloud computing to start a business that... well, has the aim to build better (new) cities. I wouldn't start with a city, though (disclaimer: I'm not a multi-billionaire), but probably with the individual building. I want to dramatically change the "footprint" of the building in terms of : ecology/sustainability, cost, value for the people investing in the real estate property. If that's successful, I'd like to then up the target to changing whole "new" cities. I fully appreciate how crazy and over-ambitious this might sound. Curious to hear any feedback or comment/questions about it.
  • kilroy123 10y ago
    I would also like to do something similar. I worry that the US will fall behind due to our constant expansion into the suburbs. Large cities have historically been the cultural and economic centers for all civilizations. Think about how much cultural change has come from New York, Chicago, etc. Now think about it, China has over 20 cities with populations over 7 million! That's like the US having 20 New York Cities. Imagine how different the US would be if we had 20 New York Cities.
  • dillchen 10y ago
    I'm curious if you've thought thru actual locations for building said city (especially if site is in US). I just finished "Triumph of the City" and it really echoed this. I definitely think it's possible. Have you been keeping up with Sidewalk Labs, YC Research and their attempts to reshape cities? Also, would look at Tom Currier's stuff (although he is no longer actively working on this) https://medium.com/@tomcurrier/build-something-people-want-1ee5ed57db0#.97dfbva9l https://medium.com/@tomcurrier/build-something-people-want-1...
• OkGoDoIt 10y ago
  I mostly left tech last April to help run a performance theater and a speakeasy. I do everything from lighting/wiring, ticketing, marketing, bar tending, helping as a stagehand, running spotlights, etc. I get to hang out with magicians, circus performers, burlesque dancers, and all sorts of interesting people with interesting stories. It's been a lot of fun and fulfilling in a way, especially since I've never had a public-facing job before. Definitely uncomfortable the first time you sell concessions or deal with upset parents due to someone else's failure to include mature content warning on event descriptions. Overall it's been an amazing experience. But also I make peanuts compared to what I used to and I'm basically living on savings, so I'll probably end up going back to tech eventually. My best friend with less development skills than me just got a job for over $200k, so I can't help but feeling I've fallen off the track rather than made a positive life change.
• PeanutNore 10y ago
  I'd build semi-custom vacuum tube guitar and bass amplifiers and effects. I've built a few for myself and it's fascinating and rewarding. I enjoy the technology, the theory, the process, and the finished product.
• criveros 10y ago
  A professional pick up artist. If you get good at it, get a good following, get good media presence (Youtube, Facebook groups), you will be able to sell products and run bootcamps pretty consistently. To make a lot of money you need to be really good at it, by that I mean having slept with 100+ girls, having an amazing social life, and have people in the community that can vouch for you. Building that can take years if you are not a hot, white dude.
• EpicEng 10y ago
  Modern day blacksmith. Specifically, I want to make high end, historically accurate swords for a living. I love swords :)
  • hackermailman 10y ago
    Look up Niels Provos' (OpenSSH/Google) youtube page, he works F/T and is a hobbyist swordsmith https://www.youtube.com/user/mintwart https://www.youtube.com/user/mintwart
  • fapjacks 10y ago
    I have a friend who did this. He used to run a hair salon, and when it failed, he started his career as a blacksmith. I've been kind of his benefactor for his early efforts, but he is improving his skills rapidly. Every iteration seems to have lots of skill development. His latest creation for me is an historically-accurate, late model gladius. It's easily one of my favorite possessions! And here I should say... He is on track to be making a lot of money. He doesn't only make swords, though. He makes all kinds of stuff. Swords are just his favorite thing to make.
• pcsanwald 10y ago
  I've worked professionally as both a musician and a technologist since my teens, I'm 40 now. I used to want to be a musician, but I realized that, like technology, there's really a zillion different kinds of careers you can have as a musician, and I was really only interested in a few of those. Some people love music so much that they are happy making their living any way they can involving music, including teaching, playing weddings, and other functions. I've done a lot of this, and ultimately am not happy doing it. Even though I loved touring as a musician, most of my friends that made their living touring have retired from it and gone on to do something else, as the road life makes it pretty difficult to have a "normal" family life. I've often asked myself what I'd want to do if I weren't a technologist, and I always come back to doing something with my hands.
• tmclaugh 10y ago
  I moved to product marketing. I have the benefit of working for a company that makes a product for ops engineers which was my previous role as well as exposure to marketing concepts from working at a marketing tech company previously. I understand the product audience in ways that traditional marketers do not and I understand our marketers in ways that most engineers do not. It's fun and it's a nice change of pace. I've retained some engineering responsibilities. So what might be a passion project for someone on an engineering team, I develop something and then start writing blog content to help educate our audience around the subject. Our product has the ability to fire a JSON doc at an endpoint which gives you the ability to integrate us with other systems... To many ops engineers can't write a web service to bridge us with that other system. So, I'll write a small service and then after it's up on GitHub I'll write a tutorial and walkthrough of the service. If you just download what I wrote and run it, awesome. I've helped solve a customer issue. If you take my blog post and learn to write your own service, that's even better!
• fapjacks 10y ago
  I'd be an astronomer. I worked in an observatory once and it was far and away the most interesting and awesome job I ever had. But I have no degree, so I'd spend some time in school first. If that didn't work out, I'd like to assist the effort currently underway in Mosul. That's just me being honest.
• elliotec 10y ago
  Charter pilot
• ZeroFries 10y ago
  Run some kind of a brick and mortar: a place to relax. eg: Float tanks, hot-cold spa/sauna house, kava/kratom bar, ASMR type stuff, meditation, massages. Anything which has been shown to help people relax.
• WalterBright 10y ago
  I want to be a Lion Tamer.
• knodi123 10y ago
  Teach, either software, or critical thinking, or language.
• phaus 10y ago
  I'm a security analyst. I love my job, but if I thought I could make a decent living doing it, I would focus on calligraphy, the restoration of vintage writing implements, and art.
• eastbayjake 10y ago
  I'd run for governor or be a lawyer. My favorite part of software engineering has been systems thinking and either of those professions give you ample opportunity to design and explore systems. (I wanted to be a lawyer in college but the Great Recession -- and an astoundingly high number of lawyers saying it's a terrible idea to become a lawyer -- scuttled that idea. Software engineering exercises the same *STJ personality type proclivity for rules and systems.) And I know it's not a "career" but being a gentleman scholar would be even more fun...
• olingern 10y ago
  I read a kuro5hin post about a programmer turned courier, "A Coder in Courierland," (http://atdt.freeshell.org/k5/story_2005_3_19_133129_548.html http://atdt.freeshell.org/k5/story_2005_3_19_133129_548.html) and became pretty infatuated with the idea over a five or six months. The recession hit, lay offs began, and then I was a courier. I did it for a little over three years. It had its ups and downs. I returned to software development and have found a cosier community in the Javascript realm (pre-courier, .NET). Takeaways that stick with me till this day: - You can develop an incredible amount of strength from just cycling. - Air quality is a long term concern. - (More sun + more exercise) - LEDs = great sleep - Excessive amounts of exercise != great health - Learn your machine, and do your own work. - Fixed gears are extremely useful in dense traffic. - The type of work you do affects your outlook on life. - There is a substantial amount of pride amongst messengers who show up, especially on the worst of days. Most people tend to avoid the harsh realities of life, and everyone can learn something from just taking life one delivery or line of code at a time. - There is something to be said for sitting on a park bench and admiring the beauty around - people, man-made, or nature. I miss it, but don't recommend it to anyone, as it's a job that requires a lot of grit and is low paying. I wouldn't change my experience at all, though. It aged my mind and soul in a really positive way. I will say, returning to software development raises some eyebrows. Some will scrutinize the hole in your resume, others will congratulate you on being different.
  • nether 10y ago
    Aside: ridiculous how influential k5 was on my life. Their first article on coffee turned me into a coffee snob before third wave cafes became the rage. The article on ultralight backpacking started a lifelong obsession, eventually leading me to thru-hike the Pacific Crest Trail.
    • olingern 10y ago
      I think it's because people actually _wrote_ there. Since blogging has become a part of the "presence" everyone has to have, a lot of garbage and uninspired things are written on the internet. I wasn't a regular reader, but the things I did read seemed to be more visceral and well written than your average blog post you see today. The guy who wrote, "A Coder in Courierland" had pretty amazing prose.
• atmosx 10y ago
  Write plays, fairytales, poems and novels.
• dmode 10y ago
  I would really like to become good at mountaineering - spend a lot of time in high altitude places, get better physically, get trained on high altitude trekking. Then I would like to take people in life changing hikes in the Himalayas
• suyash 10y ago
  I'd be a magician traveling worldwide and performing for large crowds.
• Natales 10y ago
  I'd become a full-time startup advisor. I already do this part time with a couple of startups here in the valley, and I really enjoy those deep brainstorming sessions about the present and future of technology. Helping shape possible futures is really exciting for me.
• lanius 10y ago
  Tailor. I just sew as a hobby, but I enjoy being able to make clothes fit better.
• readme 10y ago
  I did. I'm in the military. I was a linguist but I'm switching over to a cyber security role now. When I get out I'm going to work in the industry again, but with a focus on security. Previously, I just worked on web/mobile apps.
• itomato 10y ago
  I'd be a Chiropractor. The original reference architecture for the Human Body is still valid, save for a newly-classified organ here and there. No microservices revolutions, no development methodologies, no UI toolkits...
• jwtadvice 10y ago
  Private intelligence to help journalists disclose and report on corruption and abuse around the world.
• twodayslate 10y ago
  Bartend
• bheinzelman 10y ago
  Fly fishing guide.
• AncoraImparo 10y ago
  I would buy a coffee shop if I could!
• d_burfoot 10y ago
  Political philosopher and social critic, in the spirit of Taleb and Moldbug. Our civilization desperately needs independent thinkers of this type. The problem is that the people who get paid to do this for a living are all hopelessly compromised by the institutional structures they inhabit (universities, newspapers, right-wing think tanks, etc) One idea I would promote is geopolitical vacation as a third-path way to deal with refugee and immigrant crises. My claim is that geographically large countries like Canada, Australia, the US and Russia have no serious need whatsoever for the vast lands they have claimed. So they should take some of that land and vacate it to make room for refugees and immigrants. It doesn't need to be a lot of space: city-states like Hong Kong, Singapore and Dubai prove unquestionably that prosperous and wealthy societies can be built in physically small territories.
• IChangedCareers 10y ago
  Porn star. No shit, either. I mean sex, drugs, and booze (or coffee) are prominent and if you have that OCD type behavior you are MORE than built for it. Why not, if you are gifted and shaved down .... Id do it
• mnemotronic 10y ago
  Glassblowing. I've been doing software professionally since 1978. When I first started learning programming I was amazed how easy it was, and how hard it seemed for everyone else. 35 years later I tried glassblowing (hot-shop, not torch) and had the same experience. Unfortunately I can't afford to pursue my hot glass dreams. My second job is providing palliative care for my wife. That takes up more than my paycheck and most of my time when I'm not writing code.
• deleted 10y ago
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• antoyo 10y ago
  In order of preference: Yoga teacher Professional chess player Fantasy book author
  • TACIXAT 10y ago
    Meditation teacher is my FI goal, I'll probably get yoga certified because I'm sure those businesses will be tightly coupled.
    • antoyo 10y ago
      Do you think we need to be in specific kind of cities (smaller vs bigger) to earn a living doing such a job? Or do you think doing solely this is not enough to earn a living?
      • TACIXAT 10y ago
        Location matters, but I also think it depends a lot on how you market yourself. A small mountain town won't have enough clients interested with the means to pay for those services. A resort destination (Hawaii?) could be really good. I think that is why I want financial independence though, so I can worry a little less about how much I can earn. From reading it sounds like yoga teachers are plentiful since a lot of people practicing naturally progress to getting certified. Starting wages can be very poor because of this. That's where I think marketing can be the differentiating factor. Travel around India learning, maybe write a book or blog about yourself. Get on reality TV and become a minor celebrity. Have a very well respected lineage. Just some ideas to bring in more clients. Big cities are definitely the safest.
• yellow_viper 10y ago
  I am doing this right now...I've been a graphic designer/web developer for 10 years. Half way back at my first year at uni to get my CS Degree and (hopefully) end up working with AI. You guys are not instilling me with a lot of confidence however.
• nathan_f77 10y ago
  I've thought about doing something like Lester from American Beauty, where he just quits his job and works at a fast food restaurant. Maybe just for a few months. I've never worked at a cafe or a restaurant so I want to see what that's like. I think I will start a cafe with my wife one day, so it would be good for me to have some personal experience. I don't think I could contribute much to an NGO if I had to leave my technical skills at the door. But that's certainly a domain that I'm interested in. I would also love to do something in the film industry. I would start as an assistant, and eventually do something with special effects. I also enjoy editing. Maybe writing. I don't think I'm a very talented writer, but I might try to write a novel one day. I've tried to write a few screenplays for short films, and so far they've just been awful. It's a lot of fun, though.
  • therealdrag0 10y ago
    I'm also thought about that bit from American Beauty. Personally, I'd like to do either a cafe or a brewery bar, since those are beverage I personally enjoy. I've also been working on a novel, but am finding it pretty tough. I've gotten decent at non-fiction writing when I have something to say, but I'm not great at creating things whole cloth for fiction.
• gkya 10y ago
  I'm a 24 yrs old humanities student which spent two years self teaching programming, but decided to pursue sth. else as while programming is fun, the industry for the most part very boring. If I could, I'd become an architect. I love buildings, I often get tripped on the street because I'm watching the houses, the shops etc. And in my childhood I had the chance: my parents begged me to go to the architectural schoo (a vocational secondary), then they forced me, but I was stupid and I went to the normal lycée. I just love buildings, but in the other hand, I know that I wouldn't be able to work with the kind of them I adore, masonry beauties. So I'm kind of happy that I didn't become an architect given I'd have the same situation as my software attempt: big contrast between the ideals that drive me and the economic reality. I would love to do interior design though, I guess I'll try my luck in it after graduating from uni next year.
• xemdetia 10y ago
  I would build robots to facilitate AI construction that I would move back to when I moved back to tech. Really though, animatronics/movie work sounds the most fun to learn from right now though. Practical effects making a comeback just feels exciting!
• spicytunacone 10y ago
  I must say right now I'm pretty envious of even semi-prolific broadcasters. For example, stream 4-6 hours regularly of me massing ladder in a competitive game while interacting with other prominent members of the community (who probably have their own streams so we essentially advertise for each other) injecting the occasional few hours of variety streaming that I can even utilize from time-to-time to develop personal interests, e.g., play guitar. Of course, the best strategy here would be make it on a proteam and become a personality. This has the added pros of my daily needs and equipment being maintained for me while in the roster (and probably better health benefits than I have now if I get a gym membership to regularly exercise and, also, no team wants an "injured" player). Whether I win a big prize pool or not, I then secure some momentum for my stream. I don't see my stint lasting for more than 2-4 years for either some external or intrinsic reason, but options are pretty open from there. If I made near the amount the top, say, 30% make, then I estimate I have a healthy cushion for at least a couple more years given my relatively modest desires. I can go back to the tech world (honestly I'll probably still contribute to open-source projects even during this period), become a content creator of a different kind or use my clout/connections I've built to find my way in a similar scene. More than I expected to type for this prompt.
• deleted 10y ago
  [deleted]
• return0 10y ago
  - Architect (of buildings) - Farmer (been there; my fallback option) - That person who works in the IS18 infrasound station that detects nuclear explosion sound waves in Greenland (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vULUkp7Ttss https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vULUkp7Ttss) or something similarly monk-ish. I could be a monk but i cant stand religion.
  • andrei_says_ 10y ago
    About the monk thing you might be interested in Zen meditation. As non-religious as it gets ;)
• bjd2385 10y ago
  I'll approach this from a different direction. I currently work cleaning a meat room in a local market; machines,floors, scraps and such. It's a dirty job. But if I could have any job in the world, it'd be what I spend every other hour not on shift doing, and that's programming and solving problems.
• truebosko 10y ago
  Would love to open a classic diner. Not a grease trap, but quality, but familiar breakfasts, great sandwiches, home-made pies. Superb diner coffee. A place welcoming to anyone, young, old, family, friends. Software Development is great. It's been a fun ride, and I've made some amazing friends, learned many skills, and of course, took in a salary that helps pay bills. Eventually, it'd be nice to try this. There's a rush, and a large challenge to running a restaurant, but a diner brings a simpler focus. It might be a pipe dream, but since I'm not planning to execute on it any time soon, I will continue dreaming :)
• contingencies 10y ago
  The "what job would you do" question suffers from framing problems. I have always been interested in multiple domains, and have found ways to explore a lot of the responses others have given here (photography, film-making, music, cooking, writing, entrepreneurship) to varying levels. Right now I am trying to learn about physical product design, manufacturing processes and mechanical engineering, re-stringing a sitar, organizing an exhibition of my regionally focused antiques prints and photos collection with a commercial sales element, about to go cycling at 2000m in the Himalayan sun,[0] pick up a German loaf from a friend who did the (also mentioned by others) open-a-German-bakery thing here in southwest China. Yesterday I discovered a mislabeled antique photo online, researched the hell out of it, determined it to be an early and very rare panorama of a major city (after detailed research on three major regional cities in the 19th century), and decided to bid on it, scan it, then re-sell it for cash to a museum. Life is good... for me personally, though it's not always easy taking a less safe route, especially sporadically returning to see friends and family with the play-it-safe approach, nice comfortable investments and cashflow (but absolutely a fraction of life experience) ... once you embrace it you can't go back to 9-5 - except that in the worst case, you can. [0] https://duckduckgo.com/?q=weather+kunming https://duckduckgo.com/?q=weather+kunming
• EleventhSun 10y ago
  Living abroad and teaching english. Or, teaching engineering.
  • JSeymourATL 10y ago
    Have you considered the Peace Corps? > https://www.peacecorps.gov/volunteer/what-volunteers-do/#education https://www.peacecorps.gov/volunteer/what-volunteers-do/#edu...
• nojvek 10y ago
  I would go into manufacturing. My dad has a stake in a steel mill. Heavy industries and robots fascinate me. But right now even though I'm in tech, I can't afford my rent or be able to afford a house. I feel very unsuccessful hitting 30s.
• nitwit005 10y ago
  Since I imagine you're looking for unusual answers that an engineer type could conceivably transfer to: Theme park design/engineering Museum exhibit design/construction
• plinkplonk 10y ago
  (Fiction) Author. It is very difficult to get published, and till you do, it is very hard to make 'rent and food' money (leave alone serious money) out of it (and sometimes not even then. Most non bestseller authors have day jobs), but if I couldn't be a developer for some reason, that is what I'd do.
• Paul_S 10y ago
  This is already my third career so it's not that unlikely. Maybe my last career will be outside the system and not a career at all: the creator of a new type of economic system.
• nraynaud 10y ago
  Mechanical engineering
• nvarsj 10y ago
  Games. It's what got me into tech in the first place - developing MUDs, building games in QBASIC when I was a kid, playing board games like Hero Quest. It's the only thing that really excites me. I especially love roguelikes these days.
• steambap 10y ago
  I want to be an artist.
• hydandata 10y ago
  I do not think there is a single field more interesting than programming today. I do not mean Developer, as in Java Developer, I mean programmer, somebody who uses computers to do what was not possible before. So I would still do programming, but more meaningfully. Speculation here, the Einstein of this century will be a programmer.
  • ramblerman 10y ago
    > Speculation here, the Einstein of this century will be a programmer. Programming is a means to an end. It's like saying, the Einstein of this century will be a writer. More than likely it will be someone who makes amazing advances in AI, or biology/health. They may also be a programmer, or merely leave that grunt work to their team.
• _98fj 10y ago
  Psychotherapist.
• Disruptive_Dave 10y ago
  Possibly a combination of two things. I'd like to teach meditation to children and young adults. I'd also like to pursue stand-up comedy and other comedic efforts.
• Scea91 10y ago
  I would be a historian. I was always interested in history and reading history books, but the career in computer science is much more perspective.
• Mister_Y 10y ago
  I would choose an option in wich automation is difficult to apply, also, something that I love to do (so maybe I had to be a pro player of soccer haha). You got a serious and a kind of serious answer :D
• kieranr 10y ago
  Play competitive tennis :') It'd be a miserable paying job at my level, but the most satisfying life I could live.
• orionblastar 10y ago
  Investment banking so I can help Startups IPO etc.
• yellowapple 10y ago
  I'd love to get back into music. Unfortunately, it doesn't pay terribly well, but maybe if I can get enough saved up (or perhaps hammer out a couple self-sustaining side projects)...
• drakonka 10y ago
  I would work with animals; maybe at a cat shelter, or have a pet "hotel", or maybe a dog daycare or walking service. Animal welfare laws are very strong here and dog owners aren't allowed to leave their dog alone for more than four hours at a time. This means there is a lot of potential business for dog daycare and walking services since not everyone can take their dog to work with them or come home for lunch. But basically anything involving taking care of or helping animals would do.
• jshupe 10y ago
  osteopathic medicine, high problem solving to meeting ratio - must like people.
• loocsinus 10y ago
  Dentist. I was a software developer for 9 years before dental school. This year I am doing my residency. Last week, I did fillings, root canals, extractions, implants, IV sedations, and seeing medical complex patients in hospital. It felt like it's a dream.
• gejjaxxita 10y ago
  I would be a physicist. I studied it all the way to PhD and I often have a vague regret that I left the field.
• crucini 10y ago
  I notice that many of the "entreprenurial" dreams in here would work better if individuals banded together. Of course there are downsides, such as handling unequal investment of money and time. But take the dream of a brewpub. At first glance, it takes a lot of capital, and you don't want to run an undercapitalized business - very stressful. You need runway for some beginner mistakes. And if you've never run a bar or restaurant, you'll make lots of mistakes. But imagine five engineers teaming up to open that brewpub. Now we have 5X the capital and a bigger "brain trust" to bounce ideas off of. It's harder for the staff to steal with 10 eyes watching them. Problems which a single owner might overlook (cleanliness, service, pricing, competition) will get addresssed. The chance of failure seems much lower. Of course the return per person is also much lower - but the partners could open a second pub if successful. You have the luxury of putting a lot of brainpower on each major business problem.