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The top jobs that computer programmers switched to are all other computer related jobs, some nearly identical depending on how you treat the term programmer, vs

The top jobs that computer programmers switched to are all other computer related jobs, some nearly identical depending on how you treat the term programmer, vs developer. Kind of depressing that once you become a computer programmer, you can't really escape computer work. Id like to hear more about people that go on to do something totally different successfully, like baking. Maybe its too uncommon. Also interesting, the top non computer jobs are lawyers and judges, and then accountants.

xahrepap 9y ago
I worked with a guy who left to take over the family farm.
deleted 9y ago
[deleted]
smallnamespace 9y ago
> Kind of depressing that once you become a computer programmer, you can't really escape computer work Can't, or not rational to? The monetary returns to being a dev vs. other lines of work are high and have been growing for the last 2 decades. One can do much worse than golden handcuffs.
- xapata 9y ago
  > I see young men, my townsmen, whose misfortune it is to have inherited farms, houses, barns, cattle, and farming tools; for these are more easily acquired than got rid of. Better if they had been born in the open pasture and suckled by a wolf, that they might have seen with clearer eyes what field they were called to labor in. Who made them serfs of the soil? Why should they eat their sixty acres, when man is condemned to eat only his peck of dirt? Why should they begin digging their graves as soon as they are born?
gumby 9y ago
> Kind of depressing that once you become a computer programmer, you can't really escape computer work. Not necessarily, I like programming. I have spent to Working as a medicinal chemist, and in sales and in marketing, but am back programming which I really enjoy.
rojobuffalo 9y ago
It isn't easy but it's possible to change routes. I did software for 6 years, then quit. In the last 2 years I've worked as a farm engineer, a cook, done tree work, and carpentry to pay the bills. It's not something I would recommend to everyone. Part-time side work in something your interested in might be a good way to test the water.
twblalock 9y ago
I know a few people who left careers as software engineers to go to grad school in a different field, some to a humanities field. It's easier to escape computer work than most fields -- computer workers tend to have relatively high salaries and ought to be able to survive the transition period if they saved enough money.
- senatorobama 9y ago
  This. A dream of mine is to study developmental economics, go back to my birth country and join an NGO. But how.
  - nwenzel 9y ago
    Step 1 is usually, reduce your expenses. When people say they can’t do something like that, it’s usually an economic decision. But, plenty of people live on the lesser salary. We all get used to the higher salary and rachet up spending accordingly. Otherwise, living paycheck to paycheck would only happen for a narrow slice of the country. I’m not a minimalist, but it seems to me that the solution for many problems starts with “spend less”. We just don’t want to hear it. I know I don’t.
    - lifebeyondfife 9y ago
      Read about Stoicism. There's a quote - which is apt considering it's nearly Christmas - about what to give someone as a gift. I can't recall it exactly but goes along the lines of, "Don't add to a person's possessions, but rather free them of their desires."
    - everheardofc 9y ago
      I'm living with my parents. How do I reduce my expenses below zero?
  - bjelkeman-again 9y ago
    The money working for NGOs isn’t as good in most situations. But there is a lot of opportunity to be entrepreneurial in this context. Software will eat the world in these countries too. One starting point that may be interesting is: https://vc4a.com https://vc4a.com
jbeales 9y ago
I know one who left to become a chocolatier.
gboudrias 9y ago
Programmer here, currently in my first year of a Psychology degree. Just started but time is on my side. With any luck I'll keep doing development part-time until I graduate. Much better than most student jobs for sure :)
deadmetheny 9y ago
I wouldn't say that escaping from tech is really difficult or uncommon - it's more realistic to say that tech has a relatively good balance of money earned for the time spent working. A lot of other fields have the same or a lot more work for less pay, in addition to externalities (e.g. workplace injuries for jobs with a physical labour component). Personally, I started in tech (infosec), and I currently own a food truck.
- nautilus12 9y ago
  hows that working out? ive heard it can really pay off. is it worth it not working crazy tech hours?

xahrepap 9y ago

I worked with a guy who left to take over the family farm.

deleted 9y ago

[deleted]

smallnamespace 9y ago

> Kind of depressing that once you become a computer programmer, you can't really escape computer work Can't, or not rational to? The monetary returns to being a dev vs. other lines of work are high and have been growing for the last 2 decades. One can do much worse than golden handcuffs.

xapata 9y ago
> I see young men, my townsmen, whose misfortune it is to have inherited farms, houses, barns, cattle, and farming tools; for these are more easily acquired than got rid of. Better if they had been born in the open pasture and suckled by a wolf, that they might have seen with clearer eyes what field they were called to labor in. Who made them serfs of the soil? Why should they eat their sixty acres, when man is condemned to eat only his peck of dirt? Why should they begin digging their graves as soon as they are born?

gumby 9y ago

> Kind of depressing that once you become a computer programmer, you can't really escape computer work. Not necessarily, I like programming. I have spent to Working as a medicinal chemist, and in sales and in marketing, but am back programming which I really enjoy.

rojobuffalo 9y ago

It isn't easy but it's possible to change routes. I did software for 6 years, then quit. In the last 2 years I've worked as a farm engineer, a cook, done tree work, and carpentry to pay the bills. It's not something I would recommend to everyone. Part-time side work in something your interested in might be a good way to test the water.

twblalock 9y ago

I know a few people who left careers as software engineers to go to grad school in a different field, some to a humanities field. It's easier to escape computer work than most fields -- computer workers tend to have relatively high salaries and ought to be able to survive the transition period if they saved enough money.

senatorobama 9y ago
This. A dream of mine is to study developmental economics, go back to my birth country and join an NGO. But how.
- nwenzel 9y ago
  Step 1 is usually, reduce your expenses. When people say they can’t do something like that, it’s usually an economic decision. But, plenty of people live on the lesser salary. We all get used to the higher salary and rachet up spending accordingly. Otherwise, living paycheck to paycheck would only happen for a narrow slice of the country. I’m not a minimalist, but it seems to me that the solution for many problems starts with “spend less”. We just don’t want to hear it. I know I don’t.
  - lifebeyondfife 9y ago
    Read about Stoicism. There's a quote - which is apt considering it's nearly Christmas - about what to give someone as a gift. I can't recall it exactly but goes along the lines of, "Don't add to a person's possessions, but rather free them of their desires."
  - everheardofc 9y ago
    I'm living with my parents. How do I reduce my expenses below zero?
- bjelkeman-again 9y ago
  The money working for NGOs isn’t as good in most situations. But there is a lot of opportunity to be entrepreneurial in this context. Software will eat the world in these countries too. One starting point that may be interesting is: https://vc4a.com https://vc4a.com

jbeales 9y ago

I know one who left to become a chocolatier.

gboudrias 9y ago

Programmer here, currently in my first year of a Psychology degree. Just started but time is on my side. With any luck I'll keep doing development part-time until I graduate. Much better than most student jobs for sure :)

deadmetheny 9y ago

I wouldn't say that escaping from tech is really difficult or uncommon - it's more realistic to say that tech has a relatively good balance of money earned for the time spent working. A lot of other fields have the same or a lot more work for less pay, in addition to externalities (e.g. workplace injuries for jobs with a physical labour component). Personally, I started in tech (infosec), and I currently own a food truck.

nautilus12 9y ago
hows that working out? ive heard it can really pay off. is it worth it not working crazy tech hours?