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Right? I teach college students going into IT, and this feels like something they would write. Offhand, I can't think of too many people (myself included) who

by jrm4 5y ago

Right? I teach college students going into IT, and this feels like something they would write. Offhand, I can't think of too many people (myself included) who are a) very happy in their jobs and b) planned very diligently to get to that exact space. Mostly the opposite, "A lot of random stuff happened, I followed through on some stuff that felt right at the time, and just kind of did that over and over."

bckr 5y ago
When you say "the opposite", do you mean that not only were their paths random, but they are not very happy? Can you think of and describe anyone you know who belongs in xor(a, b)?
- jrm4 5y ago
  WOO MATH. Among the happy people I see, most have the "randomness" I talk about. Among unhappy people, I see a mix of both.
  - whatshisface 5y ago
    That makes it sound almost like happiness is the causal parameter and being willing to say yes to random opportunities outside of your plan, is a consequence.
    - bckr 5y ago
      > happiness is the causal parameter Also on the front page today: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=30424181 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=30424181
PragmaticPulp 5y ago
I mentor college students through a local group. I agree that this reads exactly like something they pick up from spending too much time on cynical subreddits where people gather to complain. I frequently have to remind them that they shouldn't get career advice from online forums dedicated to venting and complaining. > Offhand, I can't think of too many people (myself included) who are a) very happy in their jobs and b) planned very diligently to get to that exact space. > Mostly the opposite, "A lot of random stuff happened, I followed through on some stuff that felt right at the time, and just kind of did that over and over." IMO, that's because most of the people who plan career paths diligently only look at one metric: "TC" (total compensation). They may say they value autonomy, growth, good teammates or any other number of things, but when it comes down to offer time most young people will reliably pick the highest offer, no matter what. The more serendipitous career paths involve a lot of networking, identifying who you like working with and what you like working on, reputation building, and eventually flowing into a great position within your network. The pay may come slightly later, but it's a much happier path.
duxup 5y ago
>and this feels like something they would write I was thinking it, just not brave enough to say it outright when I typed my response ;)
JAlexoid 5y ago
I can relate to the author, even if I didn't frame my current position as end-of-career. I'm far from being in college. I don't want or expect to progress. I want to be part of a team, without leading it. As far as I know - the progression part of my career is over, thus my career is over. What next steps I could have taken afterwards are plentiful, but irrelevant.

by jrm4 5y ago

bckr 5y ago

When you say "the opposite", do you mean that not only were their paths random, but they are not very happy? Can you think of and describe anyone you know who belongs in xor(a, b)?

jrm4 5y ago
WOO MATH. Among the happy people I see, most have the "randomness" I talk about. Among unhappy people, I see a mix of both.
- whatshisface 5y ago
  That makes it sound almost like happiness is the causal parameter and being willing to say yes to random opportunities outside of your plan, is a consequence.
  - bckr 5y ago
    > happiness is the causal parameter Also on the front page today: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=30424181 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=30424181

PragmaticPulp 5y ago

I mentor college students through a local group. I agree that this reads exactly like something they pick up from spending too much time on cynical subreddits where people gather to complain. I frequently have to remind them that they shouldn't get career advice from online forums dedicated to venting and complaining. > Offhand, I can't think of too many people (myself included) who are a) very happy in their jobs and b) planned very diligently to get to that exact space. > Mostly the opposite, "A lot of random stuff happened, I followed through on some stuff that felt right at the time, and just kind of did that over and over." IMO, that's because most of the people who plan career paths diligently only look at one metric: "TC" (total compensation). They may say they value autonomy, growth, good teammates or any other number of things, but when it comes down to offer time most young people will reliably pick the highest offer, no matter what. The more serendipitous career paths involve a lot of networking, identifying who you like working with and what you like working on, reputation building, and eventually flowing into a great position within your network. The pay may come slightly later, but it's a much happier path.

duxup 5y ago

>and this feels like something they would write I was thinking it, just not brave enough to say it outright when I typed my response ;)

JAlexoid 5y ago

I can relate to the author, even if I didn't frame my current position as end-of-career. I'm far from being in college. I don't want or expect to progress. I want to be part of a team, without leading it. As far as I know - the progression part of my career is over, thus my career is over. What next steps I could have taken afterwards are plentiful, but irrelevant.