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This is understandable of course. Go to any nonprofit or charity, and I'm sure that most workers there will justify their job choice as humanitarian, compared t

by psyklic 18y ago

This is understandable of course. Go to any nonprofit or charity, and I'm sure that most workers there will justify their job choice as humanitarian, compared to for-profits. Academia is similar. In reality though, many professors (particularly in engineering and CS) think highly of industry (most students end up there), and many professors have even started companies of their own. To view students as impressionable is doing them a disservice. Students are free-thinking adults. To consider that "liberal" professors (whose political stance rarely if at all enters the classroom) could drastically affect their views is absurd.

furyg3 18y ago
I'm going through this crisis as we speak. I was lured to IT during/after high school, and it seemed ridiculous to go to college at that time. Eventually I was persuaded to take classes after work, and managed to knock out most of the degree (PoliSci) alongside my full time job. I had an opportunity to do some consulting work for an NGO in Amsterdam while studying there, so I took it. Changed my life. Now I'm finishing a Masters (back in Holland) and trying to decide what to do. IT work makes me happy in that I have a high sense of confidence about my work, and of course it pays well. But something's missing. A cushy IT manager position doesn't bother me... but remaining there in 20 years does. Making the leap to some vague non-profit job is also scary as hell, but sexy from some sort of greater-good point of view. Unlike my IT capacities, the tools I gained from university are (mostly) soft skills that aren't directly applicable to specific job functions. I've shared these thoughts with many professors and industry mentors, and one thing I will say is that many of them view the world as pretty polarized between "Enterprise" and "Altruism". For my sake I'm hoping it isn't really so.
- MaysonL 18y ago
  Try looking for a think tank (perhaps in the energy or environmental sector) with a technical emphasis (Rocky Mountain Institute springs to mind as an example) where you could combine your skills with your aspirations.

by psyklic 18y ago

furyg3 18y ago

I'm going through this crisis as we speak. I was lured to IT during/after high school, and it seemed ridiculous to go to college at that time. Eventually I was persuaded to take classes after work, and managed to knock out most of the degree (PoliSci) alongside my full time job. I had an opportunity to do some consulting work for an NGO in Amsterdam while studying there, so I took it. Changed my life. Now I'm finishing a Masters (back in Holland) and trying to decide what to do. IT work makes me happy in that I have a high sense of confidence about my work, and of course it pays well. But something's missing. A cushy IT manager position doesn't bother me... but remaining there in 20 years does. Making the leap to some vague non-profit job is also scary as hell, but sexy from some sort of greater-good point of view. Unlike my IT capacities, the tools I gained from university are (mostly) soft skills that aren't directly applicable to specific job functions. I've shared these thoughts with many professors and industry mentors, and one thing I will say is that many of them view the world as pretty polarized between "Enterprise" and "Altruism". For my sake I'm hoping it isn't really so.

MaysonL 18y ago
Try looking for a think tank (perhaps in the energy or environmental sector) with a technical emphasis (Rocky Mountain Institute springs to mind as an example) where you could combine your skills with your aspirations.