Done w/ programming. What now
I am a 2006 computer science grad. It took 8 months ofcoding in a cubicle to learn that it was not for me. I enjoyed writing myown programs, but the real world destroyed all my illusions about thecareer. Rarely did I achieve that sense of satisfaction of havingconstructed something that I could be proud of in the workplace. Worst ofall, being a "good programmer" required sacrificing my diminishingsocial life. The more time I studied computer languages, best practices,and all things relevant to my career, and the more time I spent behind thecomputer, the more my social life suffered.
That said, I am now 24 with a computer science degree from a top-25 college (anda top-25 student loan) and approx 1 year programming experience, but I have noclear future in sight.
Where might I go from here?
In my free time, I've always enjoyed reading pop psych and sociology books("The Black Swan", "Paradox of Choice", "Stumbling uponHappiness", “Psychology of Persuasion”, etc.) more than I've enjoyedlearning about computers, and I've always been interested in how and whatpeople think. I love the sense of being able to outthink someone inpoker, chess, etc. I’ve tutored childrenbefore, and have been told that I am very good at it. I like to do things my own way. I am analytical, yet I frequently step backto see where I am within the larger picture. I like to be recognized for a job well-done.
What sort of career might I be more built for? Thanks for your time.
- Small, cool software shop
- A place known for creativity
- A place known to have smart, interesting people,
- Collaborative environments
- Products that make sense to you
Ian Christie
Career Changers Coach
software gone, I'm on the same boat you are on :).
I've also learned the hard way that sitting in a cubicle 'coding' is very different from the type of programming I did in college: there is no looking back at what I have created and no sense of accomplishment. It's just writing a few lines of code here and there that somehow fit in within the bigger picture. Very unexciting.
I also don't feel like sacrificing my happiness studying to become a "good" programmer is something I want to do, mainly because I'm not sure I care that much about my current line of work.
In recent years, I have also become interested in pop psychology. I've heard of some of the books you mentioned.
You sound just like I. Post your e-mail if you want. I'd like to talk to you :)
I posted additional thoughts on the problems with SW engineering as a career here (stirring up a bunch of angry programmers in the process):
http://www.programmingforums.org/thread14422.html
If you would like to send me an email, use Anovi.Bhockey@gmail.com, but first remove the capital A and B to uncover my real email addres.
I just realized that I'm sending this from a different SN.
ex0r1 = me = software_gone
Thanks for the suggestion. When I envision myself working in the environment you describe, I imagine that more satisfaction would follow my work. But, as a tradeoff, I would probably have to accept less pay and work more hours. And I'm afraid that the problems of evolving technologies / diminishing knowledge capital would be the same.
RE the "small sample size": my conclusions are also based on the job market, my level of success applying to these jobs, and my coworkers and peers.
If I were to pursue another software job though, I would certainly seek out a small shop like you suggested. However, I am pretty sure that software is not for me.
Thanks for the input!
ex0r I saw the link you posted to half sigma's blog (http://www.halfsigma.com/2007/03/why_a_career_in.html) and his entry is very disheartening.
Too bad I don't know what else i could do for a living.
Those who can program tend to be good analysts, for one. And then there's everything under the umbrella of IT. But IT is competitive and the job market is unkind to the entry-level IT aspirer, unless he has experience.
Hey ex0rl (and ISmsm),
I hope I’m not intruding on Ian's territory (I’m a coach myself), but this thread caught my attention, so I thought I'd join in on the discussion.
You provide a good amount of information about what you like and don’t like, and it’s a great start. The really great thing is that you realized this early in life that your field is not for you. It really does get much harder to find the courage to change things around as you get older.
Still, without some further exploration, I’m not sure any career expert can flat out give you a suggestion as to what you are cut out for. There are just too many variables involved in a satisfying career choice.
The first question to ask yourself, in my opinion, is, What’s important for you in a career or a job?
If, for example, you’re looking to find a place that makes the best use of your natural abilities, then you’d need to decide which ones. You already know that you don’t like spending long hours at detailed, solitary work, and that you are good with seeing the big picture. That’s a good start. What else?
Ask yourself where you see yourself spending most your time ideally on a job – in an office, outdoors, traveling, working from home? Would you prefer to be part of a team or drive a project on your own? Do you see yourself working for somebody else or running your own business?
If the priority is to find something where you have a sense of accomplishment, you’d probably want to spend some time exploring what that means to you. Is it about achieving a particular status and recognition? If so, what do status and recognition look like for you? Is it about finding something where your passion and sense of purpose are involved? Again, what does that look like for you? Is it about earning a certain amount per year? Is it realizing that you’ve made a personal impact at the end of each day? In each case, ask yourself what it means specifically for you and see where that leads.
Or you could begin by taking an even larger view – by looking at your career from the perspective of your entire life. What would you like your life to be about? What’s your vision for your life? What would you like to have accomplished by the end of it? A classic, if somewhat stark, exercise along these lines is to ask yourself what you’d like your tombstone to say about you after you are no longer on this planet. What would you want to be remembered for?
All of that information will provide you with clues as to what kind of a career might be right for you. And as get to know yourlsef and your priorities better, you can also be looking into what careers do exist out there beyond the usual categories (law, accounting, etc). Marty Nemko's "Cool Careers for Dummies" is a great place to start in that regard.
Hope this helps.
Best,
Izabella Tabarovsky
That said, I think the advice is very very good in this post. I wanted to offer you my supposrt in that I am in the VERY same boat. As you know, burnout is very high in our field and I burned out awhile ago (big corporate firm, cube, engineering team, etc) I was very relievec when I was laid off in 2005.
I was miserable and knew it but didn't have the fire under my butt to change things for myself. I actually thanked my boss when he laid me off for setting me free.
Well, since then I have been spoiled by telecommuting, I have been doing it for years with a mixture of free-lance work, consulting and doing my own pet-projects.
Fast forward to last week, it's 2008 and I thought I would get back into making some good money. I thought that I had taken a nice refreshing break ( three years) from coding.. You described the emotional situation perfectly BTW.
I sat down in what any of us would call a perfect coding environment, rolled up my sleeves and took a look at some code. From that very first second, my stomach was in knots. I love the Internet, all the technology, the languages, every line of code was screaming to me and I swear I could not stay focused for a moment, my mind would blank out.
I started that Monday, and despite the good money, I quit that Friday.
All I know is that I left some great money behind me :( I am very scared as I have not developed my other talents and well... all I know is that I do not want to .. nor (I think) am I capable of coding any further.
So I am in the process as well, and would be happy to post here as I journey toward a fulfilling NEW career.
Yeah I am scared and confused as of writing this, but I am also determined to be happy :)
WJ