Ask HN: Alternate Careers for a Software developer

15 points by fromdoon 12 years ago | 8 comments

Hi,

I have been serving as a software developer in a middle tier software company in India for the last five years. Coding used be my passion (maybe it still is). I did pretty well in my job and my growth was quite satisfactory. All was going well.

But for the last six months or so, I have been feeling a little down and out of place. I think I have lost the drive to work in software industry. To me it all seems rather pointless now. This is certainly not a sudden change. I started feeling it as an on and off feeling some time ago. Gradually it has increased and has now come to a level where it casts a shadow over every thought I have.

So, I would like to ask for some advice from all my fellow hackers. Are there any alternate careers for a software developer in India. Teaching is the one that comes to mind at once, given the technical aspect of our work. But are there any other avenues I can start exploring?

Thanks in advance.

Arjuna 12 years ago |

You are not alone; in my experience, many people, at some point in their lives, have experienced what you have described.

I humbly submit that the most important step in navigating and understanding these feelings is to identify the root cause of the feelings that you are experiencing. That is, try to identify if these feelings are:

1. The result of no longer enjoying the job itself.

Do you still like the type of software that you are building? Do you still like the work culture and environment? Do you still like working with your colleagues? Are you still being challenged? Do you have opportunities to grow professionally in the direction that you desire?

2. The result of no longer enjoying software development.

Does the thought of moving to a different software project sound exciting? Does the thought of using new tools, languages and platforms sound exciting? Does the thought of moving into a new area of software development sound exciting (e.g., mobile, web)? Do you develop software on your own, before or after work, on your own projects and interests? Do you still enjoy reading about and researching topics in the field of software development?

3. The result of something else entirely.

Is there something in your life that could be affecting how you feel about your job, or about software development, or your outlook on life in general?

Are you burned out?

When was the last time you had a proper vacation?

It is possible that you simply need some time away from work, to help revitalize, rejuvenate, reset and renew yourself.

I am not expecting you to answer these questions publicly; rather, they are meant to get you thinking about the root cause of these feelings, and to help give you some starting points on how to break down, categorize and process these feelings, so that you can make an informed decision regarding what direction you should take.

Here's wishing you all the best.

fromdoon 12 years ago | |

Thanks Arjuna.

boothead 12 years ago |

Perhaps, as Zed Shaw suggested once, look for an interesting field where your software development skills are a value add rather than the main attraction. The icing on the cake if you will :-)

It could be a question of environment too: I currently work in a very large place with a lot of process and a huge mix of abilities and motivations. Code quality takes a bit of a second place to "build what can make money right now", elegance and beauty are even further behind that. I was much happier in my work as part of a small fast moving team.

TL;DR Perhaps if you find a different environment or a different focus you can get you spark back an re-connect with your passion.

fromdoon 12 years ago | |

Thanks for your advice.

Can you point a relevant link with regards to Zed Shaw.

boothead 12 years ago | | |

It think I was paraphrasing from here:

http://learnpythonthehardway.org/book/advice.html

chrisrickard 12 years ago |

I have always thought if I didn't love bytes, I would love teaching people to love bytes.

mattm 12 years ago |

I think this is common and many of us have gone through it. If you once had passion for programming it could still be within you. Without knowing your situation, it could be that you have been working too much or focusing on the outcome too much instead of the journey.

I've put together a course on how to regain your passion for programming which might be helpful to you. You can check out the link from my profile.

apierre 12 years ago |

How about creating your own business?