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Quitting engineering to pursue art full-time

(www.staysketchy.com)
181 points Tomte | 1 comments | 27 Apr 24 10:26 UTC | HN request time: 0.203s | source
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redbell ◴[30 Apr 24 21:16 UTC] No.40216444[source]▶
If I were to transition from software engineering, I'd prioritize a role that meets the following criteria:

  1. Minimizes screen time and doesn't rely heavily on computers for productivity.

  2. Allows me to disconnect after work without constant notifications or calls.

  3. Offers stability, requiring minimal adaptation to new trends or technologies.

  4. Lastly,  and more importantly, not easily replaceable by AI in the near future.
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dottjt ◴[30 Apr 24 21:19 UTC] No.40216491[source]▶
Any ideas on actual roles?

I think the thing that kills me is the mental exhaustion of software development. Just thinking about how to solve problems all day is mentally taxing.

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redbell ◴[30 Apr 24 21:27 UTC] No.40216572[source]▶
IMHO, Farming is the ideal switch for a techie. Technically, you are switching from the likes of Matrix to speaking to animals.

Another activity that I believe would bring more joy than 99% of jobs, if not all, is charity.

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1. mxuribe ◴[02 May 24 12:17 UTC] No.40235275[source]▶
@redbell If you do go into a profession having to do with "charity" - what is more often referred to as non-profit (or not-for-profit) - please go in with open eyes. I don't want to dissuade you from looking into such careers; simply research things as one might be expected to do whenever looking at a new job/career. I spent 1 year at a well-known non-profit (similar tech leader job to what i've had in corporate world), and it was quite annoying from the perspective that it was the same (or worse!) bureacracy as compared to the corporate world, but with less pay. On the other hand, there were 2 medium-sized projects that i participated (and some portions led) in which have been the absolute best, most fulfilling thing i have ever done professionally in my almost 30 year career. While most of the co-workers were nice and had genuine desire to help their fellow humans, everything else about non-profit work (except for those 2 amazing projects!) was the same crap as corporate work (but again, less pay)! Again, i'm not saying you should not pursue a career in non-profit; simply do your due diligence in research. Goodness knows, we need non-profits to be more effective! Cheers!