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Leave a Safe IT Job for Music Tour?
DecisionTime asks: "In this US economy, it took me a whole year to find my current IT job, where I've been for less than a year. It's fairly dull, but pays ok, and I believe it is relatively safe. Now, I've been given the chance to use my talents and tour full time with a band overseas. With the corresponding drop in expenses, my net income on this tour would remain about the same as now. However, music jobs are inherently risky, yet the touring could become long term. On the other hand, I could potentially be IT job searching again within four months with a dubious hole on my resume. I'm single and have no kids or major commitments, but I do not want to destroy my IT career either for the future. I can't get unbiased advice where I am, so perhaps Slashdot can lend me some wisdom?"
Seriously, nothing these days is certian job wise. Just do what makes you happy in the near term. Cheaper than therapy later.
The Ro Factor - Jeep/Linux Weblog
God knows IT sucks. Go have fun and gain some interesting experiences.
The computer world will always be around, but music careers are notoriously short. Take advantage of it while you can.
I have been pwned because my
do it now. live your life. fuck your cube job.
1. Can you get leave from your current job for the duration of your tour?
2. Can you do your IT job remotely (you didn't mention exactly what you do)?
Also, maybe you could go searching for IT work overseas? Not every economy is in the state the US is in, and overseas experience is always a plus. If you don't know if either proposition (music or IT) will work out, which one do you want more? Go with that.
Go and see the world while you can, because let me tell you once wife + kids + career job come along, you won't be able to pursue any of those opportunities even if they do come along, and you don't want to get to 40 with nothing but regrets to show for it.
I speak from bitter experience here man.
Get out and enjoy your talents while you can.
Just before the bust; I went to a performing arts center (with an inexperienced management staff) as "Master Sound Engineer" and by the time my patience ran out, my old CO was under a hiring freeze. Just the same, I think you should do it (but please send pictues and mix tapes). Seriously, do it. You know IT jobs can still be found; the market is in recovery (albeit slowly), but dream jobs only come by once in a while... Best of luck!
If the pay is the same, and you have no ties binding you down, think of this as a chance to see the country/world for a brief bit while still earning money.
It's not a hole in your resume, if you are doing similar work, and you have a few good stories to tell any potential interviewer who should inquire as to that period in your professional life.
Life is for living, but living takes money. If you can earn money, while making the most of your more valuable personal time, without suffering any loss of income in the near term, then why wouldn't you do it?
"Inattention makes clowns of us all" -Bean
Go for the band. You will regret not doing it. IT jobs will be there in some form for a while. Have fun.
I probably have one of the most stable jobs in the music industry. I write music for TV. Music is fun, and you always meet interesting people. You might even meet musicians who need IT skills. Or, if you are brave, set yourself up with a DAW, Protools or Digital Performer and mix your skills.
You are involved in two industries that are very unstable. Go for what you want. Have fun. It is not a black mark on your resume, it is an "enhancing experience".
Sig (appended to the end of comments you post, 120 chars)
In all likelyhood, you won't get this chance again. I say go for it.
You're not very likely at all to 'destroy your career'. You may go broke, make little on the tour, and have problems getting a job when you get back. But that may happen anyway.
What's your worst case scenario? You get a job flipping burgers or move in with your parents or something. Big deal, everyone eats some shit once in a while. You're looking at a *paid vacation*. That's what you're getting.
Yeah, it may not work. But if it were me, I'd take it. Now, I have no responsibilities; no kids, no wife. I can *always* walk away anything until then, because I have nothing to lose. So you might be out a little money. If money's that important to you, I suggest you recognize that and deal appropriately.
You're an idiot if you keep working the day job.
You might never have another opportunity like this one come along. But that shouldn't make or break your choice.
The best piece of advice I can give is don't stress about it. My guess is that either choice would be fine. Choose the one that just feels the best, and go with it. Don't worry too much about the future, the future will happen.
I used to play in a band and had a ball, but I learned a long time ago that it is fleeting and the minute it becomes commercial the fun starts to slip away and it becomes a job.
Decide on a career, if you think Music is your career than go ahead. If you are realistic you will think twice and find another way to get the fix.
Boredom's not a burden anyone should bear.
go on tour...
- a "dubious 4 month hole in your resume" isn't going to ruin your IT career.
- you'll regret it for the rest of your life if you don't take the risk on what you really want.
- worst that's likely to happen is that you're on unemployment for a year.
stay frosty and alert
if you don't go, you'll regret it later. plenty of time to hate your job later, enjoy it now
GROUPIES.
Life is experiences, that is all you have. Rack one up and add to "lifes resume" instead of your "work resume".
Which would you rather tell a story about in 10 years, your 6 month tour overseas or the day they called you in at 3am without overtime to fix a nimda like worm?
Dude, if you don't go you deserve your crappy day job. I don't know how else to say it besides stop reading these posts right now, turn off your computer, pick up your shit, blow mom a kiss goodbye, get a 24 pack of condoms and run out the damn door.
Neck_of_the_Woods
#/usr/local/surf/glassy/overhead
GO OUT AND HAVE SOME DAMN FUN! The IT world will still suck when you return. :)
terpmotors.com
"Find something you enjoy doing, and get someone to pay you to do it."
Easier said than done, but a worthwhile goal.
Q.
Insert Signature Here
Keep the job till you have a few years experiance and then take the world tour, with or without a band.
If you had the band sign a contract which guarantee you a job, and pay, then I'd do it for sure.
If nothing else, staying at your job would get you a few years experiance under your belt and it'd be easier to find a better job next time round. A one year gap on your resume is not what you want. And what do you tell your next potential employer, 12 months from now, espically if things don't work out?
P.S. You came here for wisdom?!? I like it (but am still humoured).
Needle Nardle Noo
I'm going to say a few things that most people I know might disagree with.
1) You only live once. This is so important I want you to read it again: You only live once. Regardless of your religious affiliation and life-after-death beliefs, nobody has any concrete proof that there is anything but limbo after we're gone. That said, there's no reason to allow yourself to make regrets in life, because there's no do-over.
2) Follow whatever dreams you have to the best of your abilities. I'm surprised daily that so many people don't even have dreams any more. The fact that you not only have one, but have the chance to make it a reality, is the confluence of a number of very rare events. This confluence should not be wasted.
3) With no wife or kids, you have no one to disappoint but yourself, and from the tone of your message it sounds to me as if you'd be very disappointed to miss this opportunity.
4) Even if you can't find an IT job when you get back, you could probably parlay your experience from the tour into, at least, gigs back home. It's a lot more work than an IT job, but you could be self-employed as a "bard" of sorts if you wanted, playing bars and festivals.
- Cloud
VENEREAL.
Insert Signature Here
You'll make yourself happier if you do, and never have to question 'what if'. I dont think the 4 month 'hole' is dubious, either. Write down what you did, its not shameful at all. You tried something new, it didn't work out. Big deal - if you are skilled technically, I dont think a company would hold the fact that you took a small risk against you.
Man, I wish I could go on a world tour! I say go for it, friend! If you've got no commitments then you'll never get a better opportunity! Do it for me! =) I'm sitting here 30 something, married, and mortgage payment included so I'll never get that chance, plus, I suck as a musician. =) After all, you could spend four months hunting after it's all said and done, or it could become permanant. Taking a year off to do a world tour as a musician isn't the same to me as not being able to land a job... If you put it on your resume all us 30-something guys would understand right? Who wouldn't want to be a rock star for a little while? =)
I'd say go for the tour. I was out of work (dot bomb) and looking for something to do when I went on tour with some friends and it was one of the most rewarding expieriences of my life. If you really want to break into the music biz you're going to have to take some risks...sorry but that is the biz. Dont worry though, the IT industry is making a comeback so you might not have to wait that long to find another job. When I went on tour I drove around the states eating cheap PB&J sandwitches and drinking as much as possible and yet, met some extrodinary people (I was sober alot of the time -- someone had to drive). If nothing it will give you a feel for the industry and a load of contacts. If your band has a big enough name try getting on the Armed Forces Entertainment Network tours, they go all over the world and its all paid for, you get to see the sights and make some excellent contacts all on someone elses penny.
No amount of lucid, well thought out reasoning in favor of staying will ease the bitterness and regret you will feel ten years from now if you don't go. There will still be sterile, soul-sucking cubicles here when you get back, I promise.
Sorry to oversimplify a tough decision. All I can say is what-if's and if-only's can haunt like demons.
Bush is a cylon.
I have to concur with the overall "go-out-and -have-some-fun" response. Just make sure you don't go into debt over this. If you're debt-and-responsibility free, you'll be okay, no matter what you do.
What do you mean my sig is repetitive? What do you mean my sig is repetitive? What do you mean....
Go on the tour, just make sure to get yourself an iBook or PowerBook, maybe you can have a deal with your boss to work a bit from your tour. If you charge the same as some foreign countries, it should be ok.
"Choose a job you love, and you will never have to work a day in your life."
-- Confucius
Even if it lasts only 4 months, it'll be an experience you'll never forget. Plus, it'll help make you a more well rounded person, as opposed to remaining a boring propellorhead geek clicking a mouse all day. No offense to those who do this tho. =P
Give yourself a meaningful and praiseworthy title, like a Systems Engineer - you have to know how all the electronics and computers work right? Or you can put on your resume that you were a Consultant working for 4 months, doing IT and systems work with an entertainment performance group. Come up with some creative engineering to fluff up your resume.
And most importantly, make friends with your band manager. Drink beers with him after work, so that when you need his reference, he can back you up.
Buddy of mine was laid off a year and a piece ago. He had significant cash in the bank and the dole (FL style) paying out more than his mortgage.
He had always dreamed of hiking the Appalachian Trail. Come layoff, he freaked out. "Got to get a job got to get a job..."
Here's a guy with an annual salary in cash on hand.
Three months later he's working at a job paying quite a bit less. Why? They were offering to pay. That's it.
Moron. One of my best, smartest friends. Moron. Says it himself "Stupidest move ever."
Go travel. Run lean, and see what happened. I left college, took a gig halfway around the world for half of what my local offers were. Actually, I never figured that out until this week. 4 years ago I left the United States to seek fame, fortune and adventure. I spend two years making half of what I had been offered before I left. You know what? Best money I ever spent.
Have a wife? What does she say?
Have kid/s? STFU, and get back to work.
None of the above? Why aren't you packing already? You never, ever, ever want to look back on your life and say 'Why didn't I take the chance to...' Don't forget the old line about 'nobody ever died wishing they had spent more time at the office'.
You may think your job is secure, but unless you have access to the books, you have no idea. Even then, you might not know.
Get out. Live a little. There'll be some kind of cubicle waiting for you when you get back.
Jesus was all right but his disciples were thick and ordinary. -John Lennon
I was in a similar situation several years ago.
The band I was in was playing in pubs several nights a week, and I was the only one working a normal job. It was great fun, but getting home all fired up at 2am made it tough to get up for work the next day.
We did some recording, then the other guys in the band wanted to go play around the country. They lined up gigs in several places with very little effort, so I had to choose between work and music.
I chose work.
My career was at the point where it was starting to get interesting, and I knew that I'd get some interesting job offers shortly.
The music had, to me at least, always been a fun thing and I'd basically played for beer money while the rest of the guys split the bulk of the loot between them. That wasn't exactly a fortune, but they needed the cash more than I did. I'm pretty sure none of us actually thought we'd get a music career out of it, but suddenly it appeared like it might be a goer.
In hindsight, I don't really regret it. Although the other guys were a bit upset when I pulled out, I'd always made it clear that I had a "second life" outside of music so it was OK. I found another group that was more "work friendly" with very little effort and played with them instead, while my original band went out without me.
In the final washup, they decided that a life in music wasn't really what they wanted. They had a bit of fun, but got stiffed by club owners more than once and found that all of them sharing their lives 24x7 wasn't really that great. Steady girlfriends got put on hold; strangely no GF wanted to tag along with 4 other guys and no other women! There were a few sexual encounters, but none that probably wouldn't have been on offer if they'd stayed at home.
If you think this band is really gonna make it big, or if you really really enjoy playing with them, by all means go for it.
If music is basically just a fun thing with a few mates, then why not just enjoy it for what it is and leave things as they are? If you're an OK muso, you'll always find another group of guys to play with.
first reply hahalolz flpoor lorf
I've done a lot of stuff and ultimately failed at nearly everything I've tried. And yet I only seem to regret the chances I didn't take.
A gap in your resume? No, hell, you did not do "nothing". You were overseas (cultural exchange, maybe even a foreign language?!?), were responsible manager (tech, setups, deals, money, whatever) for a long term tour (months at least), sold your service directly to customers (pre-sales support anyone?) etc. If you've done something - use it to boost your CV.
Whom do you think I would hire for a (international?) project: a hermitic bit mage - or a coder that maybe even was in that country, did some band/tour management and is used to working within a team and under stress?
Noone will complain about a "tried, but didn't work out" sidetrip in your CV - especially if you came back with valuable skills and experiences.
Short: Live your dream. And tell about it.
Longer: I made the experience that the only people successful in their job are the ones that love it. So if you stay back at a "safe" but boring job and mourn your missed chance, you'll stay mediocre (best) - and will probably be replaced by someone better (or more enthusiastic).
People that tried to live their dream and learnt that it just was not possible will probably try their best at their second choice for their dream of life, too. And they'll be good at it. Each time.
You're young. Go have an adventure to pester your grandkids with. You may not make more in terms of money, but you will get immeasurably more in experience. This would be an awesome opportunity to see Europe, that you might not get again soon. I'd definitely take it, while you have no ties holding you down.
He who laughs last is stuck in a time dilation bubble.
I mean, /. is noted for its incisive, insightful music reviews. What better forum to tell you whether or not it's worth your while to pollute clubs around the world with your sonic garbage?
(actually, I really am curious. If it'll pay as well as a tech job, maybe you guys are better than this week's Creed cover band)
Jobs come and go. A chance to jam, enjoy yourself, and meet new people ... this happens only when you make it/allow it to happen.
Go, do it! Have fun! Find a new job at the end of the road, if you need to!
; -- the corruption of government starts with its secrets. a truly free people keep no secrets. --
"I can't get unbiased advice where I am, so perhaps Slashdot can lend me some wisdom?"
/. ;-)
Yes, this is precisely why you should go upon
Where else would you get unbiased advice?
On a totally related note: If I were you, I'd keep my current job. Maybe I'm a little over anxious, though.
Do I feel lucky? Well, do you, punk?
I think you would be stupid not to go. I'm really glad I got to do stupid things before I had a family. The chances of doing that now are non-existant. Do it while you can!
Vertical
72 CD D7 52 D0 7E D8 47 44 91 D5 84 D1 59 F1 A9-This is my 128bit integer. There are many like it, but this one is mine.
oh, to have not blown my mod points so cheapy. I feel the same way about my life.
It's kind of funny, but I'm in exactly the same position right now.
Except, I'm offered the opportunity to start a comedy show on tv.
I'm a (hardcore) c++ programmer and I actually like what I'm doing.
I also run a dark comedy web site (with a partner) which has suddenly become 'The next big thing' in my country (radio stations started playing our scenes, invitations to talk shows; my phone never stops ringing).
Two tv stations offerred us a contract and we must choose one of them by the end of this week. It's really tempting, but I know how show-business is, you can burn really quickly if you're not careful or good enough to handle the stress.
On the programming side, I'm the dev lead on a project which we've been working on for 2.5 years (full time) and will launch the public beta in two months.
This only makes things harder for me - I don't want to abandon the project at this stage, but the show-biz opportunity is very tempting.
I guess I'll try (really hard) to work on both jobs, at least until the final release of our project. By that time, If i'm not dead or in a mental institution, I will hopefully be able to decide what to chose.
Eventually, I think it's best to listen to your heart and go with that.
Even if you fail, it's not the end of the world - you can always start drinking.
If the band folds, and you find yourself looking for another IT job, then just lie. Ensure that you have a couple of good references from former employers, and then adjust your CV to cover the period you were doing band stuff.
Chris
Nobody ever said at the end of their life that they wished they had spent more time in the office.
Truisms, gotta love em.
I would sya go for it.
In any case, FWIW, even with one year hole in your resume you will be fine. I know because it happened to me. I was out of work for 1.5 years but I kept machine with Linux and Solaris where I kepy my skillz up to scratch. Thus when it was time to come back to IT I got several job offers.
Do not believe all the pesimists here, a hole in your CV does not matter, there is always somebody with a clue that can see beyond such a thing. If you like IT you will find ways to keep informed, and if you are clever you could use those 5k1llz to help during your tour (get a laptop with a good external sound card, and do recordings, learn some computer based music editing and mixing, or create a controller for the live eggects in your show. Maintain a band's website. Organize the band's accounting using MySQL. The possibilites are endless).
IANAL but write like a drunk one.
How many musicians are wannabes? How many are working or touring musicians? How many make a desent living at it?
A lot for the first question, few for the second and very few for the third. I know a fair number of musicians and the one's who took the risk are the happiest, whether or not the make a lot of money at it. The wannabes want to be working as musicians and tend to be unhappy.
So live lean, hit the road, feel tired and streched, wake up in a town or country you aren't sure the name of, relax, enjoy. And take pride that we're all envious!
Obviously you're the one who's going to make the decision: how averse to risk (because there is risk of unemployment) are you, and how much do you want to go on tour? As long as you're considering both sides of the question, you'll come to a good answer.
Where I can offer some (probably) useful thoughts, is regarding the "dubious hole in [your] resume" that you mentioned. Short version of my thoughts: what hole?
Longer version: if you're looking for an IT job again in four or six months, just put the tour on your resume. Unless you end up on the road for years, then your tech experience isn't going to seem outdated, expecially if your spot on the tour is on the tech end. When somebody asks about it during a job interview, you say "I'd always wanted to do this, and the opportunity presented itself; I decided to make the leap and see whether I liked it, while I was still young, single, and didn't have too many commitments. I enjoyed it but, I found that my real interest is in [whatever IT gig you do]."
I've got a couple of even more suspicious gaps in my resume. They appeared when I went from living in the upper half of a converted church in a cool neighborhood of a relatively expensive west coast city, to living the the bottom half of a small house in a student neighborhood in a small city in western New York. (My wife was going to school in the small city in New York.) Basically, I found that the money we had budgeted to live went a lot further that we had anticipated, so it was six months before I actually had to get a job. After working for a year or two I had more money saved up, and when one contract ended I just didn't look for another for four or five months.
I've been at the same company for a while now, so haven't interviewed much, but when I was interviewing and people asked, I just gave them the background and told them a little about what I did during those "gaps" -- I did some stuff that was a lot more interesting than the average 9-5 job during those periods, and I think that helped during interviews at least as much as it may have hurt me.
* * *
It is a dada story -- it has no moral.
...and you'll never work a day in your life...
That's an old saying I heard a while ago and I think it's very true. Working a dull job you don't like is easy to tolerate in the short term, but the dullness eats away at your soul...eventually, you'll become resentful and feel that the best years of your life have slipped away...
It's obvious what you want to do...you're just unsure if you have nerve to take the risk. Take it. Just leave your company on good terms and don't burn your bridges. If you do have to come back to IT, either you'll go back to them for a job, or your next potential employer will go to them to find out why you left. What they say about you will depend on how you left.
Good luck, I envy you.
-- John Truong
You can alway get a real job for real grown ups when you grow up. Worked for me. Got welleducated and goodlooking wife and 2 bright and beautiful kids, a third on its way. Good IT job. Steady income. A bright looking future.
However, sometimes when i am alone i can still smell the sour beer, the stingy smell of cigarettes, sense the dampness of moist pussy on my fingertips, feel the disorientation after to much to loud music... ahh the memories. Wouldn't be without them. Kinda makes me stay at home you know... i lived "the" life, still do but its a different one. Other people, other values, more wise perhaps?
Do not grown up to early. Enjoy your youth. Relish in the fact that you do not have to work and help support a family from age 6 like in some development countries. Enjoy or else one day you'll be one of those pathetic 30's something men who abandons wife and kids to live a life that they are way to old to live without beeing an embarrasment to anyone including themselves.
Anyway i live Europe, so this might not apply to silly amercans.
hj
I won't go into the many reasons why you should do it because several other have already. However I disagree that it's a dubious hole in your resume. I work in IT and everyone here knew I was in a band. We toured twice taking a week each time, and my boss knew where I was going and what I was doing. They thought it was cool. Also when you come back, put it on your resume. You can leverage it to mean that you work well with a team, you are extremely creative, and you enjoy travel. You can also mention that you prefer work that you enjoy and that's why you followed your dream. Any manager would then say "..and you want to work here?!" They'll be flattered you want to work for their company after living the life of a "rock star".
Go find a single philosopher who said anything remotely similar. Cash is not what counts. I'm not going to pretend that I know what does count, but it certainly is not cash.
I used to work for IBM in a job I liked, except that I had to travel. The hours were not that great either. I didn't love the job at all, but it wasn't bad at all. The traveling on the other hand was just too much for myself and my new wife and family (consists of 2 dogs and 2 cats). My brother gave me some advise. He said: "Nobody on their death bed has said, 'I wish I would have worked just one more day.'" And I listened to this advise and quit my job for a shittier, lower paying IT job so I could stop traveling and spend more time with my new family.
Although you are right about just about everthing in your post, cash is not what counts...Please mod parent down.
I can't tell from your comments whether you're one of the musicians [e.g. the bass player], or whether a group of musicians has asked you to tour as their techie [the guy who mixes and/or records the music, and probably a lot of other things that aren't quite so glamorous].
If you're being asked to be the techie, how much math do you know? Do you know Fourier analysis? Sampling theory? Wavelet transforms?
I ask because there are some really cool, really affordable things you can do with analog to digital sampling these days, e.g. you can get state of the art, simultaneous sampling, 24-bit, 150KS/Sec PCI cards for under $1500 these days. [Specs like that didn't exist 10 years ago, but, if they had, the price tag would have been more like $150,000.] The math and the computer science involved with that stuff would be a heck of a lot more fun than cubicle-based VB/SQL programming.
You'd need some software to go with it; I'd recommend NI Labview at about $2000 + $500 for the sound package. Bottom line is that you can set up the sampling end of a state-of-the-art recording rig for well under $5000 [and the best part, or at least the part that should appeal to /.ers, is that it's 100% DIY].
Of course, recording-quality microphones are gonna set ya back some serious bucks...
In 1987 I was offerred the opportunity to play bass for a nationally recognized folk performer. I had just started at my first software job a week before, but would have to go on tour a month later if I took the offer.
I said no.
I regret the decision to this day, despite being pretty successful in software.
Don't be an idiot - grab your dream job when you can. It's a lot better to be able to fail and say you tried than regret that...etc.
Peter
Go buy Screeching Weasels's Teen Punks in Heat album and listen to Six Percent. Before you leave for your tour, buy the rest of Screeching Weasel's albums.
There is no wrong choice here. Either way is just as good from all you have said. So make the choice you want to make. Obviously you are unsure because you haven't gone for it. So what are you really afraid of? It can't be the job because there are jobs all over, and many do not last a year anyway.
If it is just job hunting, there are jobs everywhere. Even if they decide your tech skills are good enough after this trip, you have shown the people skills needed for management, watch the money for the others (musicians are typically terrible at watching money, so just by being willing to do it you will be allowed to), and scheduling the next concerts (assuming this isn't done) will give you the rest of the skills. You could then leverage your previous tech experience for a job managing techs. Then go to school and get the MBA.
Many programmers I've known have been musicians. However some of us have a theory that you cannot be a good musician and a good programmer. Honestly evaluate yourself and decide what you are good at, and follow that path.
Laptop computers are cheap enough, take one with (perhaps with MIDI interfaces or high end sound cards) to keep up your tech skills. If you really want to get back into tech after the trip. Remember though that there are many careers to choose from don't limit yourself to what you have done before. MIT claims their average grad makes 7 career changes in his lifetime. Career changes, not jobs changes. You decide what you want to do with your life.
If you decide not to go for it, you have just left an opening for someone else to take the job, feel good about that. And remember you can use your vacation and the money you are earning to tour many of those places yourself. There is no reason you have to make money at music just cause you like it. Get some friends together and jam every few nights if that is what you want to do. Many good hobbies have been ruined by making them into a job.
If you decide to go for it, there are many techs out of work right now who would love your position, feel good about giving it to them.
Keep in mind this little tidbit... You should never live to work, you should work so you can LIVE .
You said yourself there's nothing holding you back. Go. Now.
You're free of obligations to a wife or children. When you do have those obligations, especially the children, it's completely different.
Plus, it makes you a more interesting person. You'll at least have good stories to tell. So when you're meeting new women, you're not just an IT guy, you also spent several months (at least) touring with a band.
So do it, and report back from the road. I'd be interested to hear how it works out.
Think about it this way: You can get another IT job. Even if you have to move back in with your parents for a while, you can always find another one. You may only have one chance to go on a music tour though. Which would you rather tell your grandchildren about? That you got to tour with a band, or that you played it safe and kept the servers running for an extra year.
It's good to use your head, but not as a battering ram.
Marge: So... you want to go on tour with a traveling freak show.
Homer: I don't think I have a choice, Marge.
Marge: Of course you have a choice.
Homer: How do you figure?
Marge: You don't have to join a freak show just because the opportunity came along.
Homer: You know, Marge, in some ways, you and I are very different people.
Episode 3F21, "Homerpalooza"
~Philly
I'm going back to university in a field completely unrelated to IT but a passion I've had since I was a kid. IT is a passion too but I find myself having more fun doing that on my spare time than any other time.
Do what makes you happy. If you choose stability over happyness, you'll regret it later.
I can tell you from personal experience that if you don't enjoy your work to some extent, the longer you stay there the more you'll hate going. If deep down you are highly unsatisfied with your job then maybe you should follow your heart. However, you must keep in mind that if your music work doesn't work out it will be difficult to find another IT job (especially with only having a little IT work experience). Don't forget the old saying that gamblers hate to hear "If you can't afford to lose it, don't risk it." Keep this in mind too: I'm assuming you are in an entry level position right now. If you are it should be relatively easy to apply for other IT positions within your company, so you could try to move around which will probably keep you interested in your job.
In twenty years, I doubt you'll be saying "I wished I would have stayed in that IT job," but I think it's a fair bet that you would say "I wish I had gone touring with that band."
There's more to life than making money and having a secure job.
You can tell a great deal about the character of a man by observing those who hate him.
Go for it. Have as much fun as you possibly can, take lots of pictures, and enjoy the experience even when it's horrible.
But don't be COMPLETELY irresponsible. Talk to a financial planner before you go. They will be able to assess your likely income/expenses, and help set up a plan so that you can work with your money wisely, even when you're on the road. When you come back to the States, it may be a while before you get hired again, so you'll want to plan ahead.
I've ruined my life many times over; sometimes for love, sometimes for money, and other times just on a whim. I may have lost out on the opportunity to buy a house and settle down and be respectable and have a capital-C Career, but if I had to do it over again, I'd make all the same silly mistakes.
I need a job. I have no desire to sow any wild oats. I crave stability. Sale me as your replacement.
Do it man!
I don't see what the delimma is here? A chance to live out The Dream and tour the world playing music should not be passed up. If you're any good at interviewing and IT, whatever that is, then what are you worried about?
Note: I had to respond just so my band's URL is in yet another /. thread...click it...buy a disc...make me famous too!
What's more likely, you sitting at a tech job, dreaming about being on tour - or being on stage, dreaming about sitting at a tech job?
My ex's favorite saying in such cases was "Do something, even if it's wrong." There are few things you can't quit.
My own take on such things is from Kurt Vonnegut: "Strange travel suggestions are dancing lessons from god." I usually take them. Some times it's not to my benefit, but I'm always glad I did it.
"I may be synthetic, but I'm not stupid." -- Bishop 341-B
Dear slashdot:
Should I go out in the world travelling doing something I love at a time in my life when I have no commitments other than work, or should I stay chained to my desk job for fear of losing it? Oh yeah, and there aren't any groupies at the desk job.
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I went to Japan to teach english after being laid off and it was the time of my life. GO NOW! Get out of the dulrums of 9 to 5 for a while and live a little.
I'm single and have no kids or major commitments, but I do not want to destroy my IT career either for the future. I can't get unbiased advice where I am, so perhaps Slashdot can lend me some wisdom?"
Go for it. Explaining "I got an offer to tour with a band and deicded to eithe r become the next Kieth rigchards or just get it out of my system" shouldn't cause any problems.
Six months is a huge chunk of time to be out from a career that moves as fast as IT. You'll spend six months overseas, eating crappy food and sleeping in fleabag hotels, then you'll get back here to the good 'ol USA and NEVER be able to land an IT job, and be stuck flipping burgers or washing cars for the rest of your life.
In fact, I feel SO strongly about this that I'm willing to give up my cushy, secure IT job and go to Europe in your place, just so you won't have any nagging feelings that you're letting people down. Just send me the contact info and put in a good word for me.
No need to thank me... knowing that I've helped you make the proper choice is reward enough.
I am NOT a man!
I am a free number!
I'm single and have no kids or major commitments
It's the perfect time in your life to do this. Have fun!
I'd rather try and fail than not try at all (I'm also a musician stuck in an IT job). If you don't go for it you'll always wonder what would have happened if you had. If you do it and end up back at a desk in three months, at least you won't have to ask yourself "what if?" every day for the rest of your life.
The loneliest words you'll ever know,
If only, if only it were so.
The emptiest words that there'll ever be,
It could've been me. It could've been me -- Jim Steinman
You can't get unbiased advice where you are, so you come to Slashdot?
Isn't that like going to a pro-choice rally for abortion advice?
RomSteady - I came, I saw, I tested. GamerTag: RomSteady / http://www.romsteady.net
...because you're far more likely to get laid as a roadie than as a programmer. :-P
I asked my new boss if I could have time off for it. He let me go. Of course this is a bit different, since he knew I'd be back, and fairly soon. But part of my sales pitch was that this was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity (more for them than for me, of course), and he was sympathetic about that. This from a guy who literally wore a suit and tie every day.
If you can't get them to hold your job for you (and I can certainly see why they'd be reluctant), I think that most future would-be employers - certainly the ones you'd want to work for - would be quite understanding about you taking time off from IT to take a shot at something else. That's not a 4-month "hole" in your resume; it's 4 months of life experience. If the touring gig falls through, explain that it was something you wanted to try, it didn't work out, and you're ready to get back to your first love: stultifying IT drudgery. :) Even if you didn't feel comfortable telling a certain prospective employer what you were really doing (say, applying for a job with the Coalition Against Contemporary Music) 4 months is still a smaller hole than the one in my resume from being laid off last year... and not doing anything or going anywhere.
If you go for it, you may someday look back at this opportunity and regret how it turned out. But if you don't, you will look back and regret not taking it.
http://alternatives.rzero.com/
You know a lot of people say you shouldn't take these breaks, be it to travel or in your case follow a dream I guess. But from what I've seen when people return they rapidly make up and end up profiting from the time away because they've become more rounded individuals (this is esp. valuable in the "autistic as standard" I.T. community). Ignore the doom and gloom merchants and bear in mind two additional things. (i) The IT market is very volatile atm, thus *everyone's* CV is going to be slightly out of whack about from what IBM companymen there are still in existence. (ii) When it comes to interviews, potential bosses and HR people actually like to meet people who have something interesting (perhaps a little glamorous) to talk about. So in conclusion, don't be held back. Life is short afterall.
Really dude...if you're reading this far down and still don't know then you need more help than what we can provide.
I got the order right - first the band and touring europe for a couple of years, then the wife, then the "real" job. That seems to be the most prevalent pattern in the biz. If you've got an opportunity to go tour now and don't have any reason other than some software job to stay, you need to get the hell off of your ass and on a plane.
I'm 35 now and cherish the experience of playing in a band on tour. It's not easy, smells bad, and you stand a better chance of getting your ass kicked by bouncers (little disputes with club owners over compensation) than you do of getting laid.
Still, it's the best job there is. I was never fond of recording, but getting on-stage for 50 or 10,000 people and playing music for a living is absolutely one of the best experiences of my life. I can't imagine not doing it.
why are you still reading this? You should be packing.
You have the chance to go out in persuit of Eurobooty and get paid to do it?
My advice GO. GO NOW. Don't look back. Everyone and their brother gets to toil away at the regular jobs (provided that they have them) you have the chance to live a dream. If the people offering you this are on the level, go. Seriously, I can't believe you even have to think about it. No kids, no woman, no ties. Get the hell out of here and do your thing!
LK
"Hi. This is my friend, Jack Shit, and you don't know him." - Lord Kano
Just go. A four-month hole in a resume is nothing. It's easy to cover as well. I don't even list months on my resume. Plus, I'd be tempted to just list it on your resume. It makes you stand out.
Well?
I think it is always better to regret
the cooler thing.
--
batz
You should weigh the options before you.
1. Bid your bandmates farewell and head back to your cubicle. Then ponder what could have been on your peanut butter and jelly lunch breaks.
2. Ask your employer for a leave of absence, and hit the road with the crew.
I gotta say, from where I am sitting now, I would have loved to have taken my chance back when it was a viable option.
I shoulda been the guitarist for The Razor Mephistos. But I chose the sensible route... I stayed at home and my crappy little job. Back then I was a stockman at a grocery store, but it was a safe and "sensible" thing to do.
I regret not heading off to the great unknown.
Life is WAY to short to regret.
Besides, a little time gap in a resume never hurt anyone. After all, you will have gained immeasurably from your life experiences.
Go for it dude!
As someone from the business you want to get into, my first instinct is to tell you that you really don't want to tour, it's too much work, you'll hate it...blah blah blah. It's rather common for people in this business to say that kind of stuff, kinda to puff themselves up really, and I've been known to do it, but I'm just warning you now, that you will probably here that type of argument from people in the business. Secondly, what experience do you have in this field? Although I don't know what you'll be doing (there certainly is an increased need for IT guys out there, but that's a whole other story) make sure you know what you're getting into. Being a fan of Almost Famous doesn't count. Seriously though, if you get a chance, see if you can do some shows, and some work for the band, doing what you'll be doing on the road for some one off or local shows before committing to a tour. There are several sites on the web, including forums, dedicated to the field of touring and event production. At least 3 come to mind right away. I would highly recommend checking several of them out, and becoming a member there. The advice could be priceless. (Buy socks for example...more than you think you would ever use...don't clean em, just buy em) But really, if you wanna do it, just do it. You'll learn, and you could even show an experienced roaddog a trick or two. Nothing will quite make up for the experience, but you definitely want to prepare yourself for it as best as possible. -Mikey P
This is pretty redundant but a few months missing on your resume is not a big deal.
Follow your dreams, you can reach your goals, I'm living proof. Beefcake. BEEFCAKE!!!
Seriously though, I'm leaving the IT field and moving to Florida (from Missouri) to become a high school history teacher. That's what I wanted to do all along but my parents talked me out of it, money being their primary concern. Working in IT was ok, but now that I'm doing what I want I've been SO much happier.
Go for it and don't look back.
I think you're taking a big chance if you go on tour. I do recognize that it gets harder to do things like this as you get older (my wife and 8-month-old boy have restricted my free time, but it's worth it). However, let me describe a friend of mine.
.com bust, depressed job market, and offshoring, meant that he's now competing with lots of highly qualified people to find a job, and not having much luck. If he hadn't married an accountant he probably would have lost his house.
My friend John has a band that plays original progressive rock (like old Yes, Rush, etc.) He is a very good bass player, and has a collection of custom-made 7- and 8-string basses by Bill Conklin - one of them a doubleneck that made it into Bass Player magazine.
John and I both left pretty safe but infuriating and stagnant jobs at a large software company about the same time. I went to a startup consulting company, and John went to another company. The main difference is that John focused on building out a basement recording studio so he could make a 2-CD set with his band; whereas although I'm a musician as well (different music though), I focused on learning as much as possible about relevant technologies.
John subsequently got laid off, and spent some time outside the IT industry without upgrading his skills. That, in combination with the
I'm not saying you shouldn't follow your dream, but do recognize that your choices affect your own self-interests, and that your self-interests later in life are just as valid as the ones now. Furthermore, your interests will (and should) change over time... all part of getting older and wiser.
My $.02.
Read my keyboard review.
I left (not layed-off) IT several times to be both a prison guard and an fdny fireman, because I was curious about other aspects of the world. I'm now a fireman and have to say it's probably the best choice I ever made. I make a lot less money than I did in IT but as long as I rid myself of my debts (I haven't yet :)) I should be a-o-k. But I have the free time to study IT and I've reentered IT on a consulting basis.
So I think that there shouldn't even be a question or regret in your mind. Seems like a lot of the responses are in the same vein anyway. Many say talk to your employer FIRST, to see what you can work out - I'd say talk AFTER you make your commitment to go abroad so even if he throws money at you that doesn't influence your decision.
Besides, if your band travels to india you may be able to resume your job search...
Well you talk about a hole in your resume, the question is will you be a musician or are you doing tech related stuff for a band. If you are then there would be no hole in your resume, plus if you tour overseas you could always find employment at a New Delhi call center....
Sig removed by order of FBI Patriot ACT
I myself am stuck in a low level IT position, if i had a chance to go out and play, i would, as it is, i don't even have time for practice.
However, when faced with decisions like these i always remeber this quote:
"Nothing done out of fear has any moral value".
So choose one, before you know it, you might not have the steady job nor the opportunity to travel.
Screw the IT industry! IT is a boot that connects with your groin again and again. I am in a job that I hate and have no credibility because I am honest and these poor business people have been bulls!@#ted for so long they don't know which end is up. Time keeps vindicating me though :)
I used to play in bands and sold guitars for a living. I am currently making more money than I ever have, and I DON'T CARE. I am seriously considering going back into music, money be damned. That is after five years in IT.
Life is too short to sit in a windowless cubicle and click through error messages on Windows machines all f!@#ing day!
Run, boy! What do you want to do with yourself?
I WANNA ROCK!!!
Do you think that one day, when you're lying on your deathbed, that you'll be saying to yourself "wow I really wish I hadn't quit my fucking, boring IT job and done that music tour overseas...." If you think you will say that then you have your answer. I apply this to just about anything that involves a major life change and so far so good.
http://tinyurl.com/3t236
geez :-P
deathbed? wtf are you talking about? it's not like he's going to regret it the rest of his life whichever decision he makes.
You make thousands of decisions in your life, some good, some bad. In the end, you live with the choices you made.
If you really aren't that passionate about your job, and see it as a means of paying the bills, etc. quit. hell you found a job once, you can find another one again.
However, we may be lookin' at another 4 years of W. so maybe you are better off taking the tour.
They're not ALL going to India. A lot of business to value the local candidate for obvious reasons (local, speaka-englisha, skillful).
It's All Politics
Beginning in a round about way, the biggest mistake most college students make is not taking a year off before going to college. A year off working, travelling (if you can afford it), half-working-half-playing -- etc. The break is an important time to focus the mind temporarily towards the ultra-long term questions of where you want to end up and what you want to be doing when you end up there.
That kind of advice applies, I think, to many points in your life. When work isn't getting it together for you (and if you've been searching on the side, this seems to be the case for you as well) if you have the opportunity for "time away" in a half-fantasy world, I highly recommend it.
If you haven't had the chance to see what the life is like as a street busker / Great American Novel-writer / inspirational high school teacher / iron sculptor / Trans-American hiker / social worker / ___ , you will probably harbour a lot of illusions about it. If you think you have a pretty good idea from theoretical musing, go out and find some of those people, and tell them what you think their lives are like. Don't be surprised if you get flamed.
Maybe that life is for you, but the only way to know is to give it a shot. The danger of not following this advice is that you will find other, more destructive ways to "act out" your unrealized goals. Into this camp fall thousands of bitter people you have probably worked with / run into.
Depending on your career path -- and I think both tech and R&D fall into this category -- you can sometimes feel "streamed." A good amount of talent and hard work can throw up opportunity and advancement much faster than you can really form a distinct desire for them. In contrast to, say, writers, who may spend years before they see themselves making money from their output, tech and R&D people usually can get work in their field with far less effort -- you don't see many starving UNIX admins reading the AOCP in a garret.
The downside to this relative bounty is that it is quite possible to end up in a place that you once wanted, but that your desires have left.
After I didn't take a year off before college, I learned that lesson the hard way (and had a very unfocused freshman year.) Before going to grad school Ph. D. program, I found funding for a one year free-form masters where I did a bunch of the things I thought I might want to do instead. On either side of that, I spent a few months teaching high school and working alongside much older people who made a (not fantastic) income as artists. I came in with a much better attitude and understanding of a wider range of 'possible lives' than I would have otherwise.
Academia is generally much more tolerant of these sorts of things, but I have heard similar stories to mine from the private sector. Even if you do take a small hit in prestige points, you will easily win them back -- which is much better than a long, slow downward spiral.
Protect your liberties. Donate to the ACLU
I sold a domain name during the dot-com boom, and I suddenly found myself young, and with money. So I quitted my job and spent 10 months partying with "money-girls", alcohol and so on. When the money disappeared, I just started to find a job again. In the job interviews, I used to say that "I've been working in Europe". Nobody checked a damn thing. It took me 2 weeks to find another job. And man, in my country is IS hard to find a job! So lie, lie all you can! Lie so badly, that no one wouldn't ever think you aren't telling the truth!
Now I am sad.
Especially since the problem with adventures tends to be that financing them is somewhat prohibitive. He at least has the promise of SOME money coming to him for his work. If I knew I was changing jobs I'd totally go for this.
+++ATH0
You should listen to yourself carefully. You just said it in your description, the job is fairly dull but pays well. Not everyone has opportunities such as this nor are they able to step one foot in that direction because they are tied down to family, friends, job, etc. If you are under 30 you should do it because you are still young. If you are over 30 you should do it because you might not have this opportunity again. Consider your accomplishment in IT as an example of what you can accomplish in other areas. If it doesn't work out at least you have the experience to go back into IT or go on other tours. from someone who is doing the same thing...:)
Do not even consider staying. GO!
don't worry about the 'dubious hole' in your resume. Take a laptop with you and contribute to an open source project while you're on tour, that way you can play with the band AND stay on track with your career. If and when you come back, you can put the open source work you did on your resume, and maybe omit the touring stuff if you think it won't do you good, although as some poster said previously, it says you have good team working skills, etc etc.
Go hug some trees.