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Where to Go After a Lifetime in IT?
Pikoro asks: "I have been working in the IT field for the past 20 years or so, and after getting hired by the largest financial company in the world, I thought I might have finally found a place to retire from. However, after working here for almost a year, I find myself, not exactly burnt out, but longing for a complete career field change. It's not that doing IT related tasks aren't fun anymore, but they have become more 'work' than 'play' over the last few years. Since all of my experience has been IT related, I'm not sure where I could go from here. What would you consider doing for a living, after being in a single field for so long?"
If you can get past the mess, I've found a lot of geeks are also good at fixing cars. Similarly complex systems that all work together, required trouble shooting of various systems, etc.
The nice part is it's a useful skill in every day life, and if nothing else you might know when someone is going to rip you off at the local auto shop.
Sometimes it's simply a matter of finding the right company for you. There are so many different companies offering so many different career experiences in general. Finding one that isn't right for you may make you think you want to do something completely different when in reality you may just need a better boss, more flexible hours or more (or less) human interaction time. I'd look around at what else is close by before you make a leap in (potentially) the wrong direction.
Well, back to rejecting software patent applications.
I read this story on kuro5hin about someone on IT who went on to become a bike messenger. I'm not sure it would fit you, but it is a physical job and it is clearly not stressful. I am not sure how much someone like you earns, but I guess you probably have a lot of savings, so you could try anything you like. Other lame possibilities include "writing" a book, becoming a critic for some obscure thing that you always loved (say, a cheese specialist). For what it's worth, I like cooking, but I've heard it's stressful.
If you're looking for a complete change, try a physical job (not necessarily manual labor as in "construction worker"), one that requires you to use your body.
P.This is exactly why you're not supposed to choose a hobby as a career. Careers are meant to be something you're good at, and can stand doing, but not something you want to do for fun. What happens when you do something you enjoy over and over again? You stop enjoying it. You need to learn to separate your hobbies from your skills. Well, I guess it's a bit too late for that.
Blerg.
That's insane, if you can't live comfortably on at least half of that and save the rest then you need to investigate which bills are really needed and which ones aren't. Get a smaller house, move 2 miles down the road where the property values are 30% less, don't eat out 5 nights a week, whatever.
100k is plenty of money if you know how to spend it.
Funny, I work with a guy who did the exact opposite.
Perception is the thin dividing line between reality and fiction.
Talk about synchronicity, I was just thinking about this exact same question before I sat down and opened up /. I am a consultant, .NET / C# programmer, in Phoenix, AZ. I got bored with what I was doing, and thought that being a consultant and never taking more then a 6 month contract would be the best thing, as I would always have a new challenge on my plate. Been consulting for over 2 years now, programming for over 10. And am really bored with it.
.02
What to do next is a huge question for me. I make > $100k/year, and have no college education. Unfortunately, I have become accustomed to the lifestyle that I lead, and my bills won't go away just because I take a job that pays less. While consulting was a quick 'fix', I find that no matter where I go, it's the same over and over again. *shrug* Just my
The sky above the port was the color of television, tuned to a dead channel...
According to the cost of rate calculators on line, $100k in NYC is closer to $40k-$50K in Kansas. And that is comparing Rural KS to downtown Manhattan. Live across the bridge in NJ, or outside of manhattan and still in NY it gets even closer (50k in KS is less than 75K in Newark). What you do with your money is up too you of course, but being able to send you kids to college when making $100k is not a difficult task (assuming you have a reasonable number of children, which is 2 or less for those that want to know). But then again why would you live in New York if you had the choice.
My friend left IT to become an MBA. He's graduating this quarter, and will be doubling his old salary. In his own words, he wanted to make the transition from the person writing the reports to the person requesting the reports. Of course, whether or not he'll achieve that as a consultant is debatable, but hey, he still doubled his salary and gets a change of pace. The two years he spent in the mba program served as a nice break from reality as well. Or as he would say, "Grad school is the snooze bar on the alarm clock of life."
$25K in Kansas? If you can only pull down 25K, you are working at McDonalds or something. Heck, I work for a County Government (in Kansas no less) and make $43K, and that is way below private sector wages.
Not long ago, before I decided to be all civic minded and work for the government, I was making $70K managing a 4 person programming shop.
$100K/year is not that hard to find either. So, basically, you don't know what you're talking about wrt wages in flyover country.
The Tao that can be spoken is not the one eternal Tao
'Whether you're rich and comfortable or not, when you're lying on your deathbed, are you going to think back on your life and say "if only I had tried this" or "I may not have done everything I wanted, but I gave it my best shot?"'
Bingo! I actually have a name for this: the Deathbed Rule. When faced with a choice in life, choose the path that will lead to good deathbed memories and no regrets.
By following this rule, I've done things that many might consider foolish - quit jobs to go travelling, spending months in other countries, and so forth. These days, I'm a contractor and I make it a rule to keep several months a year aside for fun stuff, even if that consists of just lazing around, spending time with my girlfriend and reading books, as I've done these past few weeks.
By not following the Deathbed Rule, I'd probably have more money saved, but an absolute dearth of worthy life experiences - I'd have lived a "normal" life until now. What a terrible thought.
That's funny -- I'm in the middle of the pack in progammer salaries, and my brother, an auto mechanic (Ford Senior Master Mechanic -- basically certified to work on anything but the hybrids) and a college dropout but has consistently made more than I have for the last decade. (hell, he was making 2x what I was, 'till I switched companies a few months ago).
... oh -- and when a component of an electrical system fails -- someone has to pull it out. And those little diagnostic computers aren't nearly as useful as you think they are. (One dealership had me keep one for a few weeks, while they tried to diagnose a random stalling problem ... I'd have taken it to my brother, but I lived 600 miles away at the time)
The thing is, for some mechanics, they don't get paid by the hour. Well, they do, but not the number of hours they work -- the number of hours the estimator gave. So, it's not uncommon for my brother to get paid for 80hrs in a week. He's good at diagnosing, and getting cars fixed and back out the door. He typically works 2 stalls at once, so as he's waiting for parts for one or for fluids to drain, he can work on the other. Yes, he has to work on Saturdays once a month -- but he's never gotten paged at 2am for a downed mail server, and there's no chance of him getting outsourced as they need people near where the cars break, not 1/2 way across the globe.
The problem is, he's come to realize that there aren't too many old mechanics -- their backs go out after a while. I'm guessing that someone who's been in IT for 20 years might not be in the best shape for bending over an engine block all day.
Personally, if I were to look at the automotive side of things, I'd look at getting certified on Hybrids -- I don't know what it'd take, but it's my understanding that there aren't that many folks who are rated to work on 'em, so it might be a useful opening.
Build it, and they will come^Hplain.
Poker makes an excellent 2nd career for IT personel:
1. You're your own boss.
2. No physical or athletic requirements.
3. Lots of probability math to wrap your head around.
4. You can work from home if you like, or from a variety of physical locations.
5. No retirement age.
6. If you're either very good or very lucky, you can be on TV.
I bet I get moderated "funny," but I'm perfectly serious.
I am gone from my previous IT job. Two years gone now. My goal now is to learn what I should have learned instead of wasting time during the endless 12-14 hour days performing IT work. And I LOVE heretic's list! Life is too good not to enjoy every second of it!
So my list reads like
. Clean house really clean - ongoing task
. Learn Latin
. Learn Greek
. Review Math - learn ins and outs of slide rules - working on a little article/book here.
. Find my old friends and learn what they like. I now have new hobbies from this.
. Eat healthy, lots of antioxidants
. Assemble electronic kits and build it myself over buying on basic electronic items.
Currently I am on a Grand Jury. This is very interesting. Three month term for three days a week. Reviews District Attorney felony cases and evaluates if sufficient cause exists to go to trial. A great chance once in a while to practice your persuasion skills. Unlike a trial, we jurors can question the witnesses and detective presenter. We are treated quite well. Our break room refrigerator has a whole shelf of chocolate milk, another of white milk, finally one of apple juice. I can recommend this, contact your local District Attorney office. In Texas they are happy to take your name and put you on a voi dire list.
Thanks,
Jim
I experienced the exact same thing after being in IT for 15 years... I've done a complete 180, and have gone back to school and am going for my Psychology Degree and I am loving every minute of it. Should have done it 4 years ago to tell the truth... I just lost the passion for IT that I used to have. My career became a "job" the same way that someone working at McDonalds serving food would feel about their job.
But then again, it's not really that uncommon to go for a career change... My girlfriend went from 20 years of being a cardiology RN to being a tattoo artist.
Both of us are happy and enjoying life again.
Just find something that you are interested in, and go for it. Sometimes is means lifestyle changes, moving to a smaller place, perhaps a smaller car, etc., but it does let you rediscover the important things in life. And I tell you, it's nice not having that cellphone/pager going off all the time.
Best decision I ever made, and the my girlfriend feels the same way.
Cheers,
Xyst
By not following the Deathbed Rule, I'd probably have more money saved, but an absolute dearth of worthy life experiences - I'd have lived a "normal" life until now. What a terrible thought.
You obviously don't know any old people. I've heard the "you never wish you spend more time at work" when laying on your deathbed, but I've heard many, many (nearly all) dying people mutter something to that effect. They all wished they had just a little more money. Whether it was to leave to their loved ones, provide a more comfortable end for themselves, or what, I've never heard anyone say "I would be happy to be homeless now in exchange for the chance to go back and take that one trip between high school and college." After all, a $2000 summer before college (and another $2000 of lost wages at a crap job) would turn into almost $500,000 by the time that person died, if they invested it rather than spending it. Was that one $2000 trip worth $500,000? For some yes, for most, no. But then, few are the people that would toss that into an investment and just let it sit there for that many years.
So, when you are laying on your deathbed in a state hospital you didn't select getting care from underpaid attendants at a horrible patient to worker ratio and you can't even afford to get an occasional candy bar from the vending machine, just think what two trips long ago for a $1,000,000 difference in resources is a regret or cherished memories well worth the $1,000,000 they cost you.
Learn to love Alaska
I don't think it needs to be that complete, even. I made an incomplete switch, personally.
There are a lot of areas where you can take your massive IT experience, knowledge and skills, combine them with personal interests, and be extremely valuable to an organization. 3 years ago next week, I bailed out of hardcore IT after 15 years, including several in the dot-com world. Took my skill set and resumé and got involved in government-funded academic stuff dealing with natural sciences and science policy.
I don't do it full-time, so overall it pays significantly less than the low 6 figures I peaked at during my dot-com days. But I travel all over the world (I'm +12h from home right now), meet tons of interesting people (astronauts, Nobel laureates, cabinet-level people, etc.), and spend fairly little time doing onerous stuff like the "laying on of hands" when a colleague's Windows laptop is ill. My cumulative IT experience is now something I "keep handy, just in case it's needed."
When people ask what I do now, I just tell 'em that I make sure some small portion of their taxes is spent on worthwhile things, instead of hookers for beltway types.
Maybe the OP should consider doing something similar - being a "soft IT" type in a non-IT organization.
Village idiot in some extremely smart villages.
If the company you are at would pay for higher education, you could invest in getting a degree in business or management (or something related, but fun). Given your experience, you could easily get into being a market consultant or analyst at one of the top firms. Or you could get into strategy consulting, which also pays very well. A few years in strategy consulting and you could easily get on the board at one of the smaller companies.
And if neither of these appeals to you, a startup is the way to go. It's fun, it's interesting and you can do some very interesting things. Besides, you get to work your hours and get to do it *your* way - the freedom is awesome (speaking from personal experience, yes).
Finally, you could always go back to school and do a PhD in something you like - and go into academia and research.
And oh, remember that if you are in technology, there are only a couple of options - you either go into research or academia, or you go with your own startup (otherwise, sooner or later, you either get tired of the job or run the risk of being replaced by younger people). If those do not appeal to you, business or management is the way to go.
I live in Canada, so I pay $54.00 a month for health coverage. I pay for dental work as I need it - cleanings, basically (I am fortunate in that I've never had a cavity). I may purchase some form of extended health coverage at some point here, which would be the usual death and dismemberment stuff.
When I travel, I purchase travel insurance, which normally costs around a dollar a day. My provincial insurance covers me in the US to some degree, so when I go down there, I don't bother purchasing extra.
Here are some other hints to having the well-paid, yet lots of free time lifestyle:
1. Have someone else arrange your contracts for you. In other words, contract out to a contracting company, and have them subcontract you. I have a one year contract with a place that does just that. The advantages: you don't have to arrange the business stuff, pound the pavement to find contracts, etc., and you aren't legally liable if the relationship goes sour. The downside is you'll earn somewhat less.
2. Work at home. I collaborate with the other contractors on a given project online. I've never even met any of the clients. We do everything via Skype, pretty much. Skype is absolutely essential for this lifestyle, as it's ubiquitous and everyone seems to use it. The Linux client sort of sucks, unfortunately, so I switched to OS X.
By working at home, I free up a huge amount of time for fun stuff. I typically get up around 6:45 and shuffle over to the computer. By 1:00-2:00 or so, I'm finishing up for the day.
3. Learn Java and the current "hot" frameworks and libraries. I'm pretty lukewarm towards Java as it's not a terribly exciting language. However, it is the unofficial server-side standard. Learn it well, and you'll be turning away work on a regular basis. Because it's got a low barrier to entry, there are a ton of terrible Java programmers out there. If you can distinguish yourself with clean designs and implementations, and deliver in a reasonable fashion, then you'll be worth your weight in gold.
4. Communicate well and often. If you can write well, and lay out progress, designs, docs, etc. in a clean and concise fashion, clients will love you. Good communication skills are beyond crucial.
If they're a completely ethical company, confining themselves to ethical investments, with top-level consideration for their staff's welfare, completely honest and up-front in their marketing and treatment of clients/customers, then I'd be less inclined to screw them. But if they're the average fscktard employer and corporation run by a pack of MBAs with broomsticks up their back passages, constantly getting more value from their staff than they pay for, and screwing their client base as far as they can get away with, then IMHO they're Fair Game (TM)
-- In the beginning was the WORD, and the WORD was UNSIGNED, and the main(){} was without form and void...
Reminds me of an old quote - "You're not old until regret take the place of your dreams".
Remember what it was like in IT after the dot com bubble? The real estate bubble is _FAR_ bigger in terms of total amount of silly misdirected money and so it is likely the fallout will be bigger, too.
I sit in an office full of geeks who go home and play on computers after hour.
Me? I go home and rennovate the house (or plan for the next house we are building in the country).
I go around and help out friends on projects they are doing on weekends. I'm getting involved in a
volunteer program at a ski resort I have been to for years. I have in the past taught swimming, I have
worked as a lecturer at university (so there is teaching experiece to draw on).
In IT I've played architect, support person, programmer, trainer, tech doc writer.
Jack of all trades, master of none - maybe true. But Jack was never unemployed, bored or
wondering 'where to next'.
Do stuff because you are curious about how it works. Do stuff because you can't understand it and
want to. Do stuff for fun and follow up on all those things you think 'I wonder what that is like'.
You may just find your next career.
Now, back to finding out what the *&@*@k is happening with those user sessions and that *@&*@&king firewall!
In my next incarnation, I hope to come back as a code monkey.