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Ask Slashdot: Getting My Wife Back Into Programming After Long Maternity Leave?

Posted by Soulskill on from the back-in-the-saddle dept.

An anonymous reader writes: My wife has been on a maternity leave for three years, now. She is starting to think about refreshing her coding skills and looking for a job. Before, she worked as a Java developer for around two years doing mostly Java Enterprise stuff. However, she is not very eager to go back to coding. I think she has the right mental skills to be a developer, but she is just not very passionate about coding or IT in general. On the other hand, it's relatively easier to find a job in IT than starting a new career.

We live in Spain, and with the current economic situation, the market for software developers is not great — but it's definitely better than other jobs. I there anything else she might do, ideally Java (but could be anything IT related) that would be easier and more fun than the typical Java Enterprise stuff, while also giving her a good change to find a decent job? (I'm a Java developer myself with many years of experience but mostly doing boring Java Enterprise stuff.)

3 of 250 comments (clear)

  1. Project Management or Business Analyst by ranton · · Score: 5, Informative

    Two great careers for software developers who don't really like writing software are project management and business analyst. Both are very necessary in almost any IT group, and having software development experience will be an asset in both. Analysts that can write SQL and fully understand object modeling are rare and valuable, as are project managers who understand the software development life cycle from the viewpoint of developers.

    --
    -- All that is necessary for the triumph of evil is that good men do nothing. -- Edmund Burke
  2. Re: Why force her to do something she doesn't want by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Informative

    Sometimes the reality of needing to eat and have housing supercede what people are passionate about. He's not asking for marital advice, he's asking for options hat she might enjoy more that will still put food on the table.

  3. Don't do it by Brownstar · · Score: 3, Informative

    First answer why does she want to go back to work? Is it because your family needs a second income, is it because she's bored at home and being a full time mother is not what she wants to do, something different, maybe she's looking for part time work. All of these are equally valid options, but before she decides to do something, she should understand why, to ensure that she's actually fulfilling those goals.

    Unless your family absolutely needs the extra money, and there is no option for any other employment why try to have her go into programming?

    She only had 2 years experience to begin with, so she's still an entry level developer. Basically that means going back to programming might as well be entering a new career as well.

    If she doesn't enjoy or want to be a developer it's more likely she's going to be very dissatisfied and not fulfilled.

    My suggestion would be to have her apply for a number of different types of jobs. Some that fulfill the reasons that she wants to go back into the work force that could be built into a career that she wants to be in, and maybe, developer positions as a last resort.