Personal future thoughts

[VolTeK]

Guys i have come to a cross roads on what id like to do for a living.

I understand, my child hood has started out, programming. I have had lots of fun programming as well.

All of a sudden however, i have come to a conclusion.. Id like to get a degree in law enforcement.

Has this happened where a teen starts out with a love and knowledge for one subject, completely switches to a different subject.

I wanted to go on and write drivers, and now want to go on as an officer. Ive done all the lifting im able to do (another interest and hobby i have, but ofcourse this isnt all the force is about, and its alot more work then its shown to be). Would it be normal to do this, or would it be smart to go on payed as a programmer (rather than having as hobby).

[OSwhatever]

You should do whatever you like to do.

I'm pretty much like you and I'm working professionally with SW development and I have often second thoughts about my career path. Working with SW development professionally often kills your personal projects because you're already fed up with SW development after the day and also you are tired.

If I would choose today I'm not sure what I would choose, maybe study law which is not too far from your decision.

However, my age is stopping me from changing my profession now and I will probably die very bitter.

[Solar]

Has this happened where a teen starts out with a love and knowledge for one subject, completely switches to a different subject.

During teenage years, usually you dream several dreams of what to do for a living once you grow up. My dreams included being a vetinerian, programmer, and fictional writer.

I studied to become a teacher, before opting out at the age of 25 and actually becoming a programmer.

I think that is perfectly normal. As you grow up, you learn more about yourself, about the reality of the world around you, and what it actually means to work in a given field.

[Brendan]

Hi,

Guys i have come to a cross roads on what id like to do for a living.

The unfortunate reality is that the "dream job" scenario only has 2 possible outcomes:

• You do get your "dream job" (possibly after years of boring training, etc) and then find out that what you thought the job would be like (e.g. driving around in police cars chasing people) is very different to what the job actually is like (e.g. filling in paperwork and doing 12 hour night shifts instead of having Christmas).
• You don't get your dream job (e.g. end up as a security guard or something, typically in an "until I find something better (that turns out worse)" way), and spend your life wishing you could do your dream job (without ever finding out that you'd hate your dream job if you actually got it).

Cheers,

Brendan

[bluemoon]

I would add a third possible outcome:
You get your dream job and it is so far so good, but it does not pay very well to go with the increased expense as you grow up. So to maintain "dream living style" you just withdraw the "dream job".

[Solar]

Generally speaking, very few people work the same kind of job from day one all the way to retirement. It's newbie - specialist - architect, or newbie - specialist - manager, or (in case of a law enforcement career) newbie - detective - lieutenant - captain.

From that perspective, it should be clear that, whatever your "dream job" might be, you will only be in that role for a limited amount of time.

Unless we're talking about "branch" type of dreams, of course. I dreamed to be in the team that writes the next AmigaOS, or at least the next great application. Instead I'm maintaining company-internal function libraries. But I'm quite happy where I am - a software engineer.

[VolTeK]

Thank you all for your tips, from what i can tell logically your scenarios would happen (as you all have more experience and are older)

Personally, i may end out in programming. I am usually not in the mood for programming, but i always come back to it. So it may be the path i take. To my understanding (and opinion) it may just be at a terminal in a cubical. Or managing software ill make (small chance)

Or teaching, i have had had thoughts about that as well (teach, and do). I want to (hope to) get a Ph. D. In it, and i know getting a masters is hard enough with huge journey. Everyone in my family has went to get a masters in history or English. Hopefully i can go a leap further.

Today i taught a kid how to convert decimal to hexadecimal by converting decimal to binary then to hexadecimal (easiest way in my opinion to do it the fastest) doesn't mean i am going to be the greatest teacher, but i spent 8 hours one day doing all of the conversions on paper and looking up tutorials. Now i am busy writing tutorials for boot loaders in fat12/16/32 and second stages. I expect it to be an extremely long process, but in all honesty (its to teach myself) like writing a paragraph per chapter in a book. (i do that too /:)

No i am not being modest, ill need help along the way of course, but maybe its a step in an attempt of a future as a teacher of some sort. (note, attempt). There's much more about CS id like to know, and in the fall, it starts.

[Colonel Kernel]

I want to share some career advice I've read that has helped me make some big decisions. A lot of people working as software engineers want to work on interesting projects and cool technology. However, that shouldn't be your highest priority in deciding what you want to do. The priorities should actually go like this:

1. Is the job going to be important to the business? In other words, is it some manager's pet project that could be cancelled at any time, or is it strategically important to the company? To put it another way, look for job security by working on something important.
2. Do you like the people you work with? Speaking from experience, I enjoy working with pretty good (above-average) and friendly people to working with geniuses that are total assholes.
3. Do you enjoy the kind of work that you do? This is about how you do your work day in and day out, whether you work alone or with other people, etc. If you like working in a team, maybe a job as an independent researcher wouldn't suit you, for example.
4. Is the technology cool? Note that this is last on the list.

Not sure if it helps you, but it's definitely helped me to find happiness in my work. I think the bottom line is that finding the "dream job" is more about finding the "dream" in your current job. Like Solar said, even if you find a dream job, it is only temporary, so you need to find what makes you happy no matter where you work.

[VolTeK]

Do you like the people you work with? Speaking from experience, I enjoy working with pretty good (above-average) and friendly people to working with geniuses that are total assholes.

To me, i believe it to be the most important aspect.

Sanity wise. I want to go to a university and get the fullest out of this possible, and find work, not being treated like i only went in to get my bachelors.

[OSwhatever]

I think you should design a product and a start company trying to sell it. For me that would be the most rewarding way to work.

Actually, I'm not too fond of this open source trend in the SW industry. It's great that there is lot of free software but it really makes it more difficult if you want to complete with your own commercial products. The industry felt better during the 90s where open source hadn't been established the yet. There was a lot of commercial products that you could buy, not too expensive.

Android for example is great and a natural step in order to fight big corps. Is that the only way to do it today?

[JackScott]

Android for example is great and a natural step in order to fight big corps.

You do realise that Android is primarily developed and supported by Google, one of the largest tech "big corps" in the world?

[OSwhatever]

Android for example is great and a natural step in order to fight big corps.

You do realise that Android is primarily developed and supported by Google, one of the largest tech "big corps" in the world?

Sort of yes. It was bought by Google, one of the best acquisitions ever.

[Thomas]

Hi GhostXoPCorp ,

I have turned once to Colonel for career advice , he gives good advice . Certain things I have learned .

I want to share some career advice I've read that has helped me make some big decisions. A lot of people working as software engineers want to work on interesting projects and cool technology. However, that shouldn't be your highest priority in deciding what you want to do. The priorities should actually go like this:

1. Is the job going to be important to the business? In other words, is it some manager's pet project that could be cancelled at any time, or is it strategically important to the company? To put it another way, look for job security by working on something important.
2. Do you like the people you work with? Speaking from experience, I enjoy working with pretty good (above-average) and friendly people to working with geniuses that are total assholes.
3. Do you enjoy the kind of work that you do? This is about how you do your work day in and day out, whether you work alone or with other people, etc. If you like working in a team, maybe a job as an independent researcher wouldn't suit you, for example.
4. Is the technology cool? Note that this is last on the list.

Not sure if it helps you, but it's definitely helped me to find happiness in my work. I think the bottom line is that finding the "dream job" is more about finding the "dream" in your current job. Like Solar said, even if you find a dream job, it is only temporary, so you need to find what makes you happy no matter where you work.

Generally I do managers pet project as a side project , ( so that he gives some $$$ at end of the review )
More often that not , you can change the way people react/treat you by the way you treat them, understanding cultural nuances does help !

The unfortunate reality is that the "dream job" scenario only has 2 possible outcomes:

* You do get your "dream job" (possibly after years of boring training, etc) and then find out that what you thought the job would be like (e.g. driving around in police cars chasing people) is very different to what the job actually is like (e.g. filling in paperwork and doing 12 hour night shifts instead of having Christmas).
* You don't get your dream job (e.g. end up as a security guard or something, typically in an "until I find something better (that turns out worse)" way), and spend your life wishing you could do your dream job (without ever finding out that you'd hate your dream job if you actually got it).

I belong to category 1 except that training period was actually one of the most memorable days of my life !. It does not really matter , the key to perpetual happiness is gratitude

--Thomas

[VolTeK]

I belong to category 1 except that training period was actually one of the most memorable days of my life !. It does not really matter , the key to perpetual happiness is gratitude

Ok, thanks ill take that into some more important consideration

[NickJohnson]

I really don't have much experience with careers (I'm still a student, and I don't have a job yet,) so I can't offer much of my own sage advice, but this conversation in a way reminded me of this quote (or really, two quotes):

"My mind," he said, "rebels at stagnation. Give me problems, give me work, give me the most abstruse cryptogram, or the most intricate analysis, and I am in my own proper atmosphere. I can dispense then with artificial stimulants. But I abhor the dull routine of existence. I crave for mental exaltation. That is why I have chosen my own particular profession, or rather created it, for I am the only one in the world." [...] "I cannot live without brainwork. What else is there to live for? Stand at the window here. Was ever such a dreary, dismal, unprofitable world? See how the yellow fog swirls down the street and drifts across the dun-coloured houses. What could be more hopelessly prosaic and material? What is the use of having powers, Doctor, when one has no field upon which to exert them? Crime is commonplace, existence is commonplace, and no qualities save those which are commonplace have any function upon earth."

I think this captures part of why I write code. But clearly it is about something else (law enforcement, quite fittingly.)