I don't know if anyone has had the same experience but I've found that although I like doing a bit of programming at home (when I have an idea about something and I want to implement it out of curiosity) as an actual job I hate it with a passion.
What I hate about it is
1) No control over what I make
2) Finding bugs
3) The continual process of trial and error involved in fixing bugs
4) Trying to work out what someone else's code is supposed to be doing
5) Making things that are of no interest to me
6) Feeling like a replaceable cog in a machine
7) Getting no thanks for completing a project. (All the praise goes to the producers and sometimes the artists).
It seems there are two kinds of people. People who work as programmers, the ones who love bugs and the ones who swear at their computers.
I have worked in web programming, game programming and flash programming and hated them all!
What I do like is talking to the artists. That's quite fun. I like writing too. And am average at drawing.
Now I'm in my 30s and I feel like I don't have any transferable skills to do a different kind of job. Plus I've got loads of gaps in my CV since I keep quitting jobs because they drive me stir-crazy.
I think I would like a job organising and helping people in some way. But I don't know what. Maybe a conference organiser or something to do with the environment.
My question is: Has anyone here quit the IT industry and found that they are happier in another job. If so what was it?
Quitting programming as a job!
Quote:Original post by animator
My question is: Has anyone here quit the IT industry and found that they are happier in another job. If so what was it?
I left it for 6 years and worked in a restaurant with my family. And I was quite happy with it until it ended. Then I came back to the city and started working on IT again and discovered that while office work sucks big time, I'm quite good at what I do...
I believe that's what professional pride is all about, being good at what you do, whatever that is. It makes me happy.
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I'm not terrible and not brilliant at programming. But I hate it soooooooooo much. The thought of going back to it. Sitting at a desk for hours on end. I know I would quit within a week. I feel like I'm in a prison doing a punishment!
For some reason I thought I would like it.
All my best friends are programmers and they love it. But I don't understand why they do.
I look at people like fitness instructors and envy their jobs, they look so free.
For some reason I thought I would like it.
All my best friends are programmers and they love it. But I don't understand why they do.
I look at people like fitness instructors and envy their jobs, they look so free.
sounds like you don't want to be a programmer
kudos for realizing it and wanting to change
go find something you love, and do it :)
your programmer friends love their jobs for the same reason fitness instructors love their jobs
kudos for realizing it and wanting to change
go find something you love, and do it :)
your programmer friends love their jobs for the same reason fitness instructors love their jobs
Unless you work for yourself, you'll be constrained by other peoples rules and given very little freedom no matter what you do.
I don't like bugs either, I don't like tracking them. I like programming though because I get to create things. When I think about how I like programming, its not because of what I do at work, it's what I do in my spare time. I started my programming career as a hobby and moved it to job only 11 years ago, after about 14 years as a hobby.
At work, I get enough freedom to design the solution to the problem we're trying to solve, so that's the bit I enjoy. I have many other restrictions in my day job which I rebel against by writing games at night, in my own style, my own way, with noone to tell me what to do :)
I don't like bugs either, I don't like tracking them. I like programming though because I get to create things. When I think about how I like programming, its not because of what I do at work, it's what I do in my spare time. I started my programming career as a hobby and moved it to job only 11 years ago, after about 14 years as a hobby.
At work, I get enough freedom to design the solution to the problem we're trying to solve, so that's the bit I enjoy. I have many other restrictions in my day job which I rebel against by writing games at night, in my own style, my own way, with noone to tell me what to do :)
If you still like/tolerate programming but don't like being a peon, consider working for a small company or going freelance. Freelancing is of course the more difficult route. Working for a smaller company means you get to make more of the decisions. Of course, if you want to make all of the decisions, that's called freelancing! And then you will likely find that you don't want to make all the decisions. Small companies split the difference between making all the decisions and not making any at all.
You should note that, even if you are the only person in the entire "IT department," you will still have to deal with numbers 2, 3, 4, and to some degree 5 and 7 on your list.
Sometimes the only thanks you will get is just knowing that you're awesome.
Of course, if you're not awesome it isn't wrong to change career paths.
You should note that, even if you are the only person in the entire "IT department," you will still have to deal with numbers 2, 3, 4, and to some degree 5 and 7 on your list.
Sometimes the only thanks you will get is just knowing that you're awesome.
Of course, if you're not awesome it isn't wrong to change career paths.
Hm, I'm the opposite, it seems. For me, I enjoy fixing bugs. To me, it's like a puzzle "Why isn't this working the way it should?" and I investigate the cause. The end result is similar, I feel momentarily rewarded with a "I'm a genius! I figured out the problem!" feeling as in solving puzzles. I think I actually prefer fixing other people's problems, or optimizing code, than creating something new.
Another thing is that I'm deaf, so having work that don't require much communication is nice for me.
Why do some quantum scientists enjoy their work? The math hurts my brain. Each person have their own preferences of what "work" is like. For me, programming is my perfect work. Sorry, I'm up late, and I may be rambling...
Another thing is that I'm deaf, so having work that don't require much communication is nice for me.
Why do some quantum scientists enjoy their work? The math hurts my brain. Each person have their own preferences of what "work" is like. For me, programming is my perfect work. Sorry, I'm up late, and I may be rambling...
From your list, most points are not exclusive to programming:
Where/when *do* you have, except as a self-employed person or as a dropout? And even they must fit to the market or goat situation (if you use goats for food when you are a dropout, I mean).
Many jobs on the world focus on fixing bugs, e.g. shoemaker or mechanic.
Sucks to me, too. But many jobs often have this not only in fixing things, but all day.
Same for an electrican.
To me, most jobs (except for forest ranger, maybe) are less interesting than a programming job.
Applies to everyone.
Applies to everyone, even in health and environment. Have you ever thanked the guy that carries away trash from your local park?
Some (me? who knows) consider that every job sucks, and no job at all sucks even more, professional programming is therefore a choice of least evil to them.
Personally, if I ever give up professional programming, I would tend to the outside world, where there are rabbits and squirrels and forests, e.g. ranger would be cool. I think I would not give up home-coding and my pet-projects even then, though. Being inside all day indeed sucks at times. Especially in winter, summer, spring and autumn :D
Quote:Original post by animator
1) No control over what I make
Where/when *do* you have, except as a self-employed person or as a dropout? And even they must fit to the market or goat situation (if you use goats for food when you are a dropout, I mean).
Quote:2) Finding bugs
Many jobs on the world focus on fixing bugs, e.g. shoemaker or mechanic.
Quote:3) The continual process of trial and error involved in fixing bugs
Sucks to me, too. But many jobs often have this not only in fixing things, but all day.
Quote:4) Trying to work out what someone else's code is supposed to be doing
Same for an electrican.
Quote:5) Making things that are of no interest to me
To me, most jobs (except for forest ranger, maybe) are less interesting than a programming job.
Quote:6) Feeling like a replaceable cog in a machine
Applies to everyone.
Quote:7) Getting no thanks for completing a project. (All the praise goes to the producers and sometimes the artists).
Applies to everyone, even in health and environment. Have you ever thanked the guy that carries away trash from your local park?
Quote:My question is: Has anyone here quit the IT industry and found that they are happier in another job. If so what was it?
Some (me? who knows) consider that every job sucks, and no job at all sucks even more, professional programming is therefore a choice of least evil to them.
Personally, if I ever give up professional programming, I would tend to the outside world, where there are rabbits and squirrels and forests, e.g. ranger would be cool. I think I would not give up home-coding and my pet-projects even then, though. Being inside all day indeed sucks at times. Especially in winter, summer, spring and autumn :D
Tried professional programming. Hated it, and wouldn't do it again unless it was something really special/fun or a niche area.
The politics and culture of professional software development really put me off in particular but the worst part was people sneering at you because you went to university, even though they did too - fair enough university doesn't teach you everything, but it does at least teach you a "correct" and structured way of doing things. If you handed in some professional code for an academic assignment, odds are you'll either fail or get a desperately low mark because it's usually an incomprehensible, tangled kludgy mess - but the bullshit politics precludes you from discussing it with anyone because the original author is obviously and arbitrarily the best.
The big issue is that you're pretty much doomed to a life of programming with a computing related degree, but it's the one area where a degree isn't really necessary :/ It's a funny old world.
The politics and culture of professional software development really put me off in particular but the worst part was people sneering at you because you went to university, even though they did too - fair enough university doesn't teach you everything, but it does at least teach you a "correct" and structured way of doing things. If you handed in some professional code for an academic assignment, odds are you'll either fail or get a desperately low mark because it's usually an incomprehensible, tangled kludgy mess - but the bullshit politics precludes you from discussing it with anyone because the original author is obviously and arbitrarily the best.
The big issue is that you're pretty much doomed to a life of programming with a computing related degree, but it's the one area where a degree isn't really necessary :/ It's a funny old world.
Thank you gamedev. Thanks to threads like this many years ago I do not have a programming degree right now; thanks for sharing your missteps with me, because im quite sure I would hate a programming job with a passion as well.
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