Has anyone else stepped away from computer job in later years

[Cheeky_James]

I did this a few years ago.
Resigned a career in a computer based analytical role from burn out , frustration and depression caused by.

Sitting in front of that screen all day long was hell.
I swear Human bodies and brains are not designed to do that!!

Software, emails , messenger, teams, forecasts. Actuals, quarterly plans, budgets, etc etc
FML and pls kill me

In a new “low skills” job role now with almost zero computer time and have to say, im a bit poorer but never happier.

anyone else made the career change?

 

[FlexpertHamilton]

No because if I work a job that does not allow me to utilize and expand my innate talents and skillsets, I feel like I'm wasting my time - because I am. Almost every single thing I have an aptitude or talent for requires using a computer. And this is not a comfort zzone issue, there are an infinite number of tech related skills to learn, and so having worked across different domains, I've found it intellectually challenging in its own way. WFH is also a requirement for me.

That said there are some outdoor jobs that sounds very appealing to me such as a firewatch or park ranger which I ought to look into more.

What job did you switch to?

 

[Cheeky_James]

No because if I work a job that does not allow me to utilize and expand my innate talents and skillsets, I feel like I'm wasting my time - because I am. Almost every single thing I have an aptitude or talent for requires using a computer. And this is not a comfort zzone issue, there are an infinite number of tech related skills to learn, and so having worked across different domains, I've found it intellectually challenging in its own way. WFH is also a requirement for me.

That said there are some outdoor jobs that sounds very appealing to me such as a firewatch or park ranger which I ought to look into more.

What job did you switch to?

That’s interesting re your aptitude and talents requiring a computer.
I can get it tho, if someone was in creative role (or somewuch) and the role industry is fully computer based these days etc there’s no other option.

My new job, i don’t want to specific exactly for privacy and risk of getting traced via this site.. but i work shifts, and there is some driving involved , some light basic hands on work and client services.

There is also quite a bit of downtime in the job which is great. That’s really what got me in the office roles, not too much downtime or if there is I’m still chained to the computer as to not look like I’ve low workload etc. and the rotting trapped feeling of that.

current job is not a career job - there is not much progression only hourly rate improvements. But it’s been great as a stop gap.

the hardest part was the letting go mentally of the “sunk cost” - the 4 year degree, plus 2 years of further study, the decade+ of work experience and all the skills acquired in the career .
But it was just the wrong road and have to let that go. Life is a journey etc

I’m considering moving to a hands on tradie type job nexts if I can . Altho I am a bit too old,

Having input into building my own house would be a life goal . I want to at least learn about building before I die for sure…

 

[BaronOfHair]

If you're among the few who physically goes to an office or the like 5-6 days a week, consider yourself fortunate, damned, or an amalgamation of each. Everything that isn't low-paid or/and manual labor is moving primairly onto Zoom

Doctors and lawyers are increasingly taking fewer in-person meetings, and engineers can have a minimum wage toadie send them a pic of whatever's f-cked up onsite, then provide instructions on repairing it. Engineers can do all of that without departing from their own living rooms

Stepping away from the screen in one's professional life is thus becoming more improbable than being an infantryman in The IDF, who's EXEMPTED from crushing a 3 month old Palestinian's skull into smithereens via his bootheel, within his first few weeks on the clock

 

[BillyPilgrim]

That’s interesting re your aptitude and talents requiring a computer.
I can get it tho, if someone was in creative role (or somewuch) and the role industry is fully computer based these days etc there’s no other option.

My new job, i don’t want to specific exactly for privacy and risk of getting traced via this site.. but i work shifts, and there is some driving involved , some light basic hands on work and client services.

There is also quite a bit of downtime in the job which is great. That’s really what got me in the office roles, not too much downtime or if there is I’m still chained to the computer as to not look like I’ve low workload etc. and the rotting trapped feeling of that.

current job is not a career job - there is not much progression only hourly rate improvements. But it’s been great as a stop gap.

the hardest part was the letting go mentally of the “sunk cost” - the 4 year degree, plus 2 years of further study, the decade+ of work experience and all the skills acquired in the career .
But it was just the wrong road and have to let that go. Life is a journey etc

I’m considering moving to a hands on tradie type job nexts if I can . Altho I am a bit too old,

Having input into building my own house would be a life goal . I want to at least learn about building before I die for sure…

Aboriginal gynecologist?

 

[Cheeky_James]

Everything that isn't low-paid or/and manual labor is moving primairly onto Zoom. Doctors and lawyers are increasingly taking fewer in-person meetings, and engineers can have a minimum wage toadie send them a pic of whatever's f-cked up onsite, then provide instructions on repairing it. Engineers can do all of that without departing from their own living rooms

Stepping away from the screen in one's professional life is thus becoming more improbable than being an infantryman in The IDF, who's EXEMPTED from crushing a 3 month old Palestinian's skull into smithereens via his bootheel, within his first few weeks on the clock

jeezos that escalated at the end…
Yeah it’s pretty sad the movement across to the computer.

 

[BillyPilgrim]

jeezos that escalated at the end…
Yeah it’s pretty sad the movement across to the computer.
View attachment 15856

That's why the apex is so good. Embrace the hunter gatherer life, CJ. Destiny awaits.

 

[BaronOfHair]

jeezos that escalated at the end…

The vocation in question(IDF infantryman)is almost certainly a more cushy gig than digging ditches in Saskatchewan come mid-December, even once we factor in the Gaza conflict's more grisly aspects.... Let's give credit where it's deserved

"Yeah it’s pretty sad the movement across to the computer.
View attachment 15856 "

Reference The Ourobous. Existence is cyclical

 

[plumber]

if its not fun, find a way not to do it. that is just smart.

high tech is a lifestyle. big money... big personal investment.

the not so secret/secret is to not spend all the money and invest it in something (your own business, other peoples business, real estate, the list goes on and on). most high tech workers can be independently wealthy by mid life if they have discipline and a plan.

when you can jump of the ship depends on the environment you want. once a man understands relative status, the choices become easy.

 

[FlexpertHamilton]

That’s interesting re your aptitude and talents requiring a computer.
I can get it tho, if someone was in creative role (or somewuch) and the role industry is fully computer based these days etc there’s no other option.

My new job, i don’t want to specific exactly for privacy and risk of getting traced via this site.. but i work shifts, and there is some driving involved , some light basic hands on work and client services.

There is also quite a bit of downtime in the job which is great. That’s really what got me in the office roles, not too much downtime or if there is I’m still chained to the computer as to not look like I’ve low workload etc. and the rotting trapped feeling of that.

current job is not a career job - there is not much progression only hourly rate improvements. But it’s been great as a stop gap.

the hardest part was the letting go mentally of the “sunk cost” - the 4 year degree, plus 2 years of further study, the decade+ of work experience and all the skills acquired in the career .
But it was just the wrong road and have to let that go. Life is a journey etc

I’m considering moving to a hands on tradie type job nexts if I can . Altho I am a bit too old,

Having input into building my own house would be a life goal . I want to at least learn about building before I die for sure…

Unless your skills in your established career can become obsolete if you don't maintain them, at least you have a fallback option. In the case of tech, if you don't maintain your skills and knowledge, everything you learn will become obsolete very quickly. For something like accounting, law, and finance, this is simply not the case or at least isn't really a big issue.

It's definitely better to work a job that you enjoy or at least tolerate than working a job you hate. I'd rather make a meager $20/hr doing a job I love than making thrice that amount for a job I despise.

All that said I think people gloss over what seperates "good" work from bad work. It's not about finding the right "career" imo, since almost all forms of typical employment are inheritently unsatisfying because hard work isn't rewarded and you only make the people at the top more money. Ideally people should strive for self employment. I mean for instance even though I zero interest in lawncare, I would be much happier owning a simple landscaping business (even if the profits were slim) than being a salaried employee who earns a decent living. It's infinitely more satisfying and freeing to work hard at your own business so you can have financial independence. I will never work hard for an employer unless they offer things like profit-sharing, good healthcare, and pensions, but that basically doesn't exist anymore.

 

[nicksaiz65]

Unless your skills in your established career can become obsolete if you don't maintain them, at least you have a fallback option. In the case of tech, if you don't maintain your skills and knowledge, everything you learn will become obsolete very quickly. For something like accounting, law, and finance, this is simply not the case or at least isn't really a big issue.

It's definitely better to work a job that you enjoy or at least tolerate than working a job you hate. I'd rather make a meager $20/hr doing a job I love than making thrice that amount for a job I despise.

All that said I think people gloss over what seperates "good" work from bad work. It's not about finding the right "career" imo, since almost all forms of typical employment are inheritently unsatisfying because hard work isn't rewarded and you only make the people at the top more money. Ideally people should strive for self employment. I mean for instance even though I zero interest in lawncare, I would be much happier owning a simple landscaping business (even if the profits were slim) than being a salaried employee who earns a decent living. It's infinitely more satisfying and freeing to work hard at your own business so you can have financial independence. I will never work hard for an employer unless they offer things like profit-sharing, good healthcare, and pensions, but that basically doesn't exist anymore.

I’m actually going to take the opposite view. I would take the job that pays you the best and gives you the best benefits. The only point of the job is to give you the means to live the lifestyle you desire. So, the job serves the lifestyle.

 

[Cheeky_James]

Unless your skills in your established career can become obsolete if you don't maintain them, at least you have a fallback option. In the case of tech, if you don't maintain your skills and knowledge, everything you learn will become obsolete very quickly. For something like accounting, law, and finance, this is simply not the case or at least isn't really a big issue.

It's definitely better to work a job that you enjoy or at least tolerate than working a job you hate. I'd rather make a meager $20/hr doing a job I love than making thrice that amount for a job I despise.

All that said I think people gloss over what seperates "good" work from bad work. It's not about finding the right "career" imo, since almost all forms of typical employment are inheritently unsatisfying because hard work isn't rewarded and you only make the people at the top more money. Ideally people should strive for self employment. I mean for instance even though I zero interest in lawncare, I would be much happier owning a simple landscaping business (even if the profits were slim) than being a salaried employee who earns a decent living. It's infinitely more satisfying and freeing to work hard at your own business so you can have financial independence. I will never work hard for an employer unless they offer things like profit-sharing, good healthcare, and pensions, but that basically doesn't exist anymore.

I’m with you, Flex
Self employed /own business for sure. Wish I’d started that one a decade ago as an independent contractor of some sort. Some kind of niche area.

@nicksaiz65 that was the idea I had to begin with, get the quals, get into a great company, get experience move up and around companies etc etc
the problem with that is -your salary is always capped. It’s tied to ‘industry rates ‘ or whatever

vs self empoyed - you would be surprised how much money some niche business owners can make . Especially anything tied to construction.
Some guy with a small lil plant rental business (or whatever) can be making twice my annual salary or more for a pretty straightforward business management efforts .

I’m in Australia tho, could be different where you are.

 

[nicksaiz65]

I’m with you, Flex
Self employed /own business for sure. Wish I’d started that one a decade ago as an independent contractor of some sort. Some kind of niche area.

@nicksaiz65 that the idea I had to begin with, get the quals get into a great company get experience move up and around companies etc
the problem with that is -your salary is always capped. It’s tied to ‘industry rates ‘ or whatever

vs self empoyed - you would be surprised how much money some niche business owners can make . Especially anything tied to construction.
Some guy with a small lil plant rental business (or whatever) can be making twice my annual salary or more for a pretty straightforward business management efforts .

Yeah, I agree with self employment having a higher income ceiling. For some it’s great. Not for me though.

There are a few issues pushing me away from it.

1.) Most new businesses fail
2.) At least for tech, to get a startup off the ground you’d need to work 60-80 hour weeks. I’m just not interested in doing that and it violates my WLB
3.) If I just work a regular job I retain the ability to clock out, close the laptop and go home. At my job, if something breaks outside of 8-4 it’s not my problem. I’ll look on Monday. But if I’m trying to run a business, EVERYTHING is my problem.

That’s just me though. For someone really passionate about their work, these downsides might not even matter.

 

[FlexpertHamilton]

Yeah, I agree with self employment having a higher income ceiling. For some it’s great. Not for me though.

There are a few issues pushing me away from it.

1.) Most new businesses fail
2.) At least for tech, to get a startup off the ground you’d need to work 60-80 hour weeks. I’m just not interested in doing that and it violates my WLB
3.) If I just work a regular job I retain the ability to clock out, close the laptop and go home. At my job, if something breaks outside of 8-4 it’s not my problem. I’ll look on Monday. But if I’m trying to run a business, EVERYTHING is my problem.

That’s just me though. For someone really passionate about their work, these downsides might not even matter.

1 and 2 mostly applies to starting a restaurant which is one of the most retarded businesses you could start. There's no reason self-employment should require grueling hours to be successful. Almost all the "self made" people who claim that are full of shvt imo. That said, i'd much rather bust my ass for myself than for an employer. And to your last point, that's entirely on you and depends entirely on the business, and I'd say that luxury certainly does not apply as often in traditional employment nowadays, where you're expected to be available and "flexible" constantly. Almost jobs I've worked are the type where if you go on vacation, you have to play "catch up" when you get back, which i absolutely hate.

I’m actually going to take the opposite view. I would take the job that pays you the best and gives you the best benefits. The only point of the job is to give you the means to live the lifestyle you desire. So, the job serves the lifestyle.

Yes, but part of a lifestyle includes things like sleep, stress levels, fulfillment, socialization, energy levels, and FREE TIME. Jobs heavily impact all of that, and in return all they really do is provide a certain economic standard of living - your income is just one component of your lifestyle, a big component, sure, but if it comes at the cost of many other things, I don't see it as a worthwhile tradeoff.

I think a job is a means to an end and nothing more. It gives you options and a safety net to pursue your dreams. So in this way a job is a temporary thing that you hold to maintain the "status quo" while you work on a side hustle, then straight up quit once you've saved a bit or made significant progress on it.

Unless your job pays so exceedingly well that you can retire by 45, OR is genuinely fulfilling to you, it's simply not worth slaving over. Sure, at some point a holding traditional job is a necessary evil for most people (a man's gotta eat), but ultimately you're trading such a significant portion of your life for something that you don't want to be doing and it seems self-evident to me why it's not worthwhile in most cases.

 

[Cheeky_James]

Unless your job pays so exceedingly well that you can retire by 45, OR is genuinely fulfilling to you, it's simply not worth slaving over for your entire life. Sure, at some point a holding traditional job is a necessary evil for most people (a man's gotta eat), but ultimately you're trading such a significant portion of your life for something that you don't want to be doing and it seems self-evident to me why it's not worthwhile in most cases.

yep. I grinded in big companies from in my years of 20yo-30yo.
Tbh I could have just fvcked around in those years more. Had more gaps.
If I’d started my degree later in life ,say late 20s joined corp at 30 or even 35 and been in the same position by early 40s. w Similar pay.( mayhe better pay even?)

For most people climbing the ladder ,as they hoped , just doesn’t happen . As managers are picked on personality ,not knowledge. Moreso people skills and manipulation abilities. Or nepotism and their connections.

maybe I’m slow tho and just couldn’t figure out the office politics well enough to climb the ladder idk.

don’t think so.. I saw colleges more adept at the game also not progressing past a certain point.

I read some books about this reality, one I recall was titled “The Invisible Handshake”.

working smarter vs harder is the thing.
Making connections and playing the smarter game.