Finding a meaningful career

[bobbob]

I'm hoping some of the older wiser members of this site can shed some light on this, it's been killing me for the past year ...


I graduated from grad school 1 year ago, been looking for a real job for most of that time, and since I've graduated I've been depressed at what looks to be the rest of my life ...

I have a master's in comp sci - this leads to either a job in software engineering or quality assurance. QA sucks ass, and software engineering is sometimes fun, although I hate being in front of a computer 8 hours a day in some ****ty cubicle. My main concern is that, with an 8 hour a day job, plus at least an hour round-trip commute, and 1 hour for lunch ... how is there time to even enjoy life?

Plus here in cali, rent is so damn expensive, if you're only making 50K a year (average starting salary) its impossible to save anything on a month to month basis. I'd move to another state but there are way more software engineering jobs here in california than anywhere else (that's cheap). I tried getting a job while I was living in florida, but there just wasn't much out there.

Is this what the rest of life is like? 10+ hours a day towards work and commute, come home too tired to do anything, and have only saturday and sunday to try to enjoy yourself? Not to mention leaving me no time to figure out any other aspects of life, like how to get the kind of women I desire.

I've spent the past year applying to hundreds and hundreds of software engineering jobs, in everything from the video game industry to web development, and haven't found a good job yet.

I don't have any desire to go back to school for a PhD in computer science.

Computer programming (which is what a software engineer does) is fun. But 8 hours a day of it 5 days a week is too much, it gets too repetitive.

I enjoyed grad school so much. Every day there was something different to do, a different challenge. The stuff I was studying was difficult, but rewarding. And it constantly felt like I was working towards a MEANINGFUL goal (getting a Masters). This is in such contrast to a job, where 99% of the time you're working towards something totally meaningless. It's like the movie "Office Space", where you spend your time doing totally meaningless TPS reports for Bill Lumberg.

Hindsight is 20/20 - looking back now, I wish I hadn't gone into computer science as a major. The decision i have is whether to continue down this path, or just say "**** it" and throw away the 6 years of school and try to find some other career to get in to.


I'm not looking for answers, I know no one has them ... but I'd love to read other people's experiences with what they do for their jobs, whether you guys enjoy it or not, whether its fulfulling, whether you wish you had gone in a different direction ...

thanks

 

[Bible_Belt]

Most Americans will change careers several times within their lifetimes.

Many people with their own businesses started the business as a second job. Is there any way that you can do any sort of consulting? Could you teach, in a traditional classroom or on-line? What about sales? Could you sell a product to people who have your same job now? That would lend credibility to you.

You are obviously very intelligent. But becoming bored quickly is the drawback of being smart.

 

[Rollo Tomassi]

Originally posted by bobbob
I hate being in front of a computer 8 hours a day in some ****ty cubicle. My main concern is that, with an 8 hour a day job, plus at least an hour round-trip commute, and 1 hour for lunch ... how is there time to even enjoy life?

Is this what the rest of life is like? 10+ hours a day towards work and commute, come home too tired to do anything, and have only saturday and sunday to try to enjoy yourself? Not to mention leaving me no time to figure out any other aspects of life, like how to get the kind of women I desire.

Hehheh,..welcome to the other side.

Not sure if you're married or in an LTR, but if this is where you're at now you have the advantage of foresight. Do not get married or have kids at this stage. If you think you have no time now, just think how much less you'll have with the liabilities of a wife and kids.

You have to think creatively now. You have an education that can take you places. These places may not be where you'd necessarily choose at first, but with time and development you can begin to make broader choices for yourself. You have to begin building a foundation for yourself and realize good options in businesses or in creating your own way of profiting from what you do have.

Your greatest advantage is your personal freedom now. You may feel constrained in your present condition, but what would say to someone like myself? I envy you. I work under much the same circumstances - an hour (if not more) commute each day, 8-10 hours in front of a monitor, head to the gym for an hour, a child to father and a wife to husband to, a home to pay for and maintain, cars to fix, friends to stay in touch with - I'm lucky if I have an hour set aside for myself each night. Fortunately I have a fairly creative job with a reasonable amount of authority, but what I've earned in external rewards I've traded personal freedoms and inner rewards for.

Power is not status or wealth or even control over other; power is the ability to effectively make decisions for yourself. In this respect you are far more powerful than the majority of men in your position today. Don't limit yourself.

 

[Kid Quick]

bobbob: I was a software engineer for ten years. I left my most recent position two months ago as management was married to the status quo and did not care to improve the company's systems and processes. The bunch of do-nothing Lumbergs running the place lead to horrendous morale among my peers. The money was OK but I felt brain dead and as though nothing was in my control. Now I am doing something entirely different by looking at franchising. I hope to start one in the spring. It's a little scary but for the first time I feel like I control my destiny as I'm beginning to see a range of possibilities.

The prospect of staring at a monitor 10 hrs/day for another 30 years did not appeal to me, either. One avenue you may wish to explore is project management. If you have a couple years of solid programming experience this could be an attractive alternative. Instead of being chained to a desk you would be more of a liaison between the programmers and those on the business end. You would be working with timelines and budgets as well as having much more human interaction.

 

[Good_ol_boy]

Dude;
You say you're in California??

Cool!
Head to the nearest CSU or UC campus and apply for jobs there. You'll be programming, but in addition, you'll be reformatting some professor's hard drive, handeling help desk calls, teaching someone how to use PowerPoint and maintaining SMART classroom systems. Not to mention the scenery is great--especially in the spring when the days turn warm. (too bad the money isn't better)

 

[Bible_Belt]

Not to mention the scenery is great--especially in the spring when the days turn warm.

"I see the girls walk by dressed in their summer clothes."

 

[DoubleA]

I'm not in the field but I will say this...

It's a field already filled with experienced people, while new jacks are bum rushing to get in at any cost. I know Help desk Techies only making 26K. And I'm sure their Ciso Cert, A+ Cert, etc.

Yes, the saying it's lonely at the top is very true. Especially when you're transit. I'm single. No kids. No girl. I haven't bought a home yet. It sucks sometimes, because it seems all I do is work Mon thru Fri. Sat I work PT. So my time is limited.

Hell, I want a dog. But I'm not home enough.

Face it it's bad right now. But you're going to eventually be ahead of the game down the road.

You must take timeout and enjoy the little things that make you happy. If you want to chill on a beach for a fewdays..do it. Taking timeout helps you keep a perspective on things that are important to you. Sh1t! I know the value of a dollar and what it means to me as an individual and globally. If someone tells me money isn't everything, I might f around and yell NARC or something. Without the money everything else is Bullsh1t in the biggest way.

Now, what can you do about this? Looking back I'd say nothing. I'd say nothing because if you go out and push for something or grab onto to some chick you really don't want it's only going to hurt you in the long run. Out there in you twon, city, or metro there's women with the same concerns.

IT'S CALLED... SACRIFICE. To me it's only as noble as the price being paid for the spot you take. If that makes any sense at all.

Hang in there and roll with the punches. In your office..there's some guy who is married w/ kids, house note, car payments ( Toyota Camry and Mini Van), dreaming to have your freedom.

Playas and Hustlers remember!
You can make money, but when you die you can't take the sh1t with you.

Just play the hand you have been dealt...

 

[Alicorn]

Originally posted by Bible_Belt
Not to mention the scenery is great--especially in the spring when the days turn warm.

"I see the girls walk by dressed in their summer clothes."

But you have to turn your head until your darkness goes.

 

[racerX]

Anytime you work for someone else-it will suck. There is no fun or $$ in working a 9-5 job. Companies pay you the minumum amount of $$ that they can get away with. Start a small business & you wont mind working your butt off. The thing i hate too about working a m-f, 9-5 job, is the small amount of vacations that companies give. I applied at one company & they only gave 1 week vacation after a year & after 5 years 2 weeks were given. And the 1 year period didnt start until a passed a 3 month probationary period. What a load of sh1t that was. Another words, i would have to wait 1 year, 3 months until i could get a week off. Screw them. I hate those stupid cubicles too....Use these companies as much as you can. Learn a product or service while you work in a sh1thole & then open your own business when you feel as if you have learned enough.

 

[bobbob]

Re: Re: Finding a meaningful career

Originally posted by SonOfTheMostHigh
In my opinion I think you're the type that won't be happy working for other people, you're the type that likes to be in control, so you should look at your options for doing your own thing in my opinion.

That is so incredibly spot-on, that's exactly how I am. The less supervision I have, the happier I am.

Thanks guys for your posts, there's a lot of good advice in here. I wasn't thinking in terms of how much freedom I do have now compared to others. The rent-a-coders idea is awesome, I had never thought of that before.

Storm: I'm glad to hear you figured out which path to take that will make you happy.

Seriously, everyone who posted on this thread gave me something good to think about. Thanks again.

 

[doctor90210]

med school

Go to med school, the loans suck but its worth it in the end. I'm a little younger than most of my classmates because I started early, but there are many people in my class that are well in their 40's. Helping patients is extremely gratifying. After residency you'll make over 100K minimum. The possibilities are endless if you specialize. I know an anaesthesiologist making over 600K right now.