Move Along, This is A Depressing Post June 22, 2007
Posted by WishBoNe in Career, Emotions & Feelings, Random Thoughts, Technology and Gadgets, Travel.trackback
Been thinking of career path change these days. Totally got sick of doing programming and no value add to myself. Besides spending money on a degree that I don’t know will get but hope to get, I haven’t been updating myself ever since. I feel outdated with the fast moving programming languages. Java, PHP, ASP are so old news. Now, there’s AJAX, XML, and whatever is currently being used or tested online.
I never had a chance to touch any other languages besides VB in MS Access. That is also old news and I’m definitely rusty from not using it for 4 years since I left the 1st company. It happens to be the longest that I stayed. The rest never beat the record. Or, I have been thinking about my career path since then. Perhaps.
In addition, I feel stupid. Slow. Moody about my current choice. I ask myself again why on earth I took this up. Either I’m suffering from some depression about work or I’m tired of doing the same thing and unhappy about being value-less besides being able to document, staple, get user sign-offs, etc.
I’m so into the getting out of my current scope. A career change is not easy. Nobody said it was. One has to uncover the possibilities, plan and consider that the skills are transferable. This is getting more depressing.
Hi Boner,
I understand how you feel. IT skills are generally a waste of time. They get outdated VERY fast.
There has been a slowdown in the software arena, and AJAX/XML is really nothing new. Its Javascript /XML, and generally not too difficult.
Good news is that we are heading back to Unix. OpenSource is also the direction to head, because the licensing structure adds value to you the “practitioner”, and not the MNC software company.
So my take, its either exit the software industry all together, cos outsourcing is still taking place. Enter an industry where your personal relationships matter.
Cheers, and all the best….
Have you ever thought that maybe it’s you that’s the one moving? No matter the industry, standards, procedure, protocols and skills are constantly changing. Look around your peers, are they doing fine? Are you performing? People only like doing stuffs that they are generally good at…
It doesn’t matter where you go, it’s your passion. And this passion will be most likely the only thing fueling you to go with the changes and demands of the industry, no matter which industry.
So before complaining and jumping off to another industry, think hard and thru,
What your passion is… and what sacrifices are you make?
@Harro
OpenSource is quite popular and I see quite a number of them these days. I just jumped into this industry because it happened to be available and stuck with it without thinking or asking if I would be able to do it long term.
@Bristow
Gee, I never thought that I have subconsciously moved to another phrase until I got really down with the choices I’ve been making. You’re right about the passion. Maybe I was passionate about it for 4 years and subsequently moved to another passion without really realising it.
Bro, there’s nothing wrong with wanting to learn more. If you can, do some side line project, spend time with some new technology practitioners in the tech industry, listen to tech podcasts like “This Week In Tech” (http://twit.tv) or Podtech.net for the latest updates.
End of the day, its not the specific technology or programming languages that matter – its how they are used to benefit and enhance the user experience.
There are no doubt many innovations in the desktop arena. There’s a small movement back to desktop based applications that extends the web experience. Eg. Flickr Uploadr – enhances the Flickr services by having a desktop software to facilitate quick image uploads. Have a look at Adobe’s Apollo project and Google Gears for some inspirations.
Michael
@Miccheng
I did consider side line project but I’m no longer able to think logically, somehow, I lost something through my transition and failing miserably at any attempts to develop anything.
How true, it’s how something helps the user and not the language or technology that will matter to the user. Will take a look at the suggested sites when I’m feeling less resistant to it.
I’m also from I.T. background. I’m also in your situation.
Who wants to move up the cooporate ladder to become a project manager? Not me! It’s seem that we have to move up or we look like we are poor achiever. In other countries, you could be a programmer in your 50s and get paid highly and get respected too. There’s no such thing as a 40 year old programmer in Singapore; you’re expected to be in management after 35.
It’s so hard/almost impossible to change lines. If you want to change lines, you really have to go back to studies. Who got the time or the money to study part-time? We can’t loose our day job if we have family.
I believe there are many others like us. What to do? Most of us wish we got rich fast so there’s no need to work and we can do whatever we want….freedom. Thats why we write blogs with google ads to earn extra income; wish that our shares and options would double or triple over night, try writing games and book to sale; dream of starting our own business. But none of these things ever materialised. I feel that I’m TRAPPED!
Visit my site at for my other thoughts: http://theorangeox.blogspot.com/
@Orange Ox
I once thought that I’d be happy with just programming, doing what I like. Apparently, the longer I work with it, the more I realised that either I have to change or the world moves without me. The earth still rotates. Time doesn’t stop.
We use other ways to earn extra cash so that we can have some decent savings which by the time we are old and no longer able to work. The extra income comes in handy if and only if it’s earning constantly.
I’m feeling trapped and feel this way until I read about transferable skills that I have linked in this post. I just need time to vent my negative feelings and move on.
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