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Originally Posted by dgorila1  Do you want to get out of computers all together, or just programming? Since the IT field has many options, maybe you could try a different portion of the industry (network, website development, security, etc). With your programming experience and degree you should still be able to get paid close to what you're making now if not more. I'm starting training in the IT field as my career change. I've been investigating it allot and found that the IT community tends to be close knit (meaning that everyone knows everyone else), especially in geographic areas. Thats why all of the people I know that leave one company to go to another do it professionally and cordially (i.e. never "burn your bridges"). You never know who you may work with/for again down the road. If you're interested in computers but just need a change, try one of the other fields. From what I have seen so far, there are many people that have all the certifications but no degree and they are making very good money. Having a degree just increases the money they can make and bumps them up on the totem pole. |
Well, I've always been a pretty poor programmer (I would never survive even a true bachelor's in computer science, let alone a master's). My current opinion on my major in school is that it was essentially a 1990s cash cow major which ended up leaving me a a weak, overglorified web programmer with some ideas of tech-consulting processes (which in real life don't seem to apply outside of consulting--I've been working in financial services now for almost four years and I've never dealt with planning a single use case). I've actually forgotten a lot of what I knew, but I've learned a bit in other places. The main problem with staying in computers is that I strongly suspect I'll never be able to truly excel or even stay competitive with the market for long.
I know less than nothing of networking, hardware, security, or the like.
The problem with leaving computers behind is that I have nothing near any kind of hireability, let alone competitive advantage, in anything else. I could possibly move in my workplace or short-term job path to something closer to the financial side of things (and soon be paid even better), but I'm getting tired of it all and I feel I could live a happy life never seeing an integral in my life again. This entire career path was chosen for me and I'm not sure I like it.
The path is open to me to make a bunch more money--I need only follow along in being pushed into business school by my parents' friends and go back to this industry. I just don't know why I hate it all.
I just don't know what I'd really like, nor how to make it big there or do some genuine wealth creation later in life while doing so.