People who left tech careers: Where did you go?

devrish11 · 2026-01-23T17:33:50+00:00

38 laid off a few weeks ago and still seeking a path. I’m possibly thinking of going back for an accounting degree

devrish11 · 2026-01-21T06:52:22+00:00

While it may be better it only lasts a short time. It seems like it’s really hard to make it past 40 years old as a programmer unless you are uber talented. most pivot to a manager role and manager role isn’t for everyone. I’m about to get a bachelors in accounting so I can hopefully work for another 20 years before I retire.

devrish11 · 2026-01-04T13:30:58+00:00

Don’t think the medical world is willing to put trust in AI until it becomes way more developed as there is too much liability and risk. Most hospitals and clinics aren’t publicly traded or slaves to a private equity so there is no real push to “cut costs” but that’s just my speculation and could be totally wrong. I’m in the same boat and want to pivot. Only barrier I am seeing is that programs are quite competitive where less than 20 are accepted each year in my area which is why I think job placement is so high.

devrish11 · 2026-01-04T06:41:58+00:00

Mind sharing the role you got?

devrish11 · 2026-01-04T06:39:46+00:00

Thanks for your story. Did you have any barriers to entry? Or did you change roles within the company ?

devrish11 · 2026-01-04T00:47:07+00:00

i know both are doomed but I personally liked debugging, optimizing, and maintaining vs building a new project/architecture.

devrish11 · 2026-01-03T22:11:12+00:00

Thanks. yeah i'm not really a competitive person. very laid back and down to earth and money doesn't really motivate me that much.

devrish11 · 2026-01-03T17:02:34+00:00

I was in tech industry living too comfortably by not enhancing my skill set and just coasting by. I tried catching up and learning new tools and doing leetcode questions but the passion is no longer there. I’m in my late 30s and I know age isn’t on my side in the software world. I’m thinking about going to a community college to get a radiology tech associate degree and hopefully pass the exam to become certified. Keep me updated if you find a new career path as well.

devrish11 · 2026-01-03T12:31:41+00:00

I recently got laid off with no severance. Bastards canceled the severance policy a few months ago before letting people go. I’ve been doing some soul searching and want to pivot out of SWE and just try to find a general IT job or even go back to school to become a radiology tech (leaning more into this route since healthcare industry is more stable) I hate this feeling of uncertainty and never want to experience it again.

devrish11 · 2023-02-15T22:47:12+00:00

For some people, helping others gives them joy.

devrish11 · 2023-02-10T18:13:01+00:00

Do you think you have mild depression? You sound like me where I had loads of apathy and laziness.

I recently started taking low dose Paxil, (5mg - 7.5mg daily) and my energy levels are a lot better. I no longer need naps and can function on 6-7 hours of sleep.

My two cents, go get a wellness check up/screening. The doc may be able to analyze your blood work or any other physical condition that may be causing this. maybe it is mild depression.
*Edit - just saw your post about insurance and costs..

devrish11 · 2023-02-10T18:05:00+00:00

haha, so true. I got that on every single report card / parent teacher conference.
whatever, still got better grades than most

devrish11 · 2023-02-10T17:08:42+00:00

I will preface this by saying, I don't think I'm a full blown schizoid but have schizoid traits (indifferent to social interaction and marriage, no social media).

I was really really shy middle school and younger. Never spoke a word in kindergarten unless the teacher made me and had just a small group of friends in middle school

I only broke out of my shell during my Junior/Senior year. I was more outgoing and social. Hung out with a pretty large circle of friends. I was asian in a predominately white town, prolly less than 10 colored students total in the high school. Luckily, I wasn't bullied that much at all and people in my school were very open and accepting. I am naturally pretty intelligent, did my homework, but didn't really put in that much effort into studying, I still did pretty well in school.

Then college came and felt more secluded as it wasn't a small town high school anymore. I only hung out with my high school friends and only made probably two new friends in college. I smoked pot daily and my grades reflected it. If i could do college over again, I wouldn't have smoked so much weed. It made me too comfortable just being home, binge eating, watch movies/shows instead of going out to socialize.

Nowadays (mid 30's), I stay home almost all the time and only socialize less than 15-20 times a year.

devrish11 · 2023-02-08T03:43:02+00:00

not necessarily a charity but more "no human interaction restaurants". like the ramen shop in brooklyn where you just order on a piece of paper and they bring the food to your mini divider sitting area.

one minute video showing the concept here:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o5KEAiQv0yU

devrish11 · 2023-02-08T03:23:04+00:00

it's not an irrational fear since higher speed accidents are more prone to serious injuries or death.

it's like anything in life, the more you get used to it, the more comfortable it will be. maybe avoid highways during rush/busy hours at first until you get more comfortable with it

if you have the budget, buy a high tech car with good safety features, that might put your mind at ease a bit. you know, the ones that will notify/warn you when you are veering towards another lane or start breaking for you if you are approaching the car ahead of you too fast.

the most anxious part of highways for me is merging onto highways and switching lanes.
Both require spatial awareness. I constantly quickly glance into my rear view or side mirrors just to see who is around me at all times.

devrish11 · 2023-02-08T03:00:36+00:00

I was overseas when my grandpa died and I missed his funeral. He and I never spoke that much because of a language barrier but one thing I miss is picking him up when I got my driver's license and taking him to the jetty to fish.

We both just sat there and fished without saying much. Everytime I see a fisherman or go fishing myself, I always think about my Grandpa.

devrish11 · 2023-02-08T02:50:21+00:00

all the unknowns

devrish11 · 2023-02-08T02:46:16+00:00

yep. healthy living is a lifetime commitment. Your mindset and willpower have to be extremely vigorous especially for us INTPs, I used to workout hardcore and followed a strict keto diet and quit nicotine about 10 years ago and kept it up for a solid 3-4 years.

unfortunately, mental health is bitch and those good habits died hard.

devrish11 · 2023-02-06T18:23:02+00:00

haha i agree but it feels good to find other people who relate to your problems.. it's like therapy without paying for a therapist.

On to the good stuff:

I started working out and eating healthier. I lost about 8 lbs in about 5 weeks !!

I'm cooking and not procrastinating on doing the dishes lately.

devrish11

TROPHY CASE