Stats for nerds
34recommend
73mentions
55people
2008–2026years
63% recommend32% neutral5% critical
Mentions per year
What Hacker News says
- I'm more like the guy bagging groceries here.
In regards to AI, it feels like I have finally been given the tools. For me, the world now feels so open. I can make websites now, I can do the things I have always wanted to do with computers and code. Your world is finally accessible to me.
In regards to you, I think you should read 'What Color is Your Parachute?' again. Yes, that sounds trite and glib, I am sorry. And yes, it sounds like boomer advice, I know. But the exercises in that book really are great stuff. There is a reason it's one of the best non-fiction sellers for like the last 40 years. And yes, I know, NPC-level advice here
I really hope you find your path again. The world isn't going to turn into paperclip maximizing AI gods (Look, Claude gave me $1000 for free the other week. Aint no one do that if they aren't scared shitless that the music is about to stop). We're going to be fine, so will you. You got this, I believe in you.
- Wonderful to see a worked example of self-reflection to help uncover what is personally important in work. As many will know, this kind of reflection is close to one of the pivotal exercises recommended in Richard Bolles valuable book on choosing a career or next career step “What Color is your Parachute“.
- Read the book - what color is your parachute.
It will help you figure out the type of career that will work for you.
In particular, knowing the ‘language’ that you speak… will help you find the right career path.
A language being… do you enjoy working with numbers, with people, outdoors… etc…
- It sounds like you need to quit and get a different job.
Maybe you should do a different kind of work. Lots of people derive happiness, even joy, from their work (including software developers; Steve Gibson [1] is a good example of that).
If you need help finding that, I recommend the book What Color Is Your Parachute?
- Employers generally prefer hiring internally first, then through word of mouth (referrals). Career coaches and people with experience job hunting will tell you to leverage everyone you know to get in front of the hiring manager. A good professional network counts for a lot more than keywords on a CV. By network I mean people you actually know or have worked with, not the fake network cultivated on LinkedIn.
A more targeted approach as described in books like What Color Is Your Parachute? and Who's Hiring Who? will let you actively target a job, rather than passively sending in hundreds of applications/CVs like everyone else.
- It sounds like you’re at a real crossroads. First off, it's completely natural to feel unsure after going through an intense period like the crunch you mentioned. Burnout can make it challenging to distinguish between exhaustion and a genuine desire for change. Let’s take this step by step.
Consider seeking the counsel of others—friends, mentors, or even a career coach—but remember, this decision is highly personal and requires deep self-reflection. You need to be honest with yourself: what is driving these feelings? Is it burnout, or are you truly ready to leave programming behind? Self-reflection is critical here to help you understand the root causes.
If you decide it's time to move on, a resource that might help is the book What Color Is Your Parachute? It’s from the 1970s, but still offers valuable insights on figuring out "what's next." You can also look into the "7 Petal Exercise," which helps clarify what you want in your career and life—guides for this are easily found online.
It’s also worth considering that data shows only about 60% of people who switch jobs feel their new role completely meets their expectations. Before making a change, make sure you’re not simply moving from one problem into another—reflection is key to understanding if a new role will truly offer what you need.
If you find that a career change is right for you, you might consider getting a career coach, which can be incredibly valuable. However, coaches can also be expensive. An alternative is a tool I’ve created called JobMatch Pro, which provides personalized career guidance based on insights from over 500 coaching and career-related documents—for a fraction of the cost. The tradeoff between price and benefit is one only you can evaluate, but JobMatch Pro might be a good first step:https://hrbrain.ai/jobmatchpro/. You can also listen to more here: https://www.veed.io/view/ab51f033-9a44-4880-ae11-8c2cea38d0e...
I hope this is helpful.
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