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Ask HN: Everything related to IT makes me sick. Is there a way out?

1 points by theredbox ↗ HN
I am currently sick of doing anything even remotely related to IT. Atm just the thought of spending the rest of my life in this career makes me almost wanting to commit suicide. There is not anything else I can do. I was thinking about becoming a baker but i am super afraid of the fierce competition and jumping into something that I might not even be good at.

Is there a wait out ? I am in my late 20s.

7 comments

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duiker101
You can do pretty much anything you want if you put your mind to it. Maybe it won't be as much of a career or maybe it will turn out even better. Everything has ups and downs. Personally, I would probably try to find some niche where I can sell items or some sort of homemade stuff (be it indeed bread, food of items)
cameron_b
I want to start with saying that there are always options. It may seem bleak and confined to a narrow existence right now, but it gets better.

I have a degree in Art, I work in IT and currently the best part of my job is that it pays the bills and lets me spend time with my wife and kid. I don't know what your situation is, but I would encourage you to find any little thing that brings you real joy. Find people who share that, and try to get more of your life closer to them. Don't worry if this doesn't fix everything right away - it won't - but remember that just as spending the rest of your life doing what you're doing right now is daunting, changing the trajectory of your life by 1% right now, and continuing to do so, will put you somewhere completely different before you know it.

Go ride your bike, walk in the woods, catch a fish, or just leave the office early. It'll make the whole world look different.

president
I can relate to this, down to the desire to switch into a baking career. What about IT are you sick of? Job security Long hours? On-call? Lack of respect from non-IT people? All of the above? Perhaps you just hate your team and/or company? Or are you like me and just realize there is just more to life than working at a soul-sucking corporate desk job?
theredbox
My company is actually great. Lots of money, job security and no long working hours. I just dont want to work anymore.
mobiledude
Is there room to grow at your company? New role, new position, etc?
president
You would still be "working" if you became a baker, no?
lioeters
I used to be a baker in my 20s. It was very pleasant, for my personality, to work in the middle of the night and early mornings when the rest of the world is quiet and asleep, while I mixed the dough, loaded the ovens, listening to the radio.. It was wholesome too, the bread and the honest, simple work.

That said, it might be considered a step "down" for you in terms of career/finances/social standing. Lots of people in the "baker" position (or similar manual work, food industry, etc.) would love to get into IT and get paid more to do mental work.

Some of the wording in your post seem to show that you're burned out mentally by the work. Maybe you just need a "deep" vacation, or a change of job/company?

A huge advantage you have, is that you're young and have skills valuable in the market. You have the freedom to explore - be a baker, work in a flower shop, anything - and still have the option to return to IT-related work. There may be more interesting "pockets" or niches where the work is even fun and enjoyable!