Ask HN: Tech Jobs with Minimal Screen Time?

2 points by benrbray 1y ago ↗ HN

Writing software brings me a lot of joy, but now five years out of school, I'm starting to worry that I've made a huge mistake choosing a career that will keep me chained to a desk, staring at a screen, mostly not speaking with anyone all day.

For me, remote work has made the situation even more unbearable -- all human interaction at work is now through Zoom calls and GitHub issues. It's like pulling teeth getting coworkers to stop by the office.

What tech or tech-adjacent careers are out there that involve a better balance of screen time / physical activity / in-person interactions / impact on my local community?

If you have such a job I'd love to hear more about your experiences :)

3 comments

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[deleted] 1y ago ↗

(comment deleted)

ThrowawayR2 1y ago ↗

Become a technical program manager at a software company and you'll spend literally all day talking to people. (They'll mostly be arguing with each other or you but, hey, you can't have your cake and eat it too, dohohoho.) Try starting by looking into a CAPM certification from the PMI and talking to program managers at your employer about their jobs.

kentich 1y ago ↗

I use an app called Black Screen when I'm tired of the screen. https://BlackScreen1.com

I set it up to show black screen for 5 - 7 minutes every 20 - 30 minutes. This allows me to take regular breaks and go for walks.

I stopped feeling so bad after a day of desk work after I started doing this.