Alternatives to web development? Help me get out

7 points by xzkakjel 12y ago ↗ HN

Freelance developer here, 10+ years, mostly Java backend but also Django front-end work. I need a new perspective and I'm considering a slight career change. I don't want to do web dev anymore and wondering what fields I could go into to apply my programming knowledge.

I'm open to anything. It can be something engineering related (or physics), in business or security. I also wouldnt mind if I had to study for some time. The only requirement would be that I could continue working as an independent contractor/consultant/freelancer because I really like that life-style.

Any tips, ideas or shared experience very much appreciated.

4 comments

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nickb13 12y ago ↗

Network engineer either for a. Tele/mobile (phone) lines b. computers

The reason: It's a change from software to both software and hardware, you'll have your hands on real equipment at the same time tweaking software the make the big boxes work.

Im a developer, but my brother is a GSM network engineer :D

GeneralMaximus 12y ago ↗

You may want to look into machine learning/data analysis/inferential statistics.

I'm also a web developer. I do both front-end (Angular etc.) and back-end (Django) work. I enjoy my work, so I'm not looking at a career change at the moment. However, I do not still want to be writing CRUD apps when I turn 30. To that end, I'm planning to learn about data analysis and machine learning over the next few years. I believe it's a useful skill that will always be in demand in business, even after the current "Big Data" hype dies down.

I don't think this is something I can pick up in a few months' time. My current estimate is 2-3 years until I reach a reasonable level of competency.

companyhen 12y ago ↗

IT Consulting if you're looking to do some traveling. Learn SAP.

shawnreilly 12y ago ↗

One possibility might be DevOps Engineering (System and/or Network). Another possibility might be Enterprise App Development (very similar to Web Dev). Another possibility could relate to Virtualization (OpenStack was built with Python for example). I'm not sure about freelancing in an Enterprise Environment, but a consulting style of approach should work great. I come from a System and Network Engineering Background but I also do Django/Python Web Development. I've been fortunate in that many of my Engineering related side-projects relate to Python in one way or another. So I've been able to re-use what I've learned in many different verticals (currently focused on Security and Virtualization)