Here is my situation: I graduated with a bachelor's in computer science about 2 years ago and have been working as a programmer ever since (specifically, java developer). My problem is that I'm just getting really tired of it. Although I enjoy programming, I don't like the software development industry. I hate sitting in a cubicle 8 hours a day. I hate the tight schedules and deadlines and the stress they bring. And most of the people in this industry are very nerdy, and just get me down. Also there are almost no girls, and I'm not saying this because I want to pick up chicks but because I find I'm just happier when I'm surrounded by a mix of males and females as opposed to just males, this was the case even when I wasn't single. Also many jobs in this field are being outsourced to asia, which is only getting worse, so I'm less than confident about what I'll do when I'm 50 if I stay in this field.

My question is, what other field can I get into? My current job is the only one I've ever had, so I have no experience in anything else. I am looking for a job that will be interesting, preferably something that doesn't involve me sitting in a cube all day. I am willing and able to take a pay cut in the short term, but I will need a good income when I'm older and have a family to support. Long term stability is crucial, so I don't want to move into a field that's likely to see a lot of outsourcing. I don't like dealing with the public so salesman-type jobs are not an option. Also I need something that will provide a stable income, so something like real estate agent, or running my own business, is too risky. If it makes any difference I live in ontario. An ideal profession would be some kind of engineering-related position (that a person with a BSc in CS would qualify for) that involves me going to different locations every day, but I'm willing to consider many other types of work.

 

Your best bet is to get a non-development related software consulting job (like one where you are the middle man between customers and developers within a consulting company...but you'd have to deal with ppl). Other than that, I'm not sure if a job that fits all your criteria and is reasonably attainable exists.

 

Since you like to travel maybe you can be a sales engineer. You go around with the sales man and talk tech when the time comes. You usually get to install whatever it is you are trying to sell too.

 

That doesn't sound too bad actually, however I would think that type of job would usually be given to someone who used to be a senior developer, I doubt I could go from junior dev with only 2 years exp to that, so if I decide to go that route I will have to pay my dues as a code monkey for a few more years.

 

I'm a degreed Electrical Engineer who started his career knowing I did not want to go the design / cubicle all day route. In my former life I was a Sales Engineer / Engineering consultant in Silicon Valley. A good position for you IMO wouldn't necessarily be a sales engineer but probably more along the lines of an Applications Engineer, Software Apps Engineer, or what some companies might label a Sales Applications Engineer.

It really depends on the product and the level of technical details required to support a particular product. Some companies combine the sales & apps positions together while other companies keep them separate.

Good luck!

 

Any interest in moving into the business side of your company, possibly as a systems analyst or business analyst?

That's what I did and I love it. I still program and build DBs more than ever but with no more coding standards, documentation, change management reviews, SLA's, support calls, etc. I now get to work with executives, managers, IT and clients across multiple business units. On the business side, my reputation as a geek has granted me direct access to executive's projects, of which they have rewarded me later. They tend to get tired of hearing the standard '2 weeks' response from IT for simple data requests.

BTW, I've been laid-offed 3 times within the past 10 years while working in IT. Last year my job was outsourced to Satyam.