What color IS my parachute?

[cjsmith]

In my last post, I grumped a bit about what happened to the startup I joined years ago. Stock's dead, people gone. At least it's not the other way round. Okay. What next?

Software, the only thing I'm trained for, is just not going to create any breakthroughs any time soon. (Frankly, software sucks. People generally agree that the vast majority of software is bloated, buggy, unreliable, hard to use, etc etc. I have my own theories on why this is the case.) So anyhow. The paradigm shifts have shifted. We've come up with some good concepts over the history of computers. Operating systems, compilers, databases, computer games, graphical user interfaces, network protocols... the invention of each of these things has significantly changed the way computers are used. Java could have been, but wasn't. What's the next fundamental change coming from software? I don't see a lot.

If I want to do something interesting, new, different... if I want to help create something that will significantly help someone... if I want to make someone's job significantly easier or make it possible to do something a person basically couldn't do before, then I shouldn't be in software.

(Well, not completely true. There are still some jobs left undone in that arena.)

What, then? Where should I be?

I have the advantage of intelligence and willingness to learn. I have the disadvantage of laziness, though I have the occasional cleverness to turn laziness into a plus. I am a logical thinker saddled with ethics and with a caring nature. Where should I be?

Comments

[cjsmith.livejournal.com]

I will be 35 in October... just barely young enough to apply several years running. Not sure if I'm 20/200 these days, but it IS correctable, and with some exercises I could get back under 20/200 if I'm not. Cool. I would eat up the T-38 training.

've known MS and BS level astronauts who happen to have useful on the job skills.

Therein lies trouble. The one thing that seems to be absolutely, completely useless here is computer programming. Would need to acquire some new skills fast.

[wcg.livejournal.com]

I'd guess you could pull together a Masters in Applied Mathematics pretty quickly, given your software background. That would hit a wickett with the Astronaut office, and probably fill in some gaps in your knowledge that you've wondered about at times. Check with your local UC grad school for details. Comp Sci degrees used to be disallowed, but that changed while I was still an AssHo[1] back in the mid-90's. These days software savvy people are very welcome in the Astronaut office.

It used to be that the number one degree for Mission Specialists was MD, but that trend seems to have slacked off. If you have medical training, like an EMT certificate, it'd be a definite plus though.


[1] Astronaut Hopeful, aka a person who keeps applying every selection cycle.

[cjsmith.livejournal.com]

Augh, I couldn't resist. If you're not yet familiar with my sense of humor... well...

Astronaut School

[wcg.livejournal.com]

*laugh* Puts me in mind of some of the astronauts I've known.