Ditching the lot

[cjsmith]

I realized the other day that the only things I'd be happy to see when I came back from vacation were parking spaces, my cats, and a bathroom in which when I am on the toilet the sink is not in my lap.

I need to make some changes.

What I need to get rid of:

1. The high-tech career has got to go. I've tried and tried, and I can't make myself love the insanity. This will take some planning and some tough decision-making, on the order of years, not months. There is some small chance that the job I now hold can be my last in this career. My goal is to work a forty-hour week and live on what it pays. That will give me time for sleep, friends, and hobbies.

2. Without the high-tech career and without millions in the bank, I will leave the Bay Area. Fiscally I would be smart to leave now; the ratio of salary to cost-of-living is abysmal for me here, so if I ever want to retire in any location, I'd best move out of here soon. But this too takes some planning and tough decision-making. For example, any elective medical stuff might best be done here, probably right after I quit my last high-tech job and right before I start packing the house. I also don't yet know the minor detail of where I want to go. There will be lots of discussions and negotiations with Rob over that.

3. Small stuff. I officially give up on swimming; I loathe it. I will probably never adopt a long-haired cat again, much as I love the ones I have now.

What I need to add:

1. Physical activity. I demand something fun and outdoorsy. Tim, I'm seriously considering that recumbent arm bike. I also demand something that will give me back some pride in what my body can do.

2. A social life. Square dancing (and being a square dance hanger-on) does not cut it. It didn't cut it when I COULD dance. I won't drop the calling, but I won't delude myself that it's my social life.

3. A hobby. It must be partially skill-based, so that I can have the joy of learning. It must offer opportunities for friendship and opportunities to travel, so that I'm not always the one sitting at my job while Rob goes off to party.

4. Small stuff. Pretty things such as flowers in a garden go a long way. I can consider regrowing my hair now that I admit I won't swim. A boob job would help a lot. Clothing that fits would help, even if I have to get things custom made. I would like to start baking again.

What now?

Sadly, all the big changes are well over a year away. The best thing I can do for those is make plans. I really need to come up with a career that pays well but has sane hours. Input welcome. In the meantime I can make time to do small things: plant flowers, shop for arm bikes, or bake something yummy. Making time to do small positive things is better, short-term, than waiting for the big stuff.

Comments

[therobbergirl.livejournal.com]

It's a post that mentions boobs -- how can I not respond? :D

Assuming that your dislike for high-tech has to do with the insane hours and not tech itself, I wonder if you'd like to be an API writer? The money's good and the jobs are plentiful because a lot of otherwise good tech writers get brainlock around code.

I mention this because I selfishly don't want you to leave the Bay Area.

[cjsmith.livejournal.com]

Boobs boobs boobs!

What is an API writer? I presume you don't mean someone who comes up with the API itself -- or do you? Perhaps it's someone who documents the API? Tech writing definitely interests me. I think I could learn to do it well, but I have zero experience, so breaking in to the field might be rough.

What ever happened to your concepts of eventually leaving the Bay Area?

[therobbergirl.livejournal.com]

Yes, I meant a tech writer who documents APIs. You might not have a tough time breaking into the field given your developer experience. API writing is different from other user documentation; comfort with and knowledge of code is often considered more valuable than actual writing experience. Add to that the fact that you can writer, and you make a pretty good package. You'd need a portfolio and that first job might be a little tricky, but you're certainly a good candidate for the switch.

As to our leaving the Bay Area, the short answer is no. The details are here. (http://amywithani.livejournal.com/475956.html)

[cjsmith.livejournal.com]

It's a good thought. What would a portfolio normally contain? What does a first-time job seeker do for one?

Ah, thanks for the link. I thought I had remembered something like that but I really wasn't sure, so my brain reverted back to "they're heading north". I hope you do get to visit frequently.

[bastette-joyce.livejournal.com]

I'm a former software developer (15 years' experience) who switched to tech writing 10 years ago. On my very first interview, I was offered a job, for a lot more than I asked for! (I did do my homework on the salaries, but the range for an entry-level tech writer didn't take into account 15 years of programming experience.) So it turned out I didn't even take a pay cut.

Granted, this was in the middle of the tech boom and people with developer experience were hard to find for developer jobs, much less for tech writer jobs. But since the economy is better than it was, say, 5 years ago, your chances are good of finding something. If you have good writing skills as well as technical experience, you'll be desirable.

I'm really glad I made the transition. The reduction in stress was enormous. I pretty much always work 40-hour weeks. Sometimes I do miss programming - it's a lot more dynamic than documentation. I mean, you know if your program works just by running it. With writing, you need to get review comments from others to know if it's right.

Nonetheless, I encourage you to pursue this possibility, if it interests you at all.

API writer: you'd be writing the reference manual that describes the API, ie, what each function/method does, the parameters, syntax, error messages, etc. If you have Java experience that will be very handy.

Regarding a portfolio (looking at a later comment), what I did was show my best technical design documents. They weren't meant for customers, but they still showed my ability to present technical information. Anyway, if you're called in for an interview even after it's clear from your resume that you've never done tech writing, then they're interested, and they're already going to know you haven't done customer documentation. (If you have, even if it's release notes or whatever, then show that, too.)

Feel free to comment on this if you want to pick my brain for more suggestions, etc.