I have been working as a software engineer for years. But I have grown to hate it. I am thinking about changing careers. Maybe get back into electronics.

This place is just over the hill side from me.

https://www.glassdoor.com/job-listi...m?jl=3115951991&ctt=1552595656147&srs=EI_JOBS

Not sure if I qualify since I have not worked professionally in electronics in years.

I was going to put some videos together of some of my more interesting projects I designed. Don't kno w if that will make them think I am over qualified. But they night think I am too old. Turn 60 this summer.


The problem is it would mean a significant cut in salary. but I could probably afford the cut. Though might put off paying off this mortgage for a few more years. The real hard part is giving up vacation time though I guess that could be negotiated.

Should I change careers?

 

Unfortunately I would suspect age would be against you.
Though I wouldn't say you are 'over the hill'
How are your diagnostic skills, I made good money servicing Industrial Electronics when I 'ahem.. retired', generally in many cases such service is thin on the ground, with the advent of mass production and production lines, it cost many $$ to be down for very short period.
Test the waters first by putting a few feelers out!.
Max.

 

Unfortunately I would suspect age would be against you.
Though I wouldn't say you are 'over the hill'
How are your diagnostic skills, I made good money servicing Industrial Electronics when I 'ahem.. retired', generally in many cases such service is thin on the ground, with the advent of mass production and production lines, it cost many $$ to be down for very short period.
Test the waters first by putting a few feelers out!.
Max.

Well pretty decent since it takes diagnostic skills to troubleshoot the projects I make. But mostly digital / mcu based. Though that is when I have time and am not under the gun to fix an issue. Many of my epiphanies come while I am out on a bicycle ride. Doubt they will let me go for a ride to clear my head.

I must admit my analog sucks.

 

BTW I think this is an in lab job so probably not as much pressure to get the equipment running but I am sure you still have to produce.

They also rent test equipment. I would assume they have onsite calibration techs. Might be kind of a cool job to end out my career.

 

BTW I think this is an in lab job so probably not as much pressure to get the equipment running but I am sure you still have to produce.

They also rent test equipment. I would assume they have onsite calibration techs. Might be kind of a cool job to end out my career.

Were you planning on retirement at 62?, 67? or 70+?
This will affect the amount of your SS income. The SSA can tell you what your benefits will be, and if you have a suitable retirement plan then I would recommend that you retire ASAP. You don't know what the future holds and I wish I had been able to retire at 62. I waited till I was 66 and fortunately hit the magic number that made it possible and comfortable. I have friends who are 70+, still working and hating every minute of it.

 

Were you planning on retirement at 62?, 67? or 70+?
This will affect the amount of your SS income. The SSA can tell you what your benefits will be, and if you have a suitable retirement plan then I would recommend that you retire ASAP. You don't know what the future holds and I wish I had been able to retire at 62. I waited till I was 66 and fortunately hit the magic number that made it possible and comfortable. I have friends who are 70+, still working and hating every minute of it.

If it weren't for medical insurance and my mortgage, I would retire now. I should be able to get the mortgage out of the way in about another 2 years (it would have only been a 5 year loan by then). I would like to go at 62 but more realistically it will be more like 64.

But if I could work another job for a while, it would mean all the difference. I really hate my current job but I don't work a lot of OT and it pays decently.

But frankly I don't want to work any OT. When I work it is only for a few hours but it is usually really late at night. The pin heads in management love blanket polices. They just instituted one where they compressed the time frame changes need to be done and made sure they are well off hours. Fine for high risk applications but all the apps I work on are low risk. Foe most of them if they were down for a week the business would be annoyed but not the end of the world. I am just tired of that and the rest of the BS that goes on. Though a move now very well could be frying pan into the fire. For sure I don't want to do any more software development.

 

If it weren't for medical insurance and my mortgage, I would retire now. I should be able to get the mortgage out of the way in about another 2 years (it would have only been a 5 year loan by then). I would like to go at 62 but more realistically it will be more like 64.

But if I could work another job for a while, it would mean all the difference. I really hate my current job but I don't work a lot of OT and it pays decently.

But frankly I don't want to work any OT. When I work it is only for a few hours but it is usually really late at night. The pin heads in management love blanket polices. They just instituted one where they compressed the time frame changes need to be done and made sure they are well off hours. Fine for high risk applications but all the apps I work on are low risk. Foe most of them if they were down for a week the business would be annoyed but not the end of the world. I am just tired of that and the rest of the BS that goes on. Though a move now very well could be frying pan into the fire. For sure I don't want to do any more software development.

A mortgage should not really be an impediment. I have two at the moment. One is a 10/1 ARM that adjusts up in 2023, the other is a 30 year fixed that matures in 2047. I'll be 99 if I live that long. Do you see worry in my left eye, how about the right eye?

 

A mortgage should not really be an impediment. I have two at the moment. One is a 10/1 ARM that adjusts up in 2023, the other is a 30 year fixed that matures in 2047. I'll be 99 if I live that long. Do you see worry in my left eye, how about the right eye?

You would see worry in both my eyes. I do not like being in debt. I paid off the mortgage for my first house in less than 20 years. I was debt free for 10 to 15 years. It was wonderful.

 

Have you considered letting your current employer know that you are intrested in different work? It might be willing to go out of their way to keep you there.

 

Have you considered letting your current employer know that you are intrested in different work? It might be willing to go out of their way to keep you there.

There isn't anything there I want. If I stay in MIS it will be the same BS. And I am not really interested in a non tech job. I could probably get into more support rather than development but I think I would be bored out of my mind.

 

There isn't anything there I want. If I stay in MIS it will be the same BS. And I am not really interested in a non tech job. I could probably get into more support rather than development but I think I would be bored out of my mind.

Spin... just to refresh my memory... you're single, right? ... not married, no children?

 

Hmm im not sure:
"The people at Industrial Scientific are committed to ending death on the job by the year 2050, and we need more help.."
Sounds like they're getting through employees at a rate of knots.. at least until 2050...

On a serious note, though I kind of understand where you are.. I work in science research and am getting rather fed up of it, all the politics BS etc...etc.. trouble is I'm not sure that any other tech. job would be any different.
I had a good friend back at a UK university, he took an early retirement package and became a flying instructor. I got the impression he felt he had really wasted his time in science.

So maybe if you are going to make a change, you have to make a BIG one...

 

Potato Pototo

If your job has driven you to that, change.

 

If your job has driven you to that, change.

What thread are you responding?

 

Spin... just to refresh my memory... you're single, right? ... not married, no children?

Yep happily single no kids

 

What thread are you responding?

Is your memory that bad? Change careers before your present job makes you start babbling.

 

Yep happily single no kids

well, then ... the choice should be a lot easier, shouldn't it?

 

Hmm im not sure:
"The people at Industrial Scientific are committed to ending death on the job by the year 2050, and we need more help.."
Sounds like they're getting through employees at a rate of knots.. at least until 2050...

On a serious note, though I kind of understand where you are.. I work in science research and am getting rather fed up of it, all the politics BS etc...etc.. trouble is I'm not sure that any other tech. job would be any different.
I had a good friend back at a UK university, he took an early retirement package and became a flying instructor. I got the impression he felt he had really wasted his time in science.

So maybe if you are going to make a change, you have to make a BIG one...

Well a lab tech would be a fairly big one since I now do programming but I get your point. My other thought was to make T shirts for a living. There is a local shop here that makes them. It would mean a huge cut in pay but I think would be kind of a cool job.

 

well, then ... the choice should be a lot easier, shouldn't it?

Well it certainly takes some of the burden off of the shoulders but easier? I am not so sure. Always been a worrier and always been a very responsible person. Even if the responsibility is just to myself.

 

Is your memory that bad? Change careers before your present job makes you start babbling.

I think it is you that is babbling. I remember exactly what that was and it was from a different thread.