After working as a software developer for ~8 years I decided being a programmer isn't something I want to do anymore. I have decided to become a high school teacher in IT and so far I'm quite enjoying the change. No 2 days are the same, it can be stressfull definitely but so far so good.

I was wondering how many people have thought about a career change and did you follow up on it ? I took a bit of heat from friends & family who assume teaching in inner London automatically means you're going to be abused ( physically & verbally), but so far it hasn't panned out this way[ though I am only half way through my course. I started this topic just to hear if anyone has had stories of leaving the industry.

After working as a software developer for ~8 years I decided being a programmer isn't something I want to do anymore. I have decided to become a high school teacher in IT and so far I'm quite enjoying the change. No 2 days are the same, it can be stressfull definitely but so far so good.

I was wondering how many people have thought about a career change and did you follow up on it ? I took a bit of heat from friends & family who assume teaching in inner London automatically means you're going to be abused ( physically & verbally), but so far it hasn't panned out this way[ though I am only half way through my course. I started this topic just to hear if anyone has had stories of leaving the industry.

I'm not sure how many responses you'll get to this that say "I left game development and became a happier person."

I mean, if some has left game development why would they be posting here?

If they left game development, they actually leave. That means they don't post here any more. If they still wanted to be active in game development, they would not have left.



I've known several people who have left the industry over the years. All of them have done so because they discovered their passions were elsewhere, or their passions were once in the industry and have moved. Following your passions is an excellent idea, even when it means (intelligently) leaving your job or going back to school studying a different field, and being the person you want to become.

I know a handful of people who have left the game development industry (most to other software sectors, a who have completely gotten away from software, and one who is now a blacksmith. Honestly, I'm thinking of following that last guy's path.)

All of them (excluding the smith, he has power, but no computers or TV.) still program games for the fun of it, and most are actually working on a side indie project together. They say they enjoy producing games far more when it is just for the fun and the art, rather than just for the pay cheque.

If you don't enjoy the work, you don't enjoy the work. Simple as that, and it is a great sign of when it is time to move on.

[quote name='Yudhisthira' timestamp='1298054358' post='4776015']
After working as a software developer for ~8 years I decided being a programmer isn't something I want to do anymore. I have decided to become a high school teacher in IT and so far I'm quite enjoying the change. No 2 days are the same, it can be stressfull definitely but so far so good.

I was wondering how many people have thought about a career change and did you follow up on it ? I took a bit of heat from friends & family who assume teaching in inner London automatically means you're going to be abused ( physically & verbally), but so far it hasn't panned out this way[ though I am only half way through my course. I started this topic just to hear if anyone has had stories of leaving the industry.

I'm not sure how many responses you'll get to this that say "I left game development and became a happier person."

I mean, if some has left game development why would they be posting here?

If they left game development, they actually leave. That means they don't post here any more. If they still wanted to be active in game development, they would not have left.



I've known several people who have left the industry over the years. All of them have done so because they discovered their passions were elsewhere, or their passions were once in the industry and have moved. Following your passions is an excellent idea, even when it means (intelligently) leaving your job or going back to school studying a different field, and being the person you want to become.
[/quote]

i post here because its a bloody great forum! career dont matter.

I haven't left it myself, but I've often thought that teaching kids about computers would be rather high on the list of options if I ever did -- something that falls in the realm of actual computer science -- not word processing, HTML or a LOGO class that only focuses on drawing stupid little houses with the Turtle.

I'd like to teach the "From logic gates to Tetris in 12 weeks" program they teach in some colleges, or an honest programming class -- or even just a LOGO class that actually exposed and used LOGO's LISP underpinnings, and the fact that it does more than draw those little houses.

[quote name='frob' timestamp='1298057552' post='4776042']
[quote name='Yudhisthira' timestamp='1298054358' post='4776015']
After working as a software developer for ~8 years I decided being a programmer isn't something I want to do anymore. I have decided to become a high school teacher in IT and so far I'm quite enjoying the change. No 2 days are the same, it can be stressfull definitely but so far so good.

I was wondering how many people have thought about a career change and did you follow up on it ? I took a bit of heat from friends & family who assume teaching in inner London automatically means you're going to be abused ( physically & verbally), but so far it hasn't panned out this way[ though I am only half way through my course. I started this topic just to hear if anyone has had stories of leaving the industry.

I'm not sure how many responses you'll get to this that say "I left game development and became a happier person."

I mean, if some has left game development why would they be posting here?

If they left game development, they actually leave. That means they don't post here any more. If they still wanted to be active in game development, they would not have left.



I've known several people who have left the industry over the years. All of them have done so because they discovered their passions were elsewhere, or their passions were once in the industry and have moved. Following your passions is an excellent idea, even when it means (intelligently) leaving your job or going back to school studying a different field, and being the person you want to become.
[/quote]

i post here because its a bloody great forum! career dont matter.
[/quote]

Yep, me too. I still post on Andre forum too, since 1998. even when he no longer do commercial game dev (more on hardcore hardware and game dev on that hardware). great forum, great people. that's all. i still do game dev as a hobby here and then, but mostly just for fun.

I like these forums a lot even though I haven't done any programming in general in over a year! So it's definitely false that leaving the industry (I never actually worked in it, but I definitely used to be involved in game development and computer science in general) means you can't post here anymore.

As far as I'm concerned, it's only worth suffering through a career you don't like much if it means you'll be able to retire in your 30s and have a great life afterwards. And suffice it to say there are very few jobs that guarantee such a fate, and most of the time when someone thinks they have such a job, something goes wrong before they reach the hoped-for retirement period.

Teaching is definitely an option on my agenda. Still, I want to give it one more go

I haven't programmed in years (always was just a hobby) and I still read here. It's amazing how hard it can be to find entertaining and intelligent conversation in the same place on the internet.

That said, back on topic, I actually am a teacher and am getting out of it. I've taught music in a small, underprivileged district for 5 years now and I am finally fed up with the way education is always the first thing to be cut and how the only "advancements" being made in our education system strip teachers of any opportunity to be creative within their classes while sacrificing valuable programs like sciences and arts so that there's more time to "teach to the test" (thank you No Child Left Behind). /rant So I've applied and been accepted to law school for next semester despite all my friends telling me I should go for engineering. They are probably right, but I'm not smart enough to listen until after I've wasted 3 years, 100s of thousands of dollars and sold my soul.

My brother, on the other hand, is still making his living in game development and could not be happier. More power to him and to any of you who are pursuing occupations you enjoy. Those going in to education: good luck and thank you for doing it. The world definitely needs all the good teachers it can get.

I know a handful of people who have left the game development industry (most to other software sectors, a who have completely gotten away from software, and one who is now a blacksmith. Honestly, I'm thinking of following that last guy's path.)

LOL...who leaves the game industry and becomes a blacksmith? Sounds like he wanted to become one of his video game characters.