Ask HN: I never wanted to become an SWE, Is now a good time for a career change?

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Ask HN: I never wanted to become an SWE, Is now a good time for a career change?

I currently work at a startup in a specific niche, where I handle system integration, DevOps, and development all at once. I didn't major in computer science (I have a major in Cognitive Neuroscience), but during my studies I realized that I was pretty good at programming, tech and working with Linux, and I was able to make money doing it. I never intended to work in the tech industry, but somehow I ended up there anyway, and I’ve been working in the field for three years now. I feel like my lack of a background in computer science and the fact that I don't think like an engineer are slowly coming back to bite me. Don't get me wrong, I'm interested in technology, Linux, networking and system programming, and I don't think I'm completely bad at it else I would have been fired years ago. But I think I'm slowly reaching a plateau, and I'm not willing to break through it. The people who do break through this plateau are the ones who are truly passionate and good problem solvers. They work on FOSS projects after their regular jobs and attend conferences or meetups. But that's not me. I don't feel like sitting at a computer after work, and working in the tech industry is making me hate computers more and more. I don't want to grind in a perpetual loop of upskilling, and when I look at coding agents like Claude, I doubt there will be a place for people like me in the tech industry in the near future. I never wanted to become a software engineer, but somehow I still ended up becoming one and it is draining my soul.

Would now be a good time for a career change? I have a few ideas, but they require going back to school for a few years and they won't pay as well as software. On the other hand, I never thought about the salary when I somehow ended in software.

Discussion 3 comments · 2 points · plastic-enjoyer · 2026-03-24
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