Leaving IT... for something much better.


Recommended Posts

So last week I turned 26. I've been stuck working for a moderately large company of sorts here on the east coast with incredibly long hours and headaches with a very low salary to match. Two weeks ago, our area was hit by Hurricane Sandy. The owners and COO of our company decided it would be a fantastic idea to lay every one off for two weeks, providing no disaster assistance (not even to charity) or the ability to use our vacation time as pay. The competing company down the road (which is just as large as we are, if not larger) decided it would be an even better idea to help their employees, giving them a place to stay (air mattresses and food included), gas in their cars and bonuses in addition to their weekly salary.

I was on vacation last week (unpaid, since i'm not allowed to use my vacation time even though it's been pre-approved) and I did a lot of thinking. I was out in Vegas, and I stopped by the Bodies exhibit at the Luxor. Medicine and human health has always been an interest of mine, and my ex having been a doctor gave me even more of an insight on the field. The exhibit changed my mind forever. As I found out friday I wouldn't get paid AT ALL even though I was required to show up the prior week, and that my vacation would be unpaid, I made a decision to change the rest of my life.

I'm going to stay on part time, so I have some cash income, but I'm going to start college all over again, this time pre-med, then continue into Med School. Surprisingly, I've never been happier and more focused on anything in my entire life.

I have no doubts, but there are people I know that are doubting it, and doubting my motives (i.e. one person said i'm doing it to impress my ex... she doesn't even know). I know how tough its going to be... between the schooling and the residency after school, but I'm willing to put 110% of my life into it.

What do you guys think? Is it the right decision?

Edit: Please don't ask me what the company name is... I refuse to tell anyone. I won't damage the reputation of the company since it's employees are absolutely amazing, from all the way at the bottom to the corporate offices and vice presidents. The awesomeness stops at the very top with the COO and owner.

  • Like 3

I for one, think it's never a bad idea to further your education. It sounds like you have it all sorted out to your lifestyle, so I can't disagree, especially with something like that happening! If you have a better opportunity to take an even better paid path, why not jump on it as quickly as you can, right? I don't think you made the wrong decision. You obviously have the brains for it, so I say, go ahead! How is bettering your life/career path going to hurt in any way? Plus, on the flip side, we can all call you "Dr. Giantsnyy" here on the forums, lol! Okay, that was a lame joke, but still, imagine...being able to call yourself "Dr. (insert your real name here)....isn't that awesome! Shoot for the stars my man! I have faith in you! (Y)

Haha I like your edit.

Anyways, it's great seeing people doing something they love for a living, it really doesn't matter what it is.

I've seen a lot of topics online stating why their job sucks and why they need to work on Wall Street to be happy. I just want to say that it's untrue. Someone that works as a janitor at a school could be so much more happy than someone working on Wall Street. Ever since I was very little, I wanted to be a bus driver as well as a tow truck driver. I've always loved that job and I still do. But I chose computers over being a tow truck driver or a bus driver.

Also, when I was in high school, I had a janitor that was super nice, probably the nicest janitor I've ever met. And let me tell you something. The smile on his face everyday showed 101% how much he liked his job. And when I say that, I mean he LOVED his job.

So the moral of this? It doesn't really matter where you work and what job you do but as long as you're happy with it, it's all that matters.

Sorry about what I just wrote... lol I just felt like I needed to add that.

Take a trade or something. IT ****ing sucks. It's probably the most thankless industry to work in. No matter where you work, you are always seen as an expense.

If I was a bit younger/could afford to go back to school, I'd be a carpenter or something.

I work 3 jobs so im too busy to be that emotional... i would love to get into retouching and graphics full time, however that market is too saturated and the payoff is meh. since styles change too often. It's sad, as I am awesome at it but it's very hard to find good clients to deal with.

so i do retail data work, networking, and server admin/forum services

So not necessarily that IT is bad, it's that the company you have been working for is bad. It would be interesting how an IT approach to troubleshooting would work on a human body :)

"Patient is complaining of a chesty cough, including an abnormal amount of mucus and chest pains."

"Have you tried turning him off and on again?"

Maybe an IT guy would be more suited for heart surgery in that situation...

EDIT: Completely forgot to congratulate +giantsnyy on the decision! It's always good when someone isn't happy with their situation and so they actively try to change it. (Y)

"Patient is complaining of a chesty cough, including an abnormal amount of mucus and chest pains."

"Have you tried turning him off and on again?"

Maybe an IT guy would be more suited for heart surgery in that situation...

EDIT: Completely forgot to congratulate +giantsnyy on the decision! It's always good when someone isn't happy with their situation and so they actively try to change it. (Y)

I would have thought an IT person would have been more suited for brain surgery. Congratz on the change. I hope it works out. It's a bit rough switching like that, but your young enough.

I'm in a similar situation, if sou want to have a chat about it, PM me and we can chat there or in a messenger or something.

It's good to hear another person is in such a situation.

I know it made and still makes me sick feeling lost in what I do right now, even though it's just college, but in principle, everything applies to me as well. :)

Art for me by the way. :)

Glassed Silver:ios

I say go for it. I started out in Public Health and not being able to find a job in it, I went into IT because I loved computers. Every now and then, I think "what if I tried to stay just to find something" but decided that I am happy with where I'm at even if it's sometimes a "thankless job." You got to do what makes you happy and this sounds like a great move!

Good on you!

Sometimes its good to make a massive difference, I did it once in the past when I went from working in IT to working in a Casino. I loved it and I still miss doing it today but there is no money in it and due to several reasons I had to move to be closer to my family and went back in to IT again. But I certainly don't regret making the change.

So go for it and don't let anyone put you down about it or try to hold you back. Remember if there are people who laugh at you about it or try to take the **** it because they are actually jealous and don't have the strength to make the decision you have to change your life

You know what, if you CAN do it, you WANT to do it, DO IT!!! I have a good life, but I still, to this day, regret not attending college (I was accepted, just decided not to) as a biochemistry major right out of high school... instead I decided to start a low-level job and to buy a car. Now, over time that paid off because my company paid for all kinds of education, and I became a software engineer... but I still love biochemistry, biology, science in general and am an amateur wanna-be in all sorts of things.

Great idea and kudos to you for just going and doing it. Good luck and I hope it all works out for you :)

IT is one of the most dull, soul crushing things... I've got a lot of respect for anyone that manages to get out of it!

I'm in a similar situation, if sou want to have a chat about it, PM me and we can chat there or in a messenger or something.

It's good to hear another person is in such a situation.

I know it made and still makes me sick feeling lost in what I do right now, even though it's just college, but in principle, everything applies to me as well. :)

Art for me by the way. :)

Glassed Silver:ios

Man everyone is restructuring themselves... may as well thinking about that too then...

Thanks everyone! I'm so happy that I've had very little negative reaction to this. Even my coworkers are happy for me including my HR director... in fact she's trying to help me get settled in the right school for pre-med.

Sounds like...

Bad employment reference incoming...! :laugh:

:p

Glassed Silver:mac

I also work in IT, and used to agree that it's a thankless job. You see, I worked in a bank, so everything WAS nickels and dimes... But you know what? Last December I moved from the banking industry to the healthcare industry (system and network administration for a dialysis company, 20 facilities), and my mind was blown. I continue in IT, but its no longer a thankless job. I get to see how my work makes a difference in peoples lives. Maybe im not shown appreciation every day, but man, the satisfaction is there. Healthcare is generally awesome, even more if your company does charitable work (which mine does).

Now you will get to appreciate both sides (to the OP).

My advice? Never fear change, as change is always good, and good things come for those who seek it.

And, Glassed, my firend, do not fear. Those are stages in life... and you are awesome enough to surpass that, as you always handle things so well around here. I should say, consider that a gift. And if it's art, art it is! (I come from a family of artists, singers, painters, musicians, sculptors; and I went into IT, masochist maybe, lol).

I'm in a similar situation, if sou want to have a chat about it, PM me and we can chat there or in a messenger or something.

It's good to hear another person is in such a situation.

I know it made and still makes me sick feeling lost in what I do right now, even though it's just college, but in principle, everything applies to me as well. :)

Art for me by the way. :)

Glassed Silver:ios

Mr.Ed

  • Like 1

My "IT" (web development) job is going well enough that I can take the time to learn game engine development. I'll be going into the field that I want to be in, while still doing what I need to survive. If I could go to college for something, I don't know if I would change my field, honestly. Maybe archaeology or paleo, but those are hard to get into.

  • Like 1
This topic is now closed to further replies.
  • Recently Browsing   0 members

    • No registered users viewing this page.
  • Posts

    • US citizens are paying to their government, who could use that to fund healthcare and tuition and relieve the costs of these for citizens instead of making tax breaks that overwhelmingly favor the rich. I'm not saying that tariffs are the correct solution, but what else would they be used for? What else could Trump have in mind for wanting them, if he hasn't figured out that labor costs are higher in the US?
    • I’m in need of a new chair and it sounds like the backrest cannot be locked? I also sat on a Herman miller and was devastated that it couldn’t be locked also, what is going on with chairs. I want to be able to lock the backrest into any position but not even the Herman’s do that
    • Sihoo Doro C300 Pro V2 Ergonomic Office Chair review: The Ikea of chairs by Steven Parker I've reviewed a few gaming chairs over the past three years or so and generally found them to score well in our reviews. SIHOO reached out asking if I was interested in taking a look at their flagship chair, the Doro C300 Pro V2. I never got the chance to check out its predecessor, but the V2 is described as an "Adaptive Ergonomic Chair." It became available to buy in April of this year. Let's get things rolling with a closer look at the specifications and features. Specifications Doro C300 Pro V2 Model Ergonomic Materials Mesh Back and Seat; Soft PU Coated Armrests Height adjustability 45.5 - 53 cm / 17.5" - 20.9" Seat (w+d) 52 x 43 - 47 cm / 20.5" x 16.9" - 18.5" (adjustable) Backrest 52 – 60 cm / 20.5" - 23.6" (adjustable) Lumbar support Mesh built-in (adjustable) Armrest adjustability 8D Bionic Armrests Rocking angle 105°, 120°, 135° (fixed) Neck support Mesh built-in (adjustable) Net weight 27.3 kg / 59.64 lbs Weight support 150 kg / 330 lbs Colors Black, White Warranty 5 years (upon registering) Price $499.99, $539.99 Introduction At first glance, it looks like a chair that in another life wants to be a Herman Miller; It certainly looks like my Aeron Remastered, but the Doro C300 Pro V2 has quite a few more features and costs quite a bit less. SIHOO says that it is made up of a "DynaCore" system that tracks your movement and synchronizes the headrest, backrest, lumbar support, and armrests as you shift, twist, or recline. They also say that the "SyncroFlex Backrest" molds to your spine, which kind of describes how the mesh fabric works in most ergonomic chairs, but anyway. Below are the meat and potatoes measurements for the chair. Here is the same tech sheet, but in inches. Durability I would be remiss to not talk about the various durability testing this chair underwent before coming to market, as this is claimed on the product page. First of all, the chair is BIFMA-, SGS-, and TÜV-certified. As for durability, the tests undergone were: 100,000 Castor cycles tested 120,000 Armrest cycles tested 120,000 Recline cycles tested 120,000 Gas lift cycles tested 60,000 Armrest durability cycles tested 120,000 Rotation cycles tested Nothing about weights testing, though. Now that's all disclosed, now onto my own personal findings. Assembly The Doro C300 Pro V2 came in two large boxes (1) (2), and everything was packed very well, protecting the different parts of the chair. In the box, there is a folded sheet that explains the 12 steps to assemble it; they are: Remove the bottom cover on the aluminum base; Insert the five legs into the aluminum base and use ten screws to fasten them; Insert the castors into the legs; Replace the bottom cover on the bottom of the aluminum base; Place the Class 4 Hydraulics gas cylinder into the aluminum base; Screw the bottom part of the arm rests, taking care of the orientation using two screws on each side; Use three torx screws to fasten the footrest to the bottom of the seat; Fasten the backrest to the seat using four torx bolts; Fasten the armrests to the backrest using four Torx bolts (two on each side), taking care to note the orientation; Place the chair onto the Class 4 Hydraulics gas cylinder; Insert the headrest into the top of the backrest; Use two torx screws to fasten the headrest to the backrest. There's also an online guide you can refer to. Carefully unpacking the two boxes took around 15 minutes because almost everything is wrapped in plastic and protective foam; the chair assembly itself took around an hour. I say in the above assembly steps to take note of the orientation, because it's not obvious which way around the bottom portion of the armrests go, and although there is an L and R on the bottom of the armrests, it also wasn't clear from the instructions which was actually left or right, facing the chair, or in the seated down orientation? Anyway, I ended up putting the bottom portions on the wrong sides, and after securing one of the armrests, I discovered that although it was on the correct side, the armrest base could rotate a full 360°, but not when bolted to the chair, so I had to remove it, rotate it, and then bolt it back on. Truly an Ikea experience! Also, to complicate things further, although all the parts are labeled from A to X (yes, that's 24 parts) unhelpfully, these letters do not appear on the parts themselves or the package with the bolts, screws, and washers. There's also a pair of protective gloves in the box, but I think they were made for much smaller hands than I have. Even my friend, who is 5.1, had difficulty putting them on. Once assembled, I needed to sit down. Anyway, as I said, it looks quite similar to my Herman Miller. And here is the back of it. If you look at the product page and on Amazon, it seems like a lot of thought has gone into the chair itself and what it's capable of, but there is no mention at all about the castors, and this is an area where I think the chair trips up quite quickly. I found it difficult to move the chair in any direction. I asked a friend who came to visit me earlier this week to test my findings, and she said that the wheels were "no good," so it definitely isn't just me. I am 6'2 myself and a big guy, I work from home and gained a few pounds from mostly staying in and the hell away from other people. However, the Doro C300 Pro V2 is rated for up to 150kg (330lbs), which in my case is used well within its max rating. Ergonomics The number of adjustments you can make, right up to setting it in nap mode — which I haven't fully tested yet — is what you'd expect from a premium chair. Yes, you can go up and down (max 7.5 cm adjustment), rock back and forth (with tilt adjustment), and lock the chair between three stages of 105°, 120°, 135°, which is not quite as flat as the AndaSeat I tested at 160°. Some thought has also gone into the "8D" armrests, too, which are cushioned but quite firm; you'll only know it if you press hard into the PU-covered tops, which give about half a centimeter, but it's enough to ensure your skin won't get awkwardly stuck to it in warmer (or sweatier) conditions. It almost feels like plastic and is very easy to keep clean. However, the armrest positions move far too easily, and I am not sure what that "elbow" function is. Maybe it is good for a short person with short arms, anyway, I never used it and kept it flat at all times. There are eight levels of adjustment for the armrests, they are: backwards, forwards, swing left/right, height up and down, tilt, and 360° rotation, which can be handy for desk clearance. As I said, the armrest pads shift far too easily, which could give off an ergonomic vibe, but who wants the armrest sliding when you are shifting weight? The height adjustability does lock into place when lifting and adjusting. Comfort This is ultimately what it boils down to at the end of the day, right? Quite a lot of reviews praise the comfort of this chair, and I don't disagree that the mesh seating is quite comfortable. I am used to the material from my daily Herman Miller. However, the backrest cannot be locked into place, and this is actually a feature; as you shift or recline yourself on the chair, the backrest moves with your body. It took some getting used to. The lumbar gives ample support, but I would have preferred an adjustable one built into the seat base, as this causes the backrest to move up and down at will. Again, as with my previous chair review, this chair is also rated for tall people, but nowhere in the product documentation does it say how tall. Being 6'2 myself, I'm happy to say that the backrest is tall and wide enough, and thought has been given to being able to adjust the neck rest, but as others have mentioned in their reviews, people as tall as 6.2ft is about the limit for the neckrest. Conclusion What I didn't like The footrest is rated for 15kg (33 lbs), which to me seems a bit light, and after looking online, it seems like a chair footrest for adults must be at least twice that rating. In all honesty, they are just hollow metal tubes, so it is not recommended to let a kid sit on them. I also feel like it doesn't really go out far enough for my height, so that kind of puts the dampener on me being able to use it regularly. I'll just have to continue to use my subwoofer as a footrest! I do not like the armrests being able to shift around as easily as they can, and they are a little too forward-positioned in the chair to comfortably sit close to my desk, because even in the lowest height position, they don't allow me to go under the desk like is possible with my Herman Miller. I also feel like this chair could have been delivered partially constructed, especially the armrests on the seat, and why the aluminum base wasn't already pre-constructed (without the castors) is baffling, considering it would have fit in one of the two boxes that way. The instructions also need to be clearer. On the pamphlet, there's an A to X listing (which is also used in the steps), but none of the physical parts use this lettering system! What I did like I'll be honest, I haven't used it for very long, just one week, and seating comfort is subjective after all! Any spills wiped straight off it, the stitching, and the lines look great, not a fray to be seen or stitch out of place. It looks kind of cool, too. My favorite feature of these seats is the nap mode. While you're not lying completely flat, it leans far back enough to make you easily doze off after a heavy gaming or working session. Overall, this chair offers plenty of comfort features. The MSRP does vary quite a bit depending on the region, at £549.99 in the UK, and €580 in Europe, and $599 before tax in the U.S. However, shipping is free, which is a bonus for such a heavy item. Is it worth it, though? At three years' warranty, I think it's a decent deal. Another firm out of Germany sent me a free replacement hydraulic gas spring for a chair that failed after almost four years, so it was well outside its two-year warranty. My advice is to always try, as you might have the same luck I did. If I could fault it at all, it would be the constant shifting of the armrests and backrest. Where to buy Although the footrest variant normally costs $539.99, it has been discounted to $469.99 on the official website in Black or White. In fact, the non-footrest variant is only $40 cheaper. On Amazon, it currently costs more at $499.99 links below. Sihoo Doro C300 Pro V2 for $469.99 (official website) Sihoo Doro C300 Pro V2 for $499.99 at Amazon US SIHOO provided a free sample without any review or pre-approval. Good to know This Amazon link is U.S. specific, and not available in other regions unless specified. We only use first-party seller links (at the time of article publishing); ensure that you purchase from a first-party seller link only. Check out Today's Deals on Amazon | or our recent tech deals. Become a Prime member (for Students or SNAP) via Neowin Get Prime Access - Prime for half price (for qualifying Medicaid, EBT, SNAP) Subscribe to Prime Video, Audible Plus, Music Unlimited or Kindle Unlimited via Neowin As an Amazon Associate, we earn from qualifying purchases.
    • Making US citizens pay is a prominent tool? Joke of the week…
  • Recent Achievements

    • Conversation Starter
      jessse3334 earned a badge
      Conversation Starter
    • Reacting Well
      JuvenileDelinquent earned a badge
      Reacting Well
    • One Month Later
      Excellence2025 earned a badge
      One Month Later
    • Week One Done
      Excellence2025 earned a badge
      Week One Done
    • Week One Done
      flexorcist earned a badge
      Week One Done
  • Popular Contributors

    1. 1
      +primortal
      506
    2. 2
      +Edouard
      207
    3. 3
      PsYcHoKiLLa
      151
    4. 4
      Steven P.
      73
    5. 5
      macoman
      62
  • Tell a friend

    Love Neowin? Tell a friend!