Tech Workers Seek Career Pivots & Alternatives

submitted by /u/JavlinJia [link] [comments]

“Hi Guys, I’m not really sure where to post this question really. The programming subreddits make sure that questions of this nature stay off the sub. I have a bachelors degree in computer science and I’m more than 4 years out of university right now. I have a job but not in anything related to programming or what I’ve studied. I haven’t coded seriously since I left university and I wouldn’t call myself the greatest programmer either. I’m average or below average at best, I still have a ton to le”

“Is there anyone here who has studied mathematics at university, or knows someone who has? What is the job market like — is it saturated? I recently became unemployed again after my company had to make cutbacks, and I’m considering either completely retraining and starting from scratch, or building on my existing education with another degree where my current Master’s in Business & Economics could be a relevant combination. I’ve therefore been looking into getting a Bachelor’s degree in Mathe”

“So I graduated with a bachelor's degree in applied mathematics (which is basically computer science) 5 years ago. Since then I worked 2 years as a Frontend dev (which transitioned to full stack software engineering not long after starting, but the title remained the same) and 3 years as a Full Stack Software Engineer in a different company. Recently I've been really considering looking at Masters degrees. Financially I'd have to wait a little to be able to afford it, but I wonder if”

“I have been working as a frontend developer for the past 2 years, but I no longer enjoy this field. I'm interested in math, data, and statistics, so I want to move into DA/AI/ML. I know I can't get an AI/ML job quickly since I've worked as a UI developer, and no one will consider me directly — so what should I look for first, or which jobs should I target, to build my resume and break into this industry? I'll take any role related to AI/ML; I just want to get started somewhere. &”

“I’m 35 and starting my third year of a PhD in applied mathematics after about a decade in engineering. I’ve passed my quals, earned my master’s, and submitted a first paper. I think I’m capable of finishing, but I’m increasingly unsure I want to. I came in wanting to explore research, and I’ve found it lonelier and less satisfying than I expected. After pushing hard for two years, I feel burned out on math, and several more years of research sounds exhausting. We also recently had our first chil”

“I am a Math graduate with a BI master's degree. I did 4 years of BI in finance in Spain. That meant creating and automating dashboards from scratch, a lot of SQL, a lot of admittedly basic Python. In 2020 the company I was did not let us work from home, which led to me burning out. I felt disrespected. So I got another master's degree to be able to teach in highschools. The next chapter of my life, I have been a math/IT teacher. this was beautiful because I spent a lot of time with my ne”

“Hello guys. I am a 26 yo guy who has a bachelors in applied mathematics (finished back in 2024-2025) from my home country. I moved to California in 2025 and, with an immediate need to help my family back home, started doing whatever work was available. Although I have never been the brightest student in the class, I have always found my love for mathematics surpassing my actual expertise in it. When I moved here, I dreamed of going to a university for masters and possibly do research. Now that i”

“I am currently majoring in computer science. However, everyone says it's hard to get a good job and I've realized I don't want to have to deal with that stress. I thought about becoming an actuary but I don't want to do all the additional studying that is necessary after college. So is there a different math related job where I can do all the studying in college/on the job and not have to study outside the job? I mainly want a good work life balance where I don't have to work”

“I have a PhD in mathematics, but no experience with the more practical aspects often associated (eg programming, numerical analysis, statistics, etc). I am currently faculty in the math dept of a university, and have been for 10+ years, but I am curious about what other jobs I might be qualified for. submitted by /u/letswatchmovies [link] [comments]”

“I (28M) am currently working as a software developer for a pathetic salary at a small firm in Detroit. To be honest I kind of hate my job. The computer science field has shifted a ton in the last decade for the worse, and I wasn't big on it to begin with. I've more or less decided that the beep-boopin' desk life isn't for me and I want out. In college I was an auto mechanic, and I am still a huge car nut. My goal has always been a career in the automotive world and I'm feelin”

“I'm 22 and graduated about a month ago with a Software Engineering degree. I also completed two internships (software development + web development). The problem is that after those internships, I realized I really don't enjoy software development. I also feel like I forgot a huge amount of what I learned in university and honestly don't feel job-ready right now. I've always been interested in cybersecurity. When I was younger, I was basically a script kiddie and found the whole”

“Hi, I’m a software engineer graduated computer science in TU Kaiserslautern(germany) with a very good mark. And got a job later in one of the best companies in the world and did not last 6 months . Then now for 3 years working at a small-middle sized IT companies . The catch is , I don’t think programming is for me . My first experience lacked hard work that’s why it failed but now I’m constantly praised . Still I was always very good at thinking and mathematics and don’t want to just be watchin”

“I’m currently pursuing a B.Sc. (Hons.) Mathematics, but my actual interest is in software engineering and AI/ML. I wanted to pursue CS, but ended up with Mathematics. I’m willing to work hard outside my degree to learn programming, DSA, CS fundamentals, software development, and eventually AI/ML. For people who have taken a similar path: Can I realistically get a software/AI job with a Mathematics degree? If yes, what should I focus on most to make myself employable? I’d especially appreciate ad”

“I’m currently pursuing a B.Sc. (Hons.) Mathematics, but my actual interest is in software engineering and AI/ML. I wanted to pursue CS, but ended up with Mathematics. I’m willing to work hard outside my degree to learn programming, DSA, CS fundamentals, software development, and eventually AI/ML. For people who have taken a similar path: Can I realistically get a software/AI job with a Mathematics degree? If yes, what should I focus on most to make myself employable? I’d especially appreciate ad”

“I’ve been in academia for about 15 years now and, for assorted personal and professional reasons, I might be looking to transition out of my current (tenured) position. The problem: I have absolutely no idea what industry would be interested in someone with my credentials other than the one I’m currently in, especially considering I have a strong distaste for stats (sorry to all of you important statisticians out there). Is there some career path I can pivot to that I’m overlooking? submit”

“5 years of software engineering experience and have a BS in Comp Sci. Unfortunately, I am an undesirable candidate. I won’t get into the details, but I haven’t been in the tech work force in the last 15 months. I’ve had a familial crisis and several mental health issues which prevented me from even being normal after I had gotten laid off and other life events happening. But I am back and want to get into IT. I looked up certifications and what not and everyone costs hundreds if not thousands of”

“I am in my early 30s and recently completed a PhD in applied mathematics: mostly pen-and-paper proofs about dynamical systems, with limited coding or data analysis. I got through it more through persistence (and later LLM help) than exceptional mathematical ability. I recently started a postdoc at a top US university in an experimental biology lab, where I am the only theorist. My PI is mid-career, very nice and available, but somewhat disorganized. He has been honest that there is no central th”

“To preface, I currently have no plans of doing a job outside academia as I like pure maths. However, I don't know if it's the "adulting", or impending financial dissatisfaction, or constantly having to defend me choosing to do pure maths to my mum, that has made me lose my motivation and "spark", but since this loss, I have been thinking about making a career shift after my PhD (which will start soon). My topic will be something in algebra which is pretty non-applicab”

“Greetings! I am a 25 y/o pure mathematics PhD student in Russia. Over the past year, I have realized that I no longer want to pursue an academic career. I still enjoy research and teaching, so I plan to finish my PhD. There are also practical reasons to stay enrolled, such as the legal protections from going through mandatory military service or mobilization. I am now trying to figure out what to do after graduation and I have the following questions: What skills do you think will remain valuabl”

“Graduated college with a bachelor’s in IT, got my first job as a software engineer making chump change (60k/yr), learned useless and untransferable technical skills, got laid off due to AI. I decided never again will I pursue software engineering if AI is running rampant this early in my career. Luckily during my time there I got my A+ and landed a field service tech role making 60k a year again. I haven’t been here a month but I know this is not a role I wanna get cozy in. What certs and skills”

“Hi, I am 24 year old currently have a job as a software engineer. Earning fairly decent and if i strive in my current field by putting in efforts i will reach good heights. But software stopped to interest me since the advent of AI. I have always had a special place for research in my heart since childhood. Now that software engineering shifting paradigm, it has become increasingly accessible and easy to learn. I like solving problems that are big, i also liked maths since I was a child. I think”

“Hi, I am 24 year old currently have a job as a software engineer. Earning fairly decent and if i strive in my current field by putting in efforts i will reach good heights. But software stopped to interest me since the advent of AI. I have always had a special place for research in my heart since childhood. Now that software engineering shifting paradigm, it has become increasingly accessible and easy to learn. I like solving problems that are big, i also liked maths since I was a child. I think”

“Hi All! I’m a data analyst at a large company and am wanting to transition into software engineering. Background : I have a BA and MA in mathematics and 9 years work experience in data analytics. I know Python, JavaScript, SQL, and a bit of HTML. I have worked freelance as a developer building spreadsheets, dashboards, and google appscript applications for clients. I’ve been in my current role for 3 years and have done a lot of process automating and end-to-end data pipeline work. I have the ski”

“What jobs would you suggest for a someone who loves math and solving puzzles but hates anything too complex like coding? I am a student currently in high school. I have been struggling to find a career path that is right for me. It gets me all tense whenever I think about it. My parents ask me what I aspire to be and everytime, I have no answer. I can't even try different things because it requires money and right resources. I have none. Also, I am from India. Here are a few things that I li”

What would you like to do?

“Creating computer programs was my childhood dream. I was building websites and simple C programs when I was 15. I got accepted into the top computer engineering program in my country at 18. I worked in startups, tech agencies and as a freelancer during my studies. I worked with smart and competent software engineers in many different companies and learned from them during my late 20s. I climbed up to a FAANG level salary at my 30s. Now at 32, I got unemployed and I have been feeling off from wha”

“This whole subreddit has been defined as literal torment for the last 2 years. If some of you people are gonna keep complaining about how dreadful the market and job environment is, then I believe you should drop the masochistic mask and change ur careers cause from the way I see it this ain't going to get better especially for people like you. The truth is that their is nothing we can do to stop the massive layoffs, nepotism, AI, etc. The exclusive life of pre covid is never going to happen”

“Hi everyone, As per title, I have a background as a pure mathematician. I earned a Bachelor and a Master of Science in Mathematics in my home country (in Europe). A failed attempt at a PhD at a (prestigious) US university earned me another Master of Science in Mathematics. During these years I built a solid knowledge of linear algebra, calculus, multivariable calculus, probability, mathematical logic and recursion theory, among others. To a lesser extent, I also studied statistics and I am decen”