Most of us probably had some sort of other jobs before getting into software as a career. I'd love to hear from the community on this matter!
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Since high school...
I tried a lot of things-- I'd really recommend the 'try it before you buy it' approach if you're going to have to invest in your education. That's why I became a CNA, and I realized that my proprioceptive difficulties would make nursing tough, so I saved myself a wasted investment in med school.
Was this how you dipped your toes in before getting more directly involved in software development?
yep! I had a contract with a SaaS and was like, I want to do what their engineers do. I still do dev-rel-y things all the time like content creation and documentation that I learned to do while writing my first technical pieces back then.
Very similar to how I ultimately got into what I do.
damn, inspiring
Here's my work background before this field:
Some of these are various jobs, but I've consolidated and didn't count brief stints.
Basically, I did a lot of manual labor-type jobs and then got into marketing as my initial career before discovering my real interest in software development.
Man, you're amazing!
I fitted a lot windows, I also tried welding (I was really bad at that). It was either professional combat sports or tech for me, glad I chose the latter!
After school;
I switched careers at 47 and I turn 54 in a week. So grateful that I ended up in software development.
What led to the change?
It was badly paid, boring and I was clearly not progressing - I was getting paid less than new starters. To make it worse, I got transferred to another area where none of my prior experience was any use at all.
Meanwhile I bought a Dummies book about Linux on a whim as I had a voucher for money off them and started messing around with Ubuntu in my spare time. That reignited my interest in computers in general and I wound up doing a correspondence course with the intention of changing career. Took four years, but in 2011 I started my first web dev job and never looked back.
Technically I've also been a mobile app dev in the time since then, but since that was Phonegap rather than native app development and I never did it exclusively, I don't really distinguish it as a different job.
Not bad for someone with a chemistry degree. The technical content editor work really helped me figure out that I wanted to make the move to software dev and not just work with content.
I was a bartender for 5 years. Studied code and web applications, built the website for the restaurant I worked at, and made a ton of great connections. Talking with people from all walks of life really helped me to have confidence in interviews.
I always wanted to work in software, ever since I started programming as a hobby in my teens, but I didn't get a dev job straight out of uni.
I spent a year or so working in a call centre selling wine (inbound, not outbound calls). I'd had other summer jobs here and there, but this was my first actual job.
It was a nice company and for the most part the customers were nice. It did not cure me of my fear of phone calls, but having a script to follow made it a lot easier.
(I don't say this out loud often, but I don't like wine, and I really tried!)
Network and System Administration. Well, development is everywhere, right ? :-)
I was quite lucky and managed to get into tech quite early but it wasn't until my late twenties where I became a Dev.
We have multiple warehouse pickers in the thread!
I got the technical writing job because I had a background in tech and was pursuing an English degree. From there, I just kept scootching my way into more and more technical stuff until I qualified for a software development job.
In my country. To become a software development, you must study at universities and do internships in companies. When I was a student, I also worked in other industries such as banking, consulting and customer service
What is the name of your country?
Professionally, I started out in freight forwarding (air cargo) - negotiating with airlines, filling out way bills etc. Soon started making small utility programs and scripts to automate / enhance workflow at the freight forwarding company. Gradually moved in to an IT support role, then IT management. Eventually started my own software development company...
However, I have been programming as a hobby since early teens :-)
Skipping over part time work while I was at school/uni:
Since high school graduation:
and then, Tier 3 Support Developer as my first developer job title.
Beyond Tier 3, I was:
and now:
It's been a really interesting, roller-coaster-esque 14 years since I graduated, but I use skills from each of those jobs nearly every day, and I wouldn't trade my experience for anything.
For me:
That's me in a nutshell pre-programming.
From 16 - mostly alongside college and university to be able to buy food:
The temp cover job was pretty good at times - even worked in a brewery for a couple of weeks. But I'd never know what I was doing from one day to the next, and some jobs were horrible (8 hour shifts testing imported smoke detectors or cutting off European plugs of off electric blenders and replacing them with UK plugs).
Skipping a few short-term ones:
In my short life I was working since I was 14, hence I already worked as a:
My non-programming, non-database, non-IT-support jobs have (in chronological order) been:
Do corner shops actually sell alcohol to under 18 children or is that just a fantasy?
Hmm I think we used to get told we would be in serious trouble if we did, and could loose job or be fined, that and the fact that there are secret shoppers, I did not ever do it... However I'm sure there are places.
We need digital identities if you ask me, no more IDing people
Oh, that’s completely different from what people here say about alcohol and corner shops lol
I've had more technical roles than I've had non-technical, but of the few gigs I've taken:
At College/Uni I was working at Primark(a fairly cheap clothing store) and Currys/PC World!
After Uni I joined a sports betting company as a Software Support Engineer, as a way to get my foot in the door, then moved to the company I currently work at in the same role!
7 months back I was able to make the transition to a full time Software Engineer!! :D
Well, I started programming when I was 15. Since then, I’ve been a draftsman for a Electrical Engineer, ASIC design Engineer, Audio Engineer, embedded systems Engineer, etc. My formal training is Electrical Engineering, but I’ve done more programming than designing.
My Career:
The rest is history!
Since high school:
Been a long strange trip, and it ain't over yet.
And there’s me who’s just 13…
Sounds like a bright future to me. :)
Thanks for those words of positivity! :)
Salesman and taught me to learn a lot of soft skills.
Not counting summer jobs as a teen
Pizza delivery
Printing press technic
Pre press technician
Desktop Publishing designer
Graphic Designer
Proof reader
Build custom PCs and sale them
So much untapped talent in the comments! Lovely to read all these origin stories
Farmer
Engineer in milk factory
I'm curious about this one-- what did you engineer?
Repaired cars and developed programs for them
Van driver. Kitchen Porter.
I only did one job before Software Engineer
Used to work in small farm. Loads of manual work. I feel healthier back then…
My first real job was in software development, and I'm still in software development
4 years USCG
2 years Capenter
4 Years College working carpentry in summer.
Entry into IT in 1987
Still in IT 2022
I worked at Pizza Hut for 10 years
Haha nothing really, hopped straight out of college into software dev and never looked back. That was, how many years ago, you don't wanna know, haha.
10 years as a rig electrician in the oil field since graduation as electrical engineer
I did the career shift in 2017 at age 36
An electrician can work with various electrical installations: electric motors, generators, automatic control systems, etc. Depending on the job, an electrician's duties may include the following: maintenance, installation, connection/disconnection, disassembly, and repair of electrical equipment. For example, a city electrician tidalelectricalservices.com may install street lighting systems, lay power lines, and maintain and repair them.
Digital Artist
Streamer .-.
Pc Builder
Editor
Part time tutor
Teacher's assistant, coding instructor, and lead STEM instructor,
Wow, this is inspiring...seen people from different background and all going into one direction! Great job!
Before this field i worked as a Draftsman
Before/During Undergrad studies:
Mechanical Engineer … discovered coding while writing code for a CAD drawing, it was a sine chart which was used to drill the sine chart into a Plexiglas block.
Structural Engineer for 9 yrs
Radio DJ, college tutor, theater stage carpenter for a repertory theater, Infantry soldier in the US Army, software engineer, in that order.
Those are the highlights.
Brand designer
Furniture designer
Interior designer
waitor, customer support (for a internet service company)
Waiter
Intern in Architecture
Barista
still searching for my first experience in tech :(
wow, so many people with manual labor type work. Wasn't expecting that!
Well me, I'm not a developer yet, i'm still studying! I've been working as an auto glass technician for 13 years now.