I had no idea what I wanted to be growing up. My dad worked construction and after working with him one summer when I was 15 I knew I absolutely didn't want to do that.
When applying to college I kind of randomly chose computer engineering since I liked video games and built up a computer once. At the time I had no idea what a computer engineer actually did (I'm honestly still not really sure), but hey, it had computer in the title. I was lucky enough to get an internship as a software dev at a startup and that's what I do now.
I wanted to be an inventor like Nicola Tesla and make enough money by selling shareware (like Notch did with Minecraft) that I could have a lab like Tony Stark and change the world.
Now I sit at home all day scouring stackoverflow.com hoping to get one hour of real work done per day on my contracting gigs to pay the mortgage. My to-do queue is so full that I can't see the day when I'll be able to work on my own projects. I'll be out of money in a few months and probably have to get a "real" office job again.
I wanted to be an inventor when I was younger and I was always asking lots of questions like 'if you made corrugated solar panels with refractive prisms inside the grooves, could you increase the surface area and therefore the performance...?'
I realised pretty fast that its hard to find the answer to these ideas unless you have the money to experiment and so took a batchelors degree in CS instead. I love that its possible to have a software idea and prototype it really fast and put it out there. After doing a Masters in Bioinformatics I became more interested in the application of data I became a marketing analyst. Right now I have my own company Knry which is making sensory based technology for Firefighters and do some freelancing on the side. I think I am on my way to reaching my youthful dream career.
I went through a few things: truck driver (yeah, I was 5, but I could name the manufacturer of a truck by the grill), neurosurgeon, lawyer, then software engineer. I decided against the surgeon because my hands aren't steady enough. I decided against the lawyer after sitting next to one on a flight from LA to Tucson when I was 15; he absolutely hated his job. From about 16 on, I knew I wanted to do software (and this was in the 80s, when that was far outside the norms).
If I had it to do over again, I would probably pursue a major in biology with a minor in computer science. I think that would have opened up some interesting career opportunities for me.
Or maybe I'd say to hell with computers and go to med school. :)
Since you have quite a lot of experience making software, why not venture into bioinformatics now? There is a lot of scope for products out there with little competition. The biggest problem that I found in my bioinformatics masters was that the software tools out there were buggy as hell and only worked in specific scenarios. You mention that you would want to major in biology if given another chance. Take a Coursera course and build a bioinformatics business.
Wanted to be a baseball player. Played through college, got a communications degree, now work as a Web Strategist for a hospital. Working on a baseball-related side project though.
Then: Game developer for the PS1. Now: Mobile app developer, but no games. Not so bad, I guess.
Other things I thought I wanted to be: Doctor, astronaut (I probably would have tried if there were schools where I'm from), lawyer, TV news anchor, scriptwriter, rock star.
I wanted to be a scientist (wasn't specific about the field at that age) when I was a kid. After getting near a computer, I knew that it was going to be something involving them. But then I got into some shady stuff online when I was 16, spoiled my high-school years, didn't get into a college and dreamt about being this rich guy sitting in a huge mansion with a laptop on his lap, millions in bank and nothing to worry about. But reality and ethics came crushing down hard. Now I'm 20, learned programming this year and working on my start-up.
I wanted to be a "nuclear engineer" because my stepfather was one.
I did start the engineering career, but ended up switching for a degree in Information Systems, a Master's in Management of Technology and currently work coding in VB6 and even crappier technologies (FORTE TOOL) for an insurance company.
When I dig myself out of some loans (partly to pay for studies), I'll hopefully work at my own company :) - have had some aborted startup attempts, and have yet another side project with two friends right now.
Nothing really, on the whole I was a rather unambitious teenager. I enjoyed programming and computers and stuff, but never really had any plans or ambition to make them my job. I drifted into a junior sysadmin role more or less by accident after high school because I needed a job and eventually ended up programming. It wasn't before finally ending up in university that I found any sort of calling (mathematics), and I'm currently doing data analysis, with a side order of GIS.
I've pierced body parts, been a DJ, been a developer, and now I'm a sysadmin. I'll keep doing that until it the balance of "mostly fun" switches to "mostly unpleasant". (Which I can't see happening, but who knows?)
I wanted to be either a designer, wearing stylish heavy-framed glasses, or a lawyer. Ended up being a UI consultant (very close) with a degree in Legal Software Development. Had a Lasik to get rid of those stylish glasses :)
When I was a child I honestly wanted to be some sort of god, watching the world go by and knowing everything. Needless to say it didn't work out exactly that way.
[+] [-] jpitzo|12 years ago|reply
When applying to college I kind of randomly chose computer engineering since I liked video games and built up a computer once. At the time I had no idea what a computer engineer actually did (I'm honestly still not really sure), but hey, it had computer in the title. I was lucky enough to get an internship as a software dev at a startup and that's what I do now.
[+] [-] sycren|12 years ago|reply
What startup are you working at now?
[+] [-] zackmorris|12 years ago|reply
Now I sit at home all day scouring stackoverflow.com hoping to get one hour of real work done per day on my contracting gigs to pay the mortgage. My to-do queue is so full that I can't see the day when I'll be able to work on my own projects. I'll be out of money in a few months and probably have to get a "real" office job again.
[+] [-] Buzaga|12 years ago|reply
[+] [-] sycren|12 years ago|reply
I realised pretty fast that its hard to find the answer to these ideas unless you have the money to experiment and so took a batchelors degree in CS instead. I love that its possible to have a software idea and prototype it really fast and put it out there. After doing a Masters in Bioinformatics I became more interested in the application of data I became a marketing analyst. Right now I have my own company Knry which is making sensory based technology for Firefighters and do some freelancing on the side. I think I am on my way to reaching my youthful dream career.
[+] [-] GFischer|12 years ago|reply
[+] [-] SoftwareMaven|12 years ago|reply
If I had it to do over again, I would probably pursue a major in biology with a minor in computer science. I think that would have opened up some interesting career opportunities for me.
Or maybe I'd say to hell with computers and go to med school. :)
[+] [-] sycren|12 years ago|reply
[+] [-] acampbell28|12 years ago|reply
[+] [-] sycren|12 years ago|reply
[+] [-] bitwize|12 years ago|reply
[+] [-] martinwnet|12 years ago|reply
[+] [-] unknown|12 years ago|reply
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[+] [-] mattquiros|12 years ago|reply
Other things I thought I wanted to be: Doctor, astronaut (I probably would have tried if there were schools where I'm from), lawyer, TV news anchor, scriptwriter, rock star.
[+] [-] pyvek|12 years ago|reply
[+] [-] GFischer|12 years ago|reply
I did start the engineering career, but ended up switching for a degree in Information Systems, a Master's in Management of Technology and currently work coding in VB6 and even crappier technologies (FORTE TOOL) for an insurance company.
When I dig myself out of some loans (partly to pay for studies), I'll hopefully work at my own company :) - have had some aborted startup attempts, and have yet another side project with two friends right now.
[+] [-] AndrewKelley|12 years ago|reply
[+] [-] sycren|12 years ago|reply
[+] [-] dagw|12 years ago|reply
[+] [-] agibsonccc|12 years ago|reply
[+] [-] unknown|12 years ago|reply
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[+] [-] stevekemp|12 years ago|reply
I've pierced body parts, been a DJ, been a developer, and now I'm a sysadmin. I'll keep doing that until it the balance of "mostly fun" switches to "mostly unpleasant". (Which I can't see happening, but who knows?)
[+] [-] meerita|12 years ago|reply
[+] [-] jane_portman|12 years ago|reply
[+] [-] codecrusade|12 years ago|reply
[+] [-] Sagat|12 years ago|reply
[+] [-] dontstealmyname|12 years ago|reply
lol
[+] [-] unknown|12 years ago|reply
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[+] [-] pearjuice|12 years ago|reply
[+] [-] sycren|12 years ago|reply