Ask HN: If you could start your career over again what would you do differently?

I’m 56. I never finished college. In retrospect, I really should have. Partly for the education, but even more so for the network that can come with graduating from a good school.

Another thing I’d do different is that I would have started a tech business much earlier, before my wife and I had children. Trying to do a venture-scale startup (high growth) when you have young children is really tough and not fair to your children, your spouse, or yourself.

Lastly, I would invest more into my retirement.

Time goes by faster than you think it will.

I'd focus on the human element of work more. Younger engineers sometimes want to excel as individual contributors, but the value of being a team player, helping your co-workers in their careers, and tracking your team's health is huge.

A co-worker recently said that they used to chase good work when finding a job, but now they look primarily for good people. It sounded spot on.

My instinct is to tell my younger self to finish his CS degree. On the other hand, the jobs I see don't require any of that so... it would still be nice as an accomplishment. I think. Most of the people that graduated from my course aren't doing interesting things. But yeah, bittersweet feeling ("what if?").

I'd tell myself to avoid identifying with his work too much and work 9-5 only. Unless it was his own company but still be careful about mental health.

Focus more on my career path rather than take the path of least resistance. I see now that you can actively manage your career in such a way that you decide what job you want rather than take what comes your way.

Also, I would have sounded my own horn a bit more. It's important to let management above you and your boss' boss know what you're capable of doing otherwise you become just a body that can easily be replaced.

The biggest would be to find an internship in college, preferably one for junior year and one for senior year. Now that I'm in the workforce I see driven young individuals getting internships in the companies I work at, that I was too shy to apply to and didn't see myself worthy of.

Then use that internship to find out what I love to do and use that to start a career doing that.

Study computer science instead of mathematics. I chose mathematics because was easier for me and programming can be self-taught. The idea was to eventually start work as programmer while studying and did indeed, however I follow syllabus of CS courses and think it would far better if I studied CS.

Finish my CS degree and do internships while in college instead of switching to English because it was easy. Biggest regret of my life (so far) that I'm still struggling to overcome 14 years later.

I would've had a job lined up before I quit my first. Then I could've still pursued starting my own company without burning up my savings.

Found a workplace and co-workers that I meshed well with. I worked for 3+ years with people who I struggled to connect with.

Get a job instead of creating a business I ended up not liking. I should've done both, I certainly could.

Move to a bigger city and get work doing Database.

Actually finish my CS degree.

focus on only one field, do not switch around.

Go to school