Ask HN: Should I Accept A Job in an Industry I Don't Want to Work In? | Hacker News Reader

Ask HN: Should I Accept A Job in an Industry I Don't Want to Work In?

2 pointsask2344 comments

I'm a recent college graduate. I just received an offer to work as a Marketing Engineer, working on strategy and planning for an electronics company. The job itself is exactly what I want to do, and I didn't expect to have the opportunity to do something like this right out of undergrad.

But I've always wanted to work out in Silicon Valley, for a big tech company or a startup. I'm not confident I'll be able to find or land a similar type of job as a new grad at one of these companies.

Should I take the job and try to transition later or pass and try to land something that more aligns with my interests?

View on HN

I've had the opportunity to work as a software contractor for the government (environmental/GIS), in the FMCG industry, Branding/Advertising with DevShop type environment and am currently working in the Health Care industry.

What you really will be learning is the domain and the different problems people in those industries face and the solutions that are acceptable to them. We as developers/architects should and do become domain experts in solving certain types of problems.

Say, by chance you learn how marketing affects business decisions - you'll gain a better understanding and foresight into what is expected of you (always to drive up profits!). If you do decide to leave for another industry - marketing is still applicable there. Perhaps then you will be on another boat - building the things marketing promised - or where you will be tasked to build a home page where knowledge regarding conversion, marketing copies, pricing structure and analysis (ex. A/B testing) will make you an asset to the business.

I'd say give it a try. I am interested in working for Microsoft at some stage (I focus primarily on .NET) - but after reading that they consider someone with 7 years working experience in development a 'beginner' i.t.o full-time employment - I reckon there's still a lot I need to learn till then.

I'd say if you're still interested in Silicon Valley by then, keep an eye out for job listings :).

Software all runs on top of electronics. Having hardware industry experience is a massive plus over the long term if you ask me, and while it may not be as exciting and fast-moving as a software firm, the upside is that you won't be chasing butterflies. It's not going to hurt your software prospects down the line, and I'd say the longer product development cycles imposed by the realities of hardware will build your decision-making and resource-usage skills - if you make mistakes, you and your customers will have to live with them for a while, so you can't just pivot your way out of problems. Plus, you can still code in your spare time (just read your contract carefully).

Random people on the internet aren't always a reliable source for answers to what-should-I-do-in-my-life questions, but for what it's worth, the offer you have sounds like a good opportunity.

I graduated in the tech job slump of 2002, and spent more than two years seeking regular full-time work. I don't know first-hand how the entry-level job market is doing right now, but I hear it can be tough. If you're uncertain that you'll get a better offer, then accepting this one will at least provide you with some solid experience. Maybe you can apply for a position at another company next year if you still want to.

You can always switch jobs, you can always quit.

Reply on news.ycombinator.com