I grew up with a laptop accessible and computers in the 80s with DOS and OS/2 for my entire childhood and KNEW that’s what I wanted to do as a career for the rest of my life. My parents were encoraging and always were willing to get the newest computer tech as it came out during the boom in the 90s and 2000s. I was the go to tech guy in my family and group of friends. I learned everything I could all the certifications I could to keep on top of changing trends. I went to tech school and graduated top of class, double majoring in computer engineering and mechanical engineering. I learned networking and the ends and out of programing, absorbing as much as I could to be the best that I was. I was in the tech field for 25 years and did everything from being a cable grunt to being the VP of a company, and everything in-between.

Each passing year, it got harder for me to justify being in the field. I always wanted to help people, make their day better by fixing what they couldn’t. I loved the challenge. The more tech companies I worked for, the more I saw that things were always about the betterment of the company and shareholders and stopped valuing the customer. I was in the middle of watching jobs being shipped to countries that produced cheaper, unreliable equipment while prices continued to rise. I was replaced by someone who sat with flip cards in a country thousands of miles away because of cheap labor, even when I wasn’t being paid liveable wages. I worked for large companies, smaller companies, local companies, and saw at the end of the day that no one cared about taking care of customers and treated tech workers like numbers and expendable. It become how much can you get away with while paying the least amount of money and maximizing profits, all at the expense of the good tech workers. You won’t find good tech workers anymore. You’ll find people who put up with the BS because they either feel like they have no choice or they’ve given up their ethics and drank the juice. The tech field is oversaturated by under qualified individuals who will work for far less than anyone is worth and be sold to the consumer as being premium.

After 25 years, I said I was done. I don’t recommend anyone goes into the tech field. All of the joy that you feel now about it will be absolutely stripped away and destroyed. Let the companies continue to dig themselves deeper with terriblely contracted 3rd world and communist country workers who should be shut down for crimes against humanity. I don’t say any of this to be negative toward a potential career path. It took me walking away and being removed for years ro realize how much I was willing to put up with the justify the existence of what I was doing and how much time I felt like I wasted helping soulless companies and individuals further their agenda while giving up parts of myself that I’ll never get back.

Anytime anyone mentions I’m the computer guy now, I shut it down as quick as they can get it out. I might do a favor for someone here and there, but it’s all but gone.

Instead, find something that is a passion that can help humanity. With my incredible partner of 5 years, we started a non profit animal rescue. In the span of our working to build our community and our nonprofit, which has been right at 3 1/2 years now, I’ve found that we’ve done far more good in the world than I ever did in my 25 years the tech field. There are days, just like in the field, that I’m exhausted and drained, and have ups and downs, but I feel like my soul has been liberated. That I’m doing good for others, both the animals and those that seek assistance, other than corporations that and individuals at those corporations that wouldn’t know my name or accompishments 5 minutes after departing.

And if you love what you do in the tech field, then by all means, find your way. If you talked to anyone who I worked with and managed in the field, I was always positive and encouraging, and quick to defend being in the field. Just know there is a chance that things may not be what you want them to be the further you get into the field. If you start to see cracks in the facade, know that they probably run deeper than what you see. Don’t ever give up parts of yourself, your ethics, or your being for anyone.

Good luck.