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9 votes
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The Bully's Pulpit - On the elementary structure of domination
3 votes -
Merchant sailors trapped on their ships by Covid-19 fight exhaustion and despair
9 votes -
Help me think about the next step in my life
Hello, I am a late 20s person from Europe who works part-time at a low-skilled job and is nearing completion of a masters in Financial Mathematics (FM). I also have an undergraduate degree in...
Hello, I am a late 20s person from Europe who works part-time at a low-skilled job and is nearing completion of a masters in Financial Mathematics (FM). I also have an undergraduate degree in Economics and a post-graduate degree in Finance.
Previously I’ve worked full-time as an IT consultant, in R&D at an asset management company and in operational risk at an investment bank. I stopped working full-time in early 2018 due to mental health issues such as depression, anxiety disorder and possible Asperger’s. But even before then it was obvious my health was deteriorating and I actually got fired from my second job partially due to these problems. Since then I’ve been slowly working (or at least trying to) on my health, which has improved substantially but not as much as I would like. So in early 2018, with way too much time in my hands, I decided to get the part-time job to partially offset my expenses and also decided to go back to school to study FM.
I went back to school for multiple reasons. I was tired of doing work that was not very technical or quantitative. While working on my health I realized that I don’t do well with work that is subjective, unstructured or involves little interaction (for example doing a lot of reading, specially when I have no clear goal). I did a little programming at previous jobs and more during the masters. So, I can say with some confidence that I enjoyed it. But going back to the FM masters: it is very technical, I was fascinated and curious about it plus it has an excellent track record with regards to employment prospects. I also considered “going back” and doing an undergraduate degree in computer science but decided that it was just too long (minimum 3 years).
So with this “introduction” out of the way let’s get to the heart of this post. I don’t know what to do after I finish my masters. Of course I could just apply for jobs related with what I am studying. However, I think I really want to try working in the technical side of IT. I will admit I don’t know much about the different aspects and careers in IT but I find it interesting. Every time I was doing non-technical work I just wanted to understand and do the work of my technical colleagues. I think it both better suits my personality and aligns well with my long term goals of increased freedom and flexibility (IT generally pays well and you can do a lot of work remotely). I have this idea of maybe becoming a freelancer but I can understand that is not realistic in the short-term. So, working in IT inside a company is probably my best bet at this time. Regardless, another objective of mine is to be able to work less than 40h per week. I think it would be great for me, specially health-wise.
I have to say I got more excited about my ideas when I saw this post here on Tildes: https://tildes.net/~comp/quj/would_any_tilderino_be_interested_in_tutoring_me_in_programming. I am willing to put in the work and it would be awesome to have some tutoring. Another point I took from that post is that IT is a very big field and I honestly don’t know specifically what I want to do inside that space. However, I do know I don’t like dealing with UI or graphical/design aspects.
I guess I will finish by asking direct questions to help people structure their answers around (but if you want to talk about something else I wrote, be free to do so):
- First of all, what technical areas within IT do you think would suit me? If it’s not much of a hassle, please provide a brief description of what people actually do in those areas.
- Is it realistic to start working as a technical IT freelancer and learn as I go? Or are the odds very slim?
- Alternatively, if I decide to take the "safer" and more probable route of nailing a technical IT job, what should I do to put myself in a better position to attain that goal?
Thank you =)
10 votes -
My mother and my motherland - Jiayang Fan on the struggles of growing up as a poor immigrant, and how her desperate attempt to protect her hospital-bound mother was repurposed as Chinese propaganda
5 votes -
New Zealand Māori carver Twitch streamer gets a visit from Prime Minister "Auntie" Jacinda Ardern
20 votes -
Are illegal strikes justified?
This question is inspired by the university of Michigan's grad student union's announcement that it will strike this week. As noted in the university's response Michigan state law prohibits state...
This question is inspired by the university of Michigan's grad student union's announcement that it will strike this week. As noted in the university's response Michigan state law prohibits state employees from striking and GEO's contract with UofM (signed in April) has a clause that prohibits work stoppages.
Are strikes performed in violation of the law (state or otherwise) or a contract justified? Why or why not?
22 votes -
Structured procrastination
7 votes -
Back to the land - Alice Driver writes about her father, a potter, and his ongoing project of building his own tomb as his final creative act
6 votes -
Rwandan single mothers turn to online babysitting of Japanese kids
12 votes -
GWU investigating whether White professor invented her Black identity
7 votes -
I’m moving across the country in a few days
I’m moving from the Midwest to California on Tuesday to start graduate school (I’ve been in an post-baccalaureate research position for the last two years). I’ve been so busy packing and making...
I’m moving from the Midwest to California on Tuesday to start graduate school (I’ve been in an post-baccalaureate research position for the last two years). I’ve been so busy packing and making sure I see friends that I think it hasn’t truly hit me yet. I’ve lived around Chicago my whole life, even during college, so I suppose I’m a bit nervous about the change of location and being so far from friends and family. I’m incredibly excited of course to begin this new phase, but nervous nonetheless.
Have any of you all ever had big moves in the past? Any advice for settling in a new locale?
14 votes -
Five women affected by child marriage tell their stories – and of their struggles to protect others
7 votes -
CO-VIDs: The semiotics of "cuck"
12 votes -
How Covid reveals the ghoulish reality behind anti homeless propaganda
11 votes -
When the world isn't designed for our bodies: A new book argues that disability is a social phenomenon, not a medical one
12 votes -
Donald Trump administration announces nationwide US eviction moratorium through end of the year
16 votes -
The eco-yogi slumlords of Brooklyn
6 votes -
Can child dolls keep pedophiles from offending? One man thinks so, and he’s been manufacturing them for clients for more than ten years.
24 votes -
A message to TikTok parents who use my face to make their kids cry
43 votes -
Remote worker? These nations want you.
13 votes -
The value of extended families
6 votes -
Online, no one gets to be young
17 votes -
How societies turn cruel featuring Sargon of Akkad
10 votes -
Two feet from Clearwater's past, father's funny legacy leaves a deep impression
5 votes -
Loving the alien - How UFO culture took over America
5 votes -
For those who used to work in offices and now work at home due to the pandemic: How has your work schedule changed?
Do you have different rituals? (e.g. used to be in the office by 9am, now shifted to night bird; or switched to a 4-day work week; or take a mid-day break for home schooling)
16 votes -
In the midst of the pandemic, loneliness has leveled out
4 votes -
US universities seek ways to protect students and faculty from being prosecuted by Chinese authorities
7 votes -
How men’s rights groups helped rewrite regulations on campus rape
6 votes -
How do I talk to my girlfriend about her past sexual assault?
I've been in a relationship with my current girlfriend for almost a year now, and things seem rough right now because of an issue we're having. My girlfriend is upset with me because she thinks I...
I've been in a relationship with my current girlfriend for almost a year now, and things seem rough right now because of an issue we're having.
My girlfriend is upset with me because she thinks I don't care about her past trauma. She's told me, very roughly, what she's gone through, and I told her that whenever she's ready to talk about it, I absolutely will. But according to her, the last time she tried to initiate talking about it, I told her that I had no idea what to say. And this upset her and stonewalled the discussion.
I don't doubt that happened. My problem is, is that if she were to try again, I might just very well do the same thing. I have zero idea on how to handle something of this severity. How do I ask her to talk about it? Is that something I should be asking? What does someone even say when given this information? I am not equipped whatsoever to deal with information of this magnitude and I'm at a loss. How do I let her know that I really do care about her, and am 100% willing to listen to what she has to say? I worry I'm too far in the doghouse to even make use of any of this advice, but any help is immensely appreciated
Edit in case anyone was interested: We talked and we're okay :). She told me what she went through and I didn't handle it nearly as bad as I worried I was going to. Thanks everyone for your kind words and helpful advice.
17 votes -
Facing eviction, residents of Denmark's 'ghettos' are suing the government – evictions part of a sweeping plan to rid the country of immigrant-heavy areas by 2030
8 votes -
An Icelandic ritual for wellbeing – when Iceland reopened its public swimming pools, the nation was so delighted that queues formed outside pools at midnight
4 votes -
National trends in grade inflation, American colleges and universities
15 votes -
The kids are alt-right: Teachers know the warning signs when students are radicalized by online hate movements. They just don’t know how to stop it — or if it’s a power struggle they can ever win
29 votes -
US Justice Department says Yale discriminates against Asian, white applicants
10 votes -
Swedes have long embraced their version of staycations: hemester – Covid-19 travel restrictions and remote working are reshaping the tradition
6 votes -
The appeal and desperation of GaryVee's hustle culture
5 votes -
Kooky conspiracy theories are detracting from the very real issue of child trafficking
8 votes -
How not to lose the lockdown generation
9 votes -
Consensus decision-making: a short guide
7 votes -
How does it feel living in a crypt? Impressions of one year later.
11 votes -
Why don't you tell me a little bit about yourself?
9 votes -
The workforce is about to change dramatically
16 votes -
To see how a city embraces remote work, just look to Helsinki – a deeply rooted culture of trust is crucial to the success of remote working
6 votes -
Lawn chairs and kitchen tables - Ergonomics in the involuntary work-from-home era
6 votes -
Losing the education lottery
4 votes -
Shopping addiction and COVID: The Amazon addicts of quarantine
11 votes -
We quit our jobs to build a cabin—everything went wrong
18 votes -
The extraordinary story of Thomas Quick, the Swedish serial killer who never existed
4 votes