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Comment by agf | Hacker News Reader

I posted on a thread about burnout back in May about quitting my job[1] after nine years, this seems like an invitation to post an update.

I used the time off to travel around in a van, hiking, eating, camping, and visiting friends. I'm now back in the city and catching up all of the life stuff that I put on hold for the pandemic and / or travel -- minor remodeling, maintenance, friends I didn't really get to see during the pandemic, etc.

I've been making big-picture decisions about future work as I go but the next phase is to put in serious hours into the search (since I'm planning to move out side of my current network / FinTech). Looking to start something new sometime this winter.

If anyone has questions about taking a longer time off work (will be 6+ months for me) or about taking more time almost totally away from computers / tech (2+ months), feel free to thread Q's.

[1]: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=27124604

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I would love to hear about your time almost totally away from computers - do you feel more excited about tech? Less burnt out? Or even more determined to move industries?

I read through your linked comments, and I think I'm in a fairly similar place to where you were - lucky to have had a high savings rate for long enough that I can afford a long break; maybe forever if I'm frugal, or switch to a less-well-paid industry - and this has made me feel like I'm probably in my last corporate tech job. I haven't pulled the plug yet and probably won't particularly soon, but I'd love your perspective about what's after that leap.

No, it was refreshing, but it wasn't really quite long enough to break the mental patterns that I'd built up for so long around computer / internet / use. I did come back excited to read HN etc., I was no longer tired of tech news.

I don't have really any advice for others in this stage yet, since I'm still right in the middle. I hope I move into my next job, whatever that turns out to be, I have more perspective on the post-quitting period.

I'd love to hear more, specifically about moving outside of FinTech. Do you foresee yourself leaving tech altogther, or are you thinking about moving into another industry of tech?

No, I just want a big change within tech without totally invalidating the specific technical parts of my skillset. I would like to also be somewhere I believe positively in the impact of the company on the world overall, rather than just neutrally.

Any surprises you wish you had planned better for?

If you are in the US, what did you do for health insurance?

What are you hoping is different outside of Fintech? Or do you just feel like it is time for a change?

Not sure what specifically you mean about surprises. I guess not?

I bought health insurance on the state marketplace where my permanent residence is.

Just feel like it's time for a change, and I'm willing to accept the likely paycut that moving into a less hot segment of the industry will likely mean.

By "surprises," I just meant that you probably had some things you prepared for when you decided to quit, things like ensuring $x amount of savings and getting health insurance.

I was wondering if in retrospect there was anything else you wish you had done that you didn't think of originally.

Thanks for the reply and sharing your experience.

Looking back, were there any warning signs about burnout that you noticed, and is there anything you would have done differently in hindsight?

I don't really have too many regrets about it, there would have been both advantages and significant disadvantages to leaving sooner.

Certainly being a bit less emotionally invested would have reduced the burnout, and lots of people stay motivated and do great work without that level of commitment.

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