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A comment on Ask HN: Non-tech professionals on HN?. Parent comment

Re:Ask HN: Non-tech professionals on HN? by snickersnee11 on Saturday October 09, 2021 @06:46AM (#28808679)
This is interesting! How many hours a day do you spend at work? In what position? I think it's a very good opportunity for smart, tech-savvy people to realize their dreams. It's hard for me to do it myself, my day job completely exhausts me, usually by the end of the day I have no interest in doing anything else. That's why I've always admired people who can combine work and hobbies and be successful at them.
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Re:Ask HN: Non-tech professionals on HN? by justathrowaway2 on Saturday October 09, 2021 @02:47PM (#28812202)
Not OP but philosophy student as well, paying my bills with programming. I spend 20 hours a week in a junior position, having four to five days a week for everything else that interests me. I am not particularly keen on having a „career“ in the classical sense. I don’t want a family with kids, don’t travel and have below average material needs.

There is truth in the saying that making your hobby a profession will suck the joy out of it. I think I would go crazy with doing either philosophy or programming full time. Splitting it 50/50 regularly gives me time off of both which is great for creativity and motivation, especially if things are not going so well with one of the two. On the downside I will probably never excel at either.

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Re:Ask HN: Non-tech professionals on HN? by something98 on Saturday October 09, 2021 @07:01PM (#28814127)
I'm slowly, after a few "painful" experiences on either end of the pendulum, coming to see the wisdom in that position.

Would you mind sharing how you, currently, find programming work at around 20hrs/wk?

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Re:Ask HN: Non-tech professionals on HN? by justathrowaway2 on Sunday October 10, 2021 @05:37AM (#28817079)
I didn't have to actively find such an opportunity yet so I can’t tell you. In my case, I was unhappy at my first employer while I was still studying CS when my friend’s employer urgently searched for programmers. So I went there and told them that I am interested in a position in which I could work part-time even after graduation. I still work there. It was a combination of luck and connections.
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