Re: OSS isn't Free Software
Change industries? That means going back to school, which is expensive and not guaranteed to be effective in a glutted worker market.
I've worked in farming, the press, home care (including live-in care), computing (software design and programming, front-line repair work, development), electronics (TV/VCR repair and much more recently bespoke circuit design and construction including related software (that one is still paying the majority of the bills and is helping my house hunting :) ). I've been a farm manager, an industrial chemist, a forklift driver, a truck driver, a nursemaid (in the in-home carer sense), a business owner (far to much hard work!), a mechanic (cars and bikes), an electronics technician and even done 'automotive electronics' including working on boats (outboard ignition systems mainly, but other work involved - since they're mostly the same as car and bike systems I consider boats 'automotive').
Aside from a few safety courses (mostly never used), and my forklift certification 'courses', I've not been in a classroom for 30 years. Most of my jobs have come about either through hobbies eg farming - hanging out at a friends farm I learned to drive tractors, when they were involved in a very large charity park cleanup I was asked to drive a spare tractor. The owner of that tractor needed a hand with the upcoming haymaking season so asked a quite 13yo to help. I stayed later during the day and chatted to him while he was milking, next thing I know I'm changing cups without either of us being able to recall when I started actually doing that. By 14 I was often managing a herd of over 200 cows (common size back then before the 'Chinese mergers' :( ) for periods of sometimes 2-3 weeks at a time, and managing the farm as well. When the tractor needed fixing - by 15 I was quite adept at diesel mechanics, although my only teacher was pulling the damned things to bits to figure out why they weren't working.
Same for my work as an industrial chemist. I got involved in an industry, saw ways to improve the practices at the factory, spoke with the bosses, they liked the idea and gave me a test bench.. Next thing I know I'm writing papers and answering calls from people much higher up the food chain. 'School Cert in Science' is my highest qualification there, leaving school at the end of 5th form (year 10, 16yo).
Did some work in demolition. One of the truck drivers broke his leg. I was considered the most likely to be capable so was asked to apply for my HT license.
Friend needed care. I started helping. One of the workers asked me to help with another nearby case. Next thing I know I'm applying to the carer company, at the insistence of the local manager.
Mate asked me if I could do a little bit of electronics for him. Had no clue where it would lead. Next thing there's a meeting with people at a certain government department. They want a little bit of control circuitry and they liked what they knew of me (helps to have someone in the right place at the tight time).
Built a web site for my sister. Someone else liked it, so I got paid to build a site for them. Other people liked that so....
My hobbies now are taking me in another direction. I'm currently building prototypes of products I want to play with, learning stuff that no one else locally seems to be doing - so there are no classrooms because no one else is doing it, not to this level. I have been talking with people in 'interesting places' in recent weeks and could, yet again, find myself running my own business. Why the hell do I fall for these traps? Hell, I could be expected to be wearing a suit to meetings in the near future! Screw that, some prices are too high and if it means staying in the lower-earning brackets that's fine. I can buy a house soon anyway, I'm doing OK.
No matter how much you try to make out these weird situations of yours, for the most part people don't need to be trapped by them and those who do get trapped need to think their way out, not pay their way out. My hobbies build my skills, and talking with people gives me opportunities. I know people under some of the worst conditions imaginable who manage to get themselves working, like a friend of a friend who is on parole and has hefty reporting conditions and restrictions on his freedoms yet successfully runs his own business - which he started because no one would employ him. He now employs other ex-cons (3 of whom he met during his years inside).
Me? I have no clue what job I'll be doing next summer, or even at the end of this winter. I have learned to transfer skills (eg viewing blocks of code as gears in an engine made it easier for me to pick up programming) and by doing that I can do most jobs. By demonstrating I can do a job means I get the work without the certification. And I can build trust as an independent simply by 'going to the right parties'. Dave needs someone with skills in newproject, but no one advertises those skills. He asks around and someone says "This fella Kiwi installed one of those at my Ex's place last year. Only half what you need but here's his number'. Next thing I know, I'm an independent contractor in an industry I didn't even know existed before the phone call, with a growing reputation for being the best in the local market.
Things aren't as dire as the picture you try to paint.
Biting the hand that feeds IT
