Hi all

I’ve been working as a software developer for the past few years and frequently decided to leave a company/project myself because I could not find the motivation to keep working for it.

First, I was questioning whether software development was really for me. But in my spare time, I still enjoyed writing small useful tools, configuring my linux desktop and self-hosting.

I recently realised that my demotivation is mostly due to the kind of software I was working on for the companies I worked for. Usually building APIs to facilitate sales/marketing for products I don’t really care for. Or configuring some unnecessarily complicated ERP/CRM microsoft stack.

Instead, I would like to work on software that I use myself. Or at least on something that will useful for other people in the future, not just boost the sales of some company.

But I’m not sure where to look. It seems like jobs focusing on free/libre software are difficult to find (Or I don’t know how to look) and the few I find seem to be looking for senior profiles much more experienced than me.

Anybody have some tips or places I can start looking? Honesly I would prefer to just contribute to some project for free, but I don’t really have the option to do so at the moment.

Thanks!

  • NationProtons@sh.itjust.worksOP
    1·
    28 days ago

    I do agree with your point of view. I actually did some project work which was even better paid than the stable jobs I’ve had before that. (I realise I’m lucky to have had the opportunity) But I can only keep up this kind of work for a while though, maybe 6 months max. I usually feel too tired to keep going, and have no energy left for my personal projects. It’s not that it’s too intense or difficult work, but just putting in 8 hours each day for things you don’t care about really takes its toll for me.

    My ideal project was something I worked for 2-3 days on average per week, but still got full-time pay. Not easy to find something like that though. I never really find any part-time software engineering positions. The best option is to join full time, show what you can do, and then ask for a reduction in hours. That’s how I did it before.