Ask HN: Go back to school to start working for fintach, oil or pharma?

[raejumping]

This is a follow-up to my previous question (Ask HN: How do I earn more as a developer? ) https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=19161489

A lot of responses mentioned job-hopping, and that's what I intend to do every 2-3 years.

However, some of the most upvoted comments where about "learning business" or working for money making sectors, like banking, oil or pharma.

I'm very open to that idea, and would love your feedback if you made that move. Do I need to go do an MBA, or a part-time masters or night-school? Are there online programs that you followed?

PS: School in France is pretty cheap and subsidised by the state, so besides time and effort it would end up with minimal financial cost.

[CyberFonic]

I just re-read your earlier thread. Lots of very interesting comments. I didn't notice what industry you are currently working in. If you are working for an IT vendor or consulting then you will pretty much earn whatever the market rate is for your skills in that industry.

As a front-end developer getting an MBA might simply move you onto a different track, but right from the starting point, competing with other MBA graduates.

If you are very serious about earning more, then the first step is to get a job with your current skills in an industry of your choice. Then once you are in a different industry learn everything about the business practices of that industry and seek promotion into business analyst role, from there you can move into more business roles which are better paid than the best of IT professionals. Once you are in that space doing a MBA part-time might help. But that depends on the business you work in.

Another way of getting into very well paid work is to switch to sales. The best sales people earn more than most of the management positions. But it does take a certain aptitude and lots of perseverance to become a good sales person.