[giantg2]

I want to give the book a try. It seems interesting. I'm not sure though. I'm so burnt out seeing anything about a tech career or career advancement is unpleasant. I'm trying to accept that I just have a job, not a career, and that I won't get beyond midlevel.

[samuria]

I came to the realization that software engineering was not what I wanted to do - about 4 years ago. 6 years into my career now. I still do it because I have bills to pay. I sometimes wonder how many others are in my shoes.

[gumby]

That's a bummer. Are you done with programming, or just all the apparatus of arroundig it in a business environment.

[samuria]

I would say a combination of lifestyle and mental aspects. I do enjoy programming still, just not everything else that comes with it. Agile, meetings, business requirement documents, more meetings...

Something I have had trouble with is finding purpose - I work at a government agency, and I feel my work means next to nothing (for various reasons I can't get into).

I did manual labor for a while during university, and the sedentary nature of my current job may be contributing to my decreased interest to carry on with it.

Firefighting looks like something I'd love to do.