Last year I decided to plan ahead for a career change to become a counselor. I started volunteering with a crisis support help line (lifeline.org.au) and did their training course (quite substantial!). I'm now doing volunteer shifts and getting some experience. In the future I will do some more formal courses while continuing to volunteer and likely cut back my hours working as a dev (over 30 years experience). My ultimate goal, when my financial position allows it, is to work full time or perhaps part time as a counselor whether that is my own business or through some other organisation or a combination.

Retired out of tech for 5 years, then started an art gallery a year ago. Now starting a sandwich shop in the same building. Couldn't resist applying a bit of tech to each.

Food and clothing are constantly consumed, and clothing is too trend-dependent, so food it is.

If I were younger, I'd start a machine shop specialized in gear manufacturing. It's a fascinating field, and very rewarding to me personally. Some of the thousands of gears I made during my 5 years in the field will still be in use 100+ years from now.

Previously, I did coffee. It was low profit margin, high capital, and the whole reason I'm in tech was to make enough money to do it. But I wouldn't go back to it again — I had to deal with a lot of miserable people.

Not sure if it counts as "tech", but my retirement plans are to be making indie games. Just the weird, high risk stuff that you don't see out there.

I would love to transition into counselling. If I can make ends meet with it, It would be sufficient.