Woberto

Sorry for the vague-ish title, I'm looking for a software-related (developerment, IT, data engineer, etc.) part-time position and would appreciate any information on them like:

- Do they exist/how common are they?

- Where are they best found? (Haven't seen them on "who's hiring" submissions)

- What kind of positions might provide flexibility in location and work hours?

Personally, I'm trying to earn a little more plus have something to do since I have time, though I'm sure part time work is of interest to people in various situations (don't need the money, only have limited time due to e.g. child-rearing, etc.)

I'm a young software dev who moved into SW from a different engineering background, so I don't have much formal CS experience. However, I really like the field and have enjoyed some CS-ish online courses. Since I don't feel like I'm learning a lot at work, I've taken it upon myself to bolster my software-related education.

The thing is, it's all been a bit scattered - some computer architecture, algorithms and data structures, playing around with new languages. As fun as it's been, I'm starting to feel like I could be making better use of my time and interest to build towards something, especially since it's all on my own time. So that's where my question stems from - what do I build towards now? - I use Kotlin and Python at work - is it worth it becoming more deeply familiar with these languages? - Or should I focus on software architecture and design patterns, concepts that transcend computer languages to some degree? - I could afford to learn more about algorithms and data structures too, is there a good way to do this that isn't just memorizing, but also implementing them? - Or should I try to learn new technologies that could maybe have uses at work now or later, like containers or databases?

I think related to this and also really important is a question about how to best go about these things. For example, do I read books (there's plenty of suggested reading that comes up oh HN)? How can I best make use of new knowledge - should I focus on things I can apply easily? Do I jump into open source software? Or should I find a job where the environment is better for teaching young devs? Though I'd probably have to learn more to prepare for an interview...so maybe there's other stuff to focus on first.

If anybody has any advice or suggestions it would be greatly appreciated.

I think this might actually be a few questions:

  1. Has anybody noticed their own cognitive decline? I'm 30 but am interested in experiences at all ages
  2. Does anybody have a good way of testing their intellect or problem-solving periodically? This would at least help me keep track going forward
  3. Has anybody found ways to improve their problem-solving skills? Or critical thinking?

I feel like my ability to solve problems well - efficiently, cleverly, satisfactorily, completely - has reduced over time (past year, maybe multiple years? I'm not really sure.) For example, I'll find that a programming solution didn't account for things I should've considered or introduced a new bug; or a co-worker will suggest a different solution and it seems obviously better. I don't think this has always been the case; I used to be pretty school smart in subjects like math and comp sci. My theories:

  - Maybe my intellect has diminished from using alcohol and weed at an early age?
  - Maybe that I've been feeling a bit burnt out
  - Maybe I've gotten lazy and rely too much on, e.g., stackoverflow
  - Maybe medicine I take for mental health?
  - Insufficient sleep? I've been getting 6-7 recently but should probably be getting 7-9
  - Maybe I've actually always been dumb and am only now realizing it!

Any thoughts would be appreciated. If it's something I can change, that would be a huge relief.