I've never worked a development job where I get any say in avoiding buzzwords or delivering solutions I would call cool. I typically get caught up in clients bikeshedding irrelevant details and managers enabling and promoting it.
I hear so much on HN and on reddit about jobs that give programmers some level of autonomy but I just don't see it. My entire experience is very much the opposite, and I absolutely loathe this awful industry.
I would recommend finding for smaller companies to work for, or better yet, doing your own consulting. Being able to fire customers is the only reason I still enjoy what I do.
It's dramatically easier to find work than to consult. Especially if you've spent your career at 1-2 very small companies and have zero 'network' to tap into. The idea of beginning consulting is more daunting to me than switching careers is.
I hear so much on HN and on reddit about jobs that give programmers some level of autonomy but I just don't see it. My entire experience is very much the opposite, and I absolutely loathe this awful industry.