My attempt to master a new design tool for a career jump

Trying to figure out if I should learn SolidWorks for the semiconductor sector

I’ve been stuck in this loop of wondering if my current design software skills are actually enough to get me into a better role. I’ve mostly been using Inventor for years, and it feels like second nature now, but every time I look at job postings for places like Eugene Tech or other semi-process firms, they keep mentioning SolidWorks. A friend told me once that the logic is similar enough that I could pick it up in a week or two, but honestly, sitting in front of a new interface just feels like a chore. It’s not just about the tool; it’s the constant worry that if I don’t switch, I’ll be stuck here forever while everyone else moves into the high-tech space.

Scrolling through job platforms feels like a full-time job

Lately, I’ve been spending way too much time on platforms like Jobplanet, just clicking through reviews and open positions. They recently updated the layout, so now you can see the company reviews and the hiring posts on the same screen, which is supposedly helpful, but it just makes it easier to obsess over the bad comments. I keep thinking about how people say the 4.5-day work week is the new standard, and seeing HR tech solutions like HCG’s JaDE being adopted makes me wonder why I’m still dealing with such rigid schedules. It’s frustrating because the more I look, the more I realize how much I don’t know about where I actually stand in the market.

The reality of picking up extra work

I’ve been reading these reports about how so many people living alone are picking up side gigs just because their main job isn’t cutting it or doesn’t offer enough stability. I tried the ‘app-tech’ thing for a while, where you just click buttons on your phone to earn points. Honestly, it’s embarrassing how little it pays—I think my total income contribution from that was barely 4.5% of my monthly rent. It felt like a waste of time, but when you’re anxious about your career, you end up doing these pointless things just to feel like you’re being productive. It’s just a way to distract myself from the fact that my actual salary hasn’t moved much in two years.

Thinking about those massive tech campuses abroad

I saw an article about Tencent building this massive ‘Penguin Island’ campus in China, and it just made me feel a bit uneasy. They are essentially building a whole city to keep their talent inside. It reminded me that even if I manage to switch to a ‘better’ company, I might just end up in another trap where I’m so tied to the company culture that I lose the freedom to leave again. Maybe it’s not about the software or the specific industry; maybe it’s just the nature of these large tech firms to try to own your time entirely. I don’t know, maybe I’m overthinking it, but the scale of that place made me shiver.

What I really want vs what I am doing

I keep telling myself I should just spend a few hours every Saturday learning the basics of SolidWorks. It’s supposed to be a good ‘insurance’ skill, and it costs nothing but my own weekend hours. But then I get home after a long week, and the idea of opening a complex design program just to stress out about features feels impossible. I end up just scrolling through job listings again, wondering if I should apply to one of those ‘Hi-Tech’ channels on Jobkorea for the battery industry. I’m not sure if I’m actually moving toward a better career or if I’m just collecting data because it’s easier than actually changing my life.