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Narue · Nov 12th, 2007, 10:39 AM

>I could find software jobs, but they were hardly
>on par with what I originally envisioned.
That's the problem right there. Don't blame the field just because you were having wet dreams about some fictional job before discovering that you really didn't know what to expect.

>Programming is fun when you’re in control of your own project.
Spoken like a hobbyist who never really would have made it in the first place. Programming is fun because you can solve problems. It doesn't matter if you're an alpha geek writing new code for interesting projects or a code monkey digging through feces to find a bug. If your heart doesn't beat faster thinking about solving a problem, any problem, programming isn't for you.

>What’s wrong with programming as a career when the job is
>ranked so highly by career gurus like those at Money Magazine?
Nothing is wrong with it. The problem is on your side.

>Aspiring programmers: beware.
Yes, beware of ignorant naysayers who have trouble dealing with reality. Programming is a job. It's going to have up sides and it's going to have down sides. Writing little toy programs in your bedroom isn't the same as working on a professional project. People who have some twisted idealistic view of what programming should be will find it harder to adjust, as you did.

Nov 12th, 2007, 10:39 AM	#2
Narue Professional Programmer Join Date: Sep 2005 Posts: 419 Rep Power: 4	Re: Software Engineering – Most Overrated Career? >I could find software jobs, but they were hardly >on par with what I originally envisioned. That's the problem right there. Don't blame the field just because you were having wet dreams about some fictional job before discovering that you really didn't know what to expect. >Programming is fun when you’re in control of your own project. Spoken like a hobbyist who never really would have made it in the first place. Programming is fun because you can solve problems. It doesn't matter if you're an alpha geek writing new code for interesting projects or a code monkey digging through feces to find a bug. If your heart doesn't beat faster thinking about solving a problem, any problem, programming isn't for you. >What’s wrong with programming as a career when the job is >ranked so highly by career gurus like those at Money Magazine? Nothing is wrong with it. The problem is on your side. >Aspiring programmers: beware. Yes, beware of ignorant naysayers who have trouble dealing with reality. Programming is a job. It's going to have up sides and it's going to have down sides. Writing little toy programs in your bedroom isn't the same as working on a professional project. People who have some twisted idealistic view of what programming should be will find it harder to adjust, as you did. __________________ Even if the voices aren't real, they have some pretty good ideas.