Software Engineering – Most Overrated Career?
 

A few months ago, I quit my first full-time “software engineering” job with a software company, where I mostly debugged old VB6 code for almost a year. Backtrack 5 years: I was an aspiring programmer who wrote little toy applications for fun. As my computer science degree progressed, disillusionment set in as I realized there was not much demand for an average entry-level programmer like me. Sure, I could find software jobs, but they were hardly on par with what I originally envisioned.

Programming is fun when you’re in control of your own project. But try fixing someone else’s broken code from 8-5 for so many months, and then learn that your technical knowledge goes out the window as the market and your company switches to newer technologies (APIs, platforms, etc.), and you will likely become another software burnout with enough time (hence the few long-term software engineers).

What’s wrong with programming as a career when the job is ranked so highly by career gurus like those at Money Magazine? Few of our needs as humans are fulfilled when we code for a living, and even fewer if we are not an alpha geek, or at least highly respected by our peers. This goes unspoken, however, because those software engineering burnouts are good rationalizers, and fool themselves and others into believe they have it good.

The stereotype that programmers are antisocial exists for good reasons. The profession rewards and reinforces characteristics like meticulous attention to detail, a critical eye for what’s wrong, and calculated decisions over spontaneity. While these traits have value especially in the software field and related analytical careers, they make for an awfully antisocial personality. Oh yes, and as a coder you will be staring at a computer for long periods of time.

Things will not get any better for us. Globalization will increasingly commoditize programmers, and the evolution of the industry will progress exponentially, furthering burnout.

Aspiring programmers: beware.

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.

Re: Software Engineering – Most Overrated Career?
 

Things don't get better until you make them get better. You have your ideas about what the profession rewards. Perhaps. Most importantly, though, it rewards productivity.

I don't care how productive you can be, singly, in your day's work: there's a limit. To be more productive, you must work to institute products that are more productive or effective. You must work to increase other's productivity.

CEOs don't get paid CEO pay for being personally productive. The get their pay for making the organization productive.

If you choose to be a code monkey all your life, you are limiting yourself. The industry isn't doing it.

Each job offers opportunities. There are a couple ofl ways to miss those: fail to see them, or fail to be able to capitalize on them.

Some jobs offer fewer or lesser opportunities. What is considered an opportunity will vary depending upon your own goals. There isn't much opportunity to move into cutting edge technology if you're working for a financial institution. There isn't much opportunity to become a bank president if you're developing embedded products.

My guess is you haven't spent enough time thinking about how to advance your career in whatever direction you'd like it to go (if you've even figured out that direction).

Aspiring programmers aren't the problem. Programmers with a sense of entitlement to the Dream, sans properly directed effort, are the problem.

Re: Software Engineering – Most Overrated Career?
 

Well said Narue. Having just started to work in the industry through co-op positions/internships it is different from what I expected, but you got it dead on with the problem solving.

If you don't like problem solving, get out now.

Also on the note about entry level jobs, I'm a big advocate for co-op degrees from university. I'll graduate with 2 years of work experience while having been in school for only an extra year. While it might not be enough to skip the entry level jobs completely, I should at least be able to get one that I enjoy instead of just getting whats available.

Re: Software Engineering – Most Overrated Career?
 

It's a job. We all have to start some were. You wont start straight away at mircosoft for example (unless you are a genius). I am a programming student. I am not doing it for the money or the status. I am doing it because I am good at it (well, everyone has limits of course). And I can also tolerate it. I am expecting to end up starting in a stupid job in a firm like technical documentation or dealing with bugs.
I realize that if I am getting better after a few years (or another entry level programmer comes along) I would move up. My philosophy is never look into pay when it comes to jobs. I didn't realize the salary until I started the course. Of course I realize you need to "code for your dinner", so money does help.:icon_cheesygrin:

Re: Software Engineering – Most Overrated Career?
 

Read the book "What color is your parachute?"
http://www.amazon.com/What-Color-You.../dp/1580085415

I've found that nearly all the jobs I've worked so far throughout my life, I have developed a work ethic where I aim to be the best at my job, in reality I might not really be the best, but I like to at least try. If you have trouble being committed to your work then you're not working the right job.

Re: Software Engineering – Most Overrated Career?
 

When I started in computers, I was an operator on the night shift. If I used that one experience as you did to become disgusted with the computer field, I would have a long career as a DJ. Luckily I didn't let that one job destroy me as it did you. I've since had many years of fun and satisfaction as a software engineer.

Maybe you should look at construction.

Re: Software Engineering – Most Overrated Career?
 

This actually reminds me of myself. However, I don't feel this way about programming. How does one go about evaluating if they are in the right career?

Re: Software Engineering – Most Overrated Career?
 

>How does one go about evaluating if they are in the right career?
If you suck at your job or hate your job, you probably picked the wrong career.

Re: Software Engineering – Most Overrated Career?
 

The only reply I can think of without seeming like too much of an ass, is that you keep mentioning programming but never development, except in quotes. Maybe that's your problem, as the two are in fact different.

Can I take that as a compliment? Rather, to correct it (since I'm quite far from being a genius), you won't start very far up at Microsoft, but they take a lot of new grads. Think of it as investing in the future... if you survive... :P

On the other hand, don't go looking for a job like that or you'll likely end up with one. Depending on the location where you search for a job (and don't limit yourself), you can get an interesting position right out of school.

I did that in high school, so now I'm developing software. Put things in perspective a bit, it did. I'm certainly much happier now :icon_lol: