The job market is pretty unequal here. The software jobs that pay high professional salaries are indeed competitive, but there are quite a few lower-paid jobs a

The job market is pretty unequal here. The software jobs that pay high professional salaries are indeed competitive, but there are quite a few lower-paid jobs available. I don't know if this is the case in your country, but my impression of the European market is that the pay difference between a "mediocre" and "good" job is pretty small: say, €40k vs €50k / year for an entry-level job in one of the richer countries. In the US, a mediocre entry-level job might pay $50k / year while a top-tier one pays $150k or more. The level of competition for the higher tier is extreme.