Finance is on the high side for sure, but intense work weeks - especially for junior level positions - is par for the course in many fields. I worked in Archite

Finance is on the high side for sure, but intense work weeks - especially for junior level positions - is par for the course in many fields. I worked in Architecture, and this starts from college, with a lot of effort going into planning when you’ll sleep, a lot of awareness that there are exactly 168 hours in a week and thinking about whether you can save an hour or two by eating faster etc. The working world is less intense, but 80 hour weeks are normal when a project is in its final phases. The intensity of the college experience is just preparing you for that. One reason I love software so much, and am so glad I changed careers, is that the expectations on work/life balance are so different. 30 hours is considered a decent week. 40 hours is a demanding job. 50 hours is “abuse.” I’m thrilled to work in a field where people can say with a straight face that working 50 hours is “abuse,” because it makes my life so much easier and nicer. I rarely comment on this because it’s not worth bike shedding, and software engineers who are complaining about work are generally unaware of how much harder most other jobs are. They’re sincerely expressing the stress they feel. But I do find myself rolling my eyes a little bit when software engineers complain about how hard they work. Hard work is a muscle, and when you’ve been tested by a truly grueling experience it makes you stronger and able to handle so much more, so work that used to feel hard doesn’t feel hard anymore. The truth is we (Software Engineers) do a different kind of work, where not all hours in the chair are equal, and the best work happens in short, focused sessions with time to relax between them. And we do extremely scarce and valuable work, so we can demand amazing pay, benefits, and other things from our employers because if they won’t provide it we can just leave and immediately have work someplace nicer. It’s a great life and I’m deeply, deeply grateful for it. I suppose my point in sharing this is just that I think we could all benefit from a little gratitude, and a little self awareness about the privilege our field offers.