These kind of essays are needlessly negative. In terms of being relatively accessible, well paid, safe, interesting work software engineering is probably one o

These kind of essays are needlessly negative. In terms of being relatively accessible, well paid, safe, interesting work software engineering is probably one of the best jobs ever in the history of humanity. Yes there are downsides, but IMO they are relatively minor and pretty similar to what people in any other field experience - incompetence from coworkers, office politics, too much time talking and not doing, and the concern for the bottom line of some ideal of perfection or craftsmanship. In addition, for most jobs that require college, what you learn in college is only the foundation and you will need to learn a lot on the job (see for example residency for doctors, flight hours for pilots, clerking for lawyers, etc) In exchange, you get a relatively well paid job that only requires a 4 year degree (if that) to land an entry level job. There is a vast opportunity for increase in pay either through experience or starting your own company. In addition, if you want to start your own company, it is one of the easiest fields with much smaller regulatory and capital requirements compared to almost anything else. It is not just well-paid work, it is interesting work. Lots of people, including me, find software engineering fun and fulfilling. There is just something amazing about creating something cool. Many of us like this so much, we have non-work side programming projects of our own. Software engineering also offers some of the best work-life balance potential of almost any high paying field. And again, compared to other high paying professions, it is much easier to get into. Although people complain about interviews, they are less stressful than trying to get into medical school or law school and there are a lot more entry level programming jobs than medical school and law school headcount. It is also much more accessible than anything in entertainment or media. So in summary, like everything else in life, it is not perfect. However, currently, it is one of the best, most accessible careers, possibly in the history of human civilization.