What was it like "volunteering to become a programmer" back in those days? Did you know what you were getting into, or did it just sound better than working in

What was it like "volunteering to become a programmer" back in those days? Did you know what you were getting into, or did it just sound better than working in the mail room? Was "Programmer" a well respected job at the time? Were you seen as a sort of magician working on the mainframe? Or the equivalent of a "grease monkey" changing oil in a car?