Ever done manual labor? Or something that requires both intense manual labor and intellectual problem solving, like carpentry or many of the building trades?
Or think about all the various fields that require intense intellectual output, with nothing like the rewards and security of software engineering.
We've got it good. Though, really, the ideal would be for all workers to be treated more like we are, and less like replaceable, abusable cogs in a machine.
Agree. Ever have to stand waist deep in cow shit? I have. One of the things that encouraged me to go back to college. After the farm job I twisted wrenches for a living. Six day fifty hour weeks were the norm, the pay was meh, and I had over $8K of my own money invested in tools at the end.
Yes, this career has been awesome. Awesome, and fun. Non-stop learning the entire time.
Yes - I have. I worked construction; worked on a loading dock; drove a delivery truck for bulk freight. Not having to do manual labor doesn't make a job 'easy' though. And certainly not the 'easiest'
Yes. Being a software developer is easy. It's not necessarily the case, but I can think of no other trade that pays so well and offers so many opportunities for so little ability, effort, accountability, responsibility and stress.
Where do you work? I'm in operations and spent 10pm-3am last night responding to an incident. There's a lady here going bald in her early 30s. Stress is high, responsibility is high, accountability is high, effort is high.
I can think of literally 1000s of jobs that are easier
Yep. I've been a grocery store manager, an interior contractor, a whole slew of other jobs, ... and a software engineer. Software engineer is by far the easiest job I've worked.