By I’ve come to what may seem like a strange realization: I really love being a software engineer. It dawned on me sometime in 2007 when I was working at my first job in San Francisco at a small software company called Lenos. I remember being pretty surprised by the fact of how much I enjoyed going to work. It seemed slightly unnatural – almost like I was getting away with something or cheating my job by actually enjoying it. It was a very different experience than what I was used to.
It’s funny – now that I’ve had a few years to get used to it and think about it, I take it as a given that work can be fun and fulfilling. It still shocks me how many people view their job as something to put up with, get through, tolerate, etc, rather than something that can be creative and wonderful.
Now that software geeks are getting mad paid and occasionally even respect, there’s a bunch of attention being paid to the job that wasn’t there before. It’s topped a lot of “Best Jobs 2011″ lists, but of course that’s a lot of horseshit: the best job is any one that you actually enjoy. That’s why I was so glad when the 2000 tech bubble burst: it got rid of all the people who were only in software because their parents told them it would be a good career. Their hearts weren’t in it, they wrote shitty code, and I’m glad they’re gone. ; )
I’ve heard of a lot of people who burn out on technical jobs and lose their taste for it – but so far for me it’s still a real pleasure. I feel extremely grateful to be able to be part of such an awesome profession.
Peter Kinmond 