Code Monkey or CAD Monkey?

9 months ago

Many people express reluctance to work in front of a computer all day, yet office jobs often require this.
The author shares their experience of transitioning from a technical job (engineering/physics) to a programming job.
The technical job involved interesting challenges but was repetitive, tedious, and used poor software tools.
Advanced technical skills often mean fewer job opportunities and worse tools, as the market is smaller.
Colleagues in technical jobs were tolerant of repetitive work, and management was dismissive of complaints.
Efforts to improve software and efficiency in technical jobs were not significantly rewarded.
The programming job offered more autonomy, better tools, and a focus on problem-solving before coding.
Programming jobs involved less computer interaction (typing/clicking) and more time thinking on paper or whiteboard.
Programmers value workflow improvements, and such efforts are rewarded, unlike in technical jobs.
Despite not being more intellectually interesting, the programming job had better pay and work conditions.
The work environment and tools significantly impact job satisfaction, often more than the technical challenge itself.
Ironically, non-programming technical fields can make people more dependent on computers than typical programming jobs.

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