Software Engineers Ranked Best Job in America 471
fistfullast33l writes "CNNMoney and Salary.com have ranked the title of Software Engineer the best job in America. Computer IT Analyst also ranks 7th on the list, placing both technology positions in the top 10. From the article: "Designing, developing and testing computer programs requires some pretty advanced math skills and creative problem-solving ability. If you've got them, though, you can work and live where you want: Telecommuting is quickly becoming widespread.""
Not the best in every country (Score:2, Interesting)
Software Engineer (Score:4, Interesting)
At my job, I have to write software (varying from simple quickie scripts to complex neural-net based adaptive administration controls) to handle the administration and maintenance of a few tens of thousands of servers. I have to be able to work with 5 different languages and be familiar with developing for four different architectures.
I'm rarely ever given the chance to plan anything in advance (that's just how this place works) and "testing" is often done hot - launch once operational, and quickly work out the bugs while it's in use. I usually work either entirely alone, or with our admins to give them tools to their specifications and needs. No team, little oversight, and full responsibility for failures.
Does that make me a Software Engineer? Or just a two-bit coder?
Re:We Still Aren't Trusted to Telecommute (Score:3, Interesting)
I, too, work for a rather large Fortune 500 company, and we have one member that telecommutes. Sure, the rest of us would like to, but it's frowned upon. Even though our one telecommuter is arguably the brightest, most talented, and hardest-working engineer, I still catch little glimmers of phrases along the lines of "anyone know what he's up to?" That type of garbage.
And, no, it's not me (sadly).
Give it another ten years or so, when companies finally get their heads out of their collective asses and realize they can outsource jobs to intelligent people that live in rural areas for a salary somewhere in between what they're paying their silicon-valley people and their Indian script-readers.
Assuming you can find such a job in Ohio... (Score:0, Interesting)
Concentration of the pool (Score:3, Interesting)
I guess when that happens, the few people that still have jobs are quite grateful and enamored with them.
Outsiders Looking In (Score:1, Interesting)
Re:We Still Aren't Trusted to Telecommute (Score:3, Interesting)
I have to disagree with you as well. I also work for a Fortune 500 company, and we are currently going through the process of moving most of the software engineers to a work-from-home model (hundreds if not thousands of people). It was determined that the cost of maintaining facilities outweighed the downside to development due to less direct communication. Why is this possible? Because technology has gotten to the point where it is increasingly easier to communicate via instant messenger applications, VPN, NetMeeting (yeah, I know, it could stand A LOT of improvements), and even video conferencing. Most of our training is being done on-line, and it is getting much better. A few years ago, setting up a remote office was difficult and expensive, but most of the bugs have been worked out now. The technology is advancing continually making the experience -- nice.
The biggest reason is cost, and it started, I believe, when looking at consulting/contracting work. Given the cost of fly a developer down and pay for their food, housing, and other costs, it became far more advantagious to simply have them work remotely. With VPN technology improving and becoming more stable and reliable, they found that developers could do their work just as well from their office in Denver instead of flying out to New York. In my company, most of the people in my office worked for projects ranging all over the country -- from San Diego to Connecticutt. While there might be groups of three or four on the same project, a lot of people, like myself, were the only ones on a given project from our center. There really wasn't much need for me to be in the office, and my project didn't have the budget to fly me down. As you multiply this scenario across the company, you start to wonder why you even need the office at all.
While I am certain there will be companies that hold out on WFH, there are some very large firms that are embracing it whole-heartedly. Are there drawbacks? Yes, but to many companies, the cost savings make it worth the risk.
Re:Software Engineer (Score:3, Interesting)
This is not a personal attack by any means, but I'd say that because you release code in an untested state, what you are doing is not "engineering." Imagine if a civil engineer built a bridge and tested it by having the public drive over it. The bridge might be okay, but it's not how things are done in engineering.
Abstract symbol manipulation (Score:3, Interesting)
tons and tons of algebra. Maybe other programmers think differently, but
I find programming very mathmatical.
1) Factoring lines of code out of loops or into methods
2) Looking for invariants
3) Commutation (can you switch the order of operations and get the same result)
4) Being carefull about details
5) Finding the mistakes (where did I pick up that incorrect factor of 2?)
It is true that you might not use specific things you had in school (like F = mA).
But I think doing a lot of math exercises the same parts of the brain as a lot of
programming.
As far as using libraries for sorting or collections, it is helpful to know how a linked list or a hash table is in order to choose the right collection.
Or for that matter, knowing something about the performance of sorting algorithms in ordere to choose the right one.
Hopefully, you found some of the topics covered in your degree as fun so it will not have been a complete waste if you don't ever use them at work.
Imagine if you knew you would never do anything you didn't learn in school.
Re:We Still Aren't Trusted to Telecommute (Score:5, Interesting)
On a more serious note: I'm a software developer based in Bangalore, India. We do telecommute quite often. The reasoning: if we can work remotely with our colleagues halfway across the globe in a different timezone, why can't we work remotely with our colleagues a few kms. away from home? Most American companies in Bangalore (like Oracle, Adobe, etc.) have flexible timings, and usually no one notices when you're around and not. As long as you're checking in code, answering email, closing bugs and putting out specs in time, you're doing fine.
I often travel to the US and work from there (mostly San Francisco), and I can say that India is going to be defining work trends in the coming years. Americans are very "old school".
Re:undergrad and software engineering (Score:1, Interesting)
Re:We Still Aren't Trusted to Telecommute (Score:3, Interesting)
"LaCosaNostradamus, I'ma bitchslap you."
There you go. Am I a) Happy, b) Upset, c) Mad, d) Indifferent, e) Horny, or f) all of the above?
You can't tell. Even if you thought you knew, you you would be wrong - and that's worse than not knowing because you will assume a stance that defends against (or rallys with) however you perceive I am being, which would make the conversation go downhill from there.
Didn't we recently read here that 50% of people think they can accurately read the 'tone' of an email, when in reality they only get it right about 20% of the time?
(Answer to my question : f) all of the above, but not at you.)