Friday, October 26, 2007

It ain't easy honey!!

Recently (about 1 week ago) I was having this conversation with a friend of mine who happens to be a chartered accountant, that software guys have it all easy. And there I was righteously defending the honour of an entire tribe out there. In the process, I chalked out a number of hazards, dunno if I ended up with a few outrageous ones in the process or not. But honestly, I was too miffed to think straight. I simply leaned on my ability to bluff and well.... he bought my story. What happened after that later, till then here's a snippet from that conversation:
CA: "I mean all that you guys do is in front of that computer and punch away something on the keyboard. An absolutely relaxing job I'd say."
Me (absolutely caught unaware on this one): "Huh!!! What makes you think so?"
CA: "Aw c'mon!! I mean what do you apart from sitting in front of that computer and chatting. Play TT?? That's it!! Quite a fun life!!"
Me (really wanted him to work on my project that minute): "Not really, you have a wrong impression. Our work stations might be stationary, but it's not esy work on soemthig absolutely conceptual. You never get to see what's happening after you've written that piece of code. And let's not talk of all the benefits and professional hazards."
CA: "Benefits??"
Me: "Yeah! Not for us though. It's for all you people out there. You talk on the phone, you book your tickets, the salary that you see on the screen at the ATM counter, the Orkut that you swear by, the e-mail that helps you connect... they all are due to some software techie slogging it out in front of a computer on a diet of a few packets of chips, burgers and coffee."
CA: "And hazards??"
Me: "Ah well..... all those hours typing causes the wrists to damage. The angle they bend after is all too unnatural. The starin on the eyes. The serious inactivity and bad diet causes all sorts of diseases in the long run for them. Obesity, Heart problems, chronic back problems, bowel problems, spondilitis, depression, stress induced damages.... these are just to name a few. I'm sure there are more. They do pay a handsome salary, but then that would hardly compensate for the loss of health causing a 25 yr old to resemble a 35 year old. Which is why, you'd see many youngsters givinh up the life of a coder before long."
CA: "Then why are you still in?"
Me: "For am qualified to do nothing else!! Sad but true....."
CA: "Hmmm.... all that glitters is not gold!! I guess it's so true."
There I had won another sympathiser. Believe me, it was not as easy it seems in this converstion, for it was longer than this and quite a argumentative one. But then I don't remember much of it now!!
The moot point is this got me thinking. The picture for the world outside is that we software guys have it real easy. Whereas this job isn't really that hunky-dory. It's as good as any other job out there. And frankly, a telecom engineer does much better with time than a software engineer. At times I really feel terming this entire lot, especially the ones in the service sector of Software as "White-Collared Labours". Tell me what do you think?

18 comments:

Pri said...

lol!!! good one!
but yaa speakin of hazards, how are software professionals somehow the last ppl to end up in hospitals or on the shrink's couch??...
do they never get about making it till there...or is someone exaggerating (about the workstress) bigtime? ;P...hmmm should contact ur CA friend with this teeny weeny info about med statistics...heehee
OHH about the chips, burgers and coffe..no comments :-/...juss probably u shud add "beer" and "smoke" in there too during non office hours ;)

Cuckoo said...

I agree with you on that.

The s/w people face more health hazards also in addition to mental fatigue compared to other job holders... straining eyes, drooping shoulders, zero social life... oh oh... too much. :D

Keshi said...

Im an overworked s/w junkie!

Keshi.

Occasional Brilliance said...

nice post... magr its like - the grass is always greener on the othr side... n dn the othr side... n den again d othr side... evry job comes wid its hazzards... ppl shd stop comparing cz we all wrk hard...

Unknown said...

I think we have the official "shittiest job in the world".

I am also in this because my qualifications to do anything other than this are zilch!

-PeAcE
--WiTh
---GuNs

Sam said...

Apologies friends for replying to your comments!!
Here we go now....

@pri: softies are the last one to head for teh clinic coz after a hard days work all they wanna do is chill out and gng to teh doc can b such a waste of time.. i might as well end up writing an imp piece of code or get some serious partying done!! you see dats teh mentality that plagues the industry.. sad but true!!
so all teh softies dat you see coming in do so when they can't take it anymore, isn't it??

@cuckoo: i agree with.. u knw wot we shud actually have a party week for the s/w junkies of mumbai and pune... chill out without project deadlines or anything... forget the whole damn world and just relax... do anything that you fell like doing!!

Sam said...

@keshi: lolzz.... aren't we all are?

@mann: a very true saying but den... talking of the industry as an insider, and frankly i know a il abt other stuff too.. like marketing ;)

@guns: lolzz... right on bro.. a sad truth abt us!! :(

The 'Mad' Orchid said...

Pehle m sry Sam 4 commntin so late...nw u made me think again hmmm ummm.......
"For am qualified to do nothing else!!" ...i totally agree n second on this buddy...each one has own story...none gets alive out of this whole mad mad job world...n knowing some softwre profsnls ( u too among them) n a CA personally i knw hw hot boiling its,my say is only..work is work..evry single thing has nw added itself to labour n hard work, n kudos to ur attitude towrds work buddy...besties n wishes alwyz..:)n keep the chips..softies...junkies going..occasional relaxation is no crime after all :D
Tkcr...

Anonymous said...

Dude. Dude. Dude. What a post. What a post. Couldnt agree more. There are so many hazards of IT and being a software junkie. Hell lot of tax (sob sob), overpriced real estates, lotsa peer and client pressure, health problems, managerial woes, shelling out more money thn required at diff joints esp the bloody cabbies and the auto drivers, the brokers when u book / rent the apartments , pose smiles when u r pissed off at work just cos u shud be a good team player and hell lotta things.....

ppl conceive us to be the idlers who make big money and work little. perhaps no one has more stress than us to deal with. slogging of countless hrs, numerous weekends and festivals uncelebrated go behind wot we get at the end of month. dont we ?

Anonymous said...

And yes me too qualified for nothing else but IT, but I love my profession and I say it on loud note that IT was the only job I could have ever done.

Anon said...

OMG! u absolutely blew him off with that list of hazards i'm sure!! theyre worthy of being listed in a science journal. hahaha
no wonder the guy fell for it. and thank god u didnt get into the whole you-don't know shit-software engineers-are-way-better-and-enterprizing-than-CAs bit!! ;-)

makes for a great read as always :D

ps...i wonder how may ailments YOU suffer or whether u do look like a 35 yr old! =P

Phoenix said...

lol!hillarious! but so true..my bf is soft ware engineer..and i know that even though they pay you handsomely they make you work like donkeys!
now i realized why my 23 year old bf behaves like a 40 year old man...

Keshi said...

aha aha :)

Keshi.

Sam said...

@mads: interesting way of thinking!!

@ashu: gosh!! now dats a softie speking up!! lol... u said it girl!!

Sam said...

@kritz: alrite now i don't luk lyk a 35 yr old. period. secondly, i do suffer a few.. had a chronic back problem.. and worked my way out... but the fatigue remains!!

@phoenix: ah!! der u go.. someone to understand teh pains!! btw, ur boyfriend and me seem to of the same age.. i hope i dunno him... ;)

@keshi: u naughty girl... and now wot were u hinting at?? ;)

The 'Mad' Orchid said...

whuz ideas r interestng urz or mine ;) ???? n u do the tag whn u get the time mr sofwre engineer :) no hurries at al

Nothing said...

ok this comment mite be a bit lame :P

bt seriously the comments u get n ur replies to them provide a gr8 source of laughter ;)

and at ur blog, i completely agree wid u..!! i ll be in the club in another 2 years :D

Sam said...

@fun guy: gud 2 know someone get a laugh out of these... btw, run dude.. don't join us.. else u'll be as dead as a turkey at christmas lunch!! :P