Ask HN: Reasons to stay in Software Engineering

I did my B.Sc. from a fairly reputable university in Electric Engineering. Since I enjoyed programming during my studies I decided to go for it and accepted a full time job as developer ( mainly C / C++ ).

I really do like Linux, OpenSource projects, blogs like e.g. hackernews etc. To me it felt like a passion: So much cool stuff I can read about, all accessible only with a computer and an internet connection. However, I recently decided to do my masters but currently have some serious doubts whether I should focus on software or just completely change my track. The problems I have are:

* Everyone can be a "software developer". Even thought I went through a really though and challenging university degree, which I finished distinctly above average, I have to go through whiteboard interviews. This won't change with additional job experience. For some reason, companies do highly mistrust my skills and degree. Other jobs, equally well paid, do not require this.

* You have to know _a lot_. Programming languages, Tools, Operating Systems, Tests etc. On top of that, specific domain knowledge is required. Unfortunately, my brain forgets and if I work with different technologies, after 1 year I will not start at 0 but definitely neither at 100%.

* After all it's "just" software. Besides yourself, nobody really cares how you solved the problem. Sure, it's quite appealing to think through a complex system, tune it, develop it etc. but often it includes cumbersome work and decisions are made elsewhere.

So why should I stay in the software domain ?

The money is so damn good.

In Software Engineering, you don't need to work where you live nor live where you were born/studied. One very good reason.

The effort to reward ratio is as good as it gets. Professions with similar or higher reward usually do so only with a lot of effort. Think litigation lawyers or doctors that pull crazy amount of overtime. There's a lot of jobs in the software field that will pull in 6 figures with great conditions and reasonable effort. That's why everyone is fighting each other to enter the field, for better or worse.

And while "everyone can be a software developer" right now because the demand is so high (we're in a middle of a mini-dotcom-boom), it won't always be that way. Expect to see saturation in the next few years. Yes, the self taught person who works their butt off will be able to make it, but it won't be common, or will be limited to entry level positions, which will become more and more competitive. We're already seeing this happening a bit.

I've been hearing about saturation for about 15 years and honestly there are no signs of it, not even close.