No, not all software engineers take a salary in Lakhs. No, not all software engineers code and No, not all software engineers can solve your computer issues ;-)
Common Thought
If you are skilled enough and can update it regularly, it is a safe and relatively good paying job that can keep you happy. Try it out for a year or two, it adds to your resume.
Types of Software Engineers
Coders
Testers
Support
Payscale
(Mid-level): Product based company: 2L INR/month
Service-based company: 60k INR/month
Work Location
Metropolitan cities and work-from-home
Holidays
Weekly 2 holidays. Long leaves are rare. Highest official leave could be 5 days. Big vacations are to be pre-planned.
Other Options in Hand
Freelancing - 5 to 50 dollar/hour based on your skillset.
Job shift: Every 18 months you can look to shift jobs with almost 100% hike in present salary.
Entrepreneurship - build your own app and start a company.
Flow Chart
10th -> 12th MPC -> CSE/ECE/IT (preferably) -> On-campus / off campus interview
* Any graduate can apply for a software job based on the company irrespective of grad branch. Completing masters will have a minor increase in package.
Best Companies
Product - Google, Facebook, Amazon, Microsoft
Service - Infosys, TCS, Capgemini
Top People to Search For
Satya Nadella, Mark Zucker berg, Bill gates
Health Effects
Back pain, Sugar, Obesity are common around due to non-active work style and bad food habits that comes with corporate culture. Regular exercise and proper diet is recommended.
Experience Hub
At the End
Bank balance (good person) - 60L to 10cr
Closeyss - 10 people
Respect - Only senior citizen respect. Nothing special.
Post-Retirement
99.5% aren't of use to any organization. A few would be more than useful for government & as advisors to various organizations.
Volunteering to advice small companies and tech startups is a good idea.
Early Stages
Its fancy, sudden increase in pocket money, you meet people of different styles & places, the high scope for learning
Tips
Enjoy the new lifestyle, don't get a credit card, spend an hour each day to learn latest technologies, go on trips, pay for experiences(travel, food, parties) than products, buy gifts to your family (once in 4 months, not more).
A Few Years
You feel stuck in life, you look for a change!! Job change or career change. Responsibilities increase and need to find more income sources to strike your mind.
Tips
Start saving some money every month and apply for insurances. Contact career counsellor - it's not a wrong time. If you are REALLY stuck, better to look for a new beginning. Forget about the 3 or 4 years for your long 50 to 60 years left (if you want to change).
Goalometer
Work pressure: (7/10)
High - When your project is near production, you might work close to 16 hours a day, with the constant nagging of mangers, less to no sleep but loads of work to do. If you are in "support team" for some financial projects, you would need to inform/replace someone even for 5 mins of a break!! SuSu is also a no no sometimes. Many tickets have to be solved within 10 mins.
Low - In service-based companies, there is a category called a bench, people who aren't assigned to any project are put in this group. You are literally paid for doing nothing. You go to the office, have fun and get salary in the month beginning. In the early stages, seniors usually handle all the work leaving you enough time and freedom to have fun.
Normal - 6 hours of work each day excluding the breaks. Few regular meetings with managers and little office politics. It's peaceful.
Patience: (5/10)
High: On-site opportunities are most sought out for software engineers for many reasons. Few get the opportunity in the first few months of training and few would need to wait for 8 to 9 years with written promises each year. If you are in "support team" you need to be very patient to understand the language, feelings and thoughts of half-witted clients who don't even know to use a mouse properly.
Normal: Your leave applications will depend on other teammates' leave plans. Hikes do take time. It's not that frustrating.
Sub-ordination: (4/10)
High: If your working capacity is not up to the mark and there are high chances of you being fired, only then there is this risk. Unless you allow your team leaders or managers to treat you that way, they don't have any official authority or strength in their hands to ruin your future.
Normal: For onsite opportunities and role promotions you might need to please or butter your managers but they wouldn't have a real hold on you.
Happiness Index: 7/10
Degree of boredom/mundane tasks: 5/10
Analytical capability: (5/10)
Fast learning capability: (6/10)
Emotional intelligent: (7/10)
Physical fitness: (3/10)
Retention of information: (3/10)
Capacity to handle failure: (4/10)
Boring index: (5/10)
High: (support & maintenance projects) Repetitive tasks. No challenges. Mundane work.
Low: (developmet projects) New things to learn every month, logical challenges, creative challenges, interesting questions unanswered till date.
Family attachment index: (6/10)
Low: If your parent's are living in a different place than your work city. The amount of love shared is mostly only video calls!! Heavy weekdays make your weekends sleep worthy or trip worthy, you would spend less time visiting your family. The bond may not be effected but the amount of time spend together , family functions, get togethers have to be sacrified a lot.
Normal: If you happen to get get a good manager and a soft project, and your family is living with you. This job is the one for you. You have posh corporate life at and around house, beautiful homely life after work. You can settle down in the job but with a need to learn new technologies regularly.
Indicators
Job relevance: 80% (It is likely that this job will stay strong for next 20 years).
Sustainable goals: SDG 9, SDG 4
Your work is likely to enhance the experience of digital customers and improve their transactions. Majority of rural people are still not able to avail the benefits of the digital world you created - you can either focus on enhancing the available world for urban people or work in a sector to improve the usability of the tech for the poor.
The Office
Dress code: Semi-formals to formals are expected when you go to the office (It depends on your employer).
Work Schedule
9am to 5pm is the norm. But usually, it is from 9am to 6.30pm.
Shifts
Some job roles demand you to work in one of the three shifts 6am to 3pm; 9 am to 5pm; night shift.
Major Challenges
New tech stacks come up regularly, need to keep learning.
Tight deadlines, might need to sacrifice personal commitments.
Changing requirements from clients.
Over authoritative managers.