IT Job - Is it really worth the money it pays?

Replies

• 

  ranvir1986

  To begin with, the issue is a good one.
  
  As for the worth of IT jobs, the generation that welcomed BPO`s would mostly think high of IT jobs, in monetary terms of course. The real setback though is the shifting pattern of your work, you need to learn and unlearn at a short notice, you never really gain experience, you are always changing platforms. So much for job security, its hard to survive long in this field.
• 

  Mayur Pathak

  I think it depends more on what you are supposed to do. If you are just a cheap labor being asked to keep a watch on the client systems (*Read support and maintenance*) I would better not do it. Its only worth if you are doing some thing good and worthwhile.
  
  There are enough innovative product companies in the world. Ask yourself what you are doing and what value does it add to you and your company apart from the money they earn? If people treat you as cheap labors, will the money worth your self respect?
  
  Apologies for extreme or harsh views. I wrote two articles on my blog (here Should companies outsource their core work? | Mayur's blog and #-Link-Snipped-#) many days back (although they are a bit India centric) regarding similar topic and received some flak even then. Probably every one wants to do a good piece of work and leave the bad to some one else. It depends on what you want in life...
• 

  MaRo

  I've an indian friend here told me about how Banglore is very developed in the software career, Banglore labours take less money than western programmers although they do much of the hardcore coding, I think Indian programmers federation or something like this has to move to make a boycott or strike to raise their salaries.
  
  I don't know IT salaries in India but here in Saudi Arabia they're more expensive than Egypt (2 countries I lived and know very well) here the average salary is ~$1000/month.
• 

  Mayur Pathak

  MaRo

  I don't know IT salaries in India but here in Saudi Arabia they're more expensive than Egypt (2 countries I lived and know very well) here the average salary is ~$1000/month.

  😒
  
  Oh! Interesting. This is only marginally costlier than what they pay in India. Here it might be about $750-800
• 

  Kaustubh Katdare

  Here's my view -
  
  I see that the software jobs are actually taking away 'health' from the software professionals. Now, I personally believe that the (software) engineers themselves are responsible. As I hear growing cases of 'back pain' , 'frozen shoulder' & 'kidney stones' among software professionals, I feel concerned.
  
  Here's what comes as a part of your software engineering job -

  • No time for exercise.
  • Exposure to high levels of stress.
  • No job satisfaction ( I hear it from everyone these days!)
  • Bulging belly (check yours!)
  • Overdose of caffeine.
  • Poor intake of water ( since most of you are lazy enough to get and supply your body with enough water )
  • High levels of smoking : Why do I see almost every software professional with a cigarette in his/her hand?
  • Almost zero social life. 😡
  • Strain on eyes - that's what you get after hours of looking at computer screen.
  • Back pain - agree?

  Comment on whatever I've written above. I'd love to hear your voice!
• 

  MaRo

  100% right big K, all these happens to me but back pain after long hours not always.
  
  Job satisfaction - I'm satisfied 😀
• 

  Mayur Pathak

  The_Big_K

  Here's my view -
  
  I see that the software jobs are actually taking away 'health' from the software professionals. Now, I personally believe that the (software) engineers themselves are responsible. As I hear growing cases of 'back pain' , 'frozen shoulder' & 'kidney stones' among software professionals, I feel concerned.
  
  Here's what comes as a part of your software engineering job -

  • No time for exercise.
  • Exposure to high levels of stress.
  • No job satisfaction ( I hear it from everyone these days!)
  • Bulging belly (check yours!)
  • Overdose of caffeine.
  • Poor intake of water ( since most of you are lazy enough to get and supply your body with enough water )
  • High levels of smoking : Why do I see almost every software professional with a cigarette in his/her hand?
  • Almost zero social life. 😡
  • Strain on eyes - that's what you get after hours of looking at computer screen.
  • Back pain - agree?

  Comment on whatever I've written above. I'd love to hear your voice!

  This is not confined to Software engineering alone. What about the support staff working in software engineering firms? Stress? health problems? Well they are every where. Every job has a different health hazard. Moreover I think IT companies have better offices with most of them having a gym and a recreation facility and/or a crash room.
  
  Money wise, I think lot of Finance and Marketing jobs pay as good as the technology industry, if not more.
• 

  kedarjk

  I think it varies as per individual.
  If one manages to complete his work within given time ideally 9AM to 6PM or 10AM to 6PM. Then he/she can have social life and have ample time for exercise.
  Talking about stress, in most of the companies there is a concept of bench strength. So for such people, what kind of stress is there?
  
  For job satisfaction, one has to identify his/her interest and then choose a career. Or in IT which field one likes to work has to be identified by own and then struggle for it.
  
  Other things I guess every individual has to manage on its own, like stress on eyes,back pain,lack of water, bulging belly etc.
  
  To talk about advantages, in IT industry almost all companies give 2 week days off, which is not the case for mechanical industry people. So in those days one can have ample time to live his/her life in a way he/she wants. Continue his/her hobby.
• 

  sauravgoswami

  Well india is a labour country,s/w professionals are labour out to off-shore companies,anyhow these days other sectors are also paying well,IT is no longer the attraction !!!!
• 

  aashu_itdude

  hi all
  i think that almost every job has some pros and cons and everyone choses his/her career after thinking about them, if one doesnt like the kind of work he/she has to perform then that job is not ment for them.
  if the question is of learning at quick interval of time then its not bad it keeps you updated with the new technology.
  and as THE_BIG_K has opinion that IT proffesionals hav following problems
  
  No time for exercise ,high levels of stress etc-etc.
  
  it completly depends on one's will power; one must be concerned to his/her health as nobody else can work to keep your body fit.
  If you can manage your work time properly then 24 hours is a long time for additional activities.
• 

  devesh

  i completely agree with the fact that software professionals whether they are in development domain or in support and services domain, are affected with certain stress level.In support and services,the operation is 24x7 and the working hours keeps on changing every 15 days or a month, so they have to keep on changing their routine accordingly.It affects life,health,social life and much more.but still people are doing just because of the primary requirement of life i.e money.These jobs really pays much better than the other sectors but they ruin your life.We are just cheap english speaking software labours
  .you will earn a lot of money but will not get time to spend it in a better way rather you will to pub or club on weekends and have some drink and dances way to glory.This is what we are actually doing.do you remember the last time when you have gone to any park(recreational ones) or played any game(outdoor) or went for jogging or a morning walk.NO??how can you be beacause you dont have time for that and are too much stressed.
  
  If we are not going to work for our country then we will be living the same life in future also.
• 

  Mayur Pathak

  @aashu: Very well said. Every job has its own pros and cons. Its the matter of your interest, willingness and strength to go through the pains.
  
  @Devesh: Good point too, just that these problems are associated with most of the engineering jobs.
• 

  k.v.v.l.sudha

  yes it really it worth
• 

  k.v.v.l.sudha

  yes it really worth.every IT proffesional need to work metally.so they really worth the money they pated
• 

  anuragh27crony

  But when matter comes to services oriented companies which pay as low as 12-20 k ... these companies pay less money and extract more work out of their employees.... to cash out more profits.....
• 

  swati_akasheeni

  hi,
  i think who so ever gets in IT industry,he/she surely has a knowledge of all those problems(back pain,stress etc).so basically its up to them..if they are able to manage it nicely,its well and good otherwise surely for them it will be of no worth(inspite of the fact if the pay is high).beside this i will also like to add up here that now most of the youths are familiar with these pitfalls of IT sector and that is the only reason why they are moving towards excercise,yoga,meditation and all.so at the end,it solely depends on an individual whether he/she is ready with this extra stuff or not.
• 

  sreedu

  i'm related to electronics field and being a fresher to jobs what i experience is,if you are trying for an electronics tech company ,you won't get a purely electronics job.nowadays evrything based on software.a fresher applying for a tech job may get into a tech company,but have to do the software job.most of companies recruit freshers for their software jobs.only thing is that the person has to have a basic knowledge of the subject.if he doesn't know a programming language he is not selected.and the job pattern is also more or less same as IT companies.may be u get a better salary.but all the problems stated abov prevail.but the plus point is that you may get promoted into the hardware side as you get experienced.so basically both jobs the same
• 

  aashima

  sreedu

  i'm related to electronics field and being a fresher to jobs what i experience is,if you are trying for an electronics tech company ,you won't get a purely electronics job.nowadays evrything based on software.a fresher applying for a tech job may get into a tech company,but have to do the software job.most of companies recruit freshers for their software jobs.only thing is that the person has to have a basic knowledge of the subject.if he doesn't know a programming language he is not selected.and the job pattern is also more or less same as IT companies.may be u get a better salary.but all the problems stated abov prevail.but the plus point is that you may get promoted into the hardware side as you get experienced.so basically both jobs the same

  Well to make a career in hardware or technical side related to Electronics is more struggling than tough. You will have to start your career with a company which might not have a national recommendation or may be not that popular as other IT giants, but they do promise the kind of work you're looking for. Initially, the job requires deep technical skills and more hard work than IT sector while providing lesser returns but when it comes to your interests and career, I guess its a fair deal.
  As of the the pros and cons of the IT industries, I'd say that no job including business as well for that matter, is as easy as sipping coffee. The problems that remain connected might differ in their nature though. I've been in contact with a good amount of software professionals and its easy to see how their lifestyle differs with differing attitudes. Some do manage to make out time for their hobbies on a daily basis too and not just on weekends while there are some who don't bother putting an effort even on offs. Its just that, you need to be bit regular and particular if you want your IT sector life to deal with lot more than just your office cubicle.
• 

  shinyallard

  Obviously, the IT jobs in India are costly as far as other engineering jobs are concerned. due to the development huge B.P.O sector , the IT jobs has got more demand, at same time they become more worth by the we get from this job.
  ======================================================
  shinyallard
  #-Link-Snipped-#
• 

  swaroops1

  By a long conversation behind.. I think they all covered almost all points. But, i like to say that India is not a labour country but a country where people work applying their intelligence more than in any other country. As we are very casual and friendly all others have taken advantage of these...
  
  But there is no match for intelligence in terms of salary... So, there is always a scarcity of salary to the way we apply intelligence...
  
  So ..a Great thread ...
• 

  aashima

  swaroops1

  But there is no match for intelligence in terms of salary... So, there is always a scarcity of salary to the way we apply intelligence...

  Good point, well said!