College Advice
Today I read a very interesting post on the site of Joel Spolsky. Joel is one of the influents authors in the field of software development and software management. In his already traditional speech targeted to the young people considering career path in the software industry he states several points as being the most important to achieve a success.
The first of them underlines the importance of the ability of any student to write cleanly and concisely. Write using human readable language such as English. Second point for Joel is a need to learn the C programming language. Working knowledge of C is the basis of the deep understanding of the nuts bolts and building blocs of modern computer systems. Next go requirements to learn microeconomics. Then Spolsky says why it is important to take at least one boring matter and studying it through. For him boring elements are included in all activities. The capability of the individual to accomplish such a tasks consist a value in Joel’s opinion. Yet Joel discusses another necessary element in his post. He makes a stop on the necessity to take programming intensive courses for anybody interested in the successful career in software development. Amongst the rests he assure students that not all the jobs are going to India, and that a lot of interesting well-paid jobs still actually requested on the US domestic market. The last but not least he suggests to the students take an interesting summer internship while studying. I think it could be worth reading it’s original post here. http://www.joelonsoftware.com/articles/CollegeAdvice.html
However he states one thing that I am unable to understand. He tell us that
“And there’s one thing I do know: 99% of working lawyers hate their jobs, hate every waking minute of it, and they’re working 90 hour weeks, too.”
As for me I am not really in the legal business, however I cannot imagine the immense majority of bright people wasting the best of their time just for money in such way. I suppose this is some kind of a hyperbole. I know some fellows working in the field in France and in Russian Federation. Sure the legal systems there and in the US are different. But as to the everyday rewarding elements of the profession they are quite satisfied.
Am I only one of this opinion?