Niche Tech Space

So, if you’re considering going into software engineering around June or July of 2026, it’s still a pretty decent career path. I mean, it pays a lot of money depending on your experience. A lot of people thought AI was going to take over and that software engineering would eventually disappear, but there’s been a lot of debate about that recently.

Many people are saying that AI simply enhances the development process rather than replacing developers entirely. At the same time, there is data showing that AI has contributed to major layoffs in the tech industry. Thousands of people have lost their jobs, and many blame AI for that. However, AI is also expected to create new jobs and opportunities in the future, especially in software.

The thing about software engineering is that, in my personal opinion, it’s enjoyable in some ways, but it can also be miserable in others.

Based on my own experience, about half of my college degree focused on software development. I earned a degree in Information Sciences and Technology. Roughly half of the program covered IT topics such as hardware, networking, and infrastructure. We learned about computer components like CPUs and RAM, worked with virtual machines, used Linux extensively, and spent a lot of time in the command line.

The other half of my degree focused on software engineering. We learned the fundamentals of programming, and like many colleges, we started with Java. Java is a great language to learn because it shares many concepts with other programming languages. Most modern programming languages trace their roots back to the C programming language in some way. While Java is quite different from C, many of the concepts you learn in Java apply elsewhere.

Once you’ve learned Java, many other programming languages feel familiar. Even JavaScript, which is technically a scripting language for websites, shares some common programming concepts. The syntax isn’t identical, but many of the ideas are similar.

What troubles me about software engineering is that you can spend years learning and improving your skills, only to eventually lose interest in it. That might sound crazy if you’re just getting started.

When you’re new to programming, everything feels exciting. You begin by learning basic syntax. For me, that meant writing simple Java programs like printing “Hello World” to the console. Then you move into variables, conditionals, loops, and other core concepts.

You learn things like:

• Variables
• If statements and conditionals
• While loops
• Do-while loops
• For loops
• For-each loops

These concepts appear in many programming languages. If a language is based on C-style syntax, you’ll likely encounter similar structures throughout your career.

As you continue learning, you begin to understand what programming is really about. But what you might not realize is that one day you may simply stop enjoying it.

Maybe you love it at first. Maybe you’re passionate about it for years. Then one day the passion is gone.

It happens more often than people think.

There are plenty of people who pursued software engineering, became software engineers, and eventually said, “I don’t want to do this anymore. I don’t enjoy it. This makes me miserable.”

You may not want to believe that, but it’s true.

Software engineering is also very competitive. A lot of people think the job is simply sitting at a desk all day typing code and collecting a paycheck. That’s not really how it works.

You’re constantly solving problems. You’re dealing with deadlines. You’re attending meetings. There is definitely some level of stress involved.

That said, it’s still easier on your body than many other careers. You’re not doing physically demanding labor all day. You’re not working in a warehouse, a factory, or another physically exhausting environment.

Compared to many blue-collar jobs, software engineering can be a much more comfortable career.

However, you should also think about what the lifestyle actually looks like.

If you’re young and considering this career path, ask yourself whether you really want to spend decades sitting behind a desk. Think about spending 40 years in a chair, working on a computer, solving similar types of problems every day.

Maybe that’s appealing to you.

Maybe it isn’t.

There are also many other careers in technology that are worth considering. Software engineering isn’t the only option. There are careers in networking, cybersecurity, cloud computing, IT infrastructure, data analytics, and more.

Even finance can be a fantastic career path. There is a tremendous amount of opportunity and money in that field as well.

When I look at software engineering, I see a field that attracts a huge number of people. I think many are drawn to it because they imagine an easy desk job with high pay. The reality is more complicated.

You might love programming for years and then eventually find that it becomes a chore. The excitement fades. Learning new technologies starts feeling like work instead of fun.

Of course, that’s because it becomes your job.

You’re getting paid to do it, which is great. But there may come a day when you’re sitting at your desk thinking:

“I wish I were outside.”

“I wish I were at home playing video games.”

“I wish I had more freedom to do other things with my life.”

Those thoughts are normal.

At the end of the day, software engineering does pay well. If your goal is to make good money for a few years, build savings, and then move on to something else, it might be a great choice.

But before you commit to this path, ask yourself an important question:

Do you really want to spend the rest of your life doing the same kind of work, in the same environment, day after day?

That’s something worth thinking about before choosing a career in software engineering.