>First, construction in general is a pretty up and down industry. Construction booms don't last forever, and in general you need to 'follow the work'. This is great if you are young, single, and willing to chase the high paying jobs. Not so great if you have a strong desire to stay in one spot.
This is worse in software engineering. You are probably in the bay area or some other tech city, but for all the people who live outside of those areas, they have to either move to them or get paid a ridiculously low wage relative to their work.
Here in Australia, only those people who want to work in the mines have to go anywhere. All the other trades can not only live wherever they want, they don't have to live near the city. Programmers have to live close to the city and pay the extra in housing because all of the jobs are in the city.
>Second, trade jobs are usually pretty tough on the body. After a couple decades of work your body begins to break down, assuming there are no workplace injuries to put you out of commission sooner.
Sitting is worse for your body than most trades. Some trades may be really tough, but the majority are not. Programmers generally look completely out of shape. You talk about "after a few decades", well, I wonder if you have met any older office workers? I work with people in their late 30s and early 40s who have done nothing but office work. Just the other day, we were walking up a large group of stairs to go to a conference and they were all going on about their knees and groaning on pain. I suspect you are confusing people just getting old who don't really look after their body, with a specific effect of a type of job.
>Third, workplace conditions are on average undesirable. Outdoors in the heat/cold, or indoors in tight spaces or high places. It's tough sell over companies that glorify bean bag chairs, nap pods, and free beer on hand.
This sounds like someone who just hates the outdoors. I have worked in both types of jobs and I absolutely hate being in an air-conditioned office. I hate unnatural air and the lack of sunlight. I also hate beer, and bean bag chairs are terrible for your body. Nap pods, jesus.
>Fourth, there's a social stigma around trade skill jobs.
This does seem kind of true, but I see people in trades with much prettier girlfriends than most programmers due to the better shape they are in both mentally and physically, and the fact that money is all that counts. Trades outside of tech cities get paid the same or more as programmers.
>All of these observations are based off my fathers experience as union based pipe fitter/welder for >30 years.
Exactly.
This is worse in software engineering. You are probably in the bay area or some other tech city, but for all the people who live outside of those areas, they have to either move to them or get paid a ridiculously low wage relative to their work.
Here in Australia, only those people who want to work in the mines have to go anywhere. All the other trades can not only live wherever they want, they don't have to live near the city. Programmers have to live close to the city and pay the extra in housing because all of the jobs are in the city.
>Second, trade jobs are usually pretty tough on the body. After a couple decades of work your body begins to break down, assuming there are no workplace injuries to put you out of commission sooner.
Sitting is worse for your body than most trades. Some trades may be really tough, but the majority are not. Programmers generally look completely out of shape. You talk about "after a few decades", well, I wonder if you have met any older office workers? I work with people in their late 30s and early 40s who have done nothing but office work. Just the other day, we were walking up a large group of stairs to go to a conference and they were all going on about their knees and groaning on pain. I suspect you are confusing people just getting old who don't really look after their body, with a specific effect of a type of job.
>Third, workplace conditions are on average undesirable. Outdoors in the heat/cold, or indoors in tight spaces or high places. It's tough sell over companies that glorify bean bag chairs, nap pods, and free beer on hand.
This sounds like someone who just hates the outdoors. I have worked in both types of jobs and I absolutely hate being in an air-conditioned office. I hate unnatural air and the lack of sunlight. I also hate beer, and bean bag chairs are terrible for your body. Nap pods, jesus.
>Fourth, there's a social stigma around trade skill jobs. This does seem kind of true, but I see people in trades with much prettier girlfriends than most programmers due to the better shape they are in both mentally and physically, and the fact that money is all that counts. Trades outside of tech cities get paid the same or more as programmers.
>All of these observations are based off my fathers experience as union based pipe fitter/welder for >30 years. Exactly.