[haloux]

As someone who has worked both, I’d encourage you to reconsider what you’re really seeking in an office job. I did aircraft maintenance in the Air Force, paperwork and management in the AF, got out and hopped around with AAA as a roadside assistance tech, and am finally at a remote job doing pentesting. I’ve been in then out then back in again. Let me tell you, I can’t wait to turn wrenches again. If you can tolerate the pay cut and live a simpler life, I’d hazard to say that nothing beats the satisfaction that a hands on job provides.

On the whole, id say that there is something to be said about how the tech revolution is just an iteration of the industrial revolution. People are more removed from the art of what they do. They are deprived of the fruit of their labor and instead forced to work a piece wise process instead of seeing something done start to finish. There’s no tangible result to all the toil.

Non derogatory caveat: some are content to say that the SDLC is an answer. I reject that notion, and realize that I’m the shrinking minority.

[icebraining]

A repair job seems like a much closer analogy to a typical software development job than a factory process. My work is mostly identifying and fixing problems and installing custom-designed modules onto machines made by others. If you prefer working more end-to-end, that's also not hard to find in the consulting area.

[haloux]

YEMV, but I am a consultant. Putting a bow on an engagement report is really not comparable to seeing your building occupied or watching your plane take off.