[CodeMage]

Excellent post all in all, but the part I consider the most important is:

Job security, job satisfaction, good pay. Pick any two.

I've been keenly aware of that for a while now. For someone like me, someone who chooses the first two, it stings a lot until you come to terms with it and make it your conscious choice. It all has to do with one's priorities and no combination is bad in itself. You just need to be aware of these things or it might be a source of unhappiness for you.