[vacri]

It gives you a platform to have a major impact on society.

Major? Can you give some examples where a line engineer at one of the big companies has personally done something through their work that has had a major impact on society? "Wow, you work at a cool place" is small talk and prestige, not something that has a societal impact; something that inherently changes the way people interact with and/or perceive each other.

[snowwrestler]

You don't think Google search or iPhone have had a major impact on society?

[vacri]

Sure I do. I just don't think that the fundamental parts of those products that has that major impact were the brainchild of line engineers.