Life Cycle of a Software "ENGINEER"

Disclaimer: The word MNC here refers to the companies that had their inception in India. Companies like Apple, Microsoft, Intel, SUN and any other company that falls under the same league is not to be treated as MNC here in this blog. The names of the Indian companies that you might see are only for the sake of an example. However there is no personal offence to Indian based companies or its management. My apologies if it might hurt anyones feelings. Advised not read below if you are an employee of the organization and are also in Love with it.

As I look back 6 years, I remember how the Electronics has overtaken the Computer engineering stream in India. Till then it was the dream of everyone in India to take up B.Tech in CS. But suddenly no one was opting for CS. For Good Or Bad, that change of wave helped me get a seat in Computer Science Engineering. Though not much acquainted with the field initially, I had a dream of what I would be doing in CS, very very vaguely. Infact I always wanted to do Mechanical Engineering and I was also ready with my own design of a car. But you never get what you wanted, thats life. So I was content with what I got.

But what I expected proved to be wrong. A computer science student in India, would hardly require to know how a computer works! True. I didn't know where and what a RAM is atleast till when I bought a PC. Somehow managed to learn some stuff. Owing to several factors, like my college environment and University curriculum, I have finally found out that a computer science engineer, do not have to design a new OS, he doesn't have to decide which is the best algorithm, he doesn't even need to come-up with a new Database of his own nor does he need to patent his ideas. All he needs is a clean record of B.Tech, and a good aggregate. But why does he need it? TO "GE(B" read in reverse)T a JOB in a MNC.

Is this just the start? Alarmingly NO. This is the end too. The computer science engineer actually takes the turn of his life into a SOFTWARE ENGINEER after he gets a job. Believe me I never knew the difference before but thats true. You are no more a computer science engineer. All that you would be doing is the same stuff as told in Software Engineering. One team designs, other team develops, then testing, maintainence etc. After starting with a mediocre salary range you will soon go to a lucrative package. But then whats new you would be doing? Till then you will be doing stuff all by yourself, and then later you will be supervising a team. In other words you will be paid for relaxing and putting pressure on your juniors. If it seems to be quite tempting to a non-CS student, dont get dejected for having chosen the wrong field. I bet anyone is capable of doing a Software job after the kind of training the companies give. But is this what Computer Science is? No. This is just Software Engineering.

Everyone who feels that India is booming in Computer Science, wake up. India is just taking up projects given by some other foreign companies and living on the crumbles that they are throwing. No Indian company has reached the standard of designing a new language though we boast of the best programmers we have. For Good I'm waiting for the day US will STOP OUTSOURCING. My intention is not to see INDs starving. But I want them to become self sufficient. I hope atleast in that situation the IT scenario in India might change.

Apart from all these, what really bothers me is that all the four years of Computer Science Engineering becomes waste. You are taught Principles of Programming, Object oriented programming, Theory of computation, Networking, Artificial Intelligence, Graphics, Operating systems and many other subjects. But you eventually leave them in thin air. All you learn is JAVA, .NET and SAP.

Benefits of a Software job:
1) Good Pay (white collared pay for a blue collared work) and if lucky enough might go abroad for on-site development. It can be Nigeria, Algeria, USA or even Pakistan and Iraq.
2) AC room and no field work. But it takes more than a sweat when you dont deliver the project on time to the client. More fun will be when he sues in the court of law.
3) Girls/Boys respectively. You get them easily. The opposite sex will easily be attracted to you either seeing your purse or due to the proximity to commute to the same company. I dont say that there will not be love, but I wont accept that it can be TRUE LOVE.
4) The best you would get is you will have all the skill that is required to be a good MBA in HR, as you will know how to get the work done by the staff. But unfortunately degree will not be awarded.

Adversities of a software job:
1) Declining eye sight, arthritis, spondylitis etc. Dont worry, your company cares for you and they have medical re-imbursement for it. So be prepared.
2) Anger, frustration, mental tensions, due to the pressure from superiors and clients.
3) As you loose touch with the real subjects in computer science, it will be impractical for you to go with the technology. For them technology means new trends like a new language or database or package or at the max a new platform that was required by the Client. But it would have released 5 years earlier, who knows?
4) Finally, you wont be what you are. You are no more a computer scientist. You are a software engineer.

Now tell me. I wanted to know which among them is the best choice. TCS, Infosys, Wipro, Satyam, HCL? Actually ..... i've been placed (recruited)....;)

PS:- Dont forget to leave your comments. You wont be cursed anyway.