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Comment by branweb | Hacker News Reader

you raise some valid points but I disagree with your conclusion. Tech is a gravy train compared to most jobs. I say this as someone who transitioned into it from a more physical blue-collar job and just went through the interview process recently. It sucked but "ruthless framework", etc. is hyperbole.

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There are aspects of tech at some companies (and teams within companies) that are perhaps uniquely problematic--like the idea that "real programmers" have personal projects with Github repos. But the idea that young big firm lawyers and investment bankers--or many people who do more physical work and work on a less regular schedule (at much lower pay)--have it comparatively easy is the SV bubble talking.

Blue collar work isn't any better or worse than tech if you're young enough for your body to take it. You've got all the same variation, good bosses, bad bosses, slow and steady workplaces vs crisis every day workplaces.

One of the big differences is that being the guy who gets woken up at 3am is for the young people in tech but in the blue collar industries its for the guys who have stuck it out past 40 and are really experienced.

Side projects are just as common in the blue collar world but they're used as less of a technical filter and more of a culture fit filter.

>culture fit filter

Absolutely, if you're the one person in a group who doesn't want to go hunting on the weekend or doesn't care about working on and accessorizing your pickup, you may not really fit in. (Just picking a couple of random stereotypical behaviors that have certainly existed with people I've worked with.)

I meant it more like they casually ask you what you do when you're not at work and you mention that you put big engines in small boats and if the existing employees have hobbies that also involve money pit projects with vehicles then you get a couple extra hire-ability points that might make the difference.

Nobody cares what you don't do so long as you're not loud and obnoxious about being superior to people who do whatever that thing is.

Tech workers can go home exhausted as well. Just because it's not the pure physical exhaustion from blue collar work doesn't mean it doesn't take a toll on you.

I'm obviously not saying the work can't be exhausting.

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