I worked as a petroleum engineer running reservoir simulations. While not a "developer" per se, I had to run FORTRAN binaries on a Linux cluster, know shell scripting, run servers, git for code tracking, writing reports in LaTeX, Linux desktop and dependency hell, list goes on. I did this in industry and research (corporate projects, Department of Energy) both as a consultant and full time employee for 9 years counting Internships.

How I got my job: I was an average student in college and can't interview. I've actually never gotten a job I've applied for, but I digress.

I emailed everyone in my home state for a job because I thought I wanted to live there when I was through with school. I lived in a small oil producing state, not a Texas. Long story short, I ended up emailing the lobbyist for the local coal council asking if he knew anyone in the o&g industry in my state and that I was a young college kid looking for an internship. He hooked me up with a local company and I got an internship, and ended up doing simulation and chemical research that universities love. Went back to college and networked with some professors and research groups there and got on a Department of Energy grant. Built skills / reputation and then went off solo consulting.

All this is to say while I enjoyed "the process" of messing around with computers, figuring things out, and going to engineering school, I don't enjoy it anymore. I hate the office life and looking at a screen all day, and politics and meetings. It's just not for me. I found out I really like turning wrenches and seeing physical things being built. I like "blue collar" work more.

I think I put up with it for as long as I did because I was chasing money. I wanted to save money, but it was also a measuring stick for "let's see how much I can charge and justify my ability."

Not sure if any of this helps or not.