"You're nothing but a high paid laborer."

What distinguishes us from a construction worker, or a plumber? Each is skilled within his craft, but at the end of the day, he's just a laborer.

Uh, yeah. You know who else is just a laborer? A manager. All a manager does is manage people, and push paper. You know who else is just a laborer? A software architect. The one who does make all the designs and decisions. You know who else is just a laborer? The CEO. All a CEO does is guide a company at a high level, and convince the board that the people under him are going to make money.

So, what distinguishes him from a plumber?

You are correct in realizing why they call it "work". We each trade a service, or a labor, for something else.

It doesn't sound like you're respected, and your manager must be in denial or jealous at some level to lash out like that. I wouldn't put in my notice if I were you. I would start shopping around for another job, and put in my notice after I've already signed another job offer. Until then? I'm going to put in the bare minimum amount of effort, and collect my paycheck every 2 weeks.

This is the biggest "Fuck you" you can do to a company/manager. If you quit right now, they'll just replace you with someone pre-epiphany, who will work hard. If you stay employed and drag your feet, you cost the company money, and they have an unproductive resource they're stuck with for the several months it'd take to recognize and then put you on a PIP.

But, at the end of the day, it sounds like you've reached a realization that we all reach at some point. We're all just working. Everyone is replaceable. Not just SWE's. Everyone. We all practice something, and then do that something for someone else that can't do that something.

/r/cscareerquestions Thread