I would point out that the vast bulk of software in the entire world is vertical market business software. Vertical market meaning for a limited kind of user, versus horizontal software such as Word or Excel that everyone might use. Vertical market software is literally everywhere and largely invisible. Your public library has custom software. Your hospital. Ever go to get a blood draw and notice the operator is using specialized software. The place that changes the oil in your car. A lawyer's office. Cabinetry makers have custom specialized software. Cities using utility billing software. Keeps track of what gas meters (models, serial numbers) and whether and where installed, tracks the meter usage and generates bills. Rental car companies and airlines have custom software. Hotels have custom software. Restaurants software may have a map of the tables and what "state" they are in, with a list of customers in line. Some of these categories like City, Healthcare, School Districts, and other specialized software are entire industries unto themselves with huge software companies that build software just for these specific industries.
Much of this software is now web based. Because web based is centrally controlled. Zero install at the workstation and zero maintenance at all the workstations. All you need is an OS and a browser. (hint: chromebooks in some cases, and iPads, etc)
Is it any surprise that languages like Java have been the top languages year after year? It's where the jobs are.
It's not the same thing as microcontrollers. And microcontrollers are in lots of things around us. But they get built once, and replicated millions of times. The vertical market business software has thousands of specialized categories, all different, and with ever changing regulatory requirements (federal and state) and reporting requirements, etc. An accounting system with a large complex payroll module probably pays your paycheck. And is integrated with a human resources system. And benefits system.
All this software is written thinking at a higher level of abstraction some distance from the hardware. Transactions. Currency amounts and conversion. Databases. Yes, it may sound boring, but it's what makes the world go around and is mostly invisible.
It's also very stable. Like decades of employment stable.
Probably mis-represented myself. For my sins 30 odd years of MS stack. Doing exactly the money market stuff you're talking about (50bn$ PnL system on last job). I know you know, but how many people understand the transaction isolation model in SQL server (or how to write your own transaction compensator?). Wtf when a supposed DB admin won't allow MARS. Deeper knowledge, deeper understanding. You can't argue - I kinda Know this is you.
I would point out that the vast bulk of software in the entire world is vertical market business software. Vertical market meaning for a limited kind of user, versus horizontal software such as Word or Excel that everyone might use. Vertical market software is literally everywhere and largely invisible. Your public library has custom software. Your hospital. Ever go to get a blood draw and notice the operator is using specialized software. The place that changes the oil in your car. A lawyer's office. Cabinetry makers have custom specialized software. Cities using utility billing software. Keeps track of what gas meters (models, serial numbers) and whether and where installed, tracks the meter usage and generates bills. Rental car companies and airlines have custom software. Hotels have custom software. Restaurants software may have a map of the tables and what "state" they are in, with a list of customers in line. Some of these categories like City, Healthcare, School Districts, and other specialized software are entire industries unto themselves with huge software companies that build software just for these specific industries.
Much of this software is now web based. Because web based is centrally controlled. Zero install at the workstation and zero maintenance at all the workstations. All you need is an OS and a browser. (hint: chromebooks in some cases, and iPads, etc)
Is it any surprise that languages like Java have been the top languages year after year? It's where the jobs are.
It's not the same thing as microcontrollers. And microcontrollers are in lots of things around us. But they get built once, and replicated millions of times. The vertical market business software has thousands of specialized categories, all different, and with ever changing regulatory requirements (federal and state) and reporting requirements, etc. An accounting system with a large complex payroll module probably pays your paycheck. And is integrated with a human resources system. And benefits system.
All this software is written thinking at a higher level of abstraction some distance from the hardware. Transactions. Currency amounts and conversion. Databases. Yes, it may sound boring, but it's what makes the world go around and is mostly invisible.
It's also very stable. Like decades of employment stable.