Software Engineer Vs Sandwich Maker

I always used to envy the life of the sandwich maker at our office. A small incident tat happened at the sandwich counter made me write this post.
After completing loads of work (still having loads and loads of incomplete tasks) I jus felt like having a break. So I jus called my team mate for a tea break. She suggested sandwich, so we went to the sandwich counter which is quite nearer to my cubicle. She ordered for a sandwich and I was sipping my tea. We were discussing about our dead(ly) lines, bugs, audits and so on till I finished my tea. It was at this stage we realised that the sandwich has still not come. My team mate went to the counter and asked the sandwich maker (will be referred as SM here on) “why is it taking this long?? How long can I wait? I have lotsa work”, he politely replied “Sorry madam this is not computer, it’ll take time”. It was at this stage I realised the SM was envying a SE’s (Software Engineer) life.
Here I list some of the comparisons between the life of a SE and SM.

An SE doesn’t have night lifts they call it night outs. We’ll have to slog for a long time and a SM is expected to be with us at least till 9.00PM in the night.

A SE is not sure about his code. He doesn’t know the output of his code (exceptions are not examples here) but an SM is sure of getting the sandwich whatever be the input, be it cheese or butter with onion or capsicum.

Server down, SE not able to execute a piece of code. Oops electric heater not working and SM not able to ‘deliver’ a single piece of sandwich.

SE will have loads and loads of work during the delivery time and will be relatively free the rest of time. SM will have loads and loads of work during our lunch breaks and tea breaks (though there are no company rules for a tea break we all have it a standard time at 10 to 11 in the morning and 4 to 5 in the evening) and will have al most zero work during he rest of the time.

A SE should have bottom line responsibility of a deliverable and any defect in the deliverable has to be mended by him. We should eat the sandwich however it is delivered.

An SE thinks “No dead lines, no bugs, no audits, no ties, no shoes. Lucky SM, wat a life!!!!” A SM thinks “No good salary, no ties, no project parties. Lucky SE wat a life!!!!”


well am not here to lecture u all tat “get contented wit wat v have”, but it jus striked me as I wrote it.