Similarities

I like to see the similarities in things. I find it interesting to find connections and look at things from that point of view. It is certainly not a unique habit, but I do find that many people, (and particularly engineers) do not think that way. Things are specific and even small differences mean that 2 related objects or concepts are still completely different. (Don't misunderstand, I'm an engineer, so I have this view of things as well.) So when I spoke at a career day at a local high school and highlighted the fact that my current job is exactly the same job that I had when I was building sets for TV and Film, it's a comparison that most people shake their heads and look at me like I'm nuts. But really, in my experience, it's true. These are the things that a set builder does: Works alone or in pairs on tasks that are given to him/her/them and has a certain amount of time to complete the task. The time is determined by several factors: difficulty of the task, the remaining time in the schedule until the set is going to be used in the shoot, and the experience of the workers. Specifics of the task, such as construction techniques, tools used, what to build first, etc. are left up to the workers to determine amongst themselves. Workers are encouraged to collaborate and ask for help as needed to figure out quirky or unusual parts of the task. The environment is most often open, creative, flexible, and workers have to be well-motivated and able to work without a lot of supervision. It is a male-dominated environment in the sense that mostly men work as builders but the overall environment of a film crew is usually a well-mixed environment of people (gender, race, sexual orientation, age, etc.). Now, let me describe what a software developer does: Works alone or in pairs on tasks that are given to him/her/them and has a certain amount of time to complete the task. The time is determined by several factors: difficulty of the task, the remaining time in the schedule until the iteration/release is complete, and the experience of the workers. Specifics of the task, such as algorithms used, what classes to write first, etc. are left up to the workers to determine amongst themselves. Workers are encouraged to collaborate and ask for help as needed to figure out quirky or unusual parts of the task. The environment is most often open, creative, flexible, and workers have to be well-motivated and able to work without a lot of supervision. It is a male-dominated environment in the sense that mostly men work as developers but the overall environment of a software development company is usually a well-mixed environment of people (gender, race, sexual orientation, age, etc.). As you can see there are some very specific things that are different, such as that developers work with computers and builders with power tools, but the thought process and daily work is very much the same. I had not completely realized it before the career day and talking with my friend who asked me to speak that the two jobs were so similar. Being a set builder was one of the best jobs I have ever had, and I stopped doing it because I decided that physically I wouldn't be able to sustain myself over 35-40 years of work. So, I transitioned into other jobs, and finally landed in software where I am now the happiest I have ever been at a job. So, you may still think I'm nuts, but to me, my job combines everything I loved about set construction without the worry of physical injury on a daily basis. And that's a good thing.Follow @openlogic
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