I would say it's a mix of all of those things. I have been lucky in my career, but before I went into development I was most assuredly unlucky. I do pick good companies, I've declined jobs from places that paid more but were a quality of life hit. I do have a luxury of choice since I'm younger, but I'm planning my family and saving sensibly so that choice isn't a luxury I can't afford down the line.

But the more I reflect on this thread, the more certain I become that mentorship is important and cost-effective for any industry.

A company that can't justify training and mentorship is either two things: financially poor or culturally rotten.

This is American capitalism, for all it's good and bad, this is a company first society we live in. A company that can't plan to have enough money to train employees is irresponsible. A company that won't train employees is pernicious. Either way, count me out. In the competition of employers I'll take the one that invests in me, and as I've said earlier, I've seen others follow suit.

This isn't some hippy dippy stuff. I don't want a company to cradle me. A company that can't or won't see the value in training its employees to be more effect in the industry its in has to be a special type of near-sighted. For a variety of reasons this is hardly a death knell for them. Plenty of places consider you a liability and glorified typist, they do just fine, but the rot is there and even if it won't kill them, they are a company diminished.