I also used to think it was silly, but then I read another take - in-universe, Superman is known to be an alien, with a crystal fortress in Antartica or whatever - there's not much reason to believe that he has a secret identity at all. If you aren't already used to the premise of "superheroes have secret identities," it probably wouldn't occur to you that he'd have any reason to want to work in the reporter's office 8 hours a day and commute in traffic.