Great take on the potential of software career!
Could you please share any tips on how to not sign away right to have commercial side-projects?
Every employment contract I've seen recently seems to claim IP really broadly, e.g. "everything created in the course of employment belongs to you employer". The better the job otherwise, the harder this seems to fight. I have just recently quit a job just so I could work on a "side-project" but would be nice to have an income.
Definitely check with a lawyer because the exact meanings are not intuitive. For instance that phrasing you gave (within the scope/course of employment) is typical, and would generally not apply to unrelated projects you did outside of work, but it's obviously not something to just assume - one way, or the other.