Going through Instagram, you’ll see thousands upon thousands of reels just related to #softwaredevelopment. Go to TikTok and it’s even worse. It could be that every single developer posts a reel every single day, but I doubt that’s true. Looking through tech company employee stats, you’ll realize that there are an insane amount of developers working at each firm. If there are that many developers, then why did everyone used to say that software development is hard?
I started working as a developer in 2009, completely self-thought. Not having the developer support around me, or at least not knowing which questions to ask, I found programming incredibly difficult. The learning curve was a 1000ft tall brick wall. But I was persistent. After a couple of years of trial and error, reading countless books, spending 8+ hours each day, I was ready to tackle the job market. I got my job and the rest is history.
I have friends that have tried. After a few months of guidance, they have all given up on programming. The only ones that have succeeded, and are in my circle, have gone to college and obtained a Computer Science degree. After a few grueling months of interviewing and learning a specific language/framework, they entered the workforce and struggled their way up to the senior level. These journeys were not easy. They had to put in the work, as did I, in order to get to the senior level status.
Up until the last couple of years, I thought that’s what everyone went through. Pain, struggle, stress. It’s not easy becoming a developer. It’s not enough to learn a specific language; you have to change the way you think. All you do is solve problems. Each day, you’re presented with a number of tasks and you solve those tasks.
So what is it? How is it that so many new developers get into programming and make it look so effortless?
Optimistic Analysis
My optimistic half has to believe that individuals in the last few years have really stepped it up. Resources are plentiful and paths to success can be researched quickly. For example, here’s a link to a few different roadmaps.
Kids these days (I can’t believe I just said that) are really stepping up their game and are pushing hard. They know what it takes to succeed and their mind is set. Makes me hopeful for the future, especially since they’ll be paying for my Social Security (I can’t believe I just said that either. I’m getting old..er).
I have seen it. The new generation is looking at investments at 18 years old. They’re exposed to so much information during their teen years that it feels like they’re becoming adults sooner. They’re researching topics of interest and getting advice on how to get there. It’s really quite inspirational to watch.
Maybe, just maybe, the new age developer is much smarter than we were.
Pessimistic Analysis
I do have a pessimistic half as well. This half looks at the world through a clear lens and dissects situations pretty thoroughly. Going back to my favorite research method, Instagram reels (just kidding btw), you’ll notice a trend appearing. There are a ton of individuals that post about programming when they have no business posting about it. These are not instructional videos. They’re pure entertainment, which is what Instagram is for.
The amount of times that I’ve seen the “I’m working remote so I’m not doing anything” reel is starting to get worrisome. The other video is the “Copy/Paste StackOverflow” reel. These kids aren’t writing code; they just want to be Instagram/TikTok famous.
There’s another group, which I have no idea how this one is even possible: the know-little but overconfident group. I have met developers that talk so confidently, yet know so little. I have absolutely no idea where they get their confidence from. Until you figure them out, they will fool you into thinking that they’re on a super-senior level, even though they just have a year or two of experience. Once you blast past all of the excuses of why work is not getting done, you can start unwinding the truth, which is that they have no idea what they’re doing.
Maybe, just maybe, the new age developer is just as dumb as we were, but they know how to fake it till they make it.
What Should You Do?
If you’re starting out as a developer and want to achieve success, take advice from both sides. Definitely pursue your education. Teach yourself or go to class. Do whatever motivates you to finish. However, it’s not a bad thing to develop self-confidence either, to the point that you can blast past the interview process and start making some money. Keep faking it until you make it. As long as you’re persistent, you’ll achieve senior level status one way or another. To jump start your programming knowledge, why not try the #100daysofcodingchallenge?