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Programming: Hobby or Job?

Medea on May 07, 2022

I was scrolling through my dev.to feed, and I saw many posts relating to programming jobs.

I started coding when I was 11, and I’ve been using it as a hobby since.

Do you program for a job or as a hobby?

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Richard Guay

I program as a job (well, one of my jobs), but more so as a hobby. My job isn’t directly about programming, but I use alot of workflows that optimize my work. I’m really into automation. So, I find it all fun and exciting.

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Medea

That's cool! One of your jobs?

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Richard Guay

Yes. I’m a missionary first, freelancer second. Most of my freelance work is with Tutsplus.com.

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Medea

Damn that’s so cool!

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Or Yaacov • Edited

For me it's both. I started programming as an hubby, and did many project when I was young (mostly firmware which communicated with WPF application).
Today I'm a software Engineer with 9 years of experience who still works on is on projects for fun :)

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Medea

Nice!

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Adam Crockett 🌀

Used to be both but there are better hobbies

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Medea

damn...

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Adam Crockett 🌀

It's not a bad idea to enjoy what you do but when it creeps into your free time then you know it might be a problem, when can you rest, because rest clears down your memory like a human GC

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Adam Crockett 🌀

What am I doing tonight? Programming ✋😅

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Medea

yea i get you

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Medea

lmao

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Marco Klein

Haha, like that human GC expression, it's indeed true :) one should know when a hobby should be paused (short term). Otherwise it's too much positive stress, which can end bad, too, although one enjoyed it.

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Charles Hriczko

Started as a hobby when I was 12. Started programming professionally at 23. Found out way too quickly that burnout is real. I ended up forcing myself out of the game but I never stopped loving it. After a good six years of doing warehouse work, last year I started programming again professionally and, knowing what I know now over a decade later, I know it's where I belong. Now it's my jobby.

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Medea

That’s great!

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afullsnack

Started off as a hobby 😅..... high interest in hacking as a kid, now a full time job and some times still a hobby cause I enjoy problem solving and tasking challenges on a regular.

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Personal portfolio:

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Medea

Nice!

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ilia4bit • Edited

Hey, I think programming as hobby use more creativity than as job because in job maybe write more traditional code. I prefer programming as a hobby maybe because it makes me feel like I'm an artist who brings life to his/her imaginations. I try to do more programming for myself not for gaining something just because it is fun. but on the other side I need money so a job is essential.

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Medea

That’s cool!

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Constantin

Started as a job and now it's my job and my hobby. However in my hobby I code iot stuff. My heart was and is always with embedded. However I work in business it and code sales systems that connect to old systems.

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Medea

Cool!

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Shimron

Got into coding when I was 17 after watching The Social Network. Fell in love with it. Took computer science in my high school as my main stream. And here I am, still in love with it. So, it's more like a hobby and job combination to me. I really don't know where it falls.

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Medea

Nice!

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taijidude

Started as Job. Slowly but surly has took over as a hobby as well.

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Medea

That's cool!

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taijidude

It's taking over a little to much. 😅

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Medea

Damn

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Randall

Programming is my job. I started when I was 15 and it was a hobby for me then.

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Medea

That makes sense

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Maybe_ThisWillDO

I started learning to obtain a skill, until I have a passion project that I want to achieve within the future. Took a very long break to bring my life back up to speed. Now, not too recently I've reminded myself of my goal and passion. Because of that I'm going head first putting all my focus in learning programming while also taking care of my other responsibilities. Hmm maybe this rant wasn't relavent but to answer your question I'm programming to get a job but I also do it as a hobby.

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Medea

That’s great!

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Eric

It’s been a hobby for about twenty years. Every now and then I make a few bucks with it though.

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Medea

that's cool!

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Iniyan • Edited

I have started to learn programming as a hobby when I was 12 , and still programming was my hobby . I'm 16 now

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Medea

Nice!

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Imagineee

I started of as a hobby and still is going on as a hobby, I've learnt so much, I am quite happy to keep it as a hobby, being able to control my work.

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Medea

Nice!

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Andrew Baisden

I started off doing it as a hobby I am fascinated with gaming and this felt like a good career path to go down. Now its both hobby and career for me.

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Medea

Nice!

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Ishaan Sheikh

Started as a hobby, now feels like a job.

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Medea

damn...

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Jesus Guerrero

Started as a hobby, now is both.

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Medea

Cool!

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Imam Ali Mustofa

My Hobby is Writing, My Job is Thinking. Programming is My Language to communicated with other and headless.

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Medea

Cool!

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Medea

That's great!

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Samuel Collier

I've been programming as a hobby ever since I was 14 iirc, and I don't plan to go into programming as a job, but I find it a useful and fun skill, and maybe plan to take AP Computer Science some day.

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Medea

That's cool!

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Mike T

It started off as a hobby for me, and it's now a profession. Having hard times thinking of personal projects, anyone else in the same boat?

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Medea

That's me too lmao!

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Tyler Smith

It was an off-and-on-again hobby for me growing up, then I made the switch to professional developer.

It's still a hobby though. I code outside of work to learn new tech.

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Medea

That's nice!

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Rajaneesh R

Hobby

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Medea

Cool

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Luis Chavez

Both it started as a job and now its a hobby

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Medea

Nice!

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SPABOI

I started programming as something that I would develop as a skill cause I was bored during the pandemic but now it became a hobby for me and probably a job in the future.

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Medea

That's great!

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Eljay-Adobe

Both. Started as a hobby (when I was 10), became a job, turned into a career.

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Medea

Great!

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mohammadparsa-javidi

I look at programming as a hobby but I also want to earn money and have a job

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Medea

Same!

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JoelBonetR 🥇

Both. The context on coding at work is very different to the context when doing something by your own.

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Medea

Ah okay

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hacker4world

I started programming as a hobby but now im looking to land a job with it

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Medea

Nice!

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Ben Halpern

As my career has progressed, the actual coding part is more of a hobby. There have been times when it has been both, and occasionally just a job.

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Medea

That's cool!

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Stefano Canepa

I do to earn a living. I do not program that much out of work today but I did in the past. I still do study a lot about different IT stuff during my free time.

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Medea

Nice!

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Medea

Nice!

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Tiago Nunes

Both.

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Medea

Cool!

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Marco Klein

I made my hobby to a job, started doing things in the same age as you :) then also appended an apprenticeship and a bachelor to it, and nowadays I can call it a job :)

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Medea

Nice!

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Medea

Nice!

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Medea

Nice!

 
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Medea

Cool!

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Medea

True lmao

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Medea

Woah that's inspiring! How did you end up getting a programming job at 15? Do you still go to school then?

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cchavezmx

it has always been a hobby

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Medea

Great!

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Samantha Atkins

Both. I do stuff I care about on my own time if I can't on the job to keep my love for it. Although I am as not as crazy as in the beginning when all I could think about in the most beautiful spot on earth was what wondrous programs I could write there.

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Medea

Nice!

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Kaushal Joshi

that's awesome!

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Juliane Souza

To me, both.

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Medea

Nice!