Whether they were once true and now outdated, or were never a thing: What are commonly held beliefs about software development careers that are actually myth?
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Whether they were once true and now outdated, or were never a thing: What are commonly held beliefs about software development careers that are actually myth?
For further actions, you may consider blocking this person and/or reporting abuse
Oldest comments (63)
To steal a joke from HBO’s Sillicon Valley: the idea that software makes the world a better place. It can, but it usually doesn’t and the places that most people will end up working will not.
Same reasoning can be universally applied to any job, can it not?
I teach software engineering and web development online (mostly to people looking to switch careers or those that have attended bootcamps and are clueless!). A relatively new trend that is a myth IMO is that you must have a portfolio website showcasing your school/bootcamp projects, etc.
I have seen many people get consumed with the notion that you cannot get a job interview if you don't have a portfolio. This isn't true.
At the end of the day, a solid resume is what will land you the interview. Now, this can be in the form of a portfolio website, but it is not a must.
In order to get through the screening rounds, you need to learn your basics well (core CS concepts, languages, etc.) and be able to speak clearly and present yourself. A portfolio will not help there.
I have to agree with this, though I do have a Github account which acts the same in this context, I still don't have an actual portfolio website showcasing stuff I've built and I've still gotten jobs.
That said, I don't disagree with the notion, it can help and can allow you to show your creativity that you couldn't with say github.
At least where I went to school all the instructors heavily pushed the idea "you must have a portfolio website". So much so that when projects were graded they were expected to be display as part of your portfolio.
I don't agree, in my experience. Either you have experience or you have a huge portfolio, but if you studied a lot and you master a technology but you have non of the above, then all the recruiters will just ignore you.
For a recruiter, 1 year of experience worths like 10 years spent learning, and I discovered it too late
I confess after 4+ years, I couldn't shake this notion. But every single job I have ever landed, my portfolio website isn't "ready" mainly because Im a snob and I can't see myself using a CMS. I keep wanting to write a CMS just for the 100s of challenges it brings. I need professional help!
Something my CS professor used to say back in college:
"You think that you will buy a Lamborghini or Ferrari after you graduate, but the fact is that you will drive a Toyota Tercel for a long time. I still drive one!"
I have a Yaris. Same concept though lol
“I have a great idea! I just need somebody to make it for me! The idea is the hard part right?”
The idea is the hard part. It took me 30 years to come up with a powerful idea. Programming it has only taken 8 years.
I'd say ideas come often but good ones are hard to come by.
I estimated once that I have a had a quarter million ideas in my life, perhaps two or three good ones. 1) Use endemes to embed meaning in computer programs. 2) History consists of ages which exist in objective reality, each of which is either twice as long or half as long as the previous one. 3) Build a tabletop role playing game where the design of each character is inspired by a verse in the Bible.
I heard some developers still believe tabs are better than spaces... 🙀
It's because they are.
Lingering Spaces and the Problems of Overformatting
Having a debate about this is useful... A myth... Flip a coin pick one and stick to it 😊
Just use standard js
I work as mobile application developer since 6 years. Others (Non programmers) in my company think that programmers work least in the company.
Thet see us going back earlier than others so they made a blief that we work less.
But thats not the case. We work sometime at odd hours too from home or from anywhere out of office.
That any hot new tool or framework is not likely to solve most of hard problems. That coding is more valuable than business domain knowledge. That salary is more important than learning.
Myth: The software is all about the technology. Fact: It is just as much about the people.
It's all about technical chops and "soft" skills don't matter. Communication is the single most important thing you're going to do. In fact, it's the only thing you're going to do: even the code you write is a long-running dialogue between you and your users, mediated through server processes. Getting good at communicating what you're thinking and doing, whether through talking, writing, presenting, teaching, or otherwise, is difficult. It's also critical if you want to be able to control the course of your career. The image of the lone inscrutable savant writing something So Advanced as to be beyond the ken of mere mortals is poisonous and people who take it as a role model do not have good long-term career prospects.
You have to be passionate about software. People here are going to tend to be passionate, but then dev.to is nothing if not a self-selecting audience. Anyone who wants or expects you to put in extra time because programming is important to you personally is hoping you're a sucker. Do what you have to if you stand to gain from it some other way, but in general: don't work for free. There are employers out there who realize that the time you aren't selling them is worth as much as the time you are.
Couldn't agree more on the importance of soft skills. Developers are often under stress and the combination of IQ and EQ is the way too go. Lack of soft skills like composure and communication will easily break down the team.
I love your communication message. Sometimes it's easy to forget that we're just trying to communicate with our users and make them feel something. I'm getting better at my soft skills and this is part of it :)
Myth: Software Engineers jump jobs every 2 years.
Experience: I've been in the industry for 15+ years and I would beg to differ. I would argue more of us stay with our employer vs leaving early.
Yeah, where does 2 come from. I average 2.5 years. :)
I've had more jobs leave me (layoffs, closings, moving location, etc) than me leaving them (quitting for another job).
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