But really, some of the best Android developers I know where J2ME (Java for "feature" phones) developers before, and some of the best Flutter developers I know where Android developers.
Really, it does not matter. If you think your current tech stack is the best, stay with it. If now, specialize in something else. Just try to be the best dev you can.
Leave the stupid local Italian IT company I worked for and join a random Texan company I never heard before. It introduced me in the startups world and now I have my dream job!
Kim Arnett [she/her] leads the mobile team at Deque Systems, bringing expertise in iOS development and a strong focus on accessibility, user experience, and team dynamics.
Interviewing for a job 6 years ago in northern NJ near NYC, an area I was sure I wouldn't want to move to. I've now been working there for 6 years (and living there for over 5 years -- a very long commute for the first 9 months!) and am glad I didn't let my geographical biases get in the way.
Deciding that my job would not dictate what I worked on, but instead that what I wanted to work on would dictate my job. Years ago a particular technology really grabbed my attention, so I went all in on that technology outside of my work -- mastering the technology, answering questions about it online, delivering presentations about it, etc.. It took a lot of hard work and hours outside of my regular job, but that single decision led to more career advancement and opportunities than I have ever received by simply following along with whatever my current work wants me to do.
Switching from tester to developer. I was a tester at Microsoft when they laid off most of the test team and converted them to data scientists. I was lucky enough not to be laid off, so I had the option of staying as a data scientist, but I also got lucky that my sister dev team wanted me, so I switched. What I'm doing now is exactly what I want to be doing, and I have a great career path open to me.
Postponed my admission into medical school to explore working as an Software Engineer in health tech. Its now two years later I never make it back to medical school cause I love my job and love programming too much!
Applying for positions even if I didn't tick all the requirement bullet points for them. I didn't really think about this one much at the time and thought everyone did this, until after a few years in my industry I kept hearing this sentiment of people being afraid to apply for jobs just because they don't 100% fit all the criteria. I figure if you don't blatantly lie and claim to know something you don't, the company will do its job of weeding out an applicant if they're underqualified to do the work.
Learn in your own time. I've always had my own projects going ever since we got our first computer after moving from Ukraine to the US. The ability to learn quickly on my own helped me greatly as someone without a CS degree to fall back on.
All those requirements are their ideal wish list; but any smart employer worth working for should be more interested in you and what you can bring to the team, as opposed to whether or not you can successfully check off every one of those items.
Latest comments (79)
You can tell that to COBOL developers.
But really, some of the best Android developers I know where J2ME (Java for "feature" phones) developers before, and some of the best Flutter developers I know where Android developers.
Really, it does not matter. If you think your current tech stack is the best, stay with it. If now, specialize in something else. Just try to be the best dev you can.
Leave the stupid local Italian IT company I worked for and join a random Texan company I never heard before. It introduced me in the startups world and now I have my dream job!
dropping out of uni
Exactly. It seems it's a market in our favor, but navigating that is a problem 😓
Interviewing for a job 6 years ago in northern NJ near NYC, an area I was sure I wouldn't want to move to. I've now been working there for 6 years (and living there for over 5 years -- a very long commute for the first 9 months!) and am glad I didn't let my geographical biases get in the way.
Deciding that my job would not dictate what I worked on, but instead that what I wanted to work on would dictate my job. Years ago a particular technology really grabbed my attention, so I went all in on that technology outside of my work -- mastering the technology, answering questions about it online, delivering presentations about it, etc.. It took a lot of hard work and hours outside of my regular job, but that single decision led to more career advancement and opportunities than I have ever received by simply following along with whatever my current work wants me to do.
From a java developer into a front-end developer
Switching from tester to developer. I was a tester at Microsoft when they laid off most of the test team and converted them to data scientists. I was lucky enough not to be laid off, so I had the option of staying as a data scientist, but I also got lucky that my sister dev team wanted me, so I switched. What I'm doing now is exactly what I want to be doing, and I have a great career path open to me.
Postponed my admission into medical school to explore working as an Software Engineer in health tech. Its now two years later I never make it back to medical school cause I love my job and love programming too much!
Amazing, congrats!
Applying for positions even if I didn't tick all the requirement bullet points for them. I didn't really think about this one much at the time and thought everyone did this, until after a few years in my industry I kept hearing this sentiment of people being afraid to apply for jobs just because they don't 100% fit all the criteria. I figure if you don't blatantly lie and claim to know something you don't, the company will do its job of weeding out an applicant if they're underqualified to do the work.
Learn in your own time. I've always had my own projects going ever since we got our first computer after moving from Ukraine to the US. The ability to learn quickly on my own helped me greatly as someone without a CS degree to fall back on.
All those requirements are their ideal wish list; but any smart employer worth working for should be more interested in you and what you can bring to the team, as opposed to whether or not you can successfully check off every one of those items.
Yes!