Hey, 14 year old developer. My advice to high schoolers is to start to love programming. This is so important because as teenagers you need to have passion in this field in order to continue programming as a job. If you want to have a programming job just to make money, you won’t be a productive programmer.
I like this tip, but also am the first to admit that I don't love programming. I love what programming can do, the potential behind it, and that it's a craft you can continually become better at.
I love that software is a career choice that doesn't require you to go tens of thousands of dollars into debt.
I love that if you choose the non-college path in programming that you can be making six figures in around 1 to 2 years if you stay committed to the process - and you can have that income without the debt for college.
I love that I can reach the upper levels of the industry and make 200k+ a year at FAANG without a college degree (Using me as a personal example, you can make a hell of a lot more than that working at FAANG).
The way my mind works though, I don't need to love what I do - I need to be challenged with a craft where I can become better every day. I need that craft to have some major pay offs when I become damn good at it. And although I'll never be done working (wouldn't know what to do with myself), I need to see that all of my hard work has end game potential if I invest tremendous effort and play my cards right.
As someone trying to give honest advice and perspective to a kid thinking about the industry, do you think that my personal admission to not loving code and instead loving what code can do for my life and the world as a whole are similar enough? Is my view point rare (reaching a level of greater than average success as a software engineer when I don't love code but instead love what code can do)? In your experience, how many developers have you worked with who love to code compared to love what code can do.
Do you think those differences in what an individual loves to do is worth bringing up a high schooler or good advice what so ever to a newbie joining the industry?
Best case scenario, he simply loves code - but if he loves the potential of code like me and it's just not enough in 99% of cases to incite actually joining the computer science industry then I'd hate to recommend it based on my personal take.
I'd hate to recommend going into the industry when all you love is the potential and the outcome, and instead tell him to make sure you love coding itself - but that's not my personal take.
I'd also hate to tell him that you have to love code or you won't go anywhere in the industry and you won't enjoy the industry because that hasn't been my personal experience.
I enjoy code some days and other days I don't, for me it's more of a grind similar to running a marathon. I feel healthier when I'm doing it every day, I'm financially fitter for it, and although I don't enjoy the 24 mile runs personally - knowing I've made it through the grind and am better for it is a feeling I love.
Through code I've avoided college debt, joined the largest digital marketing company in the US, created multiple income streams via content creation and tutorials, built websites that are sitting and gaining value based on their domain (find.how is a domain I bought a few weeks back that'll gain value with age), joined an Amazon team that's working on voice/visual code APIs which provides insight into a different kind of business that I'd have the potential to start in the future, etc...
Through code I've done so many things that I'm intrigued and interested in, but code itself is just a tool in my mind. The daily coding grind is synonymous with daily lifting sessions and multi-mile runs in my mind. Not necessarily my favorite thing - I love some parts like I love living and I despise other parts like I despise running.
Coding is the tool, but I'd never go as far as to say I love programming. I love opportunity, entrepreneurial under takings, improving my over all fitness on a daily to do what others can not because I was willing to do the hard s*** no one else was willing to.
To me coding is the hard training sessions, and everything I'm able to do with coding is what I love.
I'd hate to recommend going into the industry when all you love is the potential and the outcome, and instead tell him to make sure you love coding itself - but that's not my personal take.
I'd also hate to tell him that you have to love code or you won't go anywhere in the industry and you won't enjoy the industry because that hasn't been my personal experience.
So anyways, apologies for the rant - but with that perspective and insight what would your thoughts be on loving code vs. loving what code can do for your life and the world?
Software Manager, Agile Aficionado, Tech Dabbler, and Public Speaker. A lifelong learner, the prospect of something new and coffee are what get me up in the morning.
I guess it depends on what you develop as well, or if you know how to code but go into QA. People who love to tear things apart, see how they work can also do great things and with the Shift Left that blurs between being about to code, test, and do other things is also there.
I work as a toolsmith and have for years, developing build and deploy pipelines and test frameworks, while I can't say I live and breath programming I can get things done. Software Engineering has a lot of different bits than just programming. But that's usually the first thing people think of when they consider software engineering.
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Hey, 14 year old developer. My advice to high schoolers is to start to love programming. This is so important because as teenagers you need to have passion in this field in order to continue programming as a job. If you want to have a programming job just to make money, you won’t be a productive programmer.
I like this tip, but also am the first to admit that I don't love programming. I love what programming can do, the potential behind it, and that it's a craft you can continually become better at.
I love that software is a career choice that doesn't require you to go tens of thousands of dollars into debt.
I love that if you choose the non-college path in programming that you can be making six figures in around 1 to 2 years if you stay committed to the process - and you can have that income without the debt for college.
I love that I can reach the upper levels of the industry and make 200k+ a year at FAANG without a college degree (Using me as a personal example, you can make a hell of a lot more than that working at FAANG).
The way my mind works though, I don't need to love what I do - I need to be challenged with a craft where I can become better every day. I need that craft to have some major pay offs when I become damn good at it. And although I'll never be done working (wouldn't know what to do with myself), I need to see that all of my hard work has end game potential if I invest tremendous effort and play my cards right.
As someone trying to give honest advice and perspective to a kid thinking about the industry, do you think that my personal admission to not loving code and instead loving what code can do for my life and the world as a whole are similar enough? Is my view point rare (reaching a level of greater than average success as a software engineer when I don't love code but instead love what code can do)? In your experience, how many developers have you worked with who love to code compared to love what code can do.
Do you think those differences in what an individual loves to do is worth bringing up a high schooler or good advice what so ever to a newbie joining the industry?
Best case scenario, he simply loves code - but if he loves the potential of code like me and it's just not enough in 99% of cases to incite actually joining the computer science industry then I'd hate to recommend it based on my personal take.
I'd hate to recommend going into the industry when all you love is the potential and the outcome, and instead tell him to make sure you love coding itself - but that's not my personal take.
I'd also hate to tell him that you have to love code or you won't go anywhere in the industry and you won't enjoy the industry because that hasn't been my personal experience.
I enjoy code some days and other days I don't, for me it's more of a grind similar to running a marathon. I feel healthier when I'm doing it every day, I'm financially fitter for it, and although I don't enjoy the 24 mile runs personally - knowing I've made it through the grind and am better for it is a feeling I love.
Through code I've avoided college debt, joined the largest digital marketing company in the US, created multiple income streams via content creation and tutorials, built websites that are sitting and gaining value based on their domain (find.how is a domain I bought a few weeks back that'll gain value with age), joined an Amazon team that's working on voice/visual code APIs which provides insight into a different kind of business that I'd have the potential to start in the future, etc...
Through code I've done so many things that I'm intrigued and interested in, but code itself is just a tool in my mind. The daily coding grind is synonymous with daily lifting sessions and multi-mile runs in my mind. Not necessarily my favorite thing - I love some parts like I love living and I despise other parts like I despise running.
Coding is the tool, but I'd never go as far as to say I love programming. I love opportunity, entrepreneurial under takings, improving my over all fitness on a daily to do what others can not because I was willing to do the hard s*** no one else was willing to.
To me coding is the hard training sessions, and everything I'm able to do with coding is what I love.
I'd hate to recommend going into the industry when all you love is the potential and the outcome, and instead tell him to make sure you love coding itself - but that's not my personal take.
I'd also hate to tell him that you have to love code or you won't go anywhere in the industry and you won't enjoy the industry because that hasn't been my personal experience.
So anyways, apologies for the rant - but with that perspective and insight what would your thoughts be on loving code vs. loving what code can do for your life and the world?
Same
Lol, you sir, understand the definition of brevity 😂
K.I.S.S.
I guess it depends on what you develop as well, or if you know how to code but go into QA. People who love to tear things apart, see how they work can also do great things and with the Shift Left that blurs between being about to code, test, and do other things is also there.
I work as a toolsmith and have for years, developing build and deploy pipelines and test frameworks, while I can't say I live and breath programming I can get things done. Software Engineering has a lot of different bits than just programming. But that's usually the first thing people think of when they consider software engineering.