Dispelling myths — A journey into software engineering

This is a collection of a few myths and preconceptions I heard before transitioning to a career in software development.

You will immediately own a Lambo.

On average, tech pays exceptionally well compared to other industries. However, starting salaries are still low, and jobs are primarily based in expensive cities with higher living costs. That being said, the development is quick, and you can soon earn good cash, if not Lambo level unless you become one of the 0.0001% who gets job number 10 at Uber.

Your new colleagues will not be much fun.

The old stereotype of the developer being a weird dude in a dark room who struggles to converse with anybody but his singular mate on Discord is debunked. The hoodies remain, but modern enterprise devs have to constantly chat and engage in conversation. This extends outside the workplace; tech jobs are not solely for the unsociable. Even we nerds like to have a giggle.

You only have to learn to ‘code.’

Newsflash, the learning doesn’t stop once you learn basic Python or Javascript. Suppose you are applying for a backend role. In that case, some knowledge of web server frameworks, docker, and relational or non-relational databases will be required. If you like the cloud (and you should… :) ), then check out offerings from AWS and how to deploy them with Infrastructure as Code (IaC). For front-end roles, check out React/NextJS and get good at CSS.

The technology industry is less evolving and more building on a global scale, never seen before in the history of humans. Last week, Open AI released its new version of an all-purpose AI, ChatGPT. It has blown up the internet with its human-like interpretation of questions and incredibly accurate responses. In addition, endless new Javascript frameworks are released every few weeks. Finally, tools such as Figma and AWS’s new Application Composer make everybody’s lives easier.

Starting with the best tools and keeping up with the curve can put you years ahead of people who spend their days bug-fixing ancient codebases (pray for all the .NET devs in 2022).

You can do the job from a beach in Bali.

Correction to this myth. Some people can do this job from a beach in Bali. In the beginning, that will not be you. Incredibly, some entry-level jobs advertise fully remote work. I implore you to pick one with an office, IMO you will have a much better time.

Going into an office has a multitude of benefits.

• Getting help from more experienced devs can unblock hours of work. This is the killer. Reinventing something that someone else has done before is not clever; it is a waste of time and a restrictor on fast development.
• Frequent and quick helpful pointers are better than widely spaced, hours-long training chats. How easy is it to regularly get someone on video call for 20 seconds? In an office, that’s easy.
• Meeting the people you work with regularly, face to face, aligns you with their vision for the company and helps your motivation.
• You will find a mentor easier. This person could be hugely helpful for your development in the years to come. The tech world in some cities is not significant; in particular niches, it’s tiny. Having someone looking out for you transcends company lines, and you will reap the rewards in the future.
• Tech companies typically have pretty good office perks; think fancy coffee machines, gatherings, and group activities.

It will be easy.

This one should be obvious. As the classic saying goes: ‘If it were easy, everyone would do it.’

However, it will be rewarding and enjoyable if you enjoy the rational problem-solving nature of programming. So please have a go and dip your toes if you are interested. MIT and Stanford release their computer science lectures publicly on Youtube, so there is no better time than now.

If you are considering a career change, some of these insights might be helpful, entertaining, or motivate you to go out and do it.