I'm self-taught and I had exactly this experience... until I finally went to school just to get the paper to back up my experience. I found myself at the top of the class and at a similar knowledge level to the professors. I struggled with it more in my 20s than in my 30s but it still rears up every time I face some big change. Now I'm building a team and facing management of a production unit for the first time and I still have bouts of severe anxiety about not being good enough. I hope it gets easier for you, I know it has for me.
YEEESSSSSSSSSS i have never had any formal education. Self taught in processor architecture, when i started on my ASIC contract job, i panicked.... was i good? Or was I bad? I had no idea and i had no one to compare myself.
Same, now I am going for the computer programming cert at University (I wanted to get some theoretical knowledge under my belt) but the first two programming class is easy. Idk
@@lisaandbeans9645 nothing you can't learn from books or online papers, even though people Bs and say there's knowledge you can only get from college. They're just trying to justify the 100+k they just dropped on a piece of paper
I've been a software engineer for the last almost 3 years, this never goes away, you just cope with it and celebrate victories over individual tickets you complete. Devs I work with that have 9 years of experience still get it when they encounter something they haven't before but HAVE to work on and complete in a tight timeline.
"If there is no enemy within, the enemy outside can do us no harm". We need to just understand failure will happen in life no matter how prepared we are. But as long as we don't let it hold us back and more forward through the failure and take it as a lesson instead. All will be ok and we will be fine and successful in life.
Impostor Syndrome will make you a better programmer if you keep learning and PRACTICING. As immature as it may sound I like to compare it with Goku facing an enemy far more powerful than him in his current form, which forces Goku to evolve into a new form. Once you look at your journey from a Saiyan perspective, it becomes a lot easier to block out the self-doubt and evolve.
I've been in the workforce for 5 years or something and I think I've got addicted to impostor syndrome. I've learned to live with it and have it as a good friend. Every time I start feeling like I'm already competent for every task they ask me to do, it's the time to start looking for something new. That's how you grow bro! Cheers !
Year into school and I get that feeling anytime I even look at Indeed to apply for internships. I’ve also noticed I have a much better time actually developing when I stop overthinking so much. Can be a real mind block.
Absolutely true my dude. When it comes to imposter syndrome just remember it will pass. If you’re graduating college and going full time just remember that you know the BASICS. Once you show in the interview you understand the basics the only two things they look for are 1. Is your personality going to blend with the company values 2. Are you willing to learn? Once you start the job they will set you up with a mentor and teach you everything you need to get going on your job. Very good video my guy. Props to you. Keep growing your channel.
It never goes away. 30 years later. BS and MS in CS...worked on some things that everyone in the world uses. Youngsters look at me like I'm some sort of Yoda, but still first day somewhere I'm worried about stupid shit like everyone else is...remembering people's names, finding the toilet, not getting lost in the building. Embrace the fact that we're all dumbasses.
@@fknight yep, go into an interview, new job, move, or anything else...just do your best, ask questions, communicate, and help others. Our fears and expectations are mainly in our head.
Any company worth it's salt will be akin to a mentorship. The reality of the development world is that there is such an almost incomprehensible breadth - and an equal depth - to the things you can explore and learn, nobody can know even close to everything. It takes many, many years just to know everything about one language; and then it all changes with a new major release... And good, grounded companies are acutely aware of this. Along those same lines; it takes a long time to become productive in a new code base you've never worked with, even if you are a seasoned veteran. REMEMBER THAT and it will help with impostor syndrome - at least in my case.
Thank you, because I currently feel like the stupidest person on earth right now. Luckily everyone has to implement tdd and intergration testing so my code is pretty much bug free but I look at code from others and it's so simple. Smh
Add to that, the fact that head developers have a God complex and are on the autistic spectrum and expect everyone to do their tests perfectly... no wonder people think they know nothing. I've build many applications that are still used by international corporations, but every time I go to an interview I feel like a toddler.
Found this video today... I feel this every day. I'm 30 and going to school for Computer Science (also from Virginia Beach!). I'm in my senior year and have almost all of my computer science classes done, yet when other students talk about the different technologies that exist, I just feel out of the loop. Like, wtf is this? Wtf is that? I have no idea. I feel like I've learned so much some times, but yet I haven't even touched the tip of the iceburg that is software engineering. I feel like I'm not truly ready for the field once I graduate compared to others.
Hey Justin hope you get this message. I’m 28 and a junior in a CS degree, and I can completely relate to you. I see your comment is from 2 years ago, so I’d love to know how are things now? Are you much further than before?
@@xlafxx hey! Unfortunately, my luck with the job search hasn't gone well. The market is pretty bad as of the past few years. I did land a job in IT and moved into a Data Analyst position where I got to code in PowerShell for a bit. Now (in the same position), I'm working on a project coding a website in python so it's pretty neat. I still feel as lost as ever with programming stuff. Lol I think that'll probably never go away. Always shoot for higher. :)
@@ShiKage08 Wow thanks for the update! I heard networking is the key, rather than sending 100 applications haha. Good to know, you stepped your foot in and getting experience, nothing beats that!
I know what you mean... I've been a programmer for nearly 15 years and I'm always wondering why I feel like a newb all the time. It's only recently I've started to realize I might not be that bad and it happened when developers I though where better than me started coming to me for advice or just to have some conversation ! Keep at it !
Just graduated from a bootcamp in the Boston area in November and I start my first day at a job on Wednesday. The biggest thing I learned was that you CANNOT be a perfectionist when you're learning. You just have to go through a course, read that book, do that Assignment to the best of your ability, but time block yourself. Absorb as much as you can and maybe if you only learn and retain 50% of it the first time you learn it, when you start learning new things... indirectly by using what you learned previously you'll understand it 60% of the way and under stand that new thing 50% of the way and itll repeat with each new thing you learn. Time block yourself when Learning. ESPECIALLY on small projects, unless its going as a Résumé item, then just dick around until you get the concept and move on. You're not going to know it perfectly the first time but with just using it and running into real situation bugs and googling stuff and stack overflowing(?) you'll get better. (it might be the bootcamp mentality I have tho of go-go-go so take what I'm saying with a grain of salt)
Imposter syndrome is a real struggle when you first get out of school. I have been programming since grade school as a hobby. I was mainly interested in security and hacking. I didn't graduate with my BS in Computer Science until I was 37 so I was much older than most. When I started to apply for jobs I felt like I didn't have even 1/4 of the knowledge wanted for entry level and I came so close to giving up and looking at a different career. I still feel like a massive imposter at times. However, I noticed that there were areas that I knew more than any of my colleagues like security. Also, a big eye opener for me was being apart of interviewing entry level candidates. We have had some true imposters that didn't know a thing but claimed to have years of experience. You have to just remind yourself constantly work hard, do your best and not compare yourself to others.
It’s funny because you have impostor syndrome and you showed some of your projects and because I didn’t understand anything now I have impostor syndrome too 😂
I am 21 and working a full time job to study for a career in software development and in the mean time I am teaching myself to code and it has been about 4 years now and I improved a lot but this video really explains how I feel when thinking about working with a team or getting a intership with a company.
Martin De Jonge dude said I'm 21 and I have a full time job and I have been teaching myself programming for almost 5 years now. But I feel like I'm confident working with a team but I guess no one is ready to hire me because I've applied to so many jobs I lost count.
I recently went from doing maintenance in retail stores and just studying computer engineering in my free time to taking the lead on an ASIC design project (Both jobs at once). Impostor Syndrome hit me so so so hard.. took like a month of looking through their documentations and specs before i was able to chill and tell myself "bro, u got this". Now that i am almost done with that ASIC, im fading from my maintenance job and solidifying investors in my saas startup. I have never done business before, so its hitting me hard again randomly... My tip, RESEARCH RESEARCH RESEARCH, then just do it, put something together, it may not be great, but you can iterate and improve. Looking up things you stumble on and just doing it will calm ur nerves over time. Also, ALWAYS make good documentation. It will help your mind ease and get confidence in what you doing.
@@wchristian2000 welp... it's not a SaaS business anymore... pivoted [due to a discovery we made] to developing a high proformance microprocessor. Have made several prototypes with great success!
I had this syndrome backfiring at me: I do not own a CS degree nor any kind of degree (nor id) but have been programming and messing with computers as a hobby since the age of 15. I could say I have quite the profile in the science.I've always worked in anything else except as an IT/CS. I've been burgerflipping my whole life except for this one time I got the chance to work for an IT-Communications-SoftwareDevelopment company. It was my first job in the area. Just a little expedition to know how it feels like. In the interview I set my target salary too low because I thought I was no match for the ones of my same age doing this job for like 15+ years. I set my salary to 1/3 of the average, with the idea of increasing the payment as I progressed. I confess I was scared and intimidated by this first time job. Then when I was hired and while working I noticed that something was wrong, every colleague were luckily average in coding, they were doing a terrible job, I was able to hack all of their platforms and the code quality was trash. It took me a month to catch up and learn all of he company's internal protocols and within that same month I created a framework and methodology that allowed me to do a year's work into one month. When bosses realized my efficiency they started throwing me work from all areas, all the big clients and hardest jobs were sent to me alone. I even got to do administrative tasks in the end. It was a Monday to monday job, 12 hours a day, 17 in the weekend. That very same first year I got the best employee of the year award ($200 bonus). After 1.5 years of maintaining a big piece of the company and getting every boss a Ferrari, I decided to quit and never ever work in the area again. They tried to bribe me for not leaving but politely I gave them the middle finger. Even after that they kept calling me and paying me as an external advisor. I would say it was a matter of culture. I like things done perfect while the locals (this was not in my coutry) preferred a more comfortable and mediocre position. They responded the way the company responded to them, they even explained to me like that literally. Guys. I'm no one! Administratively I don't even exist...trust me on that one. I'm no eminence in programming. You CS guy must have all the faith in you. Trust your intuition. If I can do it as a hobby in my free time, you guys are 10X what I am. My advice: If you know you are good or at least have some knowledge and you are applying to a small and shitty company then charge high. If you do not get hired try negotiating the price or go to the next company. If the company is a reputable one then charge that very same amount you considered high for the other company, they will gladly pay it. If you do not know something then you'll learn it in the path. Almost anyone start like that. Always go with the attitude that there is more to be learned and you want to learn it. Good topic brought by Forrest. I hope everyone shares their own experience.
Thank you so much for posting this video! I am going through imposter syndrome at my new job I jus started a couple months ago (I am a new developer too). I never realized this is a thing and I am thankful you posted this (although after 2 months I feel like I am doing much better) this has helped me greatly.
Super glad I checked the video out. It's so good to hear this is a thing with a lot of people. Hell yeah for showing off exercism btw. Something else I had never heard of and it's exactly what I need right now. Thank you!
I had this feeling since I started my first job after the study. You opened my eyes !! Thanks man, I did not know there was a name for this feeling... you rock!!!
I've been doing development for over 15 years, and this has been a consistent psychology barrier throughout my career. Even as a CTO, constant self-doubt and insecurities held me back more than my actual competency (or lack thereof). Imposter syndrome will almost always be a consistent monster under your bed; the only advice I can give you (outside of this great video!) is to recognize that it will happen from time to time, to recognize WHEN it is happening, and to approach it in a meaningful and constructive way. We are human, and our egos are brittle and complex. Just never give up; there's always someone better, smarter, more talented, and more awesome at life out there -- you don't have to beat that guy, you just need to beat the guy in your head that is self-deprecating and self-conscious. Win that fight, and you will succeed.
All your videos are soo relatable as I just graduated and been searching for jobs and attending many interviews. Got to keep persistent and build them skills. lots of love from the UK
Excellent video as always, keep up the good work ! This is definitely a great topic to hammer on and specially in our field because there is so much people sharing their work and the industry has taken some werid turn in promoting "A stars" programmers at their companies. I feel that this problem is a little bit related to sports, except that in sports people tend to reject that feeling on their body being less capable than big athletes for example, but I'm pretty sure real athletes they feel the same syndrome as we do. We put someone very high in the ladder and anything else lower than that is "unacceptable". However if we look at SC, the field is SO vast, that you can easily get the impostor syndrome even after 2 phd's in the field. There just so much to learn and research, plus there will always be someone finding that neat trick, algorithm, project, design, language, etc. that you didn't though of. I have worked in research with very smart people (that have phd's or professor degrees), they were way smarter than I am and much better educated. But in some fields I simply do better. I feel absolutely shit when I have to work in their area of expertise though, they are insanely good at it and they come with ideas that I really haven't thought about. So yes, I do feel and felt also the imposter syndrome. But my moto to fight it is, I will always be able to do better, I will make my own way, I will learn from others as much as I can. I will not envy others for what they do or for what they have. If you had your boss or your client in front of you, would you tell them; Oh, I'm so bad at this, I really suck at my job! No, you would open a book, open a tutorial, you focus on what is next. And yes, maybe someone would have done a better job than you did, but they didn't. You are doing the job so focus and do it ! Things that Universities and schools don't teach us and that they definitely should : - Communication - Self awareness - Strategies to learn (learn how to learn) - Self confidence (Expose your work ASAP, the earlier you start exposing your work, the tougher your skin will get. The world is a mean place, be prepared.) - Everyone started somewhere, schools just expect you to succeed they often forget it is actually OK to fail. - Project management, this is certainly the best tool you can get to manage your time and your learning. One day you will have a family, (girl/boy) friends, or whatever else no gender preference (LOVE ALL THE PEOPLE) and you will need to manage your time for your private life and your work life. Enjoy life !
Man, this is so true. I always think in my mind that a good dev can sit down, and type out code all from memory. I heard once that a good dev will write something like 10 good lines per day. Not sure how true that is, but the more I learn about the software dev field the more I beleive it.
Thank you for this. I live in VA as well. I’m CS major at Christopher Newport University, and I always feel under qualified for some reason or that I may not make it. But I know in the end I’ll be able to get through it.
I had a bit of this at my first job (back in 1996)... I just worked through it and kept learning and reading... and at some point I realized that not only was a contributor but I actually was spending a lot of time helping other team members.
Your video really helped me up feel better about myself :) I just graduated and I want to get a job as a software developer, but all the jobs ask for crazy things. Well, now I only need to be patient to find a job, eventually I will get it :)
You are speaking right o me. I transitioned from the IT department to our HIMS (Health Information Management Systems) department. I work with a team who have knowledge in health information systems. I am the only programmer/business analyst. It gets hard at times, trying to solve problems. Some ways are more efficient than others. My advice to others out there, is to ask a lot of questions to the people that can help you. I interact with people from various departments in order to understand the underlying business processes and workflows. It helps when developing :D
I don't think it ever goes away. I taught myself programming (PHP) and databases (MySQL) in a week and a half back in 2007 cause a programmer I hired wasn't delivering. I then went on to build a full DB-driven e-commerce application in the next 30 days. I did PHP and MySQL projects for 5 years before moving mainly to front-end and JavaScript, using several JS libraries and frameworks. I've been doing JS development for almost 10 years, I'm pretty deep into React, and yet every day I find stuff I don't know and have to learn or, much worse, wonder what I don't know that I don't know. There's so much to learn in this field (with a huge portion of it just being different ways to do the same thing) and so many changing trends that it's impossible to feel like you're on top of everything. If you're halfway self-aware, I think imposter syndrome never fully goes away.
I learn so much from your videos. Just discovered Exercism and I can't wait to tackle my imposter syndrome or maybe just become a more believable imposter, thank you!
Hey man thank you for the video. I recently got my first software engineer job and it’s been like 2weeks since i’ve been working here but man i feel like i’m a total noob here i feel like i’m not qualified to be here :(
I'm 40. 2 months into my first dev job. Feeling I.S. raining down on me. Hopefully your boss and colleagues have a mentorship spirit. If they hired me I guess they do to an extent but I have to put in the effort to learn as much and quickly as I can. Also, technologies change constantly which puts veterans into a newbie state. They'll learn faster than you due to experience but you have a chance to narrow the skills gap.
I have imposter syndrome right now. I'm a contractor currently for a place i've been working at for 3 years and i'm moving away from the company currently. I've been running every day with learning Java and React.js to go with my other web development skills. I am like "what in the heck am I doing with my life. I don't qualify for any of these jobs." However, three weeks ago I applied to be a software developer at this really cool place that did military software. I got a phone interview a week later. Then a rejection letter another week later because I didn't quite have enough Java experience. However again, I checked and the place I applied for has almost 8000 applications. When I realized this I was like wow, my resume actually got picked for an interview. Even though I didn't get the job, I was stoked about those numbers.
Hii! I am trying to transition into a software developer profile, currently working in operations based in New Delhi. I find all of your videos very helpful but this was one was probably the best. Wish I could go snowboarding :D ! Keep up the good work buddy. Cheers...
I just passed an interview for a Java job, starting in exactly a week and I'm very nervous that I know enough. What's a good way of knowing my coding level?
As someone who has impostor syndrome all the time, Im here to tell you that its not something your should get over, its something you should use to drive yourself to be at the level you think you should be, and then when you get there, you end up being a bit ahead if anything.
I really like your videos man, but if i could suggest something, that would be to try to be more straight forward. Sometimes you take way too long to make your point. This video, for example, could easily be shrunk down 5/6 min without compromising any of the content. Anyway, just a heads up. Cheers
I've never had this problem but that's mostly because I started programming when i was 14 which makes my experience around 10-11 years (not non stop programming every day of course) but I always worked on something and in that time I picked up a lot of knowledge. So at my first web developer job I was quite shocked by how little some people actually know even if they have been working for 3-5 even 7+ years (school not included). I ended up mentoring people that had been working there for 3 years already, which I thought was ironic but very fun. I could see how they felt like they were stupid when I started explaining and showing them things they had no idea about. But I always made sure to remind them that I had already been there. Programming is a hard trade to pickup from school, you cant learn enough in school to be prepared for the real world.. It's not even remotely possible. You also cannot expect to become as good as some developers because understanding code, knowing what it does and how it works at the core level either just clicks or takes 10+ years for others to grasp and even then some still have no idea. But you can still be good, even great at developing. You just need to accept the fact that you will always feel like you don't know enough because there's always something new to learn or improve. If you started a job and you needed no mentoring and just could jump right into it, you are probably lying. My first developer job was only C++ work and that's the language I have most experience with, It took me a solid 6 months to get into how my company works with code, how people code etc. If this shit was easy, everyone would be doing it.
I also have some self-doubt. But i know it takes time to be a pro developer. I've been reading for half a year, but I started working 3 months ago. And having a job really helps. Because it is internship. I get to learn a lot while im at work. And it's really great.
I very much enjoyed this video, so don't take this wrong when I say that there is an easy way to not look at your keyboard when you type. Most keyboards made in the last twenty years have two little bumps on the F and J buttons. If you find these with your index fingers, you can have your hands in perfect position without looking. I don't know if this is for people who are blind or if their eyesight has diminished, but once you know it, you'll find your finger find these bumps very easily and quickly without trying. :)
I face this as an UX Designer too. It seems whenever a project requires exploration and discovery it can feel like imposter syndrome because your ego thinks you should know all the answers... which is crazy.
I've coded in... five languages now? Some visual, some assembly, most object oriented. I've studied programming patterns, I write very clean and well commented code. I'm still petrified to actually enter the workforce as a software engineer - instead I work developing internal Python tools for a niche photogrammetry software for an automotive company... which I guess technically makes me a software engineer. I'm finally beginning to seek out the jobs I went to school to do, though. This past year has been hugely game-changing for me with regards to imposter syndrome because I started my own business painting miniatures for games. It's a hobby I've had for a bit, I made it into a side job. I also don't feel "amazing" at it, there are better painters, but I was able to convert it into a pretty profitable venture because I wasn't emotionally invested in my success or failure. And I've kind of come to realize that is what drives imposter syndrome. I am DEEPLY invested in my success as a programmer, so I overthink it. To be "Successful" you don't need to be the 'best' at a thing. You only need to be above average. And the more I consider what an average programmer codes like... I am confidently in the upper quartile. There are always going to be people better than me, but I am also better than average, and that's all you really need to hack it. That's how I tackled imposter syndrome.
I struggle with this every time I start a new project, so basically every single week! Or when I see amazing things from other developers and then I think "I'll never be able to do something similar", but then other people see my work and they actually like it so I guess I'm not that bad and the cycle restarts over an over.
Hey VA Beach, I'm a hopeful future software dev about an hour west down highway 58 :) I am just getting started in my journey but the question of "imposter syndrome" has already slipped into my mind from when I started in my current career.
I am 16 year old and have to decide what I want to do with my left in the next few weeks. The german school system is shit, but that's another story. I don't know if I am not sure if I want to go into the field of software developement because I'm bad at maths and I am just not sure if Im good enough, but I have no other options so...
Which job requirements are bs? Bc I'm going to start some online courses to learn coding on the side while Im part time in college. Which languages are used the most?
This video really helped me I was about to leave my little android project because I feel I am not good enough in android developing as those who have like more than 3 years of experience
Hi! I am programming for about 5 years now(mainly Java Android and python), so i am not that bad at it, but could you think of a way to earn money with(obviously not much, just a bit) programming at the age of 15?
I have been having imposter syndrome my whole career... all 2 years of it. But my work ethic and experience outshines and if i feel i dont deserve to be where i am then i just need to look at what ive done
I feel it as well quite a lot. Although I learned JS vanilla and jQuery pretty decent, I know how to build Angular, React and Vue component up to a certain degree and because I do not do programming as a full time job I feel like an impostor as well. And I think I will probably never get past it :D
I’m seriously considering starting school for CS in the fall. Finding your channel has been great, I’ve found a lot of helpful videos with great insight. So much so that I subscribed. One question that would help me a ton: What type of computer/os would you suggest I buy to start coding on and self teaching?
I'm an Electrical Engineering major but I do a decent amount of programming (and try to teach myself new software things often) so I think I'm qualified to take this one. If you're buying a new computer, I'd recommend getting one with Windows on it and splitting the hard drive in two and putting a stable distribution of Linux on the other side (something like Ubuntu or Mint) so that you can learn Linux without worrying about your software crashing with a new update. I personally need Windows to do very specific tasks like office suite, particular microcontroller programming IDEs, LTSpice, Verilog hardware description for FPGA boards, etc. You may need it for some of your classes too. For actual programming, you'll need to download some compilers/interpreters for whatever language you want to learn. My first language was C++ and I didn't think it was too hard to learn, so I recommend that language as it is a great basic language to know before jumping into C, python, java, etc. Here is the book I recommend as a reference book: www.amazon.com/Absolute-C-5th-Walter-Savitch/dp/013283071X I think the compiler for C++ in windows is called MinGW, and in Linux you'll want to install the g++ and gcc compilers. There's youtube videos for how to do that. If C++ is a bit too much to start out with, just go with Python 3. It's a pretty great language to know as well and you can get a download from the website here: www.python.org/downloads/release/python-365/ Python 3 also comes natively in Ubuntu, so it's really easy to get started with there. You'll also want to use some kind of an IDE or text editor to write your code. My absolute favorite is Sublime Text 3 which is free to use (but you can buy a license for it) and there are plenty of youtube videos on how to set up coding environments for Python, C++, LaTeX, etc. I don't have any Python books to recommend but there is a book I really liked for learning the Linux command line which I'll link below and I saw some books they had for learning things like python, SQL, and Java. I assume they're good since the Linux book was. Here's a link to the Linux book which is actually free as a pdf or you can buy it off of Amazon: www.linuxcommand.org/tlcl.php/ I don't have any online courses to recommend for any of these languages (other than CodeCademy for learning the absolute basics), but if you do enough scouring the internet you could probably find some examples of programming structures for each language which will be the most important part of learning that language. After you have been writing a lot of code for a language, you'll build a collection of programs that whenever you need to remember how something is done you can reference to remind you of syntax and various other things. Some of the important things you'll want to research are integers, strings, ASCII characters, libraries, functions, user defined functions, keywords, pointers (if using C or C++), classes, amongst many other important topics. Also it's more important to write a lot of code in order to learn how to program. One of the problems I struggle with is thinking of things to make with software. Just do some research on the internet for projects to build or problems to solve with code. Here's a bunch of problems to solve if you ever want to challenge yourself and give yourself something to do! projecteuler.net/ This is by no means an exhaustive list (and I've probably missed several things by this point), but it should help you get underway in your journey to start programming and hopefully will provide you with some structure to follow. Don't get overwhelmed, there's a lot of above information but you can figure it out. If you do start CS this fall don't worry about imposter syndrome. We all have to start somewhere and even when we've learned a lot there's still so much more to know! Just work hard and success will follow. -Jaime
On a side note, I love VA Beach! It was my first trip to see the Atlantic ocean and my first family vacation. It's my ideal goal to move to down the road, just not sure what the computer science job market is like there. I'm graduating from my university (I'm a buckeye) here in May of 2019. Sadly, I was only able to obtain one internship due to my GPA not up to the standards most companies wanted (Facebook, Google, Microsoft, etc). I've been feeling imposter syndrome for a very long time now (3 years moreless). I'm not sure how to get out of it. My software goals are mostly web development, systems programming (I completed most of the system's focus including a course on building operating systems), mobile app dev, and some cybersecurity. For career goals, I'm aiming for project management, but you need over 1,000 hours of experience to get the first certification. It seems like finding that first job is really rough in order to get started on the experience. I'm mostly looking entry level, but they demand skills that I didn't get to work with during my education. At tips on getting out of the imposter syndrome based on my experience level?
It is nice to hear that there is a chance that impostor syndrome MIGHT get better after school, because as you mention - WOW - it is bad while you are IN school. Example: I mentioned a possible thesis topic related to data privacy to a professor and they suggested I reach out to a professor in the math college. So I hit UA-cam to see if there was anything by her available. I found this: ua-cam.com/video/TCR1kaJLoSk/v-deo.html . I watched a good 15 minutes and got sadder and sadder as it went. OMG people are brilliant. I mean thinking on planes I will never reach. This is someone in the MATH college - not even CS! But you have to shake it off and say to yourself "I get better every single day." You just keep moving. Otherwise you are paralyzed.
I’m literally a freshman in hs and I’m trying to learn to code and I constantly think I’m not old enough and good enough. Kinda sucks that this happens, but I just need to stay determined.
I just started a new software dev job, graduated a year ago. I'm doing react and the other newbie is wayyyy better at it. I'm trying to understand but the pressure of doing the work makes you panic and you don't retain any information. :/
It's even worse for people who are self taught developers I really can't tell if I have imposter syndrome or I'm just bad at what I do lol
I'm self-taught and I had exactly this experience... until I finally went to school just to get the paper to back up my experience. I found myself at the top of the class and at a similar knowledge level to the professors. I struggled with it more in my 20s than in my 30s but it still rears up every time I face some big change. Now I'm building a team and facing management of a production unit for the first time and I still have bouts of severe anxiety about not being good enough.
I hope it gets easier for you, I know it has for me.
YEEESSSSSSSSSS i have never had any formal education. Self taught in processor architecture, when i started on my ASIC contract job, i panicked.... was i good? Or was I bad? I had no idea and i had no one to compare myself.
Same, now I am going for the computer programming cert at University (I wanted to get some theoretical knowledge under my belt) but the first two programming class is easy. Idk
@@lisaandbeans9645 nothing you can't learn from books or online papers, even though people Bs and say there's knowledge you can only get from college. They're just trying to justify the 100+k they just dropped on a piece of paper
@@blehmeh8909 not really true lot of jobs are not open to those who don't have a bachelors degree.
I've been a software engineer for the last almost 3 years, this never goes away, you just cope with it and celebrate victories over individual tickets you complete. Devs I work with that have 9 years of experience still get it when they encounter something they haven't before but HAVE to work on and complete in a tight timeline.
"If there is no enemy within, the enemy outside can do us no harm". We need to just understand failure will happen in life no matter how prepared we are. But as long as we don't let it hold us back and more forward through the failure and take it as a lesson instead. All will be ok and we will be fine and successful in life.
Impostor Syndrome will make you a better programmer if you keep learning and PRACTICING. As immature as it may sound I like to compare it with Goku facing an enemy far more powerful than him in his current form, which forces Goku to evolve into a new form. Once you look at your journey from a Saiyan perspective, it becomes a lot easier to block out the self-doubt and evolve.
Definitely will be lookin at this through the Lens of a Saiyan!!
usrname checks out
aaaaaaaaaaaAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA
Haha that’s what the stories are for! Gotta internalize them
I've been in the workforce for 5 years or something and I think I've got addicted to impostor syndrome. I've learned to live with it and have it as a good friend. Every time I start feeling like I'm already competent for every task they ask me to do, it's the time to start looking for something new. That's how you grow bro!
Cheers !
Thanks for the insight! Cheers.
I’m always on imposter mode, I just try to be as good as i can and except failures. It’s painful and some times it’s gainful...
For me i don't think about that syndrome i just go to youtube and i watch coding tech channels videos and after a while i dig in again..
Imposter syndrome starts at 4:56
Thank you
ffs, he is way unorganized in terms of presenting any ideas :D
nice thanks
I'm still doing my basics and I feel like I'm already going through it. I overthink everything so I guess that's what's causing it for me
Same here bro, so you aren't alone. 👍
Same
Year into school and I get that feeling anytime I even look at Indeed to apply for internships. I’ve also noticed I have a much better time actually developing when I stop overthinking so much. Can be a real mind block.
Absolutely true my dude. When it comes to imposter syndrome just remember it will pass. If you’re graduating college and going full time just remember that you know the BASICS. Once you show in the interview you understand the basics the only two things they look for are 1. Is your personality going to blend with the company values 2. Are you willing to learn? Once you start the job they will set you up with a mentor and teach you everything you need to get going on your job. Very good video my guy. Props to you. Keep growing your channel.
It never goes away. 30 years later. BS and MS in CS...worked on some things that everyone in the world uses. Youngsters look at me like I'm some sort of Yoda, but still first day somewhere I'm worried about stupid shit like everyone else is...remembering people's names, finding the toilet, not getting lost in the building. Embrace the fact that we're all dumbasses.
Hahaha that last sentence got me. I’m embracing it!
@@fknight yep, go into an interview, new job, move, or anything else...just do your best, ask questions, communicate, and help others. Our fears and expectations are mainly in our head.
Any company worth it's salt will be akin to a mentorship. The reality of the development world is that there is such an almost incomprehensible breadth - and an equal depth - to the things you can explore and learn, nobody can know even close to everything. It takes many, many years just to know everything about one language; and then it all changes with a new major release... And good, grounded companies are acutely aware of this.
Along those same lines; it takes a long time to become productive in a new code base you've never worked with, even if you are a seasoned veteran. REMEMBER THAT and it will help with impostor syndrome - at least in my case.
I appreciate the advice. I’ll take that with me moving forward.
Thank you, because I currently feel like the stupidest person on earth right now. Luckily everyone has to implement tdd and intergration testing so my code is pretty much bug free but I look at code from others and it's so simple. Smh
Add to that, the fact that head developers have a God complex and are on the autistic spectrum and expect everyone to do their tests perfectly... no wonder people think they know nothing. I've build many applications that are still used by international corporations, but every time I go to an interview I feel like a toddler.
companies aren't worth "salt," employees are paid in salt (salary)
Found this video today... I feel this every day. I'm 30 and going to school for Computer Science (also from Virginia Beach!). I'm in my senior year and have almost all of my computer science classes done, yet when other students talk about the different technologies that exist, I just feel out of the loop. Like, wtf is this? Wtf is that? I have no idea. I feel like I've learned so much some times, but yet I haven't even touched the tip of the iceburg that is software engineering. I feel like I'm not truly ready for the field once I graduate compared to others.
Hey Justin hope you get this message. I’m 28 and a junior in a CS degree, and I can completely relate to you. I see your comment is from 2 years ago, so I’d love to know how are things now? Are you much further than before?
@@xlafxx hey!
Unfortunately, my luck with the job search hasn't gone well. The market is pretty bad as of the past few years.
I did land a job in IT and moved into a Data Analyst position where I got to code in PowerShell for a bit. Now (in the same position), I'm working on a project coding a website in python so it's pretty neat. I still feel as lost as ever with programming stuff. Lol I think that'll probably never go away.
Always shoot for higher. :)
@@ShiKage08 Wow thanks for the update! I heard networking is the key, rather than sending 100 applications haha. Good to know, you stepped your foot in and getting experience, nothing beats that!
I know what you mean... I've been a programmer for nearly 15 years and I'm always wondering why I feel like a newb all the time. It's only recently I've started to realize I might not be that bad and it happened when developers I though where better than me started coming to me for advice or just to have some conversation ! Keep at it !
i keep thinking you're like the pewdiepie of programmer channels lmao
Subscribe to Forest Knight
And what if he is?
@@darellarocho5729 He would support Nazis.
@@jimistephen Wtf ? Pewds doesn't support Nazis
PewDiePie kills memes I wonder what this guy kills 🤔🤔
Just graduated from a bootcamp in the Boston area in November and I start my first day at a job on Wednesday. The biggest thing I learned was that you CANNOT be a perfectionist when you're learning. You just have to go through a course, read that book, do that Assignment to the best of your ability, but time block yourself. Absorb as much as you can and maybe if you only learn and retain 50% of it the first time you learn it, when you start learning new things... indirectly by using what you learned previously you'll understand it 60% of the way and under stand that new thing 50% of the way and itll repeat with each new thing you learn. Time block yourself when Learning. ESPECIALLY on small projects, unless its going as a Résumé item, then just dick around until you get the concept and move on. You're not going to know it perfectly the first time but with just using it and running into real situation bugs and googling stuff and stack overflowing(?) you'll get better. (it might be the bootcamp mentality I have tho of go-go-go so take what I'm saying with a grain of salt)
Imposter syndrome is a real struggle when you first get out of school. I have been programming since grade school as a hobby. I was mainly interested in security and hacking. I didn't graduate with my BS in Computer Science until I was 37 so I was much older than most. When I started to apply for jobs I felt like I didn't have even 1/4 of the knowledge wanted for entry level and I came so close to giving up and looking at a different career. I still feel like a massive imposter at times. However, I noticed that there were areas that I knew more than any of my colleagues like security. Also, a big eye opener for me was being apart of interviewing entry level candidates. We have had some true imposters that didn't know a thing but claimed to have years of experience. You have to just remind yourself constantly work hard, do your best and not compare yourself to others.
Men you are talking straight to me...currently am on project that i have to learn a skills in two weeks and push the project in less than five week
It’s funny because you have impostor syndrome and you showed some of your projects and because I didn’t understand anything now I have impostor syndrome too 😂
I am 21 and working a full time job to study for a career in software development and in the mean time I am teaching myself to code and it has been about 4 years now and I improved a lot but this video really explains how I feel when thinking about working with a team or getting a intership with a company.
Martin De Jonge dude said I'm 21 and I have a full time job and I have been teaching myself programming for almost 5 years now. But I feel like I'm confident working with a team but I guess no one is ready to hire me because I've applied to so many jobs I lost count.
@@89elmonster lol
I recently went from doing maintenance in retail stores and just studying computer engineering in my free time to taking the lead on an ASIC design project (Both jobs at once). Impostor Syndrome hit me so so so hard.. took like a month of looking through their documentations and specs before i was able to chill and tell myself "bro, u got this".
Now that i am almost done with that ASIC, im fading from my maintenance job and solidifying investors in my saas startup.
I have never done business before, so its hitting me hard again randomly...
My tip, RESEARCH RESEARCH RESEARCH, then just do it, put something together, it may not be great, but you can iterate and improve. Looking up things you stumble on and just doing it will calm ur nerves over time.
Also, ALWAYS make good documentation. It will help your mind ease and get confidence in what you doing.
Hows the saas business?
@@wchristian2000 welp... it's not a SaaS business anymore... pivoted [due to a discovery we made] to developing a high proformance microprocessor. Have made several prototypes with great success!
I had this syndrome backfiring at me: I do not own a CS degree nor any kind of degree (nor id) but have been programming and messing with computers as a hobby since the age of 15. I could say I have quite the profile in the science.I've always worked in anything else except as an IT/CS. I've been burgerflipping my whole life except for this one time I got the chance to work for an IT-Communications-SoftwareDevelopment company. It was my first job in the area. Just a little expedition to know how it feels like. In the interview I set my target salary too low because I thought I was no match for the ones of my same age doing this job for like 15+ years. I set my salary to 1/3 of the average, with the idea of increasing the payment as I progressed. I confess I was scared and intimidated by this first time job. Then when I was hired and while working I noticed that something was wrong, every colleague were luckily average in coding, they were doing a terrible job, I was able to hack all of their platforms and the code quality was trash. It took me a month to catch up and learn all of he company's internal protocols and within that same month I created a framework and methodology that allowed me to do a year's work into one month. When bosses realized my efficiency they started throwing me work from all areas, all the big clients and hardest jobs were sent to me alone. I even got to do administrative tasks in the end. It was a Monday to monday job, 12 hours a day, 17 in the weekend. That very same first year I got the best employee of the year award ($200 bonus). After 1.5 years of maintaining a big piece of the company and getting every boss a Ferrari, I decided to quit and never ever work in the area again. They tried to bribe me for not leaving but politely I gave them the middle finger. Even after that they kept calling me and paying me as an external advisor. I would say it was a matter of culture. I like things done perfect while the locals (this was not in my coutry) preferred a more comfortable and mediocre position. They responded the way the company responded to them, they even explained to me like that literally.
Guys. I'm no one! Administratively I don't even exist...trust me on that one. I'm no eminence in programming. You CS guy must have all the faith in you. Trust your intuition. If I can do it as a hobby in my free time, you guys are 10X what I am.
My advice: If you know you are good or at least have some knowledge and you are applying to a small and shitty company then charge high. If you do not get hired try negotiating the price or go to the next company. If the company is a reputable one then charge that very same amount you considered high for the other company, they will gladly pay it. If you do not know something then you'll learn it in the path. Almost anyone start like that. Always go with the attitude that there is more to be learned and you want to learn it.
Good topic brought by Forrest. I hope everyone shares their own experience.
Nice post dude, feeling inspired by your testimonial.
Thank you so much for posting this video! I am going through imposter syndrome at my new job I jus started a couple months ago (I am a new developer too).
I never realized this is a thing and I am thankful you posted this (although after 2 months I feel like I am doing much better) this has helped me greatly.
Super glad I checked the video out. It's so good to hear this is a thing with a lot of people. Hell yeah for showing off exercism btw. Something else I had never heard of and it's exactly what I need right now. Thank you!
I had this feeling since I started my first job after the study. You opened my eyes !! Thanks man, I did not know there was a name for this feeling... you rock!!!
I've been doing development for over 15 years, and this has been a consistent psychology barrier throughout my career. Even as a CTO, constant self-doubt and insecurities held me back more than my actual competency (or lack thereof). Imposter syndrome will almost always be a consistent monster under your bed; the only advice I can give you (outside of this great video!) is to recognize that it will happen from time to time, to recognize WHEN it is happening, and to approach it in a meaningful and constructive way. We are human, and our egos are brittle and complex. Just never give up; there's always someone better, smarter, more talented, and more awesome at life out there -- you don't have to beat that guy, you just need to beat the guy in your head that is self-deprecating and self-conscious. Win that fight, and you will succeed.
I've been doing software development for about 4 years. Imposter syndrome still hasn't gone away. Every time I job hunt it kicks in hard.
All your videos are soo relatable as I just graduated and been searching for jobs and attending many interviews. Got to keep persistent and build them skills. lots of love from the UK
Excellent video as always, keep up the good work !
This is definitely a great topic to hammer on and specially in our field because there is so much people sharing their work and the industry has taken some werid turn in promoting "A stars" programmers at their companies.
I feel that this problem is a little bit related to sports, except that in sports people tend to reject that feeling on their body being less capable than big athletes for example, but I'm pretty sure real athletes they feel the same syndrome as we do.
We put someone very high in the ladder and anything else lower than that is "unacceptable".
However if we look at SC, the field is SO vast, that you can easily get the impostor syndrome even after 2 phd's in the field. There just so much to learn and research, plus there will always be someone finding that neat trick, algorithm, project, design, language, etc. that you didn't though of.
I have worked in research with very smart people (that have phd's or professor degrees), they were way smarter than I am and much better educated. But in some fields I simply do better. I feel absolutely shit when I have to work in their area of expertise though, they are insanely good at it and they come with ideas that I really haven't thought about.
So yes, I do feel and felt also the imposter syndrome.
But my moto to fight it is, I will always be able to do better, I will make my own way, I will learn from others as much as I can. I will not envy others for what they do or for what they have.
If you had your boss or your client in front of you, would you tell them; Oh, I'm so bad at this, I really suck at my job! No, you would open a book, open a tutorial, you focus on what is next. And yes, maybe someone would have done a better job than you did, but they didn't. You are doing the job so focus and do it !
Things that Universities and schools don't teach us and that they definitely should :
- Communication
- Self awareness
- Strategies to learn (learn how to learn)
- Self confidence (Expose your work ASAP, the earlier you start exposing your work, the tougher your skin will get. The world is a mean place, be prepared.)
- Everyone started somewhere, schools just expect you to succeed they often forget it is actually OK to fail.
- Project management, this is certainly the best tool you can get to manage your time and your learning. One day you will have a family, (girl/boy) friends, or whatever else no gender preference (LOVE ALL THE PEOPLE) and you will need to manage your time for your private life and your work life.
Enjoy life !
This is reassuring to hear, have confidence but don't be cocky.
Man, this is so true. I always think in my mind that a good dev can sit down, and type out code all from memory. I heard once that a good dev will write something like 10 good lines per day. Not sure how true that is, but the more I learn about the software dev field the more I beleive it.
Thank you for this. I live in VA as well. I’m CS major at Christopher Newport University, and I always feel under qualified for some reason or that I may not make it. But I know in the end I’ll be able to get through it.
I had a bit of this at my first job (back in 1996)... I just worked through it and kept learning and reading... and at some point I realized that not only was a contributor but I actually was spending a lot of time helping other team members.
love your videos, Forrest! Good to know I'm not the only one who gets into these "Imposter Syndrome" ruts.
Your video really helped me up feel better about myself :)
I just graduated and I want to get a job as a software developer, but all the jobs ask for crazy things. Well, now I only need to be patient to find a job, eventually I will get it :)
You are speaking right o me. I transitioned from the IT department to our HIMS (Health Information Management Systems) department. I work with a team who have knowledge in health information systems. I am the only programmer/business analyst. It gets hard at times, trying to solve problems. Some ways are more efficient than others. My advice to others out there, is to ask a lot of questions to the people that can help you. I interact with people from various departments in order to understand the underlying business processes and workflows. It helps when developing :D
Great topic. I began my 1st dev job this month and had serious imposter syndrome. However, it helps me stay on top of my progression.
You're simply amazing, thanks for the wise words brother
This talk is so real! Thanks man! Keep doing these videos!
very true forest. we constantly have to stop comparing ourselves with other developers and just focus on our journeys.
I don't think it ever goes away. I taught myself programming (PHP) and databases (MySQL) in a week and a half back in 2007 cause a programmer I hired wasn't delivering. I then went on to build a full DB-driven e-commerce application in the next 30 days. I did PHP and MySQL projects for 5 years before moving mainly to front-end and JavaScript, using several JS libraries and frameworks. I've been doing JS development for almost 10 years, I'm pretty deep into React, and yet every day I find stuff I don't know and have to learn or, much worse, wonder what I don't know that I don't know. There's so much to learn in this field (with a huge portion of it just being different ways to do the same thing) and so many changing trends that it's impossible to feel like you're on top of everything. If you're halfway self-aware, I think imposter syndrome never fully goes away.
Wow... thank you for making this video!! Now I know many people go through this feeling and not only myself
I learn so much from your videos. Just discovered Exercism and I can't wait to tackle my imposter syndrome or maybe just become a more believable imposter, thank you!
Going on 5 years. Can confirm, still an imposter.
Hey man thank you for the video. I recently got my first software engineer job and it’s been like 2weeks since i’ve been working here but man i feel like i’m a total noob here i feel like i’m not qualified to be here :(
thanks for making this videos, very authentic and useful, no matter from your open source cs course or conversation style talks, motivated
I'm 40. 2 months into my first dev job. Feeling I.S. raining down on me.
Hopefully your boss and colleagues have a mentorship spirit. If they hired me I guess they do to an extent but I have to put in the effort to learn as much and quickly as I can.
Also, technologies change constantly which puts veterans into a newbie state. They'll learn faster than you due to experience but you have a chance to narrow the skills gap.
How is it going now?
I have imposter syndrome right now. I'm a contractor currently for a place i've been working at for 3 years and i'm moving away from the company currently. I've been running every day with learning Java and React.js to go with my other web development skills. I am like "what in the heck am I doing with my life. I don't qualify for any of these jobs."
However, three weeks ago I applied to be a software developer at this really cool place that did military software. I got a phone interview a week later. Then a rejection letter another week later because I didn't quite have enough Java experience. However again, I checked and the place I applied for has almost 8000 applications. When I realized this I was like wow, my resume actually got picked for an interview. Even though I didn't get the job, I was stoked about those numbers.
As a CS major, definitely needed to hear this.
I;m looking forward for more episodes. very inspirational. success is a habit.
Your commentary on Dunning Kruger syndrome is the definition of Dunning Kruger syndrome.
This video came at a perfect time for me, thanks man.
if a job requires say html5, CCS3 and JS but I only knew html and CSS, should I still atempt getting that job? Be honest
Hii! I am trying to transition into a software developer profile, currently working in operations based in New Delhi. I find all of your videos very helpful but this was one was probably the best. Wish I could go snowboarding :D ! Keep up the good work buddy. Cheers...
I just found out about bang good, and the shit is amazing. Even though I’m a computer science major, I really like playing with Arduino.
UA-cam's algo did it! , Not love but BITS from India ..Great channel! was searching for ages.
I just passed an interview for a Java job, starting in exactly a week and I'm very nervous that I know enough. What's a good way of knowing my coding level?
As someone who has impostor syndrome all the time, Im here to tell you that its not something your should get over, its something you should use to drive yourself to be at the level you think you should be, and then when you get there, you end up being a bit ahead if anything.
I really like your videos man, but if i could suggest something, that would be to try to be more straight forward. Sometimes you take way too long to make your point. This video, for example, could easily be shrunk down 5/6 min without compromising any of the content. Anyway, just a heads up. Cheers
I love the style and vibe of these videos!
Thank you!
I've never had this problem but that's mostly because I started programming when i was 14 which makes my experience around 10-11 years (not non stop programming every day of course) but I always worked on something and in that time I picked up a lot of knowledge. So at my first web developer job I was quite shocked by how little some people actually know even if they have been working for 3-5 even 7+ years (school not included). I ended up mentoring people that had been working there for 3 years already, which I thought was ironic but very fun. I could see how they felt like they were stupid when I started explaining and showing them things they had no idea about. But I always made sure to remind them that I had already been there. Programming is a hard trade to pickup from school, you cant learn enough in school to be prepared for the real world.. It's not even remotely possible. You also cannot expect to become as good as some developers because understanding code, knowing what it does and how it works at the core level either just clicks or takes 10+ years for others to grasp and even then some still have no idea. But you can still be good, even great at developing. You just need to accept the fact that you will always feel like you don't know enough because there's always something new to learn or improve. If you started a job and you needed no mentoring and just could jump right into it, you are probably lying. My first developer job was only C++ work and that's the language I have most experience with, It took me a solid 6 months to get into how my company works with code, how people code etc. If this shit was easy, everyone would be doing it.
I also have some self-doubt. But i know it takes time to be a pro developer. I've been reading for half a year, but I started working 3 months ago. And having a job really helps. Because it is internship. I get to learn a lot while im at work. And it's really great.
I very much enjoyed this video, so don't take this wrong when I say that there is an easy way to not look at your keyboard when you type. Most keyboards made in the last twenty years have two little bumps on the F and J buttons. If you find these with your index fingers, you can have your hands in perfect position without looking. I don't know if this is for people who are blind or if their eyesight has diminished, but once you know it, you'll find your finger find these bumps very easily and quickly without trying. :)
I face this as an UX Designer too. It seems whenever a project requires exploration and discovery it can feel like imposter syndrome because your ego thinks you should know all the answers... which is crazy.
What the fuck? I was just thinking about this. Didn't expect to find it in this context at all. Going to enjoy this video
Thank you so much for this video , it is really awesome , my depression is gone 🔥🔥🔥
I'm also facing this syndrome when I didn't get solution on my problems. I always try get rid of it by motivating myself.
looking forward to the vlog!
That's just me. Thanks for talking about this did not know, everybody else feels that too.
You only have one monitor? When I got my second monitor, there was no going back.
I've coded in... five languages now? Some visual, some assembly, most object oriented. I've studied programming patterns, I write very clean and well commented code. I'm still petrified to actually enter the workforce as a software engineer - instead I work developing internal Python tools for a niche photogrammetry software for an automotive company... which I guess technically makes me a software engineer.
I'm finally beginning to seek out the jobs I went to school to do, though. This past year has been hugely game-changing for me with regards to imposter syndrome because I started my own business painting miniatures for games. It's a hobby I've had for a bit, I made it into a side job. I also don't feel "amazing" at it, there are better painters, but I was able to convert it into a pretty profitable venture because I wasn't emotionally invested in my success or failure. And I've kind of come to realize that is what drives imposter syndrome. I am DEEPLY invested in my success as a programmer, so I overthink it. To be "Successful" you don't need to be the 'best' at a thing. You only need to be above average. And the more I consider what an average programmer codes like... I am confidently in the upper quartile. There are always going to be people better than me, but I am also better than average, and that's all you really need to hack it. That's how I tackled imposter syndrome.
I struggle with this every time I start a new project, so basically every single week!
Or when I see amazing things from other developers and then I think "I'll never be able to do something similar", but then other people see my work and they actually like it so I guess I'm not that bad and the cycle restarts over an over.
thanks you so much Forrest , nice video!!!
Man, I thought I was the only one that thought that!! I learned so much but it seem like I am a rookie still compared to the 10 plus years programmer.
l love such videos, mainly because l feel like that all the time ... we need more people speaking such a truth in the development space.
Hey VA Beach, I'm a hopeful future software dev about an hour west down highway 58 :) I am just getting started in my journey but the question of "imposter syndrome" has already slipped into my mind from when I started in my current career.
I am 16 year old and have to decide what I want to do with my left in the next few weeks. The german school system is shit, but that's another story. I don't know if I am not sure if I want to go into the field of software developement because I'm bad at maths and I am just not sure if Im good enough, but I have no other options so...
Which job requirements are bs? Bc I'm going to start some online courses to learn coding on the side while Im part time in college. Which languages are used the most?
Excellent topic. I can definitely relate.
This video really helped me I was about to leave my little android project because I feel I am not good enough in android developing as those who have like more than 3 years of experience
Hi! I am programming for about 5 years now(mainly Java Android and python), so i am not that bad at it, but could you think of a way to earn money with(obviously not much, just a bit) programming at the age of 15?
I really needed this !
Thanks man completely agree with you have totally been there and like you I'm lucky enough to have a great boss,
Is it necessary to know more than 2 languages , even if you're a college student ?
I needed this, thanks🙏🏽
The best way to break the imposter syndrome is to know that it exists.
I have been having imposter syndrome my whole career... all 2 years of it. But my work ethic and experience outshines and if i feel i dont deserve to be where i am then i just need to look at what ive done
I feel it as well quite a lot. Although I learned JS vanilla and jQuery pretty decent, I know how to build Angular, React and Vue component up to a certain degree and because I do not do programming as a full time job I feel like an impostor as well. And I think I will probably never get past it :D
As a Chicagoan, I respect on the Chicago Cubs picture framed up in your office. #FlyTheW
I’m seriously considering starting school for CS in the fall. Finding your channel has been great, I’ve found a lot of helpful videos with great insight. So much so that I subscribed.
One question that would help me a ton: What type of computer/os would you suggest I buy to start coding on and self teaching?
I'm an Electrical Engineering major but I do a decent amount of programming (and try to teach myself new software things often) so I think I'm qualified to take this one.
If you're buying a new computer, I'd recommend getting one with Windows on it and splitting the hard drive in two and putting a stable distribution of Linux on the other side (something like Ubuntu or Mint) so that you can learn Linux without worrying about your software crashing with a new update. I personally need Windows to do very specific tasks like office suite, particular microcontroller programming IDEs, LTSpice, Verilog hardware description for FPGA boards, etc. You may need it for some of your classes too.
For actual programming, you'll need to download some compilers/interpreters for whatever language you want to learn. My first language was C++ and I didn't think it was too hard to learn, so I recommend that language as it is a great basic language to know before jumping into C, python, java, etc. Here is the book I recommend as a reference book:
www.amazon.com/Absolute-C-5th-Walter-Savitch/dp/013283071X
I think the compiler for C++ in windows is called MinGW, and in Linux you'll want to install the g++ and gcc compilers. There's youtube videos for how to do that. If C++ is a bit too much to start out with, just go with Python 3. It's a pretty great language to know as well and you can get a download from the website here:
www.python.org/downloads/release/python-365/
Python 3 also comes natively in Ubuntu, so it's really easy to get started with there. You'll also want to use some kind of an IDE or text editor to write your code. My absolute favorite is Sublime Text 3 which is free to use (but you can buy a license for it) and there are plenty of youtube videos on how to set up coding environments for Python, C++, LaTeX, etc.
I don't have any Python books to recommend but there is a book I really liked for learning the Linux command line which I'll link below and I saw some books they had for learning things like python, SQL, and Java. I assume they're good since the Linux book was. Here's a link to the Linux book which is actually free as a pdf or you can buy it off of Amazon:
www.linuxcommand.org/tlcl.php/
I don't have any online courses to recommend for any of these languages (other than CodeCademy for learning the absolute basics), but if you do enough scouring the internet you could probably find some examples of programming structures for each language which will be the most important part of learning that language. After you have been writing a lot of code for a language, you'll build a collection of programs that whenever you need to remember how something is done you can reference to remind you of syntax and various other things. Some of the important things you'll want to research are integers, strings, ASCII characters, libraries, functions, user defined functions, keywords, pointers (if using C or C++), classes, amongst many other important topics.
Also it's more important to write a lot of code in order to learn how to program. One of the problems I struggle with is thinking of things to make with software. Just do some research on the internet for projects to build or problems to solve with code. Here's a bunch of problems to solve if you ever want to challenge yourself and give yourself something to do!
projecteuler.net/
This is by no means an exhaustive list (and I've probably missed several things by this point), but it should help you get underway in your journey to start programming and hopefully will provide you with some structure to follow. Don't get overwhelmed, there's a lot of above information but you can figure it out. If you do start CS this fall don't worry about imposter syndrome. We all have to start somewhere and even when we've learned a lot there's still so much more to know! Just work hard and success will follow.
-Jaime
Crazy to see how many people feel this way. Seems that one of the symptoms of it is you’re the only one worrying about it.
Freshly graduated in a computer related major....n im asking myself what have i learned..??..
On a side note, I love VA Beach! It was my first trip to see the Atlantic ocean and my first family vacation. It's my ideal goal to move to down the road, just not sure what the computer science job market is like there.
I'm graduating from my university (I'm a buckeye) here in May of 2019. Sadly, I was only able to obtain one internship due to my GPA not up to the standards most companies wanted (Facebook, Google, Microsoft, etc). I've been feeling imposter syndrome for a very long time now (3 years moreless). I'm not sure how to get out of it. My software goals are mostly web development, systems programming (I completed most of the system's focus including a course on building operating systems), mobile app dev, and some cybersecurity. For career goals, I'm aiming for project management, but you need over 1,000 hours of experience to get the first certification. It seems like finding that first job is really rough in order to get started on the experience. I'm mostly looking entry level, but they demand skills that I didn't get to work with during my education. At tips on getting out of the imposter syndrome based on my experience level?
Very helpful video, thanks ♥
I’m 17 and still facing impostor syndrome among my friends who are essentially 22-24 yrs old😅
What should I do as a first year cs student to make me feel prepared for the work force?
Wanna see how you build the clock!
It is nice to hear that there is a chance that impostor syndrome MIGHT get better after school, because as you mention - WOW - it is bad while you are IN school. Example: I mentioned a possible thesis topic related to data privacy to a professor and they suggested I reach out to a professor in the math college. So I hit UA-cam to see if there was anything by her available. I found this: ua-cam.com/video/TCR1kaJLoSk/v-deo.html . I watched a good 15 minutes and got sadder and sadder as it went. OMG people are brilliant. I mean thinking on planes I will never reach. This is someone in the MATH college - not even CS! But you have to shake it off and say to yourself "I get better every single day." You just keep moving. Otherwise you are paralyzed.
I’m literally a freshman in hs and I’m trying to learn to code and I constantly think I’m not old enough and good enough. Kinda sucks that this happens, but I just need to stay determined.
age doesn't matter
Hey whats the dark mode on the Github? Thanks
I just started a new software dev job, graduated a year ago. I'm doing react and the other newbie is wayyyy better at it. I'm trying to understand but the pressure of doing the work makes you panic and you don't retain any information. :/