this job really is harder than most people think. when i get a task i know and am comfortable with it, its a breeze, im being creative and feeling productive. BUT there are times i get a task that is out of my comfort and i spend at times 1-2 weeks figuring it out. being a developer is soul crushing at times, there are so many times you feel like you just are not smart enough and never will be smart enough to solve the problem in front of you. 90% of the time, after dedicating all day looking at the problem and reaching out, i figure it out, and it feels great. but during that time of figuring it out i am stressing the whole time thinking, will this get me fired. will i get replaced. will i be left behind? you have to be strong enough to deal with this level of doubt and pressure. and whats worse is the 10% of time i do accept defeat, i wont lie, i have had panic attacks, i have cried, i have felt completely hopeless at times. a lot of people have a delusional idea of what this job really is. its incredibly rewarding but its is only for a very certain type of person.
Damn, even though I’m not a dev but aspiring to be one, I thought I was the only one with the exact same feelings that you just described, I’m always thinking that I’m not good enough for getting stuck with a problem that I totally don’t feel comfortable with, you words just made me realize that these type of feelings are normal in the process, and what’s important is to carry on, thank you for your words
I couldn’t imagine getting a first dev job that pays 100k… I started at under 40k nearly 10 years ago lol. The irony is at the time I truly thought I had made it
That’s $19.71 an hour. A lot of states now, that’s just barely over minimum wage. You can drive a forklift in a warehouse and get that on day one just buy showing up, no application, no nothing. Show up, accept job, you’re good.
@@franko8572 although i had drive and a goal at the time, i was still a newb in more ways than one, and i was desperate to get into the industry. When they called me with the offer of 20 per hour i didn't negotiate at all lol - just 'yep! when can i start' I've learned a lot since then. it's not just about coding, but understanding the hiring process, negotiation, and trying to learn as much as you can in the interview to look for red flags. Also soft skills and making a connection with the people who are interviewing you as best you can. Do not sleep on soft skills... it's hard to get anywhere as a dev if you can't properly communicate
4 years in, and started at 38,600 and I was excited and scared as hell because someone actually thought I was capable. I’m happy I kept going (ps started from 0 and stuck with it and got lucky with that job )
I am about a year into my learning to code journey and I wanted to give up so many times because I keep feeling like I am just not getting it and had that “feeling stupid” many of moments! But I refuse to give up! Thank you for providing the real hard core truth!
I am 7 full hours into learning coding and will reassess every 10 hours. I still love it and these videos help me work harder and motivate me. Thank you. Let's keep going.
Self-taught SWE. Took me 2 years until I got my first full time job. Did three internships before too The truth is people think this job is easy and it’s not a ‘get in’ and be done kind of thing. Granted, after you develop a solid foundation and work on multiple stacks learning and coming up with solutions gets easier but still requires mental effort The one quote that got me through the hard times and still to this day is “100% of the people who don’t make it quit” In this field the journey NEVER ENDS. You’re always learning, building, and iterating KEEP MOVING forward. Much peace and love
@@drew9073 Cant argue with that. It is important to understand that this industry is no joke, and not for the faint of heart. You really have to be about that. And so if you arent, then you arent, and then you are right. To be quite frank, I didnt know it would be hard like this. I was simply suggested to get into it through a friend as an exit to blue collar work. And given my age, I was driven by a sense of urgency to push at all costs. Luckily I developed passion for it, but I also realized that this field is much harder than my friend led me on to believe at first. But it all worked out. I wish you all success in whichever choice you chose.
I have a pretty non-traditional background and every so often I'll be asked to help tutor a family friend who are looking for a career switch. Alot of them just can't sit down and study for a few hours. Then I have some friends who went pro in videogames so they were use to practicing for 12 hours straight. I barely had to tutor those folks and they got good super fast
Crazy how people are accusing you of being a "gatekeeper". In fact gatekeeping actually means the culture is solid and has high standards. Programming is no longer Engineering, imagine if bridge builders and surgeons had the same culture as programmers: "You want to become a Heart Surgeon? Don't worry, anybody can, I myself don't know everything and still managed to get the job. Just buy my course and I promise you, you'll become a heart surgeon in a few months, you deserve this, it's a well paying job that everybody can do" As a culture, we created this commodification of Software Engineering. Programming has become so cheap, I don't see actual 'engineers' making videos about their perfect day at work and romanticizing the job.
I appreciate that. I will continue "gatekeeping" for as long as I continue to dedicate my years to helping junior developers. "As a culture, we created this commodification of Software Engineering. Programming has become so cheap, I don't see actual 'engineers' making videos about their perfect day at work and romanticizing the job." You're absolutely right about this.
When I was 23 I wanted to become a developer in like 6 months. It took me 4 years and going back to get a CS degree to become a developer. I finished my degree Jan 2023. It's weird being a newer dev but older than some mid levels but I made it and love the job. It was worth the struggle.
Nice to finally get a bit of honesty on software development. I’m halfway through my degree as a 42 year old man with a family. But I’m keeping my current job until I get employment. I’ve applied to a few internships, no bites just yet.
I'm sure it can be tough at times, but I just see a ton of resilience being built up in you as you continue to push forward and keep up with your other responsibilities. That's awesome to hear man.
My mom told me that I'm not going to become a 10x developer in 6 months, but she does need me out of the house in 6 days. So I will become 10x in 6 days.
man, thank you for validating a moron like myself. i've been reading along a C++ textbook and one of the exercises requires the reader to create a recursive function (factorial) with a specific num of parameters and produces specified output. granted i'm a student, father, husband, FT employee, and all of the above but I've been working on this exercise for the past couple months. im trying to create this functiion using the text from the book as a resource, nothing else. but everytime i open vim and stare at the code, i cant help but curse and ridicule myself. why did god make so dumb? im in this for the long haul but man i cant lie, it stings a bit when i come across a kid who's been coding for a year or so and landed a position at fortune 500 while ive been reading and coding for a while now. this video gave that second wind and for that, i thank you.
18:06 this is absolutely true. I love building things right from my childhood. I used to build physical things now I build software. It it the love that keep me going for 14 years
"A lot of people need a reality check with this: If you're not ready to spend over two years trying to become a developer, you're probably going to fail. You can aim for something a little bit shorter, but if you're not ready to spend years really building a solid foundation to become a developer, you're probably going to fail." "This is not a path to immediately fix your financial problems... Stop quitting your job to become a developer. Stop it. Pay your bills and take care of your responsibilities. This is going to be a long path." "You need to love this. You need to love what you do and find enjoyment in it as you learn to code. Because if you don't, and you put this developer job on a pedestal without being willing to develop grit and grind out the shitty parts of learning to code, and the shitty parts of being a developer, you're going to quit like many other developers have." DonTheDeveloper. Thanks for this man. God bless!
Have been at it everyday since February and I love javascript even though sometimes I hate it. Can't stop. Won't stop. 😊 I have an unrelated question though. Why is tech so much scammier that other industries? Is it just on account of the piles of money?
All of this is true, but I want to add on something: virtually _any_ career path can be lucrative if you're willing to spend years growing your skills, portfolio, and network. It's far more important to take an active role in your career than it is to learn any specific skill- coding included. You don't have to necessarily be _passionate_ about the sector you're trying to enter, but you need to have a legitimate interest in it. And you need the stomach for putting in the blood, sweat, and tears. If that drive isn't naturally there, do something else.
More people need to accept this: "If that drive isn't naturally there, do something else." So they can find what actually excites them and take advantage of this: "virtually any career path can be lucrative if you're willing to spend years growing your skills, portfolio, and network"
I have found that salaries do not increase when you stay at one company. Even with hoping around in 5 years I started at 35k (in dollars) and now I'm around 45k (in dollars) and I'm struggling to find better pay going forward due to job market now in tatters and my requirement for 100% remote role.
this job really is harder than most people think.
when i get a task i know and am comfortable with it, its a breeze, im being creative and feeling productive.
BUT there are times i get a task that is out of my comfort and i spend at times 1-2 weeks figuring it out.
being a developer is soul crushing at times, there are so many times you feel like you just are not smart enough and never will be smart enough to solve the problem in front of you.
90% of the time, after dedicating all day looking at the problem and reaching out, i figure it out, and it feels great.
but during that time of figuring it out i am stressing the whole time thinking, will this get me fired. will i get replaced. will i be left behind?
you have to be strong enough to deal with this level of doubt and pressure.
and whats worse is the 10% of time i do accept defeat, i wont lie, i have had panic attacks, i have cried, i have felt completely hopeless at times.
a lot of people have a delusional idea of what this job really is. its incredibly rewarding but its is only for a very certain type of person.
And yet you continue pushing forward. That certainly does take a lot of strength. I'm proud of how much you've grown.
Well said.
Damn, even though I’m not a dev but aspiring to be one, I thought I was the only one with the exact same feelings that you just described, I’m always thinking that I’m not good enough for getting stuck with a problem that I totally don’t feel comfortable with, you words just made me realize that these type of feelings are normal in the process, and what’s important is to carry on, thank you for your words
I couldn’t imagine getting a first dev job that pays 100k… I started at under 40k nearly 10 years ago lol. The irony is at the time I truly thought I had made it
That’s $19.71 an hour. A lot of states now, that’s just barely over minimum wage. You can drive a forklift in a warehouse and get that on day one just buy showing up, no application, no nothing. Show up, accept job, you’re good.
@@franko8572 although i had drive and a goal at the time, i was still a newb in more ways than one, and i was desperate to get into the industry. When they called me with the offer of 20 per hour i didn't negotiate at all lol - just 'yep! when can i start'
I've learned a lot since then. it's not just about coding, but understanding the hiring process, negotiation, and trying to learn as much as you can in the interview to look for red flags. Also soft skills and making a connection with the people who are interviewing you as best you can. Do not sleep on soft skills... it's hard to get anywhere as a dev if you can't properly communicate
@@franko8572what about after 5-10 years of working?
4 years in, and started at 38,600 and I was excited and scared as hell because someone actually thought I was capable. I’m happy I kept going (ps started from 0 and stuck with it and got lucky with that job )
This is real. The more I learn the more I realize that I don’t know as much as I thought 🤣
I am about a year into my learning to code journey and I wanted to give up so many times because I keep feeling like I am just not getting it and had that “feeling stupid” many of moments! But I refuse to give up! Thank you for providing the real hard core truth!
@@Orkari I lost count of the number of times I felt stupid when learning to code!
I am 7 full hours into learning coding and will reassess every 10 hours. I still love it and these videos help me work harder and motivate me. Thank you. Let's keep going.
Keep focused and keep grinding!
@@renedperez thank you :)
Truth is told here.
Self-taught SWE. Took me 2 years until I got my first full time job. Did three internships before too
The truth is people think this job is easy and it’s not a ‘get in’ and be done kind of thing. Granted, after you develop a solid foundation and work on multiple stacks learning and coming up with solutions gets easier but still requires mental effort
The one quote that got me through the hard times and still to this day is “100% of the people who don’t make it quit”
In this field the journey NEVER ENDS. You’re always learning, building, and iterating
KEEP MOVING forward. Much peace and love
Well said. It's always been about the journey. Once you realize that and internalize it, now you unlock real growth.
how many hours did u study a week?
NEVER FUCKING GIVE UP GUYS
@@hikemalliday6007 Like it’s not even an option.
Sometimes knowing when to give up is good to avoid wasting time. Software engineering is not for everyone. Explore other fields that you enjoy
@@drew9073 Cant argue with that. It is important to understand that this industry is no joke, and not for the faint of heart. You really have to be about that. And so if you arent, then you arent, and then you are right.
To be quite frank, I didnt know it would be hard like this. I was simply suggested to get into it through a friend as an exit to blue collar work. And given my age, I was driven by a sense of urgency to push at all costs. Luckily I developed passion for it, but I also realized that this field is much harder than my friend led me on to believe at first. But it all worked out. I wish you all success in whichever choice you chose.
youre performing a good service.
@@aslkdjfzxcv9779 Thank you!
I have a pretty non-traditional background and every so often I'll be asked to help tutor a family friend who are looking for a career switch. Alot of them just can't sit down and study for a few hours. Then I have some friends who went pro in videogames so they were use to practicing for 12 hours straight. I barely had to tutor those folks and they got good super fast
@@ericng8807 Yeah that’s an interesting observation. Habits run deep, especially around focus and learning. It can take a long time to build those up.
Crazy how people are accusing you of being a "gatekeeper". In fact gatekeeping actually means the culture is solid and has high standards. Programming is no longer Engineering, imagine if bridge builders and surgeons had the same culture as programmers:
"You want to become a Heart Surgeon? Don't worry, anybody can, I myself don't know everything and still managed to get the job. Just buy my course and I promise you, you'll become a heart surgeon in a few months, you deserve this, it's a well paying job that everybody can do"
As a culture, we created this commodification of Software Engineering. Programming has become so cheap, I don't see actual 'engineers' making videos about their perfect day at work and romanticizing the job.
I appreciate that. I will continue "gatekeeping" for as long as I continue to dedicate my years to helping junior developers.
"As a culture, we created this commodification of Software Engineering. Programming has become so cheap, I don't see actual 'engineers' making videos about their perfect day at work and romanticizing the job."
You're absolutely right about this.
Your efforts and sacrifices for telling the truth will be greatly rewarded in time. Keep it 💯
I really appreciate that!
Now, you should make a video and go into depth about why sticking to coding is worth it.
When I was 23 I wanted to become a developer in like 6 months. It took me 4 years and going back to get a CS degree to become a developer. I finished my degree Jan 2023. It's weird being a newer dev but older than some mid levels but I made it and love the job. It was worth the struggle.
Nice to finally get a bit of honesty on software development. I’m halfway through my degree as a 42 year old man with a family. But I’m keeping my current job until I get employment. I’ve applied to a few internships, no bites just yet.
I'm sure it can be tough at times, but I just see a ton of resilience being built up in you as you continue to push forward and keep up with your other responsibilities. That's awesome to hear man.
@@DonTheDeveloper Thanks Don, much appreciated my friend.
My mom told me that I'm not going to become a 10x developer in 6 months, but she does need me out of the house in 6 days. So I will become 10x in 6 days.
man, thank you for validating a moron like myself. i've been reading along a C++ textbook and one of the exercises requires the reader to create a recursive function (factorial) with a specific num of parameters and produces specified output. granted i'm a student, father, husband, FT employee, and all of the above but I've been working on this exercise for the past couple months. im trying to create this functiion using the text from the book as a resource, nothing else. but everytime i open vim and stare at the code, i cant help but curse and ridicule myself. why did god make so dumb? im in this for the long haul but man i cant lie, it stings a bit when i come across a kid who's been coding for a year or so and landed a position at fortune 500 while ive been reading and coding for a while now.
this video gave that second wind and for that, i thank you.
18:06 this is absolutely true. I love building things right from my childhood. I used to build physical things now I build software. It it the love that keep me going for 14 years
My brother wanted to learn to code so I sent him a tutorial.
He replied with: “I thought this was gonna take like 30 minutes”.
💀
"A lot of people need a reality check with this: If you're not ready to spend over two years trying to become a developer, you're probably going to fail. You can aim for something a little bit shorter, but if you're not ready to spend years really building a solid foundation to become a developer, you're probably going to fail."
"This is not a path to immediately fix your financial problems... Stop quitting your job to become a developer. Stop it. Pay your bills and take care of your responsibilities. This is going to be a long path."
"You need to love this. You need to love what you do and find enjoyment in it as you learn to code. Because if you don't, and you put this developer job on a pedestal without being willing to develop grit and grind out the shitty parts of learning to code, and the shitty parts of being a developer, you're going to quit like many other developers have."
DonTheDeveloper. Thanks for this man. God bless!
Have been at it everyday since February and I love javascript even though sometimes I hate it. Can't stop. Won't stop. 😊
I have an unrelated question though. Why is tech so much scammier that other industries? Is it just on account of the piles of money?
Is it a good idea to get a ServiceNow developer role and then transition to a full dev stack role later on?
TIME TO GROW!
Good thing I didn't start game dev for money, I do it for the suffering.
This is the way.
Software Engineering is Addictive
I love this channel
All of this is true, but I want to add on something: virtually _any_ career path can be lucrative if you're willing to spend years growing your skills, portfolio, and network. It's far more important to take an active role in your career than it is to learn any specific skill- coding included.
You don't have to necessarily be _passionate_ about the sector you're trying to enter, but you need to have a legitimate interest in it. And you need the stomach for putting in the blood, sweat, and tears. If that drive isn't naturally there, do something else.
More people need to accept this:
"If that drive isn't naturally there, do something else."
So they can find what actually excites them and take advantage of this:
"virtually any career path can be lucrative if you're willing to spend years growing your skills, portfolio, and network"
My first programming job didn't crack 100K and I WAS IN LOS ANGELES!
Damn..
lol if you went to a good school you will probably have a good starting salary
I have found that salaries do not increase when you stay at one company. Even with hoping around in 5 years I started at 35k (in dollars) and now I'm around 45k (in dollars) and I'm struggling to find better pay going forward due to job market now in tatters and my requirement for 100% remote role.