In this digital era, software development jobs and data science jobs are the most in-demand. There are people out there who work in the education field but want to shift careers. What’s holding this person back is the fear of not being a ‘good fit’ for the position.
The world, and the people in it, evolves. Popular programmer myths such as programmers being lonely nerds or perhaps programming is only for men, bred from other person’s insecurity. Just because things didn’t work out for that person doesn’t mean that everyone shouldn’t at least try.
Here are the top toxic misconceptions about being a programmer that you shouldn’t believe.
Programming is for Geniuses
Movies and TV shows often portray programmers to be aloof geniuses. Based on this notion, people who dream of being programmers lower their perception of themselves. Also, people who are already working in the tech industry acts superior over their peers who work from a different department. There is a huge sense of entitlement in these programmers who think they’re smarter than everyone in the room. Such conceit is based on someone’s insecurity and therefore not a fact set in stone.
School will make You a Good Programmer
Formal education is important and anyone who believes otherwise is mistaken. But, the question is, does formal education guarantee your success in the corporate world? No. You cannot count on your four years in college to be able to land a dream job in Silicon Valley. Not everyone is Bill Gates or Mark Zuckerberg, so if you’re still in school, don’t think of quitting for the sake of copying these billionaire dropouts. Point is, going to a programming class or enrolling in computer studies won’t make you a good programmer. Instead, you need to constantly learn even outside class and be determined to be the best programmer that you can be.
Coding is Difficult
Is coding really hard or is it just your laziness that’s stopping you? A dedicated person can be as good as the ‘smartest kid’ in class. That said, if you put in practice and passion to your dream of becoming a programmer, you can achieve it. Some people expect that by just watching one video tutorials daily, you can be a pro at it. You set an expectation for yourself that is not going to happen. As a consequence, you give up. The key to productive learning is starting a small, passion project that involves coding. Once you’re done, you now have your first project to include in your portfolio.
If you really want to become a programmer, don’t let others’ negative opinions weigh you down. As the saying goes, “Lions don’t lose sleep over the opinions of sheep.”