This content originally appeared on DEV Community and was authored by Krisztián Maurer
I am writing this article for beginners who are not yet aware of what awaits them. I hope it will give you a better insight into what it means to work in this profession.
First of all, the journey from zero knowledge to the first job is one of the most challenging, in my opinion. There are several paths, each with its own advantages and disadvantages.
Learning
Learning is a constant requirement. It's important to understand from the beginning that if you venture into programming, it's good to enjoy learning because there will never be a time when you don't need to learn something new. You will probably learn a lot while working, but I recommend sideprojects. Read more: Do you need side projects?
Workday
You will likely work in a Scrum-type team, so it's good to familiarize yourself with it. There will be daily meetings to discuss progress and tasks for the day. Most of the time, you'll be working on bug fixes or new features. Often, it's not just about typing code, but understanding the context takes up more time. You will read more code than you write, and over time, your ability to understand things will improve, and you'll be able to understand things faster. When faced with a problem, you probably won't start typing everything from memory. Instead, a few things won't be clear, so you'll look them up on Google, search for solutions, think about which one is the best, implement it, and then your senior colleague will review your pull request and suggest improvements. You make the necessary changes, and the cycle starts again.
Sitting in front of a computer
Developers spend most of their time sitting in front of a computer. If you have a problem with that, it's a big issue. However, they also have short breaks, meetings, meal breaks, and so on. Personally, I make sure to get up every hour to make tea or coffee or simply to clear my mind.
Joy of creating
One of the best things about being a software developer is the joy of creating something new. I love starting from scratch and building software from the ground up, turning ideas into real things that people can use. It's satisfying to see my work come to life.
You can build all sorts of cool things using your imagination and skills.
The fun part is that you get to solve puzzles and find smart ways to make things work. It's like a challenge that you can conquer. And there's always something new to learn because technology is always changing.
When you create something from scratch, you feel proud and in charge. You have the freedom to design and build things just the way you want. It's like being the boss of your own digital world.
As a software developer, I have a special power. I can take abstract ideas and turn them into practical software. I know how to write code and use tools to make ideas become real.
Difficulties
There will be days when you feel like you're too stupid for this, don't know too much, etc. Programmers often face some tough challenges when they are working on their projects. One of the first difficulties is understanding what the client or project manager wants. Sometimes, they may not explain things clearly, which can lead to mistakes. Another problem is designing the software to handle lots of data and users without slowing down. It's also hard to choose the right tools and technologies because there are so many options available. As projects get bigger, it becomes tricky to manage all the complicated parts and organize the code. Finding and fixing bugs is another big challenge that can take a lot of time. Meeting deadlines and delivering good quality work in a short time is stressful too. Working in teams can be hard because everyone has different ideas and styles. And as technology keeps changing, coders need to keep learning new things to stay updated. It's not easy to balance writing efficient code with making it easy to understand and maintain. Despite these difficulties, coders keep learning and adapting to become better at their work.
Productivity
As a software developer, being productive is really important. It means being able to get things done efficiently and do a good job. When I'm productive, I can finish tasks quickly and make high-quality software. Important thing for me is getting into a state of flow. It's when I'm totally focused and really into my work. It feels great because I can concentrate deeply and come up with creative solutions to problems. It's like being in a zone where everything just clicks.
Thank you for your time. 🙏 What is your experience being a programmer? Leave a comment. 🙂
This content originally appeared on DEV Community and was authored by Krisztián Maurer
Krisztián Maurer | Sciencx (2023-05-22T20:15:48+00:00) What is it like to be a software developer?. Retrieved from https://www.scien.cx/2023/05/22/what-is-it-like-to-be-a-software-developer/
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