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Would I Enjoy A Career In Software Engineering?

Guy Coding

I dumped 9 years (not including school) into a career I hoped I would like, but did not… how could I know a software engineering career would be any different? Changing careers is a risk. A lot of time. A big commitment. Here is what I would recommend.

Fail Fast

There’s a principle in startups & tech called “fail fast”. It's not that you WANT to fail, but if something is destined to fail, you want to figure that out as soon as possible to avoid wasted time (like my 9 years). You should approach career considerations similarly. 

 Here are some questions to help you succeed or fail fast in software engineering:
  1. Does the tech industry EXCITE you? And by “excite”, I’m not talking about financially. There are many other careers that earn as much or more than tech. Do you like the idea of working with code and building software systems? Are you an entrepreneur and like the opportunity that coding opens up for your ideas. When you use software, do you think both: “I could do better” and “I would LIKE to do better”. 
     
  2. Does technology interest you? I don’t mean “are you good at it”. Being good at something is mostly training. Being intimidated by something is usually a matter of lacking familiarity. If you aren’t yet good or are currently intimidated, it may take you a little more training time - and that’s OK. The best developers I have ever met are the ones who get excited about technology. They love learning about new things - so much so that you’ll find them reading about it on their own and even building their own projects on the side. 
     
  3. Do you like to build or fix things? I don’t mean computer programs - obviously, you’re not there yet. But do you like building anything? Some examples may be legos, models, woodworking, house remodeling (not hiring it out, but doing it), working on cars, fixing a broken toy or gadget, video games like SimCity, etc. If you find yourself inclined to build or fix things, being a developer is just the code version. If you hate building or fixing things, that may indicate you wouldn’t enjoy building things with code. 
     
If you answered YES to questions 1, 2, and 3, I would totally suggest moving forward. Try heading down the “path” of initial learnings. Keep going as long as you’re enjoying it. If you stop enjoying it, consider WHY you’ve stopped enjoying it. You may just need to stop and adjust your strategy. Not all topics will be fun to you. That's OK. Tech is broad. If a topic is losing your interest, shift to one that again captures your interest. 

If you've read to this point, you should give software engineering a try. Use this "Fail Fast" approach to minimize the challenges of doing so.
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Clinton J Nelson

Hi! I'm Clint. I'm A... Husband. Father of three. Software Engineer. Professional Engineer (structural). Sippy-cup filler. Carpenter. Mechanic. Entrepreneur. Archer. Follower of Jesus.

https://goodwyrk.com

Creator of goodwyrk.com - the map based job search that uncovers hidden jobs. Come discover your dream job in your dream location.

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