Biggest Lies in Software Engineering

Summary

This video script dispels common misconceptions about software engineering, highlighting the unrealistic portrayals on social media. It addresses the myth of high salaries post-graduation, the expectation to code constantly, and the efficacy of coding boot camps. The speaker emphasizes the importance of understanding the full picture, including the sacrifices and hard work behind success, and the shift away from 'hustle culture' in the tech industry.

Takeaways

• 💼 The public often has misconceptions about software engineers, such as high salaries, social awkwardness, or minimal work hours.
• 🎥 'Day in the Life' videos on social media can be misleading, showing only the highlights and not the full reality of a tech worker's day.
• 🏢 Tech employees face real challenges like long work hours, tight deadlines, and on-call responsibilities, which are often left out of social media narratives.
• 🚫 Social media can create a distorted perception of life as a software engineer, focusing on extremes and neglecting the typical experiences of most professionals.
• 💰 The belief that most software engineers make $200,000 to $300,000 right after graduation is a myth; the reality is more nuanced and varies widely.
• 💻 There's a common but unrealistic expectation that software engineers should be coding constantly, even outside of work hours, which can lead to burnout.
• 👨‍👩‍👧‍👦 The best engineers often have a balanced life with family, hobbies, and other interests, which can actually enhance their work performance.
• 🔧 The idea that a coding boot camp guarantees employment in three months is outdated, as the job market for junior developers has become more competitive.
• 🏫 The job placement rate for boot camp graduates has decreased, and those without prior experience may face a tougher job market, requiring a reset in expectations.
• 🤔 The decision between pursuing a four-year degree and attending a boot camp has become more complex, with the need to consider the current job market and personal circumstances.
• 👋 The video ends with an invitation for viewers to explore more about the job market for new graduates and the potential for a future video on the value of coding boot camps.

Q & A

What are some common misconceptions about software engineers that the video script aims to address?

The video script addresses misconceptions such as software engineers working only a few hours a day, making a large amount of money right after graduation, living and breathing code 24/7, and the idea that attending a coding boot camp guarantees quick employment.

Why might 'Day in the Life' videos give a false narrative about tech workers?

These videos often only show the highlights and perks of the job, such as free meals and relaxed working hours, without depicting the actual workload, long hours, and stress that can come with being a tech worker.

What does the script suggest about the impact of social media on perceptions of software engineers?

The script suggests that social media often portrays an idealized and unrealistic image of software engineers' lives, which can lead to feelings of inadequacy and misconceptions about the profession.

How does the script describe the reality of a software engineer's work schedule?

The script describes that software engineers can have both very relaxed days and very stressful, long days, including working late to meet tight deadlines or being on call to fix critical issues.

What does the script say about the sacrifices made by successful individuals that are often not seen on social media?

The script points out that social media often doesn't show the sacrifices, such as strict diets or long hours of work, that individuals make to achieve success in their lives.

What is the script's view on the idea that most software engineers make $200,000 to $300,000 right after graduation?

The script refutes this idea, stating that such high salaries are not the norm and that the reality is usually somewhere in the middle, with many factors influencing actual earnings.

How does the script challenge the notion that software engineers should code as a hobby outside of work?

The script argues that expecting software engineers to code as a hobby is unrealistic and contributes to impostor syndrome and burnout, and that a balanced life with other interests can actually make engineers better at their jobs.

What has changed in the job market for junior full stack developers according to the script?

The script indicates that the market for junior full stack developers has become saturated, making it harder for those with only boot camp training to find employment without specializing in a particular area.

What advice does the script offer to those considering attending a coding boot camp?

The script advises potential boot camp attendees to reset their expectations, understand that finding a job may take longer than anticipated, and consider the value of a 4-year degree versus a boot camp in the current job market.

What does the script suggest about the mindset shift away from 'hustle culture' among younger generations?

The script suggests that there is a growing awareness and rejection of the idea that constant work and overcommitment are necessary for success, especially among Generation Z.

How does the script describe the typical experience of a software engineer with family responsibilities?

The script describes that many successful software engineers with family responsibilities have a balanced life that includes time for family, hobbies, and travel, which contributes to their ability to bring diverse perspectives to their work.

Outlines

00:00

🤔 Misconceptions About Software Engineers' Lives

This paragraph addresses common misconceptions about the life of a software engineer, often perpetuated by social media. It challenges the idea that tech workers are overpaid, socially awkward, or work minimal hours in a fun environment. The speaker shares their experiences, emphasizing the reality of hard work, long hours, and the stress that comes with the job, which is often left out of 'Day in the Life' videos. The paragraph also touches on the curated nature of social media, suggesting that what is shared is more of a marketing campaign than an accurate representation of life.

05:02

💼 The Reality of Software Engineering Careers

The second paragraph delves into the myths surrounding software engineering careers, such as the belief that all engineers make a high salary right after graduation or that they live and breathe code constantly. The speaker dispels the notion that coding is a 24/7 hobby for engineers and highlights the importance of having a balanced life with family, hobbies, and other interests. They also discuss the changing mindset away from 'hustle culture' and the shift towards a more realistic and sustainable approach to work-life balance. Additionally, the paragraph addresses the saturation of the job market for junior developers and the challenges faced by those with only boot camp experience in finding employment.

Keywords

💡Software Engineer

A software engineer is a professional who applies engineering principles to design, develop, test, and evaluate computer programs and software systems. In the video, the term is used to describe the speaker's profession and to address common misconceptions about the role, such as high pay, work-life balance, and the nature of work involved.

💡Misconceptions

Misconceptions refer to incorrect or partial notions that people may hold about a subject. The video discusses several misconceptions about the life and work of a software engineer, including the idea that they have an easy job, work short hours, or are socially awkward.

💡Day in the Life Videos

These are videos that depict a typical day for an individual in a certain profession or lifestyle. The video script criticizes these videos for painting an unrealistic picture of tech workers' lives, suggesting they have an easy, leisurely schedule with minimal work requirements.

💡Social Media

Social media platforms are online spaces where users can create and share content or participate in social networking. The script mentions social media as a source of skewed perceptions, where people often only share the highlights of their lives, leading to a false narrative about professions like software engineering.

💡Impostor Syndrome

Impostor syndrome is a psychological pattern where individuals doubt their accomplishments and fear being exposed as a 'fraud'. The video suggests that the unrealistic portrayal of software engineers' lives on social media can contribute to impostor syndrome by creating feelings of inadequacy.

💡Burnout

Burnout is a state of chronic stress that can lead to physical and emotional exhaustion. The script uses the term to describe the potential outcome of the unrealistic expectation that software engineers should code as a hobby in addition to their full-time job.

💡Coding Bootcamp

A coding bootcamp is an intensive, short-term educational program designed to teach programming skills quickly. The video discusses the changing effectiveness of bootcamps in securing employment for software engineers, noting that the market has become more saturated and competitive.

💡Market Saturation

Market saturation refers to a state where the demand for a product or service has been met, and further sales growth is unlikely. In the context of the video, it refers to the oversaturation of junior software engineers in the job market, making it harder for new graduates or bootcamp attendees to find jobs.

💡Specialization

Specialization in the context of software engineering means focusing on a specific area of expertise within the field. The video suggests that being a 'generalist' with mediocre skills in multiple areas is no longer sufficient for job seekers and that specializing in a particular area, such as front-end React or AI, is more beneficial.

💡Hustle Culture

Hustle culture is the belief that working long hours and constantly pushing oneself to achieve more is the key to success. The script mentions a shift away from this mindset, especially among younger generations, and argues that a balanced life can lead to better work performance.

💡Existential Crisis

An existential crisis is a moment at which an individual questions the meaning or purpose of their life or their own existence. The video humorously refers to the anxiety some may feel before a Zoom meeting, as an example of the unshared struggles that are not depicted in the glamorous 'Day in the Life' videos.

Highlights

Misconception about software engineers having a luxurious and easy job.

Day in the life videos often depict a false narrative of tech workers' daily routines.

The secret behind social media's portrayal of life is the selective sharing of positive experiences.

The reality of software engineering includes long hours and high-stress situations not shown on social media.

The sacrifices made to achieve a seemingly perfect life are often hidden from public view.

The myth of software engineers making $200,000 to $300,000 right after graduation.

The distortion of reality caused by focusing on extreme cases in the tech industry.

The expectation that software engineers should code as a hobby contributes to impostor syndrome and burnout.

The shift in mindset away from the hustle culture, especially among younger generations.

The myth that software engineers live and breathe code 24/7 is challenged.

The reality that most engineers have diverse interests and responsibilities outside of work.

The saturation of the market for junior developers and the difficulty of finding a job post-bootcamp.

The necessity to specialize and excel in specific areas of software development to stand out.

The challenge for bootcamp graduates to find employment in a competitive job market.

The consideration of whether a 4-year degree or a bootcamp is more beneficial in the current job market.

The call for a future video to assess the value of coding bootcamps in 2024.

An invitation for viewers to learn more about the current job market for new graduates.

Transcripts

what comes to mind when you tell an

average person who doesn't work in Tech

that you are a software engineer they

probably think you make a lot of money

or you're a socially awkward introvert

or maybe you only work an hour or two a

day and you spend the rest of your time

in a cute little startup office playing

ping pong so in this video I want to go

over some of the lies and misconceptions

that I feel like are perpetuated by

social media there are things that I

wish I knew before I started my first

job so if you're interested please stick

around number one day in the life videos

are an accurate representation of the

typical day in the life of a tech worker

these Day in the Life videos paint a

false narrative that Tech employees are

all paid generously to roll into the

office get some coffee with their

co-workers attend a couple of meetings

and then eat at the free company Buffet

maybe they'll do an hour of actual work

before leaving around 4:00 when I

arrived at the office I had a couple of

snacks in Li of an actual breakfast

I also attended this workshop on unit

[Music]

testing typically the people making

these videos are also really young maybe

even new grads and so you think to

yourself what is their secret are they

just smarter than me did I major in the

wrong thing you start feeling totally

inadequate because you're still working

at the coffee shop making minimum wage

after graduation or maybe you're even

unemployed but here is the secret you

don't see the other side social media

has become less of a representation of

what our life actually is and it's

become more of a marketing campaign to

promote the image of how we want our

lives to be perceived by other people

maybe those Day in the Life videos

aren't complete lies but they're

definitely not the full picture I've had

really chill days similar to the ones

you've seen on Tik Tok but I've worked

just as many if not more 10hour days to

meet a tight deadline I've had nights

where I've been woken up by alarms

because I'm on call I've had really

stressful days when the code that I

wrote actually caused a major bug in

production and I needed to fix it right

away or when a project manager asks me

why a feature is behind schedule but

it's because of something that's out of

my control or what about the few minutes

before a zoom meeting starts where

you're sitting there staring at the

camera having an existential crisis

those never get included in the day in

the life videos the other issue with

only seeing the highlights of someone's

life is that you don't see the

sacrifices that they made to get there I

have this one friend who is a young

mother to a toddler and she has an

amazing physique she also goes out to

eat every other week so from the outside

it looks like she has really good

genetics and while that might be the

case every time I've gone out to eat

with her she only eats vegetables and

fish so you have to think to to yourself

is this really the kind of life you want

to live if you envy someone's life think

about whether or not you can accept the

downsides and sacrifices as well I heard

Bill Gates never took a day off in 30

years I don't know how true that is but

I don't think I'd be willing to

sacrifice the best and healthiest

Decades of my life for a tiny chance of

success myth number two most software

Engineers are making $2 to

$300,000 right after graduation it seems

like there is only two classes of

software Engineers these days those that

make $300,000 right after graduation and

those that can't seem to find a job

after applying a thousand times the

reason is because it's always the

extremes at the opposite ends of the

spectrum that tend to get the most

engagement and attention someone making

$150,000 after 5 years of experience in

Minnesota that leaves at 5:00 and goes

home to his family just isn't very

exciting and histor is not going to go

viral but that is the typical case this

is why if you're constantly Doom

scrolling on social media you're going

to get a very distorted perception of

what being a software engineer is really

like I mean the people that are actually

content with their jobs and lives aren't

on Reddit or YouTube or Tik Tok

complaining or asking for advice the

market isn't all doom and gloom but

definitely not everyone is making

$300,000 at Google the truth is

somewhere in the middle and it's always

a little bit more nuanced number number

three software Engineers live and

breathe code 24/7 just imagine if

doctors were expected to perform

surgeries in their spare time as a hobby

or accountants were expected to file tax

returns for fun it sounds ridiculous

doesn't it but there is this prevailing

notion that the best software Engineers

are expected to code as a hobby on top

of their 9 to-5 at my first real

software job after graduation this was

many years ago my boss told me that

several of their Engineers work from 99

to 6 and then they code on their side

projects from 6 to 9 and he said this as

if this was kind of the norm and the

standard that we should all be aspiring

to it kind of gave me the impression of

when a parent Compares One child to the

other I honestly think this contributed

so much to my impostor syndrome because

it's an impossible standard to me and a

one-way ticket to burnout City if you

think about it it's also super

discriminatory given that the only

people that can afford to work these

long hours and then go home and also

code for fun are young people with no

family responsibilities and don't need

to work a side job thankfully I'm

starting to sense a shift in mindset

away from hustle culture especially

among gen Z I've worked at several

different companies throughout my career

in Tech and I can tell you with

confidence that contrary to popular

belief most regular Engineers working a

9 to to five aren't just living and

breathing code in fact I'd say that some

of the best Engineers that I worked with

have family responsibilities and tons of

other obligations and they typically

have time for family hobbies and

traveling and other stuff which I

actually think makes them better

employees because they're less

one-dimensional and they're able to

bring in different perspectives and

opinions myth number four a coding boot

camp is going to get you employed in 3

months just a few short years ago I'd

say before 2022 the demand for software

Engineers was so high that a lot of

people without any coding experience

were able to go to a 3-month boot camp

and come out of there finding a decent

Junior web developer job I actually

mentored at a coding boot camp and I saw

with my own eyes people without a

background in Tech get hired within 3

months and so I was a really big

proponent of coding boot camps I thought

they worked and I thought they changed

lives granted the people people that

were successful typically already had a

4-year degree in an unrelated field and

they contined to do a lot of

self-studying after graduation but it

was still possible and the job placement

rate back then was really really high it

was somewhere in the '90s these days the

market for junior full stack developers

or what I typically call generalists is

really saturated you can't be mediocre

at a bunch of different languages and

Frameworks and expect to get hired

anymore which I think maybe is a good

thing you actually need to be pretty

decent at the most common languages and

Frameworks and on top of that specialize

in a particular area say frontend react

or AI even people with computer science

degrees from universities are struggling

to land their first job after graduation

right now so if you only did a boot camp

with no prior experience then you are

going to be at a disadvantage for the

first few years of your career I

personally think it's still possible but

it's much harder and you just need to

reset your expectations and understand

that it might take you months if not a

full year after graduating from a boot

camp to find your first job taking all

of that information into account the

decision of whether or not to pursue a

4-year degree versus going to a boot

camp becomes a lot trickier so I might

do another video in the future to assess

whether or not coding boot camps are

still worth it in 2024 but let me know

if you want to see that if you want to

learn more about what the job Market is

like right now for new grads I recently

did a video on that particular topic so

if you're interested I will see you in

that one bye

[Music]