Why I Decided To Become A Software Engineer, & Why You Should Too!

Working overnights, being on call, dead-end jobs, or doing something you hate. I think we all at some point have had a job we didn’t like or a career that turns out to not be what we expected. According to a survey done by Zippia.

"50% of workers dislike their job. Of course since how we spend our days is how we spend our lives, that means a lot of workers also don't like their lives."

Employees citied unfair pay, and underappreciation as the leading factors. I believe it doesn't have to be this way, I was in the same scenario before I discovered software engineering. I found that I loved the industry and most importantly loved creating new things through code.

The tech industry is glamorized in movies and pop culture as one with many perks unprecedented to the corporate world. These perks are the things that people gravitate to and contribute to a lot of great talent pushing the industry forward. Because of this many see the tech industry as something that's out of reach and only available to the smartest of humans. I'm here to tell you that this is not the case! I started my journey as a mechanical engineering graduate with little software experience. Sure we worked with some software as students, but nothing close to creating software that enterprises could use. So while I had some basic knowledge I still had a lot to learn before developing even my first hello world print.

Learning Software Development Is A Superpower!

The ability to create things from nothing is an in-demand trait. The Tech industry has a high demand for software developers, and the industry is only growing.

"The employment of software developers is projected to grow 22% between 2019 and 2029." -Bureau of Labor Statistics

What I have learned in becoming a developer has given me the ability to better solve problems in both industry and everyday life. The ability to take something cumbersome or an issue and solve it with technology is empowering. Not only that but you can take that empowerment to the marketplace and be compensated for what you know! Companies are willing to hire developers that can showcase their abilities, without the need for an ivy level degree. Software development can change the trajectory of your life, it surely is a superpower!

Tech Industry Culture.

The amazing thing is, software development is something that is accessible to anyone to learn. Many of the resources out there are available for free! Even the paid resources are very affordable! This lends to almost anyone with the drive and passion to be able to break into the tech industry. Taking their career in a direction that best suits them. I've come to learn that the tech industry is very welcoming to people from all walks of life. Plenty of projects are open source, meaning the original source code is made freely available and may be redistributed and modified. So you can learn collaboration and development for large projects, in almost any area of software you are interested in! This can give you industry experience without being employed by a company, and the ability to use the software in personal projects. This is one of the few industries that I have seen this type of collaboration and is one of the reasons technology has been able to grow at insane rates.

Industry Pay, Perks, & Advancement.

Now to the good stuff, the things that the movies and pop culture glamorize. The tech industry has a reputation for being highly paid, this is because devs solve difficult problems that ultimately end in the advancement of the world.

"The average salary for a software engineer is $117,948 per year in the United States." - Indeed

For reference the average salary of a household in America was $67,521 in 2020. That's an decrease of almost half (42%) of what you can earn as a software developer. While achievable this will take some work, software development is a taxing role. Problem-solving is a major component of developing solutions to the problems that the world face. The good thing is this is a skill that can be learned like any other and creates a dynamic of each day being a new challenge. There are many things to be learned to become a better developer, and for me, that makes my work exciting!

Many companies have great benefits packages, 401k match, gyms, free lunch, the ability to work from home, stock packages, and more. This makes for a fun work environment and allows for much-needed rest if a tough problem comes your way and your brain needs a break. This also fosters collaboration and camaraderie between employees, allowing for better more efficient solutions to the problems faced each day. The main factor for me is the ability to advance one's career in ways I never thought possible. One can go from not knowing anything about software to being chief technology officer. While working doing much of the things that first brought them to software. This is something I've always wanted to be able to do but has always seemed out of reach. Now while it is surely a large goal involving lots of hard work and dedication, there is a path, and that is inspiring! Even if your goal isn't to become a chief officer, the paths for career advancement are many, this is no dead-end career!

Final Thoughts

Software development, if for you, can be a very rewarding career. It is a career path that I have chosen to take to fulfill a lifelong dream of becoming an executive for innovative products. From the perks, pay, and advancements, to the ability to create almost anything, software development could very well be your path to satisfaction in life. I hope this gives you some clarification on if this can be a path for you. If you need a friend along your journey feel free to connect with me on Hashnode or Linkedin. I look forward to meeting you out in the community and seeing what amazing projects you might build!