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OVERCOME THIS to CRUSH IT as a new programmer
1K views
Feb 6, 2024
"OVERCOME THIS to CRUSH IT as a new programmer" is a motivational video aimed at aspiring programmers who are facing challenges in their journey to becoming proficient in coding. The video likely addresses common obstacles such as imposter syndrome, self-doubt, frustration with learning curves, and feelings of being overwhelmed by the vastness of programming concepts and technologies. It may offer practical advice, encouragement, and strategies for overcoming these challenges, such as setting realistic goals, seeking support from mentors or online communities, practicing resilience, and celebrating small victories along the way. By sharing personal anecdotes and insights, the video aims to inspire and empower new programmers to persevere through difficulties and achieve success in their coding endeavors.
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0:00
I truly believe that becoming a software engineer is going to be life changing for other people
0:04
like it was for me. Before I ever started programming I was working construction and I was out on boats and barges
0:09
in the middle of winter time getting totally wet and cold and pretty miserable most of
0:14
the time and it was really hard physical work. But for my brain it just was incredibly boring and the only thing I had to look forward to
0:21
was playing chess with one of the supervisors during lunch but that only lasted until I
0:26
actually beat him one time and then he never wanted to play me again. Becoming a programmer completely changed all of that for me
0:31
It's still really hard work and many days I do come home and my brain is totally drained
0:35
and I've got the brain fog going on and I'm tired but I do really like what I've done
0:40
and what I've learned and the things that I've accomplished at work and I even get to
0:44
work indoors and as an added perk I was even able to 5x my pay
0:48
But if I'm being totally honest it was hard getting here and most people who start on
0:52
this journey just aren't going to make it. However before I go and kill your ambitions of becoming a self-taught programmer I want
0:58
to be very clear on something because I'm not trying to make you feel bad or dumb but
1:04
I am going to say it how it is. I want you to remember that even if you don't have the intelligence to become a software
1:09
engineer that doesn't mean that you aren't smart. You're probably just intelligent in different areas
1:14
For example a wood carver might not be able to code but both are still going to be making
1:19
thousands of small decisions that in the end are going to result in something amazing
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For one thing a lot of people are going to give up. The world most of us have grown up in has been pretty easy compared to our grandparents
1:30
as far as wealth and abundance goes. Schools are getting dumbed down and we have grown up with tons of rewards for little effort
1:36
We just aren't that super resilient and we want the instant dopamine rewards just like
1:41
we get when we're playing video games. Most people see the high salaries and the lifestyle that comes along with being a programmer
1:47
and they want it without having to do the work. Getting in is doable but it's hard
1:52
Getting a higher software engineer salary is also doable but it takes a lot of time
1:56
and a lot of work. You'll have to get really good at something to be able to compete for those higher paying
2:02
positions and this means that your first job is just the beginning
2:05
You're basically starting a journey of continuous learning and development of skills
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So what if you hate learning or if you get totally frustrated and upset, angry whenever
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you encounter a problem that you just don't know how to solve? Well then you're probably going to wash out
2:21
To get those promotions and to be able to grow your career, you're going to just have to work on harder and harder projects and so encountering situations or problems that
2:30
you don't know how to solve are just going to become a way of life. If figuring out hard problems is interesting to you, then you might stand a chance
2:38
Unless you're single or don't have a job and don't need to support a family or an expensive
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lifestyle then becoming a self-taught programmer is going to require a lot of sacrifices on
2:47
your part. There's probably some rare gifted people out there that just get programming with very
2:52
little effort but they're going to be the exception and not the rule
2:56
Most of us are going to have to spend a lot of time learning, practicing, building things
2:59
creating a portfolio of projects. I had to do this in the evening because I had to work to feed a family and I could have
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done it a lot faster if I'd had more time to spare but I just didn't
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That was not my reality. There's also a good chance that you're going to start to feel some pressure from family
3:13
and friends and people who just aren't going to see your vision and they're going to question
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the efforts that you're putting into it, especially when you don't have a lot to show after having spent months and months working on learning and becoming a programmer
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It's super easy to fold at this point and to give up. I mean, I even gave up on my first attempt at learning to program
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Another harsh reality you're going to have to accept is that you may not be smart enough to become a programmer
3:36
Each of us is different with different strengths, weaknesses. There will be people who are better than us and worse than us
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The chances of you being the best person or the worst person in the world is almost impossible
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But you might have a hard time becoming a programmer because your brain is just wired
3:49
in a way that makes it difficult to solve the problems we have to solve and to think
3:53
in the way that we have to think. This doesn't mean that you can't become a programmer but it does mean it might take
3:58
you a long time for you to get there and you might have to work slower than your peers
4:02
Are you okay with that? I mean, I feel like I've had a successful career and I'm okay not being the smartest
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person in the room. And I've worked with some really bright guys who can run circles around me but I've also
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worked around others who have struggled. So to succeed, you're just going to have to be able to stop comparing yourself to other
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people and you're going to have to focus on becoming your best self
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And learning all there is to know about programming isn't super helpful if you can't get your
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first job. This is where a ton of people wash out. Without actual experience or internships, it can be extremely difficult to get that
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first job. You have to have some experience and you have to be able to show that experience
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For some people, this might mean that you're going to end up spending time doing some free work out there or doing several side projects just to build up your portfolio
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Way too many people expect to have a job right out of boot camp. They just expect it to fall in their laps and this usually doesn't happen
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If it does, it's often because they either have a lot of luck or they have some connection
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that gives them an in into a job. I had to get really creative when I was starting out to get that initial experience and I talk
5:05
about that in another video that I'll leave in a link in the description below. Fortunately, there are a lot of things that you can do to improve the odds of getting
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that first coding job, but you got to be willing to really stick with it
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I mean, it may take you months. It may take you a year, but you just got to be persistent
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Unfortunately, a lot of people just aren't going to have that patience and that amount
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of persistence. They will spend all this time learning how to code and then they're just going to waste
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it because they're going to quit. Then there are those who actually make it. They get their first programming job
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They're totally excited and they work as a programmer for a year or two and then they quit because they did it for the money
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They ignored that nagging feeling that they just weren't interested in being a programmer
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If you don't like what you're doing, then it's just going to turn into another job and
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programming is going to be a hard job. You're probably better off following your interests and doing something that you like
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and enjoy
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