What Professional Software Engineers ACTUALLY Do

[@fknight]

🖥 Dev Notes Newsletter 👉www.devnotesdaily.com/ 📓 Studious, Notion Template for Students 👉notionstudent.com (limited time discount added at checkout)

[@savantofillusions]

Hey, Forrest! If I told you I resolved P=NP would you think I was lying?

[@goldenterryans]

thanks

[@tanjok23]

hi sir im still really young and im thinking of the future i want to decide between hardware engineer or software as of what i prefer is hardware but most people say software cuz i get more chances but i still dont know yet

[@xCreepa]

I worked 15 years slaving in a hot factory lifting heavy equipment nonstop all day, finally made the transition to software development and don't mind sitting inside a cool environment in front of a computer all day, don't mind at all.

[@bluebladex3]

Seriously. I haven't worked that bad as you but as a System Engineer/Sys Admin I've had to go to businesses and work 12 hour days getting physical infrastructure setup or work in 100 degree environments 40 feet in the air on scissor lifts switching out network switches or heavy ass UPSs I'd kill to be a SWE. I'm currently the process of switching over to SWE. If I shared my day as an IT engineer you'll see me walking 10k steps a day carrying heavy printers around or toning cables etc and switching shirts drenched with sweat and get yelled at for shit breaking or why a CEO can't attach a damn PDF and somehow it's my fault.

[@xCreepa]

@Bzake Online schooling, KZbin videos etc, instead of coming home watching Netflix I would study a few hours.

[@sethg5195]

@@xCreepa what did you learn in order to make it to a job? I run a lawn care business that I get payed very well for. I’ve been doing it for 2 years but I struggle to keep up with the heat and weather and many other variables. Coming from a similar background of hard labor without any A/C I can relate to wanting out. I’m looking at the Harvard CS50 course for starters but I’d like to know what else is necessary to make it onto a team.

[@jlr3739]

Learn data structures, principles of programming languages, and a few different programming styles (functional, object oriented). Then focus on learning the feature set of a couple of languages. I won’t lie, credentials go a long way toward getting you an interview, but understanding the fundamentals will get you the job. Good luck.

[@furaslaith6810]

@Bzake You’re not confused Buddy you are being judge mental

[@fknight]

This is an automated comment to display likes & dislikes for the video you're currently watching, since KZbin decided to disable the dislike count on videos. Views: 319886 Likes: 13570 Dislikes: 292 Ratio: 97.9% Last Updated: Dec-29-2021 KZbin, please don't ban or shadowban me. I learned how to do this from your own docs. Lol thanks.

[@nuynobi]

I wish they hadn't removed those stats. The absolute values aren't so important but the ratio of likes to dislikes is a very useful metric for users who don't want to waste their time on clickbait garbage. So thanks for doing this, and kudos for being (the good kind of) transparent.

[@kingoracle7757]

"as a software engineer, for your most of your life, you're going to be inside, sitting at a computer " me: thats the exact reason why i want to become a software engineer.

[@nwstraith]

Take care with having an ergonomic setup. I've developed back issues over my many years of sitting at a computer and know several colleagues who have had to quit the job because they develop health issues from sitting at a computer. Also work out. This is a very sedentary job. I've gone days where I've barely had to move since I'm working from home during covid. It's a problem I need to work on, but a friendly warning for ya.

[@rampagingteddy6671]

Same here. I even invested heavily on my setup and really enjoy staying on my computer

[@donjindra]

@@rampagingteddy6671 It's bad for your health and even your mind. You have to learn to force yourself to get physical occasionally during the day -- and not just walking from computer to kitchen..

[@rampagingteddy6671]

I'm not particularly unhealthy and do play my fair share of sports, I just enjoy being inside more than going out, is all

[@Everything00523]

@@nwstraith why aren't there just desks with adjustable heights, so that coders can stand or sit Or move slightly if they want to? Do u have such desks in ur Office?

[@slawomirtwardowski5909]

So true about the meetings. One time you feel like a hero, other times you feel like an absolute failure. I'm still learning how to best deal with the imposter syndrome. There's always someone who's light years ahead of you and it does things to your self-confidence.

[@supergobgoblin424]

Imposter syndrome is my daily life

[@DelrenGaming]

Extremely true, I work with mainly senior developers who've been programming for the last 5+ years, and I'm just a junior developer who's trying to rapidly learn the legacy code+ all the tools I've never seen in my life before that I've never heard of while being handed giant new features and expected to turn out results similar to that of the senior devs. My managers are like..."It feels like you've worked here for years...you've learned the system so fast..." and then once I get to actually implementing my solutions to the app I constantly feel like I'm making the wrong choices and that I'm not good enough to actually develop code.

[@benbray4982]

@@DelrenGaming How's it going now

[@muiziklp7064]

@@DelrenGaming yeah tell us

[@nwstraith]

Something I struggled with initially as a developer was separating out negative comments/feedback about my program from being negative comments about me. I was proud of my solutions, so when someone pokes holes in that beautiful vision and makes me realize how wrong it is, that's hard to face. What helps is to realize that you and the tester working with you are trying to make the best possible product. The end result is a team effort, so get over that insecurity and use it as an opportunity to learn and get better as a programmer.

[@jangriesel5056]

I feel you man - some very smart devs out there - and its weird I think most of them(us) suffer from Intruder syndrome in one form or another. I do waste a lot of time doubting myself and I hate it.

[@Futemire]

Exactly right, I encourage testers to try and break my code. Over time it makes you a better dev; not to mention, it's better to have it break in house than in a customer's use. lol Customers can be more brutal than your boss!

[@nwstraith]

@@Futemire I like to challenge myself to see if I can produce something for the testers that they can't break. It's like trying to write a program and having it run without exceptions on the first attempt. Nearly impossible, but so satisfying when it happens. :)

[@myname-mz3lo]

when i was a chef i started off like that and then when i got into fine dining i let go of that ego sode of things and just looked for learning opertunities . and that lesson helped me transition to software dev . youre suposed to allways try to be the dumbest person in the room . if you get corrected its a good sign that you found some competent people to surround yourself with .

[@tcclaviger]

Analysts often have the same problem, many never grow out of it. Challenging an analysis is often conflated with challenging the person's ability, buy in most cases the questions are mean to only assist the customer/client in understanding how and what the analysis actually means.

[@limeattack]

As a new professional dev, this was great. I definitely didn’t realized how rude some employers can be about code whilst also knowing nothing about how difficult it is.

[@TitaniumTronic]

Im 14 and consider computer science and becoming a software engineer as my dream job as of now... I am willing to study and spend my life in front of a computer and I think the pressure of a boss is the weakness that Im gonna have to deal with

[@estevesazeiteiro]

@@TitaniumTronic Work for yourself as soon as possible...

[@malik87breaker]

@@TitaniumTronic I don't want to discourage you to come into the field of computer science. So, if you are going to start on a school. Don't take a computer science field. Instead take some kinda engineering classes. Take a for instance, learn some coding in a language. That you are prepared for the "real world" jobs. So you can focus on what's important for your job. Also, get in contact with someone who has experience. And ask them for some mentorship. That way, you will come a long way. Just don't ask me. I haven't quite worked on that field. Just hoping i could give you a good direction. Good luck in your career :D

[@finmat95]

"We weren't made to be sitting at a deck" Me after 12 hours of gaming: "What?"

[@carlitodidthat]

Gaming is way different than programming lol my dream job would be getting paid to game

[@frskngd]

those are rookie numbers, do it double

[@telldo8016]

@@carlitodidthat Honestly speaking, I don't think playing 12-14h eSports hoping for results is fun at all and neither is the QA. It's just repetitive. Streamers can have hard time bringing new content to viewers daily. I guess nothing is easy in this world, we gotta find what feels the least heavy for ourselves so we can endure the effort required daily.

[@yfchina143]

Programming is harder, like he said you spend energy solving problems constantly for 4-6 hours. While gaming is more like chill time, but if you play boring puzzle solving games for hours, you’ll probably feel tried too

[@salvattoredegiusti7416]

only 12??

[@Estorium]

I suffer heavily from imposter syndrome despite being a software developer for over 20 years. I would say the most difficult part is trying to stay ahead of developments with architecture and programming languages. I always feel that there is so much that I don't know and this just feeds into me feeling like an imposter.

[@unde1fdswad]

I know exactly what you are talking about. Every time I get a new project, the client's expectations are very high. After all, they pay a lot of money for an expert and I stand there and think: wtf do they want from me? You are there to solve their problem ... break the problem into small pieces. We are programmers and should be able to code but first and foremost we are problem solvers and not magicians.

[@jonathane6859]

Sus

[@IsraelLlerena]

What’s your favorite Gaga song ?

[@DamianKleiman]

This is so true. I've been programming for over 15 years and I still have imposter syndrome sometimes. And tech changes so fast now that its really hard to be up to date on everything (I would say impossible).

[@yogsothoth00]

imposter syndrome is such a humble brag first world problem lol

[@danieltrejo4262]

I work for a major software company as a Software Engineer, and I can tell you the feeling of going to stand up without much progress is one of the worst feelings. When it happens I feel so incompetent and worry if my team thinks I'm unprofessional or not qualified enough for the job. It really does have an impact on my self esteem. People don't talk about it, but the industry can be really detrimental to one's mental health. Being inside all day looking at a computer, trying to solve problems under deadlines that might not be realistic, and constantly having to come up with new ideas every day is taxing. I feel like my brain is mush by the end of the day and I can't even think straight because problems from work are still in my head, and I keep trying to solve them. Maybe I'm not cut out for this industry, I know people who have no issue keeping up, but many of them take PTO and extended breaks to offset the burn out. Coding is fun, working for a software company might not 🤣 but it depends on the company and people you work with. Good luck to everyone on this path, I hope you find a job you enjoy and don't feel like I do. 😁👌

[@hansoy8208]

Thanks a lot for sharing it man! It may look a little down but these are exactly the experiences we also need to hear, not just how the days are always sunny in every software engineer job. As a student dev, I'd greatly consider each company's work culture before working...

[@GravitySmashify]

I'm glad that the company I work for emphasizes cooperation and teamwork instead of everyone needing to "be a hero". I understand the value of drilling down and finding bugs/solutions by yourself, because it can teach you a lot. However it's great to feel comfortable to communicate with your team about struggles and bounce ideas off of each other. I feel that type of culture helps people stay on the right track and avoid the feeling of wasting time because you went down the wrong path.

[@ChristopherCricketWallace]

You are singing my song. I've been doing this work of near 20 years. I love the WORK; but hate the JOB because of everything you just mentioned and the interview process when job hunting.

[@adipurnomo5683]

I am sorry to hear that bro.

[@adipurnomo5683]

@@ChristopherCricketWallace what company did you in?

[@samwebb585]

Here's my opinions on being a software engineer (which I am). Pro: Flexible hours, no fixed location, great being able to problem solve, writing code can be beautiful, great pay. Con: Flexibility implies ups and downs - hours can be so long. Spending a week trying to fix something someone with fresh eyes just answered in two lines of code. Changing requirements 20 minutes before go-live. Nothing comes for free - big salaries expect big results. Also, so many exams and technologies to keep up with. All that said I find it to be a challenging and rewarding role that keeps you humble and allows you to learn on the job. Plus, fixing something you've been struggling with for a few days? No feeling like it.

[@fknight]

Great insight! Thank you for sharing.

[@etonitonga6300]

Awesome, thank you! I am going back to school to learn CS or SE stuff.

[@michaelw7327]

What if you end up never being able to solve the problem?? Cause I’m a big newbie and I always need peoples help to finish an assignment. Should I still go into this field even though I have this problem??

[@samwebb585]

@@michaelw7327 EVERYONE NEEDS HELP! No matter how senior you are, there’s always an occasion where you just hit the wall. Remember - everyone Googles answers, it’s just the threshold gets higher as you get more experienced. The other thing to remember is that good work ethic often goes a long way when you are stuck. Do you go straight to someone for help, or do you deconstruct the problem, researching potential solutions and trying to identify the issue? If you can do that, you will do fine as a dev.

[@wg3771]

@@samwebb585 awesome advice. I finish my degree and i finally got a job offer. i am super happy. I will do my best

[@fatimatmercury6859]

Gosh couldnt have described it better..that feeling when you are stressed and cant figure shit out and that makes you more stressed and there you are stuck in a cycle

[@Michael-tj1dq]

Thank for an honest take on coding, after working over 10 years in construction/mining working in the AC and not breaking my back in freezing or crazy heat sounds nice. I am on the path of learning to code doing the self-taught route and I come to KZbin once a day to hear someone's take on software engineering good or bad as a slight boost in motivation. Thank you for this video.

[@alexaneals8194]

I will say this. I worked in construction and outdoor jobs before beginning a 20+ year career in software engineering. At first I did not miss the construction work, but after while I started to miss it. I just realized that I was too old to go back to construction. I began to miss being out in the weather and at least seeing what was going on outside instead of four cubicle walls.

[@lukmanalghdamsi3189]

can you give us an update about your journey?

[@AG7SM]

I'm a retired software developer. I started in the mid '80's, and worked steadily until retirement. What you describe is accurate. And for me, the most important part you covered was the frustration. I tell people that if you cannot handle the feeling of being an idiot, you aren't going to make it. If you are given a problem no one in the company has solved yet, until you actually solve it, you are going to feel like an idiot. And let's say you DO solve the problem? It's a great feeling. A triumphant feeling that makes up for the rest. But then, what's the reward for solving a hard problem? They give you another hard problem. So you get 5 minutes of feeling like a genius, and then you are back to not knowing how to solve the problem. If I managed to get something done on a Friday, I tended to pace myself so I could leave for the weekend (if I was able to take the weekend off) with that triumphant feeling. And then Sunday rolls around, and I start thinking about what I'm going to have to hit the ground running with on Monday. Of course, all those plans would be destroyed after two hours at work on Monday, as something else will come up that required my attention. There's always something else that requires your attention. You can get a million things done in a day, but if none of them were the things you planned on doing, you are going to feel like you didn't actually get anything done. I loved my job. I loved the challenges, the continual learning, and especially hanging out with very smart people. But there are certain parts of it that I am very glad to be done with.

[@ameerihsan7397]

Why no replies?

[@M3StudioLA]

@@ameerihsan7397 It's TOO REAL for them.... lol

[@olgabedash5669]

Thank you! I am glad to hear that it will be better when i retire)))

[@CottidaeSEA]

Some things never change. I recently went live with a system, then was told by the product owner to adjust a major integral part of it, and it had to be done (and work) in two days. It was... a massive pain, but the end result was without any doubt better.

[@qbrown8753]

You complaining about what? Stop crying… be a man

[@artificialsoundwaves]

I recently got my foot in the door at IBM, and I've experienced much of what's described in this video. I feel really good when I report great days during the DSU, but I feel extremely low when I have bad days. The bad days can make you feel like the good days don't mean anything, but for me it's because I take a lot of pride and joy in my work. If there's any new engineers out there looking to make a career as a dev, don't fall into the trap of trying to overanalyze your problem or memorize syntax. It's a fool's errand. Give yourself permission to fail fast and learn from your mistakes. That feeling you get when everything works out? It never goes away and will always be there throughout your career. But that feeling you get when everything isn't working out? It never goes away and will always be there throughout your career. Accept this truth, be kind to yourself, and grow. You literally cannot grow and get better if you're not brave enough to fail sometimes. After all, how many times does a skateboarder hit their groin learning to do a kickflip? And how many more times do you think it happens? Do you think it stops just because they get better at landing kickflips? You get the idea here...

[@damianzevp]

In short, it's just like 90% of jobs, there are good days and bad days, like in life.

[@Neffins]

Are the other 10% of jobs always good or always bad then?

[@GTRKT-qr5sf]

@@Neffins pretty much yes. There are jobs where 100% of the work isn't enjoyable. Especially if you end up in an industry that you have no interest in...

[@zipzapzipzap6859]

oh, I've had a job where every day is a bad day

[@AndrewHillard1]

@@Neffins if you ever work in a warehouse youll figure out the answer to that question lol

[@Neffins]

@@AndrewHillard1 Yeah I realized that here in my country warehouse work isn't even that bad of a job, but completely forgot to take into account a job such as Amazon warehouse workers in the USA.

[@marcjohnson5991]

I appreciate you raising awareness of the more challenging or difficult aspects of the job The task anxiety and the mental drain you described feels very familiar to me as a developer of 15+ years

[@followpawl]

Having worked as a Software-Developer for 10 years and being a Scrum Master for 4 years now, i get what you mean by "pressure" and "bad feelings" during the standup. Especially when i have tried to solve a bug for more than two or three days. Buts thats exactly the point with standup meerings. They are by no means for reporting to your boss, rather to adress your problems and get help from your colleagues. If you are able to shut down your ego, you can ask for help and then fix things together. Thats much more fun than being anxious about the next daily standup and having nothing to show.

[@fknight]

I understand, but still can't help the feeling of being thought of a certain way by others due to unsuccessfully completing a task. Which the opinions of others don't bother me, but coming clean to the boss about not completing a task that he may see as simple... well that's a bit different. And I always have this question with that notion about standups - wouldn't you want to ask for help when you need it, rather than waiting for the next standup?

[@iride56s]

@@fknight you wait until tomorrow to ask a question

[@xoangelesxo]

Scrum master here, you don't have to wait until stand up to bring up a blocker. I am so grateful my team will reach out to me and to others on the team when experiencing a blocker. I'm sorry you don't feel safe enough to share.

[@TheEugevanz]

O how I wish you told me that a year ago

[@TopDawgSportsClips]

How do you like being a scrum master?

[@Expendable1]

I've been a developer for almost 5 years now. I can agree with a lot of this. I've noticed different managers can drastically alter how you view the work day. Some will be understanding if you discover some complication that means the task will take longer. Some will understand that it will take more hours but turn around, say you're salaried and expect you to work over a weekend.

[@jkf16m96]

I'm becoming really proficient at measuring my time estimates to avoid that. My coworkers have been making extra hours, not paid, so I decided to give myself in the daily meeting, the time estimate of the feature, with the precision of this estimate (I would say it is imprecise if there are more variables I haven't counted for, or it is realistic when I definitely already read the code) the details I know about the requirement, and the help I would need (stored procedures, already existing services, etc). I only made extra hours yesterday, because I didn't count the variables of "technical debt" and the apparently trivial feature turned out to be the hardest to implement at the current state of code. BUT it was my time estimate, I shoot my own foot, but I'll gladly accept it, I should have counted more variables and say it would take until Wednesday.

[@recarsion]

From about 15 years of age I wanted to be a software developer. And now that I am one, my heart is breaking because in every moment I spend coding stuff that I just don't care about, I feel my passion evaporating. I don't even remember when I last coded anything for fun. It's not fun anymore, it became work.

[@fknight]

I'm sorry to hear that. That's a realization that's all too relatable. Sometimes it's better to keep your hobbies as hobbies.

[@GergiH]

Same dude... same. I'll never get the saying "make your passion your job and you won't have to a day in your life". Every hobby of mine I turned into work made it miserable. It's not even the coding that's bad but the projects themselves and all the corporate bullshit around them.

[@jorgetp9089]

Think of an app / game idea that would be cool, and freaking do it in your free time. Dont work extra hours or stay a single minute more in your 9 to 5. Go home early, make sure you have time to spare and start doing your project. It's just like that how i can stand maintaining client's web apps which i dont care a single **** about.

[@Scragg-]

Just look at it this way. You have a relatively low effort way to make a good amount of money with relatively low stress. This frees up your mind for other things you can do in your free time, music, art, sports, games, etc ... you have one of the most sought after jobs in the world. No job is perfect, and almost every job is work. At least you aren't destroying your body doing a hard labor or service job.

[@jamaicancoder6278]

@@Scragg- What would be the best job then or how can developers maximize their health since they sit in front the computer for so long?

[@lyonn5]

I've been a developer since 2002, and without blowing smoke, I'm a dang good programmer (like, the go-to guy for when you can't figure something out). And you nailed how I feel about standups. Especially as someone with ADHD whose productivity level can vary wildly from day to day. Standups are always stressful for me.

[@yeetyeetyeet1967]

How do you do this with adhd? I feel like if i cant figure something out after 2 minutes ive forgotten about it entirely and am thinking about something else

[@coreyalexbarker]

@@sommertadano7481 we're out there, and as long as you aren't in a toxic workplace, you'll likely find that your unique perspective on problem solving can be a valuable skill that your team will appreciate

[@tunod-]

@@yeetyeetyeet1967 Cant believe him having ADHD either. Sure we're good at problem solving but a lot of us suffer from this memory thing. Can't remember anything for more than a day. And it's not like it's gone because as soon as someone mentions it im like ''ooooh yea'' and then I remember. But it needs to get triggered for some reason.

[@minecraft4life525]

The feeling of having your body fully rested since you technically didn't move a muscule the whole day, but your head is practically dead so simple things like making a salad seem like rocket science.

[@relaxin2074]

Good pun there with rocket

[@mikavinci]

i really appreciate how articulate and genuine you are dude. love to hear your advice, about work AND life

[@NotDJz]

I sharing this video with my PM and other managers in my company. It lays out very well aspects they dont seem to understand sometimes

[@adnanjpg]

the worst part is when you have a PM who has walked the engineering road before but still does not understand these obstacles

[@LongBoy.0]

Haha be careful man

[@lukeRstrickland]

hey man just wanted to say that I really enjoy the lighting in your videos. im a working photographer/cinematographer with coding as a hobby, and the warm lighting you use is a perfect escape from the harsh, clinical cooler temp lighting littered all over these types of videos. makes concentrating on and viewing a lot nicer :). also great content obviously!

[@punkrockprogrammer7217]

One important point is what it is like to "settle in" and become more knowledgeable on the the codebase you are working on. Rarely, does anybody with less than 12 months on a single codebase truly understand what is happening with it.

[@Scragg-]

Depends on the scope of the project and the tech they are using. And whether or not the engineers who built it actually cared if they did it right or not.

[@dantedt3931]

That's an important point. Understanding the codebase is very crucial, especially when things break. It makes it easier to navigate and troubleshoot.

[@TehKarmalizer]

@@Scragg- what was right at the time may be a horrifying mess in 6 years.

[@Starkillr1]

Coding a job where you need to stay at your mom‘s house for free to get experience

[@wexi4123]

I'm a 17 year old, I live in Germany and since I was 12 I said that I will be a programmer. Ever since I've kept my word and I will go to the university for programming/computer science. I am motivated to do this because that is our future and I know that I will get payed well. I was thinking about working for a company for some time and then later in my life I would try to have my own company. I am also mentally prepared for this kind of work and most of the stuff that come with it. Thank you for the video, it really helps me to be prepared for what I want to do in my life

[@chillwavefrequency8108]

I think this is a good mindset for a Software Engineer! Good luck Wexi!

[@wexi4123]

@@chillwavefrequency8108 Thank you very much

[@she_she12]

Dude that’s so cool I’m also going into software eng this year hopefully everything goes well

[@wexi4123]

@@she_she12 Thanks man, I wish you luck as well

[@she_she12]

@@wexi4123 Thank you

[@itsbazyli]

I'm a Senior Staff Engineer with over 15 years of experience in various roles and company sizes (from 5-person startup to a corporation). I can confirm that there's times when work doesn't feel good, and your description is somewhat applicable. However your point on work being very structured and having little creativity and control is really dependent on the company and your role in it. If you're building user-facing applications, say you're tasked with building KZbin, then yes - you'll generally have much less control over what you build, as that's usually decided by designers and product managers, and engineers are mostly tasked with the implementation of the fully fleshed-out idea, and its maintenance - your creativity will be severely limited. This experience can be radically different if you work in a small startup, where you get to make a lot of the major & creative decisions, because there's just not that many people to tell you otherwise. Alternatively, if you're at a larger company in a team whose main customers are other engineers, you usually have a lot more creative control too. In such case, rather than being tasked with implementing a highly specific set of features, you might be given a general "problem" (or maybe even you're the one who discovers the problem in the first place!), and you get to think of a solution for it, either alone or in a tight team - and then potentially create an internal product, over which you have full creative control - there's usually no product managers or designers that will dictate anything. It's almost as if you're creating a company within a company, but you get to manage it. Though instead of fundraising, you need to worry about convincing your stakeholders that this project is worth the time. These creations can be very rewarding, especially when you directly see the impact you're making with what you've built. One of such projects of mine was recently highlighted by fellow engineers to our IP council, and I now have a patent pending for it. Of course, it's not all roses. One thing you didn't mention is that in a software engineer's life there will be very distinct periods of different type of work - especially the higher you are in the hierarchy. For example, sometimes there will be weeks when you do almost zero coding - you focus on things like planing a quarter, writing documentation, making architectural diagrams, communicating with people, researching problems, rolling out new features, reviewing bugs reported by customers, recruiting/reviewing resumes/conducting interviews, doing code reviews for others, etc. These weeks are usually quite draining for me. But then if you're lucky, you might have other weeks where you have almost no interruptions, and can "lock in", get in the zone and just code/problem-solve/create. If a problem is challenging enough, these are the most rewarding times as a software engineer, and at least for me, it's sometimes hard to stop working those days, because of the excitement of progress that you're making. As for stand-up stress... I think this will depend on the culture in your company. If you work for a good company, you will see that absolutely everyone has those moments of struggle. Even the best super-star engineers. Everyone underestimates the amount of time things take. Everyone struggles with some issues, sometimes issues that might seem absolutely mundane. It just becomes a fact of life. And then you don't feel as bad anymore, in fact, you feel supported by your fellow programmers, because everyone understands what PITA solving some problems can be. You can have what seems like the simplest bug that you plan to solve in 2 hours, and be stuck on it for a whole week. And that's okay. If you plan well, you have some buffer time for exactly those situations. But once you do figure it out, you can share your findings and feel like a hero. Considering the high pay grade, I think software engineering is still one of the better jobs to have - but only if you're in a company that lets you express yourself and offers good life-work balance (i.e. the pressure you feel is mostly coming from yourself, because you care about the outcome, not because you're worried about loosing your job).

[@twoeftwo]

What a great comment. Thank you.

[@miguellombertlora2648]

Reaaally thanks

[@olaitanadesoji3719]

This was very interesting to read

[@Mister5597]

" You can have what seems like the simplest bug that you plan to solve in 2 hours, and be stuck on it for a whole week" This is the truest statement.

[@snowy686]

Thank you so much for making this comment. :) Some of the things he considered "bad" in this video made me incredibly more hyped towards my decision to choose this path although he did bring up some very strong points. However, hearing someone else's view on the matter really helped give a more deep understanding of the culture, ups, downs and whatnot. I'm now more sure than ever that software engineer is the perfect job for me, thank you!

[@user-xj7ms2hy7l]

Thank you for this video. I am studying mechanical engineering and before this video I had felt bad sometimes and wondered if I have picked wrong career. This video opened my eyes and I learned that I like programming but only if I do my projects as a hobby at home while not being stressed if I can't fix something...Thank you once again.

[@alanbailie5458]

Been a software engineer, then tech lead, and now moved up to Solutions Architect and I can honestly say that my happiest time was as a tech lead, this new role has too many meetings and I don't get as much opportunity to get my hands dirty actually implementing the solutions I design.

[@mooshy5944]

I’m on the same path at the moment, currently at tech lead. It’s a good balance of “having a say” and being able to code as well. But I will definitely hate having more meetings than I do now.

[@johnwig285]

Oh yea ofc because a Solutions Architect would definitely handle a lot of business aspect e.g. requirements analysis, design.

[@ramielkady938]

Architects implement POCs on big projects or even produce architectural design document and leave implementation to tech leads ... kiss coding good bye ... trust me it is for the best.

[@Starkillr1]

Everything you just said, has no meaning in the real world

[@alanbailie5458]

@@Starkillr1 in what sense? My only assertion was that I preferred being a tech lead, which is an entirely subjective opinion so has basis in my 'real world'

[@Mordant.Melodys]

Subbed. Thanks man. Working toward getting into this field. I’ve worked military and law enforcement my whole life. I need to make actual money. I’m tired of getting hurt, and hurting my psyche for low money. So low that I can’t save and I can’t eat sometimes because it’s between me and my daughter. I like that you discuss some of the mental stuff. It gives me a chance to be proactive about some of the difficult and unique struggles of this position. I want to be successful and I believe this field seems exciting so I am going to try my hardest to break into it, and I feel more equipped now after your video, to mentally prepare for some of the challenges

[@gdvdw2256]

Thanks Forrest, I really appreciate you not only covering the advantages but also some of the draw backs of what we do as software engineers. I just watched your video after taking a 3 hour nap. This man is 100% correct when he says it might not be physically labor intensive, but that mental drain hits hard after a long day. A word of advice to al SWE make time for afternoon breaks or naps even if it is only 20min in the long run your mental health is going to thank you.

[@Mustis1524]

"SWE" is also an abbreviation for sweden and at first I was really confused why this advice only applied to swedish people :D

[@zach9538]

I think this is just tech in general, the mental drain of deadlines and constant engineering questions is exhausting. I was always blue collar up until 5 years ago, and it is a completely different kind of exhaustion.

[@EcomADcreatives]

Appreciate the people who took time to explain their great experience in comments section Thank you very much all

[@kishornair7027]

a 100% agree with this guy ,i am a fresher and i work with a team of experienced kollegues ,and during standup when i couldnt acheive the task which i was assigned to ,it demotivates me ... also the mental drain is for real it quickly makes us exhausted and sleepy

[@eddieoconnor4466]

I have never experienced that side of it....but I'd like to....as for the demotivation....I always look at: you must have SOMETHING to offer else they'd not have hired you....find your strengths...and amplify them!!

[@Kilopillz]

Me toooooooo I get soo discouraged..

[@steve00alt70]

Are you moving your body?

[@FefyGT]

yes stand up meeting are total crap, they just remove the fun and productivity as well. I hate that corporates believe that we work best when stressed and uncomfortable, it is so untrue.

[@drygordspellweaver8761]

@LDM lol they don’t “have busy days”- they hired you as a code monkey because they know they can overwork you and you’ll still keep going. As they say about fresh grads “you can put your foot on their head and they’ll still swim.”

[@bryantwooters4216]

As someone who just got their first software engineering internship, this video is so relatable and I appreciate you looking at the reality of being a software engineer. It makes me feel better reading all of these comments that I'm not alone in this struggle.

[@liyanakhan6883]

I am planning of becoming a software engineer? How is the work? Do you recommend that job or do you think there are better alternatives? Please let me know when you are comfortable ☺️

[@Starkillr1]

You got an internship? I can get a CDL in 6 months and they at least have a 5K sign on bonus youre telling me you been as nerd coding your whole life down the drain, and you dont even have the balls to get paid? Letting them treat you like this shows that youll bend down and tuck your balls into your pussy and walk around like a little fag saying yes sir and sucking cock for brownie points.

[@AhsanNadeem00]

Thanks for giving a 100% transparency into the professional lives of software engineers, my friend. Every field has its ups and downs, but it always comes down to your passion and you should follow it, despite all the odds.

[@casualrich-lifeiseasy4921]

video starts at:8:34

[@kaimanic]

Thank you

[@Sly1020]

Wow half the video dam

[@makiavelosmusic1725]

😂😂

[@bongumusaM.]

I saw your comment flashing man and I had to look for it because you are right😭

[@Unidentifiedflyinghuman-2gt]

😂😂

[@christianbaer2897]

Most important thing to say as a software developer/engineer "Why?" I stopped counting the times, I asked why a feature was requested. More often then not, "User Stories"/Feature Requests are written with the technical solution in mind. But a non techie came up with the "technical solution" So ask "What are we trying to accomplish here?". Ask this a lot. Ask this always.

[@ericritter46]

Hahaha and a lot of times it's because they forgot that feature was already implemented in some way years ago and forgot about.

[@hazelnut2002]

yep, sometimes it feels like it's 80% of the job but it's the most important question there is

[@pirga19]

I don't know any good programmers that aren't having fun doing it. So, now that's that settled, here come the difficult parts. Staying healthy, staying humble, staying positive, not envying smarter people, not getting disheartened if you make some mistakes, learning new stuff. Keep these things in order and you'll have a good life as a programmer.

[@darkprogram]

I've been a software dev for about 4 years, across 3 companies, and this is pretty much on point. I feel like the amount of "actual work" you can do in a day is not talked about nearly enough. After 6 hours of regular work (and I mean work, not breaks, but actual research/analysis/thinking of solutions/coding) my focus nosedives hard, so having to be two more hours on the office at that point was very unpleasant, because at that point you can either try to do menial tasks (which usually get just automated anyway), pretend to work, or do "work" you'll need to undo the next day because you're not thinking straight. Make it 4 hours if the work is specially hard or specially tedious or demotivating (like working on something you know it's gonna get scrapped or should be done in a different way). Also, even if you like the project you work on, the fact that you have little control over it, and you MUST work on it every damn day the whole day gets to you. So many times I wake up, feeling like I really want to work on anything BUT the thing I have to work on: it's not that you feel lazy, it's just that you get sick of it. If you get little enough control, you'll stop thinking "i'm gonna work on this feature today" and will start thinking "what bullshit do they want me to finagle today for arbitrary reasons?". Oh, and the "reporting when you have no results" thing, it is awful. Specially when you work from home, you get the feeling they're gonna think you spent all day playing videogames instead of banging your head against a problem. I like coding. I don't hate my job. I think the project is interesting. But man, do I hate all the strings attached to it.

[@80too23]

I've been a software engineer for 24 years. I'm tired to my bones. It's a tiredness that's with me always now... it feels like it's permanent! I think the industry is much worse now than when I got into it. Back in the day you could be an expert in a specific field e.g. SQL DBA. Now you have know about 7 languages and also be an expert in UI, UX, SQL DBA, server-side coder, tech-support, architect, business analyst, a sounding bored for every client to facilitate their thinking... etc...

[@bloodgain]

The feeling caused by daily standups is because being required to talk about what you did every single day is _violent transparency._ That's not what standups are supposed to be for -- they're supposed to be for coordinating on meeting the immediate goals to get people "unstuck" and remove impediments -- but that's what they **always** become. Unless you have an incredible team with almost flawless trust and forgiveness, it's anxiety-inducing. If you're already prone to being anxious, as many SWEs are, it will crush you under its weight. This is one of several criticisms I have of Scrum and the way Agile is usually done in general. People will usually come to its defense and say "but that's not how Scrum is supposed to be done". A good analogy I've heard of that is that it's nitroglycerin. At some point, you can't just keep saying, "it'd be good if they would just use it better". At some point, you have to admit the volatility is the flaw, not the users. Luckily, I've found that if you're at all useful, you can more or less just refuse to participate in the standups, and for the most part, everyone will put up with it. Some people will make comments about it once in a while, but there are rarely any real consequences. I send out updates by email (or Slack, or Teams, or whatever) when I have something new to say or I have a problem/question I need input on. I wish I could take credit for the term "violent transparency", but it comes from a semi-famous, but controversial, article criticising Agile and especially Scrum by Michael O. Church. You can find it if you search a bit. I don't fully agree with his criticisms, but I do agree with some of them, and he makes good points about how software developers are kind of abused by the systems we participate in. We should really push back more, or at least demand to be paid even better to put up with it, so we can at least choose to "retire" to escape the stress of it after 15 or 20 years.

[@কাঁঠালেরআমসত্ত্ব]

How bad the stand up will be mainly depends on the team lead. If he/she is into micro management life will be difficult. Helping people to get unstuck by sharing knowledge is the theoritical benefit that most often doesn't come into fruition at stand ups.

[@chauchau0825]

Because Scrum is not Agile and most people confuse Scrum with Agile. They are simply doing religous ritual with out thinking. You can't reason with a cargo cult member.

[@bloodgain]

@@কাঁঠালেরআমসত্ত্ব What's a team lead? Scrum doesn't have team leads! I'm being facetious, of course; I know what a team lead is. But part of Scrum is the idea that the team is made up of equals. It's a nice concept, but unrealistic in most cases. True, the PO shouldn't be bossing the team around, and one should -- and I _have_ -- pushed back on a PO that was acting too much like a manager. Although that said, even a good manager won't boss his SWEs around; he's there to protect them from external pressures and let them focus on the product and offer a decision when somebody has to take on that responsibility.

[@bloodgain]

@@chauchau0825 Scrum is sold as Agile, though, and in theory, it meets the definition. It allows for quick turnaround and response. It (supposedly) reduces the churn of a pure Chaotic Agile approach by saying "that can wait until the next sprint", but otherwise, it's designed specifically to meet the goals of Agile. Now, we can, of course, debate whether it's Agile in practice. I'd probably agree that it quite often isn't. But we could further debate whether "Agile" is really agile in practice. I like to use the term "AINO" -- Agile In Name Only -- to describe what most projects and companies call Agile. That doesn't mean that there aren't good lessons to take from it, though. The OG version of Agile, Extreme Programming (XP), has some excellent rules of thumb for software developers to follow, even if you're not "doing" XP.

[@shaunmahon3355]

I've watched a lot of these "what software engineers do" videos, and this is by far the best explanation. Very well laid out.

[@MrRocksW]

Interruptions are one of the biggest issues in my job: - you get a lot of interruptions from other teammates. It's very easy to waste your day on "non project" but still necessary work. - you will probably have oncall work. This can interrupt you during the workday or at night

[@ltacid]

I have been a Software Engineer for 16 years. Great advice! I have found a lot of KZbin videos sugar coating what "a day in the life of a software engineer" really is. It is not all bad, it is just like everything in life... full of good and bad moments. The tricky part is learning to appreciate the good moments more and not letting the bad moments get into your head.

[@caspererasmus7480]

You are the first person on YT speaking the truth for us software developers/engineers. Most frustrating things are not the development although some days are very tough, is the "other" things... changing requirements, unreasonable users, doing tasks other people are responsible for, people that should just go sell ice cream on the corner, incompetence, ineptness etc.

[@Starkillr1]

He didnt show a single second of him actually working

[@jkf16m96]

​​​@@Starkillr1 it usually can't happen since a lot of us sign a non-disclosure agreement. Even im afraid of sharing pictures of my code in a group of friends in case any of them decided to meme it and years later i face unwanted consequences lmao. So, almost every KZbinr either codes in an opensource software, a personal project or a simple demo. And the video is more about how enterprise software development is like.

[@Alan.livingston]

20 years in. Was so burned out from the relentless grind of the scrum team sausage maker. Decided I needed a change and I’ve been a consultant for the last six months. The time away has reinvigorated me. All I think about is getting back into a proper team.

[@thethirdtomas3]

I believe I’ve really lucked out with the company I work for. Stand up every other day, and very comfortable amount of capacity each sprint. The work/life balance is amazing. I don’t really stress out, and I’ve been able to complete 99% of task assigned.

[@jamaicancoder6278]

where do you work?

[@thethirdtomas3]

A grocery store company in Texas

[@wrawler]

@@thethirdtomas3 😂

[@ImShelly.]

This video is a great indicator of why I've decided to try to become a software developer. Ever since I was a kid (I'm 18 now), I have wanted to work at a triple AAA game company, working on games that I love to play. However, after a lot of research about how difficult it is to get into that field compared to software engineering, which I also enjoy, I wanted to keep that as a hobby/passion, rather than work. This video has just made me realize even more that that is a good decision. I love coding in general, which is why I think being a software engineer while keeping my real passion, coding video games, to the side, will work out.

[@Indo-Aryan9644]

😂You are literally like myself, Just curious how is it going for you?😅

[@azerothll]

Hi, I've been a developer for 20 years, and i'm now the CTO of my own company; and what i can tell you, is that every day is a battle that i'm almost sure i'll lose. Not only am i still struggling on my coding sometimes, but I've also to act competent in front of my employees and coworker at all time so that they don't panic. It's really nerve breaking, but in the end, it's still my dream job and i don't think i would like to do anything else. (sometimes i ask myself if i'm not some kind of masochist :D)

[@trevidia]

😂😂😂 you aren't a masochist

[@LaVerdad65]

Yeah sure sounds like a dream job.......

[@fauredaniel57]

Great video, @ForrestKnight! For me, working as a developer is something that happens while sitting at the computer, but also at many other moments: walking by the street, listening to music (in a concentrated way), talking with a friend, etc. The best ideas, even, the finding of the more difficult bugs may occur far away from the computer, when my mind is relaxed. In this sense, it's almost impossible to have an accurate measure of the entity "hour of development".

[@ayubhaji2441]

The way I think about it, as a now freshman in my CS degree is after (hopefully) getting some internship experiences and working up the skills I need to freelance myself and create my own business. So learn from working with a corporate job with an end goal of building your skills and learning new stuff that could possible help you in your future business idea sounds like a good one for me. That just the way I see it, I'm sure others would agree some extent that this idea might be similar to their goals.

[@vpsaxman]

Freelance work is extremely stressful. I'm not sure I would consider it less stressful than working a corporate job.

[@hukunamutata]

My exact thoughts

[@lukemawson1027]

Thanks dude. Finding, knowing of problem areas, and overcoming is all life is about. Problem solving is 100% the most important task we can do in life, it is literally what coding is right? Being realistic about one’s goals, and knowing the problems you will face, are the first step to any task so thanks for sharing the hard stuff. ❤️

[@kylewelch2146]

perfect video forest. as a software engineer, i do enjoy my job and i’m glad to work for a company that’s very lenient and easy going. however, it’s still not all sunshine and rainbows (especially when you gotta product that’s launching , those couple of weeks are ROUGH).

[@Cain532.]

It's rare that I hear people flip the old saying "You'll never work a day in your life..." I had a college professor tell me that YEARS ago and it always stuck with me. I appreciate your candor on this subject! Thank you!

[@lodiac]

I loved your video. It really feels good to relate to people. Agile methodologies are meant to be AGILE AND FLEXIBLE people and some incompetent managers take "the rules" literally. Managing a team doesn't just include the estimations and priorities... it include also managing humans and the enviroment. I believe what makes a smart manager for example if a task was estimated(technical) at 2 hours a smart manager will consider it a 4 or 6 hours task, you should have room for human error and emergencies in your planning with business teams. Do not be naive you are supposed to protect your team and create a good enviroment not work against them to the point of everybody hating you.

[@FernandoTakeshiSato]

I think everyone's experiences will vary greatly, but one thing I can say from my own which I know rings true is that, due to the sheer demand for skilled software engineers, we get to truly steer our careers consciously. Having worked in numerous companies in three different countries is one of the things I do not take for granted about what this job gives / allows me to do. Cheers!

[@zicesick8870]

Would you recommend this to a person like me who is looking for a profession to take care of his family and progress in life is the pay good and is there a future in it?

[@FernandoTakeshiSato]

@@zicesick8870 don't take a stranger's opinion on the interwebs too seriously... but if you have a good mind for logical thinking and the idea of spending hours on end in front of a computer doesn't sound too bad, then it might be a good fit for you. Pay and career prospects are great, if you're good at it.

[@stcosyem]

I was really lucky with my internship this last summer. My team was really supportive and gave me tasks of varying difficulty but usually expected it to take me anywhere from 1.5-2x longer than the other developers. Some tasks took even longer. Honestly I really enjoyed it and hope to go back with that company once I graduate in the Spring, it was that good of an experience.

[@NgocLe-sf9jk]

If you don't mind me asking, what company did you intern for?

[@stcosyem]

@@NgocLe-sf9jk university of Phoenix. It was 100% remote

[@okidokiyowyow356]

That's nice. Im an intern too and most of my task are easy and teammate are helpful on code review.

[@Spartanspark404]

What are some tips you guys have for applying towards an internship? I’m 17 and it’s my last year of high school and I want to go into CS knowing what lies ahead. I know I’m gonna have to apply to an internship with a company so I just wanna get some tips down.

[@davidsellers1619]

I could not agree more. I've been developing for sometime and like you said, no two projects are the same. Most of the work is "throw-away" code while you try to refine the work by making it "look pretty", document the logic as well as trying to implement methods you've recently learned. Not to mention you are "coding" when you are nowhere near a computer.

[@horacinis]

This videos is gold! Thank you for explaining things so well and to give us a clearer idea of what it's like to work as a software developer, and the great tips! After doing a six-month bootcamp + a one-month unpaid internship + months of learning more on my own and and applying for jobs (and being rejected many times) I FINALLY was offered a job as a Full-stack software developer. I am signing the contract tomorrow. I start on the 6th of December! I know it will be difficult and that but I am nervous/excited and looking forward to starting my journey as a software developer! 🙂👍

[@natek3954]

Many jobs did you apply for before getting this one?

[@drygordspellweaver8761]

Did you know how to code before the bootcamp or was it just for building your resume?

[@shaunpx1]

Dude alot of them have no clue, learn JIRA, and be ready to break down subtask of a feature or bug and work, have it sent back because your button is 1.003px off. Being a Software Engineer is fun but it takes alot of work and is tedious and can be very overwhelming at times. Thing I love about it every sprint there is somthing new! but you are correct working for yourself can be rewarding only if you put in enough work to get a a good return. Seriously like working 16 hour days some times, on weekends, im just starting my channel while doing Software engineering and Grad school. It isn't easy thats for sure

[@QuiSiProgramma]

I reply from the other side, since I am 20 years-experienced software engineer. Your concerns about feeling bad when a task is not properly completed or it is completed in more time then expected are understandable. By the way, when we found out that the new guy made a mistake or wasn't able to complete a task, we take this as an opportunity to understand what is the problem and how we can help him with it. There is no shame in being a fresher, if you think about this like a starting point to improve your skills everyday.

[@dddon513]

After many years I now have the best gig I could want. Im the sole developer at a medium sized non tech company. There's just enough work to keep a single person busy full time. Good pay, benefits, almost no meetings, no micro management and very few jerks. They tell me what they want and then leave me to it. Or I take it upon myself to update old apps that need it, etc. Every company of any size needs software and usually lots of it.

[@ashtrik3798]

I don’t have creativity or ideas. I work really well with structure and being told what is needed to be done and doing it. I want to do this to make money and have a structured job. I do also find it fascinating.

[@Futemire]

100% agree on how it feels when a task takes longer than estimated. One thing that I noticed you didn't comment on is the "why" things can take longer than expected. For those new Devs out there (us old heads already know this), this can be from an inexperienced manager or company severely underestimating the amount of time to develop a product, keeping up with fast changing technology, or outdated and incorrect documentation - or the lack thereof when using a technology or framework you are unfamiliar with. But the reward of making a successful app/program always superseded the negative feelings I have when in a hump, and most of the time it's even more rewarding when I have overcome a difficult project.

[@maiamaiapapaya]

thank you so much for sharing the bad aspects of being a software engineer. I'm in school right now and this helps me make a more informed decision about whether or not I want to go for this career.

[@infinteuniverse]

Jr. dev here. I currently fix bugs, make performance improvements to code base, minor changes to UI, take on QA tasks; typically really isolated tasks in code base. But every time I look at the code base, I memorize(learn) the design patterns of my more senior colleagues. I work on personal projects when I have free time, I'm learning AWS and each time I complete a project, I think about how I could have designed it better; hopefully one day I'm a senior engineer!

[@drygordspellweaver8761]

If they have a junior dev fixing bugs I can only imagine the people they outsource to write the garbage lol

[@jacobpitkin4822]

Late to the party, but after being a software engineer for 8 years and seeing so many of these tech videos talking about “what does a software engineer do” or “day in the life of a software engineer” videos, I gotta say this is the best, most real one I’ve seen. And you really hit the nail on the head imo on mental strain, it’s amazing how tired you can be after a long day at work of literally just being in front of a computer trying to solve these complex problems, and manual labor workers love to joke about how relaxed your job is, but they just can’t understand the mental strain until they go through it. I’m not discounting manual laborers either, I’d hate to do what they do for work, it’s incredibly physically exhausting. Just different kinds of tired.

[@ScottJWaldron]

Interesting video! Same for the comments. I'm not currently doing work in software development but did quite a bit as a contracted and then solo developer as my own business. The dynamics can vary depending on if you are dealing with other developers or directly with "customers" in the form of coworkers or businesses. For a lot of it I was solo doing start to finish development and support, so there's a large expectation to transform the non-technical minded desires of people into a piece of working software and then in my case often without a lot of access or tools as a 3rd party because their IT departments were not providing what they wanted. In addition to needing to learn enough about the actual work being done at a company to understand how to translate it into software. Working with other developers is a whole different dynamic to solo stuff. In some ways easier but in others a total pain if a coworker is self-centered or whatever.

[@timberchase7772]

Thank you for sharing the real insight about the everyday life of Software Engineering!! This is what a lot of people need, I had been looking for a video that really talks about what really goes on and how is it in reality. Thanks again!!

[@Jax757]

The shear glee that came over me knowing that someone else is paying me to think hard about what they need is incredible. I’ve done physical labor jobs my entire life and being able to work in that environment would be a much needed and well received change. I do wonder how much brain power would I have after a day of work to contribute to normal life and my other desires outside of work.

[@Ataraxia_Atom]

Damn this really spoke to me. Im learning programming to build my own app and maybe have some fun but honestly being a dev doesn't really sound like something in interested in long term. I already sit at a desk too much and that's only about 50% of the time right now

[@RedLinkable]

Thanks for sharing your experience and I will try to share mine :) I am also a kind of software engineer for embedded systems as employee for a mid-size company. We develop whole products (mechanics, electronics, signal processing and software) in house and I find it most of the time quite exciting to have all these competences together and learn from each other. It is very versatile when you are in the whole process from collecting requirement from the customer over drafts and designs to implementation, roll-out and maintenance. A lot of the time is to work with people on a white board or with paper. What startet as I was 14 years old as a hobby became my job (after some really enjoyable years of study) but is also still my hobby (I also develop embedded stuff for fun, i.e. home automation stuff). Until now I don't regret it. However, what you said about stand-up meetings, "commitments" and estimated work packages, I find a lot of truth in it that can occur in bad team setups. A lot of work is done by thinking hard about a problem and sometimes your brain just don't want to work because of things that are more important to you. Last to say: ever when working, most of the time should be in positive mood, otherwise change [job, team, project, employer]

[@vivianeb90]

I haven't even started working at a company yet and I am already worried about not being able to finish my tasks in time. I have had bad experiences about that with former employers (not in IT), although they never communicated with me that what I was doing wasn't enough and I also did in my opinion a very thorough job, but what they were looking for wasn't a thorough job, I believe, they wanted only the tasks done, but for some things there were no deadlines and the other things I always got it done within the deadlines. I even spent extra unpaid hours at work because I wanted to show dedication (I think that backfired, was instead considered incapability). When I was let go, it really wasn't clear why either, even when I asked.

[@natek3954]

I'm sorry this happed to you. I hope someone else recognizes your talent and really shows you you're valued.

[@vivianeb90]

@@natek3954 Thank you for your compassion. I am about to start a new job. They seem very welcoming so far and even offered me more than I expected as a salary. I really hope that I will be able to do well there.

[@natek3954]

@@vivianeb90 you're welcome! How's the job going so far?

[@salehjamali6716]

The move he did at first 2minutes of video of keeping the cup empty then refilling it really is helpful to know which segment of the video is intro without the need for clicking it and playing it to confirm. Smart Move

[@rajaramanv]

Nice video. My two cents on this: If you want to work on fulfilling your software dreams, realizing your own ideas, you really should not take a salary for it. Your employer has some commercial goals, and it is your contractual duty to fulfill it. You are just a tool in their hands, like a screw driver or hammer. Be a free freelancer, complete your dream project and then try to sell it to whoever likes it.

[@ay_sher]

"Making something your job that you do enjoy, takes the enjoyment out of it." That is soooooo true man! I had this notion since the start of my professional career, and I couldn't get anyone to agree with me. Most people still hold on the idea of "Make your hobby your job". JOB is MEANT to suck the life out of you, PERIOD

[@daegudude1048]

Currently working at a startup where I work 10+ hours a day, mental drain is a real. I feel like I am learning less and getting things done less than if I did 8 hours.

[@protox4]

Yeah you should not be working more than 8 hours a day. If the company is making you do that, you should find another job. If you're doing it yourself, stop.

[@nedaltrebor8553]

The first step to correcting a problem is admitting there is a problem

[@AnimalMother98]

I always find your videos to be the most true and informative. As a bit of a background, I am a final year medical student who is very unhappy in his career path and is planning on starting a Master's Degree in Computer Science next year. I have had massive anxieties about making this switch as it sometimes feels like I am throwing away something I have worked extremely hard for and am good at (a career in medicine) for something I may be horrible at and that may offer less job security and wage (in my country) but love doing so far. I have always been passionate about computing but sadly was always disheartened from pursuing it as my career but now I know what it means to not do what you feel like you should be doing. I find that other youtubers do not show the true side of the job for the reasons you explained yourself bar from a few like 'Keep on Coding' and 'Joma Tech' whose videos I find very informative. It's videos like yours that show the reality and downsides for being a software developer which actually manage to calm my anxieties as after seeing the real picture of the job I realize that I still want to pursue it. Thanks for helping me shape my future, it is greatly appreciated!

[@yosha2467]

I'm not even a professional developer yet (self-taught, trying to break my first gig) and I just know that you describe me at 7:41. I used to be a gamer, and every game was like a puzzle that needs to be solved. I'm as creative as a potato, not only I have no design taste but also no project ideas. The only thing I enjoy is giving me a clear goal to work for, the same way video games do, then everything towards that goal becomes a progressive puzzle that I can optimize (or not) towards the solution. If I wasn't old I would also practice competitive programming. And don't get me wrong, my background is in IT and I get super happy and woozy inside when I help someone with their issue (aka. enabling them to do what they want to do by removing whatever stops them from doing it). I do care about the end user, and if I see someone rating 5-star something I played a small part of I will feel joy. I might be a puzzle solver but I still feel gratification from being appreciated. Unrelated but it still blows my mind how HR and Co. will judge my portfolio for its creativity the moment the job demands none of it.

[@NotesNNotes]

Having started in IT and moving into this field, every single thing you said really hit home

[@VieseCR]

I really appreciate the transparency in a general and realistic approach to expectations here. I start school soon to start my journey into this world. I feel a lot more empowered and do not see this as a negative or ‘bad’ content. As you said, jobs come with ups and downs, that’s normal for every job. Thank you for sharing. :)

[@driverjb09]

"Not all coding is equal." Man I wish management could hear this... I mean really hear it.

[@sokoyaadedolapo5321]

One thing I love about this channel is, he brings in a different perspective which most times you don't get anywhere else

[@radaefilms3150]

On the other side of this discussion, I actually like Stand Up a lot for two reasons - 1) It keeps you self accountable as well as help you set your own schedule for the day 2) gratifying when you're able to say you accomplished the tasks you set for yourself the previous day

[@leod1740]

so interesting how different people are. some hate it, some love it

[@johndillingerthe2nd920]

Man I remember coming to watch forrest when I was in school. Now I am a software engineer at a fortune 50 company and its so surreal to come watch again.

[@TheGDrangon]

“Most of your life will be spent sitting at a desk “ - laughs in standing desk

[@gargervon8697]

"Making something your job that you do enjoy will sometimes take the enjoyment out of it." Truth.

[@Senneeeuh]

Thank you for this honest insight man, I truly appreciate it. I'm aspiring to be a developer myself and am not discouraged to pursue, your insights just give me a more realistic view of what I'm heading towards. Thanks again and keep up the great work

[@benynfaymoz3179]

Very helpful for someone like me who's just entering the system. Thanks for sharing

[@Lilithet]

I have been a professional programmer for 20 years, and have been both in the position of the monkey worker (not for long) as well as the circus director who tames the monkeys. As I do not like being told what to do, I have found the sweet spot for a programmer like me, who wants more decision making power, is not in a software house doing scrums (I hate scrums) but working in the industrial sector. Since you are usually the only software developer in a 100-250 person facility, no one really knows how you do what you do, or what is actually possible, you are left to your own designs for the majority of the time. Of course this requires a very large set of skills, as well as very good self management capabilities.

[@Vsh__]

I am currently a software engineer for Lockheed and coming from a very small company, working there for only 2 years, the giant increase in expectations has been very rough on me. I am given tasks with no resources to do and then they expect things to still be done. All while only having worked for a few months here, so less the coding and more the complex procedures of a new company is so daunting. I have been struggling a bit but this video + the comments have really helped me. I always wanted to work for myself but 1. think I am not good enough, and 2. don't know what to do or where to start if I even wanted to try. So for that I kind of just settled. I hope things can turn around eventually. I have a feeling if I end up working for myself it won't be with computer science.

[@crayons1584]

I really appreciate you being honest on this. As someone with ADHD, I'm most worried about having to sit and focus for so many hours. There comes a point where it's almost impossible to think anymore, and I'm afraid that would happen before a project is due and I could possibly fall behind. Though like you said, you don't know what that feels like until you experience it

[@Sebastian-ce9el]

take meds

[@markmartin5364]

@@Sebastian-ce9el meds come with there own problems

[@farahelfish]

the point is, this career is just like any other careers. it's fun, but its not stress free. i graduated from comp sci, and now working as software engineer for 6 years. and tbh, coding has never been my passion nor hobby. its just something i do for living. and I can survive with it. and im still happy with it. hehe.

[@Websitedr]

I compare software to construction a lot. Sure you can look more busy some days and not so much other days it depends on what needs to be accomplished. The worst problem I have found is external blocks that are out of my control or I am dependent on someone else getting their part done so that mine will work.

[@shehabzakaria4457]

All I can really say is thank you for being honest and not sugarcoating it.

[@_imdope]

Being a software engineer or a developer in general makes you feel part of a big family most of the people didn’t even heard of. Becoming a software engineer is my dream, and I’m working right now to achieve it :)

[@Conceptsexplainedsimply]

Something that eats me alive as a remote dev of 2.5 years: I have 2 apps I wanna make that could help people out and be wildly successful, en yet once I'm done with my work day of 8-10 hours of working for someone else's dreams/business, I'm spent. All I wanna do after that is hang out with my kid.

[@tookiebowaba421]

I went to college not knowing what I wanted to do and recently built my first gaming PC. Weirdly, now that I sit at my computer and started to think about how this computer stuff works. I asked myself “is it a code or something?” I spoke with advising and they told me about computer science. I did my research and came to the conclusion to major in it. Very weird experience but honestly I’m okay with it lol

[@isaiahrichards9319]

Taking the intro CS classes next semester I assume? Good luck, I hope you enjoy it!

[@tookiebowaba421]

@@isaiahrichards9319 I managed to switch classes for the fall semester but had to pay a late fee but luckily I was on pace to graduate this may with my other degree but now that I switched majors I’ll be graduating in next fall which ain’t that bad

[@frankfervela7897]

What a spot on video!!! programmers go through a psychological process I wasn't counting on at all when working for a company. Now that Im working on my own projects, it does feel like Im actually doing what I thought coding was. Still hard work but is still yours

[@andrewps339]

Jiu jitsu every morning from 7am-8am, go home, shower, make eggs/toast, start work at 9. It’s quite nice

[@fknight]

Man that's a morning routine I need! My brother does Jiu jitsu 3 nights a week and I've considered joining, but I'm sporadic, so not much of a scheduler lol.

[@FrenchyRider574]

@@fknight BJJ will change your life. I'm addicted. Helps me to manage my stress

[@u_andrew6957]

Judo is where its at my fellow coders!