Newfound Optimism about the Software Industry
By: Stacey Nash
Tags: Education, Software Development, Fear, Authenticity, Career Change

In November of 2020, I wrote an article about my trepidation regarding the software industry.

Fast-forward to April 30, 2021.

Photo by Mikel Parera on Unsplash

After submitting my third final project at the end of my first semester as a computer programming major at a local community college (via online classes), I recognized that my feelings toward the software industry have shifted. Since completing an unusually challenging semester, complete with a pandemic, an unprecedented winter storm with subsequent power outages, and an overwhelming work schedule on top of the three online classes, I have learned several invaluable lessons.

I truly love coding. I enjoy the process to the nth degree. I am perfectly content to sit in front of my computer for 10–12 hours a day (when I am not at my day job), investigating the causes of inaccurate output, studying the logic behind my coding choices, working to streamline my algorithms, reading coding blogs, or improving a website’s user interface. This field appeals to my meticulous nature in spades.

This realization is liberating.

I understand that if I apply for an open position in a company and they choose not to interview me, or the interview leads to a rejection, that is perfectly fine. I have the skills and the tools to build my own enterprise, or better yet, help others actualize their dreams. If a company chooses not to hire me solely because the interviewer decides that I am not a good culture fit, that is the best possible outcome.

It would be difficult to work for any organization that values everything about me, except my authentic self.

I would prefer employment in a company that I admire, and has a reputation for treating their customers, clients, and employees with integrity, genuine respect, and kindness. I want to work for a company whose culture embraces humility and true service. A company with a heightened sense of social awareness, and one that embraces all cultures. A company that actively pursues giving and serves the world at large, rather than existing for the sole purpose of increasing profit margins. A company that values ethical behavior, honesty, and integrity in all of its employees, from the CEO and founder, to the part-time remote worker, to the custodian, and everyone in between.

A company who sees me, my character, and what I can potentially contribute to their organization, and not just my outer appearance.

I have compiled a list of companies that appear to embody these attributes. We’ll see what happens.

I was afraid of the software industry before because I thought that potential employers would ignore me, regardless of my resumé, portfolio, and computer programming transcript. I thought that I would end up with a massive student loan debt, unemployed in my chosen field, based on physical traits that have no bearing on my ability to do the job.

After completing one semester, I understand that ANY investment in acquiring skills that you have always wanted to learn is never wasted. Learning how to think like a programmer is invaluable. That skill alone has increased my efficiency in my current career.

I am exceedingly grateful that I am learning how to program computers as a second career (as opposed to a first career). I am reasonably certain that if programming had been my first career, my attitude would have been one of arrogance, hubris, and entitlement. My younger self would not have appreciated the opportunities and privileges inherent in software engineering, development, and design. I would have taken the tech industry for granted.

It’s a wonderful time to be a software developer. The field is vast, with innumerable possibilities.

There is room for everyone who fully embraces the process of growth and learning.