TOP 5 Myths About Working as a Software Engineer
The profession of a software engineer is quite new. Perhaps that is why there are so many myths around it. At Integrity Vision we are confident in refuting them, because we talk about the software engineer profession from the inside. We asked our expert Serhiy Musiyenko to comment on some of the most common myths about the profession, and here's what we found.
Myth #1: Software engineers are guaranteed a salary of $10K or more at the start of their career
If such a novice programmer with this salary really exists, I would like to meet him. Because he is either a genius or (more likely) a liar.
A software engineer is a profession like most other tech specialties. Moreover, it involves constant learning. It's not enough to finish university — you need to take a lot of professional courses, keep up with industry innovations, and constantly update your knowledge base. Continuous self-education in our field is a must-have, and it's not cheap. Therefore, when you reach a certain level in your area, your value as a specialist significantly increases. People often notice the salary gap between IT professionals and specialists from other industries, but for some reason, they don't take into account the efforts and costs invested in becoming a high-level developer.
So, returning to the myth itself — no programmer gets a high salary at the start. It's possible, but over time and with a lot of effort and a desire to grow.
Myth #2: Software development is a strictly male domain
I understand where this myth comes from. But in reality, it's not like that at all. Both guys and girls work in our team, and they are excellent specialists.
IT people are, primarily, educated individuals. No one here discriminates on the basis of gender. IT is not about gender. It's about love for the industry and the desire to professionally develop in it.
Myth #3: All programmers are introverted aliens from another planet
Real-life Sheldons do exist, but they are no more prevalent in IT organizations than in any other profession. It's safe to say when people are deeply focused on their work, they try not to be distracted from the process. Perhaps at that moment, programmers might seem like people from another planet, but outside of work, we are ordinary people with unique characteristics and personalities.
Myth #4: Every software engineer knows all programming languages
This is not true, as knowing everything is impossible (and unnecessary). It would be more accurate to say that a programmer should know the fundamentals of programming, which are similar across all programming languages. Therefore, don't accuse your programmer friend of professional incompetence if they don't have perfect knowledge of a particular programming language!
Myth #5: Becoming a software engineer is easy-peasy
Becoming a programmer is NOT difficult, but working on continuous growth and improvement takes time. This is true not only at the beginning but also ALL THE TIME. The rapid pace of technology development requires you to keep up with hyped-up libraries and frameworks. Moreover, an analytical mindset is much more important here than higher technical education.
So, becoming a programmer may not be difficult, but staying in the profession and constantly improving your professional level is much more challenging.
In summary, I would like to emphasize that if you enjoy the profession of a software engineer and want to build a career in this field, don't believe any myths! Go for it and reach new heights!
