Software Eng Career

I had almost no experience with programming before I turned 18, so jumping into a Software Engineering Degree at University was daunting. The first year was humbling to say the least, but it got better. One thing I regret not doing earlier was coding a lot on the side, and simply relying on University courses and subjects to teach me everything. The best coders in my classes weren't the smartest, but they were were the ones who enjoyed it.

The job market was a lot tougher than I thought. Turns out a lot of companies don't really care about your degree, but more about side projects and willingness to learn. This was long before AI too. I made an excel sheet of all the companies I applied for. I'm pretty sure it went past 200 over the span of a few months. For some people those were rookie numbers.

I've had good bosses my whole career. In terms of managerial style, they're all quite similar under the hood. Some appear more laid-back and casual than others. The common goal was getting work done, and keeing the team moving.

I enjoy Agile ways of working more than freeballing development tasks. I definitely thought Agile was a waste of everyones time, but now that we lack it in my current workplace I can see the benefits much clearer. I can't say which type is better. They're all good in their own ways.

If you're gonna take away one thing from this it would be to not rely too much on university. Take learning into your own hands early, and don’t wait until you feel "ready" to start something new.