Coding is a highly privileged and sought-after field of technology in today's world that is continually migrating from analog and paper to digital. In the US, one of the technologically developed countries, new research (Computer Programmer Demographics and Statistics [2023]: Number of Computer Programmers in the US, 2022) there are over 29,611 recorded computer programmers which is around 18.8% of all the working population in the U.S., each with an average income of $73,300 per year. Considering the rise of A.I. systems that can curate code and solve bugs, and the increased awareness about the necessity and reliability of coding these numbers are expected to quickly scale down. A report by the US Bureau of Labor Statistics(2022) expects a drop of 10% in job outlook in the computer programming field which is approximately equivalent to 17,800 jobs between 2021 and 2031. The real question is, how can one ensure the survival of their career in such a harsh future?
1. The concept of not re-inventing the wheel
Every developer who uses a modern language such as Python or Javascript knows that there is a wide range of libraries that simplify work and the development process. Having mastered a particular task creates a need to develop a library or framework that simplifies it, which is a culture that is actually encouraged in the community of developers. However, it has a negative impact on growing developers, these libraries are indeed not meant for everybody. Using a library or framework without understanding what it does under the hood sends a huge load of information to a blacklist of what you will never know. Developers keep absorbing more and more info on how to use libraries and having gone beyond that step no one ever thinks about going back to learn the basics and fundamental principles. While a typical modern developer can just develop such solutions, their survival in the aforementioned future is unlikely due to lack of qualification and understanding of the fundamentals. Knowledge about memory management, functionality of the computer's memory/processor, networks and the internet are necessary to build a full package of a developer.
2. Job opportunities for junior developers
Due to the increasing demand of coding skills in the modern world, junior developers do not need to master their fields to make money. Having mastered a stack in any technology, you are guaranteed to get a remote job as a freelancer and make enough money to make a decent life. Modern languages have a huge base of libraries that simplify the process of development and you do not need to understand the underlying technology to use them. This can be seen in nearly all modern languages i.e. Python, Java, Javascript ... This leads developers down the way of making money (which is good but tricks the developer into not acquiring only the minimum skills that can help them keep making money) and only the passionate will consider improving their understanding besided the practical skills that produce money.
3. Lack of Passion
Some people join the field of programming as an escape plan or simply as a plan to make money and a life out of it. In such cases it would be really hard to spend time to understand the underlying concepts to improve their understanding of how computers really work due to lack of devotion. It requires motivation to move a mile, but it requires passion to move the extra mile.
The programmers who are guaranteed to survive in the aforementioned competitive future are only the ones who are determined and passionate about what they do. It is from the pursuit of knowledge (not accomplishing projects) and need to enrich one's own brain that new technology and ingenious innovations will be born. The use of libraries just to get along with completing a project is not helping in the long run as well as every other reason which is not fueled by genuine interest. Genuine interest allows to dig deeper and gain knowledge that will create the next HTTP, TCP protocol, DASH protocol, the next Linux kernel, the next Data Science algorithms ...
(It should not be about making money, it should be about doing what you love because you would like to enrich one's mind)
Works Cited:
- Computer Programmer Demographics and Statistics [2023]: Number Of Computer Programmers In The US. (2022, September 9). https://www.zippia.com/computer-programmer-jobs/demographics/
- Computer Programmers : Occupational Outlook Handbook: : U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. (2022, September 8). https://www.bls.gov/ooh/computer-and-information-technology/computer-programmers.htm
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