Should I pick up programming? Why and why not?
 

Because of COVID, everything is digitalised...

Everyone else is struggling to keep their jobs or find one :(, while programmers are getting more offers than ever.

As the situation is right now, jobs are rapidly becoming obsolete - mostly being automated by lines after lines of code.

What I'm curious is why isn't more people going all-in on programming :confused:? What are the down sides (because I really cannot think of any), and what could possibly deter anyone from making the switch?

Programming is a useful skill to have under your belt but neither guarantees high pay, much less success in life. But I agree with the hype now, you are definitely getting more offers with programming skills. Yes, tech/programming in general is booming now and I don't doubt it is here to stay. But the average coder is not gonna get a job at FANG with close to 5 digits starting salary.

What I also want to emphasize is don't be a generalist who focuses so much on programming and ignore whatever domain you actually like (e-commerce/genomics/finance). Your programming skills ultimately have to be applied to some industry. Code itself has no value. How you apply it to the domain is the ultimate value driver.

And I think there is this trend right now called the "low-code/no-code" movement. Many software companies are helping to democratize coding by developing platforms so that end users can just drag and drop application components, connect them together and create mobile or web apps.

And the point about everyone becoming a programmer. If half of the population applies for programming job, good luck getting any decent pay. The sheer amount of supply will just drive down everyone's pay. Ultimately, only the top few companies pay top dollars to candidates. And only certain programming jobs like software engineer or data scientist are considered highly paid. Basic code monkey is usually outsourced to foreigners for low pay. Candidates will be forced to search jobs at SMEs and accept the lower pay.

Plus coding is boring as hell to most people who don't enjoy it. Eventually, they will get burnt out and leave the industry for good.

I agree with this, apart from the points on "programming isn't here to stay" and "no/low code" movement. However, I will avoid this discussion entirely as time will eventually tell, and it doesn't exactly address the original topic if a person should learn programming.

Important questions to consider:
1) Does your company already have robust IT development / place emphasis on IT talent? Will your programming skills be valued there?
2) Do you have an idea of what you want to do, after learning programming? Such as business analyst, software engineer (backend, frontend, devops / cloud / data engineer), AI/ML.
3) Following from qn 2, are you aware of the level of programming proficiency needed? For example, some business analysts require simple SAS / SQL manipulation while other roles need Python + scripting knowledge
4) Do you have the bandwidth to learn programming (time & energy)? Does your company support you in learning as part of working hours? Do you have kids to take care of / busy preparing for marriage / elderly dependents to care for?
5) What is your aptitude towards logical problem solving? My favourite question is did Physics and Math come naturally to you. If so, coding should be manageable from an intellectual perspective.

Once you have answers to these questions, the decision to learn programming or not will be extremely clear. There are tons of short-medium length videos which describe these concepts in detail. If you want to be spoon fed the answer here, then just avoid programming altogether.

As a bonus tip, I highly recommend joining some structured courses that help to guide your learning. The software world is vast and can be intimidating to learn at the start. Use the course to maintain your sanity and as professional qualifications. Good luck!

Programmers are modern age blue collar factory worker la.

Underpaid factory worker

While it's true not everyone who takes up programming will end up in FAANG, many of my peers are witnessing a high starting salary right out of school :') And I'm glad that you mentioned low-code!!! Because that is becoming increasingly popular - which is also a result of programmers!!! To simplify the complex, you first have to understand the complex. That said, you will have to be the best of the best to replicate it.

And yes, it is boring as hell to me - I am most people. But thank you xin!! Really provided a different perspective for me to consider hehe

HAHAHAH interesting take. So you're insinuating that they are the ones doing the "dirty work"?

huh, really meh? The programmers I know are making good money... not 5 figures maybe but sitting very comfortably in the salary range of an average university graduate.

Comp sci high starting pay cus of lack of supply now (soon to change though) but their careers tend to plateau after a few years. Only a select few have the social capital/skills to move on to management. Most spend the rest of your lives being senior programmers/developers.

Good pay. So?

Give you good pay. You can't do. Is can't do.

Alot of fake people in tech.

No need. Just fake it till u make it. Let other people do the work

Is that commonplace in Singapore? But even if that's the case, they are living with a comfortable salary no? Hmm... maybe I should go and research on their end game salary.

This is so true. My friends are entering (not sure how they got passed the interview stage) the IT industry with zero experience, and till date still barely learning anything or simply winging it.

does it really work that way :confused:

Fake it till you make it guys.

Who cares, as long as you manage to get in and draw the salary, who cares!!!

but wouldn't your programming stint be extremely short-lived? :/

That's what everyone thinks. Programming is not just about coding and coding, it's more like project management. There's always that fluff part which does not require so much technical knowledge.

life hacks man.

wait i thought management positions are only after you've been through the mud war and you've done your fair share of grinding and sleepless nights? how do you do that if you aren't technical. SENPAI SHOW ME YOUR WAY

If you are fine with earning <10k doing work that basically requires you to constantly be updated (programming languages/different software vers etc) when you have >10/20/30 years of experience, sure.

That is under the assumption that demand is still more than supply & your work cannot be outsourced to India.

cobol is good. niche programming skills

Tech is the future. There are still many who dont understand the impact. I would people in the banking, and O&G should worry more because disruption is coming. Distribution of money from the government can easily automated by technology and everything will be more transparent. The concept of having bank to give loan and distribute the capital is the old concept and it should easily be addressed in the future. O&G will be replaced by electrification. Many still dont understand this. Tech will be better for us and everything will be more efficient. Outsourcing has been there for many years, yet salary in Silicon Valley keep increasing. In Singapore, we are only started to catch up with SV, London, and China. I dont see the decrease in medium term and I am positive long term. Long term, AI will be the common theme and with low code movement, people can focus on building models and data analysis.

This is very true

Just look at civil engineering in the past, they encountered the same thing too

ooo cobol. didn't expect to see this language appearing here. is cobol still relevant?

wa buddy, the indian programmers are so good at what they do, and they are so much cheaper to engage. how to compare?

Should learn to make bios driver etc.
Every computer requires need drivers

should learn medicine also right since we need a cure for cancer?

Just open your own clinic and write mc.
One day average 50 patients. At 30 dollars. You make 1500 a day.

Open everyday, that's 45000 per month.
Pay rent. Pay pharmacist..pay medicine . You take home around 20k per month

Life is about putting the LEAST effort to gain the MOST reward.

For those who are working hard coding and all these, you failed in life.

Must learn how to FAKE IT TILL YOU MAKE IT!

Programming can't fake one.
Some people can fake it but fakers don't last very long.

I used to work with some faker with all the fake Microsoft cert he took online with leaked answer.
Ask him to restore database. He don't know.
Not only don't know... He don't know how to Google.

I used to ask him "I thought you have Microsoft sql sever certification?"

He say long time never use...

And yes he is foreign talent.. Burmese. Company terminate him after 3 months probation..
That's why now after working in tech for 10 years I distrust every programmer until they can produce a usable deliverable product. Until then, it's just ********.

Cause FT doesnt know how to fake it.

I entered my current job saying i know Python, SQL etc. But I actually didn't know. I'm in my 2nd year now and am still drawing a nice salary

The best kind of fakke programmer is the one who list out all the programming language.
But have never actually use them for 3 years etc.

Usually in tech, mobile who work on mobile only doesn't really know Web. Those Web also don't really know mobile. Those desktop also different.

But every so often you see a interviewee claim he know all. Can do all. Full stack developer he said
Ask for high pay...

Usually we don't entertain all this nonsense. But boss was impressed by 1 guy. NUS FCH comp science with 3 years exp.

So hire him. Give him a 3 months task to deliver. First 3 months alot of ********. About planning. Designing etc. Then my boss ask me to work on that prokect.

1 month I did it. The fake guy 3 months also no result.
So my boss show him my work and say we are looking for people who can deliver product.
Sorry you don't meet our expectation...

Terminated within the 3 months probation, so company don't pay compensation...

Yeah you can fake.
Give you high pay can't do also no use.
The higher the pay the worse impostor syndrome.

Yes but the ultimate objective is to get paid and thats it. who cares got what impostor syndrome

Cause your company is lousy.
Come work under me. We do scrum.
Every sprint is 2 to 3 weeks.

Example first sprint I'll ask you to do an api to do the basic crud for one module.
That one 1 week should see base. After 1 week Friday afternoon, you need to demo to the team for code review.

Then i can see liao.if you pass, then will ask you to improve your sql. To avoid deadlock etc.
Then next sprint more function.
Then next sprint load test.

Within 1 month I can see how real is your sql python skills.
After we follow scrum we weed out all the fake one.

The zai one stayed. We increased their pay as reward. No question ask.
Till today those still wirh us.
Fake one come and go so fast. We make sure 1 month out they go.
Yes we ruthless. So don't try to fake us that you know docker, data analytics, ai. Cause we will assign you work to prove it.

Even if there is no actual work. We will take problem and assign to you.
We don't expect you to last 1 month.

Finally something of substance. This is what I mean - real programmers that make dough. You earn what you deserve, because you deliver what others can't.

Damn heng I never work under you ah. My current 5.2k salary (Started at 5k last year) is ez game man

Sadly alot of big mnc is not like this, we are pretty much short handed. Got project just need to hire someone to deliver it. No time to handhold or teach cause ourselves don't know how to deliver.

My mnc value senior more than frsh grad cause after 10 years we see each year the fresh grad really cmi.
Really puzzled why fresh grad become so valuable the last 3 years.

What is constant is fresh grad usually can't deliver.
They need guidance. Then why the high pay? Even higher than existing exp.

And exp programmer is okay with 4.5k cause its even higher than their current 4k.
But fresh grad haven't started working already not happy cause its not 5k.

I think those tech company come here and hire all the fresh grad will be in for a rude awakening when they realised that Singapore talent in tech pool is just good grade.

And not good quality.
Eventually they will move to Philippines or Vietnam for cheaper labor with the main HQ in Singapore.
Singapore work force is just too expensive for little to no quality.

I director come in office late.
Make some phone call. Call some meeting for progress update.
See some demo. Prepare some presentation.

10k per month.

Sometime I feel like an impostor in my office. I don't have those master of MBA or what not.
My company is just some food manufacturing with a simple R&D.
I'm the director in the R&D.

Also we just outsource the work to some sme cause its cheaper.
I feel like a fraud earning 10k and don't have to deal with like important stuff like govtech or shoppee.
Or Facebook.

But the owner is my schoolmate, he trusted me to direct the technology. He very old school.
We not doing anything fancy like block chain or what.
Just some algorithm to improve production.
Some automation to detect anomaly etc.

precisely. i am seeing fresh grad "programmers" fetching 5k salary with 0 experience in programming. some engineering background at best. Gets me wondering - should I jump too? because getting paid 4-5k to learn is a luxury many would love to engage themselves in.

No. you work in mcdonalds.