Photo by Kelly Sikkema on Unsplash
Programmers are often seen as non-human creatures that can do magic with their computers. Portraited in Hollywood movies as both the heroes and the villains, these people proceed with their life without being understood by other fellow humans.
In a world that is depending more on technology each day that comes by, the need for IT professionals (let it be software engineers, infrastructure engineers, data scientists, etc.) is turning into an HR nightmare. Finding people that are also looking for a job is almost impossible, and it’s tough to compete with the salaries of the big companies.
However, these profiles are being built in universities like never before. The goal is to fight the need that exists in the market.
But somehow, society still has many misconceptions about what these people can do. I know I’ve heard many of these.
Here are the top misconceptions I have heard about the job I do.
1. Programmers Can Hack My Webcam
This is always fun to hear. And it appears to be motivated by Hollywood.
A programmer is someone that writes computer code and builds software applications. He is not (necessarily) a security expert that knows all the flaws and how to exploit them. And even if he was, that doesn’t mean that he would do that for the sake of looking cool. Most of them only try to exploit systems in a controlled environment while looking for failures that may need to be fixed.
Though a programmer could learn how to do this, most of them have better things to do than trying to hack your webcam.
You’re not that cool.
2. Programmers Don’t Have a Life
Milton Waddams from Office Space. Retrieved from Entrepreneur.com
Remember Milton from Office Space? Do you think most programmers are introverts, no-lifers, hard-talkers as he is? Think again.
Most developers I’ve had the honor to know are the most hardcore rockers, binge-drinkers, and fun people I’ve ever known. Sure, there is every now and then someone that meets the “stereotype” correctly, but that is not even 1%.
Programmers usually like to meet to grab a few drinks after work on Friday to socialize and relax after a week of hard work.
3. Programmers Can Fix Your PC/Printer
No, mom. I didn’t learn that in college.
Many people still think that someone that takes a degree in computer science should know everything that concerns computers, from hardware to software, peripherals, the best computer specs in the market, what cell phone they should buy.
No. Just stop.
You won’t ask an architect to fix your broken wall, are you? Then why ask a programmer to fix your broken PC? He won’t know anything that is not publicly accessible via Google.
Don’t be lazy. It’s not the programmer’s job to do your research for you.
4. Programmers Are Very Intelligent People
When people don’t understand something, they tend to believe that people who do are superior to them. “They must have a greater intellect in order to be able to understand this difficult matter” — they think.
Not the case.
I’m not going to lie. You have very bright minds in software engineering that can create beautiful logic and put it into code. But most are perfectly reasonable people that happen to like to create new things. Fortunately, they also chose the right area. I believe this happens in every profession. You have both outstanding professionals that turn their job into art, but most are regular people, doing their job.
Programmers are not superior beings with big brains. Probably anyone could do this job if they wanted to.
#programming #society #coding #humor #technology