I’m a senior in high school right now and definitely need to consider what I’m going to do in college and for work.
For a very long time I’ve been into computers, and am a developer with a few big projects under my belt (this is a burner account for privacy). So, my logical choice for a while was to become a software developer professionally.
Nowadays that plan doesn’t look too promising. AI has basically replaced junior developers (with dubious results) and the competition has gotten much fiercer. I’m not even in college yet so I have a good amount of time to potentially pivot to something else before choosing a major.
I’ve got quite a bit of experience with Linux and I manage a home server, but that probably doesn’t differentiate me much. I’m honestly interested in most things computer related, but don’t know of any specific fields to seek out. If it’s so hard for fresh CS graduates to get jobs, why would any other option be different?
If you are interested in software development, and willing to put in the work to actually learn strong fundamentals, I think you’re going to have a clear leg up on the competition after the AI bubble in all likelihood bursts eventually. Vibe coding is hurting the signal to noise ratio in general right now, but as far as I’m aware a “live portfolio” like a website of personal projects has always been as good if not better than a resume when it comes to selling your skills in software.
Just consider whether you’ll be able to tolerate doing the work when you’re not going to be the one in charge of deciding what you work on.
Just consider whether you’ll be able to tolerate doing the work when you’re not going to be the one in charge of deciding what you work on.
This is my main apprehension when it comes to pursuing a CS career. I already have an undergrad CS degree. I got it right before LLMs were even a thing. I know I’m rusty, but I have pretty strong fundamentals. I was already working in IT as a student so I stuck with that and all the jobs I’ve had since college have been fixing broken shit for someone else. Part of me would like to make software engineer money, but I hear employed programmers talk about the soul-crushing monotony of staring down a bottomless ticket queue and burning up their passion for creativity on fixing annoying issues with software that someone else wants them to build and I unfortunately already know EXACTLY what they’re talking about. I’m so fucking sick of ticket queues. I understand the utility. I get why they exist, but goddamn it’s such a sisyphian way to organize a workflow. It never feels like I’m actually making progress.
I’ve been unemployed for the past few months and I’ve just started getting back into coding for fun and for the first time in forever I can feel what drew me to programming to begin with. Every time I had the “what’s your major?” discussion with a fellow student, I’d explain that the reason I was pursuing programming is because I like making stuff, and programming seemed like an obvious way to seriously level-up the kinds of stuff I can make. I usually got weird looks for this answer because I suppose I was expected to just say “money.”
Using the skills I’ve developed for something I’m passionate about and applying them to a goal that I’m either completely indifferent to or actually opposed to does not sound like a fulfilling career to me. If I spent all day on an annoying software bug, I’m not going to want to keep doing software after I get home. I already know this because I didn’t want to do troubleshooting when I got home after spending my whole day doing that. I had all-but completely stopped making things for fun because the hurdles I’d run into in my hobby felt too much like work. I’m only just getting back into it now because I haven’t been working for a while.
Part of me feels like I should at least try programming as a career, but I have a terrible feeling that I already know what it will do to my mental health.
Linus Torvalds was just quoted in another article I read, “Al is the new compiler, not the new programmer”
It’s honestly hard to say. It’s very impressive what AI coding can do, especially in the past year, but all AI companies are not making a profit. They’re effectively subsidized by investors. They’re focused on growth. At some point they’re gonna need to make a profit, they cannot continually operate at a loss and focus on growth. In fact, when Microsoft started charging properly it was such a massive deal that they called it the tokenpocalypse.
Honestly, I hate to say it, and I’m not trying to be a tech bro, but I think AI is here to say. What exactly it looks like long term, it’s hard to say. I can say this though, knowing how to program will make you a better vibe coded (I feel dirty saying that seriously). So even if AI becomes the norm, you’ll be better positioned if you know what you’re doing.
When things turn though, it’s impossible to say. It could be in the next year, could be like five years out. It could be that when you’re done with your four year degree, they’re still out here doing this “AI is gonna fix everything and we don’t need junior devs” song and dance.
TL;DR: AI is not profitable now so will get more expensive meaning they’ll have to use it less. Either way, knowing how to program without AI will make you better at programming with AI.
am a developer with a few big projects under my belt
I’ve got quite a bit of experience with Linux and I manage a home server, but that probably doesn’t differentiate me much
It 100% does if you target small companies. Think 5-30 man shows where ‘IT department’ is a luxurious dream. In that company you wear many hats and having IT/devops experience as a programmer is a big deal. You will instantly be one of the most experienced people in the small company when wearing the IT hat.
If it’s so hard for fresh CS graduates to get jobs, why would any other option be different?
As you are already in the workforce, stay in it. After having a job for the last year (?) and the option of what to do with the next four years of your life. You can either have 5 years of experience, or you can have 1 year of experience.
Notice how I didn’t mention your degree? A degree is a minor point after you get your first job.
Just wanna add, this “IT in a small company” can be the nicest environment. I was lucky to land one like this some years ago. (company went under since, in part due to AI)
