5 Reasons Why You Shouldn't Become a Software Engineer 

Video Timestamp for the 5 Reasons Why: 1. Doing it for the Money 2:50 2. Lack of Diversity 6:40 3. Coding/Technical Interviews: 8:35 4. The Difficulty of Programming 11:50 5. The Solitude-ness of the Job 14:50

the video starts at 3:41

Im electronics engineer from Denmark (also African) but I work as software engineer. I understand most of your concerns, but as a black guy I would always encourage my fellow brothers to pursue in the field of science and technology. Maybe it’s hard and boring sometimes, but the true passion begins when you becomes good at it. Sciences and technology is universal, it’s for everyone. I would go as far as to say, programming should be mandatory for everyone to learn, just like math and physics.

Wait... people code 8 hours a day? But I was under the impression that 6 of those 8 hours was spent on getting food and snacks at work? Damn.

I am a woman of color pursuing a career in coding.. I am not afraid, but I am mostly excited despite the obstacles I know I'm going to face.

I took exploring computer science in high school and I LOVED it! Maintained a high A all throughout the course. My teacher wanted me in her AP class so bad but I was a freshman and had no clue what that meant 😭 I just love that feeling of finally solving something that’s been troubling you for so long. So I feel like this would be a good Career path for me.

5 Reasons Why You Shouldn't Become a Software Engineer 1) Doing it for the money 5 Reasons Why You Should Become a Software Engineer 1) Doing it for the money

My 2 cents as a junior developer in a startup: I really liked software since before college, but was never sure as how good I would be compared to those high school kids that already knew how to code. It didn’t matter though, as when I got a job after college, I started learning more and more compared to similar jobs in big companies. Yes, I was, and still am, learning a lot because I work in a startup basically. Since this is my first job, it’s hard to give an opinion on both sides but from what I hear, working in big companies are only advantageous in relation to the paycheck and additional benefits, because: you never know the big picture of what you are working on, can’t make decisions about what technologies to use or how to approach the problem, has to get permission from managers in order to even start coding, can many times be super busy or super bored for lack of work, has strict deadlines, no flexibility at all in general, and can’t just “prototype” a software (needs to be formal since the first lines of code, which takes on development time). If you want to know if you chose your job right, look for the following things I almost always feel: - Many times I catch myself thinking about the code at work when I am outside work, not because of deadlines, but just because I am genuinely interested in the problem and its solution; - Many times researching about new technologies or open source software just because I like building cool looking and useful apps; - Sometimes delaying lunch, or delaying the time to leave work because I “just want test this thing out before I leave”; - Switching between projects, or thinking about one project more than the other because that other project is quite interesting in my opinion; - Always thinking about the “next feature” that I would like to implement, even though there’s so many essential things to do currently in relation to that unnecessary feature. I feel that you don’t have to love from the beginning, you can develop that as you discover new cool things in software. Also, deadlines always make me stressed, so working with almost no deadlines at all is very nice. In addition, flexibility is key, and learning new things can help you discover something you like more. Many times the company you join will make you like more (or hate) what you do than what you’re actually doing in reality. PS 1: Make sure you have a nice boss or manager!!!!! PS 2: If you like what you do, and you excel at it, money will come; one way or the other, in 2 years, or 15. But you will be successful. If you fail on trying something, it better be on something you love, because otherwise it will be wasted time, and time is the most important asset of your life; you will never get it back.

Fellow black software engineer here. I've been in the industry for 17 years. Your personal rant on the interview process really hit home with me. For me, it's the most frustrating part of being a developer. As you said, the resume of experience and accomplishments is often praised and gets you the interview. Once in the interview none of that matters. It's terrible problem that needs to be fixed.

“Not doing it for the money” is wrong blanket statement to use. If people didn’t do things for money, nobody would ever do anything productive. It would be better to say find something that’s long term tolerable to enjoyable enough while also being monetarily rewarding to justify to amount of work... but of course that sounds nowhere near as sexy as “don’t do it for the money”. Do it for the money, just don’t consider that the only factor, multiple other factors have to aligned for a successful career where you don’t burn out.

Much respect for always keeping it real, giving both the good and bad of everything you choose to speak on!!!

Only thing I’m scared of is technical interviews

That's the longest sponsorship ad ever bruh

Pls do a video about how to prepare for technical interviews

The technical interview is a separate skill-set within itself.

im 14 and you are the reason my parents are sending me to coding classes really appriciate a comment on my vids

Gyasi, I would be very pleased if you read my story❤️💔 I’m from an under-developed country, Iraq. For the past 5 years, I was in love with programming, my first ever computer program was an audio recorder! And I can even remember adding features like sharing the file and naming it.... So when I completed high school with a high degree(got first on my class btw) with a cumulative GPA of 3.89!! All I wanted to go to is Software Engineering. Then, my country hits me in the back, in my poor and corrupt country, there’s no such thing as a software engineer, they would say “bruh you know computers? yeah you can work here as a secretary”... I, honestly, NEVER cared about the money, since those 5 years, I had A LOT of ideas and projects to make, I told myself as well as my parents: “Mother, I don’t care about what I do for myself, All I care about is to do it for the hopes of others.” The ONLY two things work in my country is Medicine and Petroleum engineering (ya know why) So basically, I have to give up on my dreams, and go to petroleum engineering (couldn’t go to medicine because of specific problems 💔) So yeah, I wish I was never born in such a corrupt country, but I’m still proud.... Please give me an advice about what to do with the rest of my life 😔😭

I mean if you wasn’t getting paid to be a software engineer would you still be doing it? Everything in this world revolves around “The bag”

As a software developer myself, I fully agree with you on the software interview process! There are companies that do it right! I just think of it as a way to eliminate companies that do not understand us! A simple and short take home project, late in the interview process would be fair.

This was very insightful! Especially the lack of diversity and technical interviews part. I struggle with those two the most doing Software Engineering.

Great content! One of my mentors told me "you can be an average developer if you only code at work, but great developers code when they are off the clock". In order to be really good your knowledge base has to constantly evolve the same way software does. Software engineering is a lifestyle, more than it is a career

Video just scared the hell out of me. Retiring from the military and I want to get into the field. lol This is a good video, thanks for being blunt.

Its been 1 and half year since I started coding at the age of 20 now am 21....... I can still say I love programming ! I also didn't start our loving programming , I hated it ! But it grows in you , like bitter coffee .

I am very interested in being in my space and I certainly love being locked in that space.

I hate tech interviews with machines, I get so nervours when I see the timer

Any job is a skill. By your logic no job should be pursued for money. I’m so sick of people saying “ don’t do it for the money” about EVERY job, if I listened to that nonsense I wouldn’t accomplish anything. Hard to take that seriously as well when the first 3.5 minutes of the video is just advertising and plugging your channel.

I graduated as a software engineer and this is my advice to you all. When I decided to study this carreer I did it because I love computers and games. I found myself able to figure pretty much every software if I spent some time with it. At college, I was able to go thru code syntax and logic needed to make what I call "Dumb programs that nobody needs" like a calculator, atm machine simulator, you name it. I was able to sucessfully pass all my classes with decent and good grades. I knew I was going to be able to graduate as a Computer Science Engineer, however I was ignoring a huge red flag: I was indiferent to it, I didn't give a crap about programming, I just wanted to solve the assignment and then grab a beer and watch a movie or play some games. I did not have passion for it at all, to me it just a pile of garbage lines of code that nobody cared about. That's when I realized I probably did not choose the right carreer. I was a bit more social, always hitting the gym and talking to girls, in my classroom there were mostly nerdy guys, and it was very boring to me. Long story short, I graduated as a CS eng, I managed to get a job, and I learned a lot from it, and my fears became a reality: I did not like it. I hated it. I hated debugging, I hated learning new APIs, new technologies were just a hassle cuz I needed to learn another syntax. Dude, let's not talk about those hellspawn bugs that won't let your code work as intended and made me stay awake until 2am for days trying to solve them. Managers don't have a clue why it takes so long, they know nothing, and they will pressure you until your hair turns white, you quit, or get fired. Thanks destiny I somehow got an oportunity to change my carreer entirely as an electrical designer, I'm not a programmer but I drafter now, there are some winks to programming, but nothing complicated tbh. I like how my work becomes a real physical project instead of just thousands of lines of boring code and bugs. Yes, I get paid a tad less than working as a software dev, but I swear I couldn't care less. I enjoy my job more than as a software eng. What he says it's the truth, if you have no passion for CS, please consider changing to something else. CS is for people who like to use their brain power to solve problems thru logic and code, and if you worked 5 years using X programming language, and never learned more prog. technologies then you might be obsolete in the job market. Take a look at the long term, you won't be always young and willing to learn new things in your 40s, your brain gets slower, it's just the way things are. TL;DR: CS should only be studied if you love coding, solving problems, and learning new prog. Languages. Don't do it for the money because it will backfire at you, I promise.

video starts at 2:55

1. It’s hard 2. I’m stupid 3. The world is ending anyway 4. Idk 5. Lalalaa

A lot of comments be like: "Don't do it for the money, money moves the world, I need to make 6 figures etc etc". Don't just think about the money, if you truly believe that is your only motivation in life, I'm sorry, Software Engineering isn't for you, nor other careers in this world. Living is much more than that, even choosing your career reflects your view on life.

Yes, I would love to see you do a "study with me" type of video.

I don't begrudge those doing it for money; we all gotta put food on the table. I'm lucky that I found computers interesting as a kid instead of trying to develop a passion for them later while needing a job.

DO IT FOR THE MONEY...this is the problem we have as technical people. They take advantage of most of us because we don't focus too much on the money. Most of us aren't socially suave and certainly are not good communicators. So go all out for the money, hold out for the money, negotiate MORE MONEY regularly. It better be about the money because that is what gets you through the bad days...knowing you are getting what you are owed, not what you think you deserve.

Preach! Technical interviews can be the worst. I always feel like they are always looking for the negative. Even if you answer the question correctly, sometimes they want to tell you why your thought process is wrong. Or when the interviewers need to unanimously agree and there is that one person that does not "like you" or does not think that you would be a "good fit" for the team. Even though the interview was great and the chemistry worked out, yet that one person did not mention anything during the interview and wasted everyone's time. I have literally interviewed for a position and provided the solution to an "issue" that ultimately they were trying to hire for. They ended up delisting the position and through the grape vine, I heard that when they brought the senior dev in on my interview that he immediately implemented my solution to their "test questions". Literally talked myself out of a job and was not even compensated for my contribution. The issues being a young PoC in the Tech industry. IT is very rare that I am not the only US American person of African decent on any given team or even in the building. /rant

So true. I am a full stack developer my-self. I can Speak to the Interview piece at the 9:59 mark. Companies say they want A, B,C qualities in a candidate and select john with X,Y,Z qualities . 115 application since January 2020, up on completion of intense bootcamp with 5 project and over 200 commit on Github , 6 -10 interviews and still no Job. SMH. It the world we live Gyasi ... I appreciate the video

I love to see all these black software engineers on RU-vid this is so freaking awesome. I don't see them enough in my day-to-day, I've been in the industry for 3 years but it makes me very inspired and hopeful.

This only solidified I made the right decision to pursue a second bachelors in compsci

My son wants to become a software engineer he’s in 10th grade. He loves all things computer and can figure out almost anything on his own on his computer. Do you recommend coding courses for teens. What would you recommend for him to do to solidify the skills sets he’ll need in college to pursue this dream?

I don't think you should do software engineering for the money. I do it because it's fun for me.

I took Computer Science class during my sophomore year in school and I wasn’t really good at it. Basically just coding and creating game. I struggle a lot in that class. I always gotta asked my friend for help and just keeping solving the problem. I stress a lot in that class. Maybe this class wasn’t for me.

New subscriber here 🔔. Love the video. I majored in Management Information Systems in College and had to take a few coding courses and realized immediately it wasn’t for me 😅. So I’m glad my major was half computer technical and half business related. My job now is more on the business side. It takes a special person to code so I commend you for it. Can’t wait for more uploads 👨🏾‍💻

Getting a job sucks, I will never look for a job. I don't even care if Microsoft Google Facebook Twitter they all can offer me a job and I'll turn them down. I might and I do mean might do a freelance project for them but other than that I'll never ask another person to give me a job. There's way too many freelance opportunities out here.

I'm thinking of going to work in the software industry and I'm black and a girl so win win!

Those interviews are what's keeping me from going into computer science. Just looking at jobs in my area show that these companies require a massive amount of experience just for an entry level job. I can't tell you how many times I have seen people stuck in a hole where they have good experience, have submitted hundreds of job applications, but are still without a job. There are LOTS of jobs in CS, but that doesn't mean that it's easy to get one it seems like. I'm gonna stick to healthcare because of that. Sucks honestly cause CS really does seem interesting.

Broo im a latino, im 18. This vid is freaking great. I will definitely become a software engineer. I just finished my HTML5 course in CodeAcademy and imma start practising what Ive learned from the course. Love ur vids man, u are like a virtual mentor. U are such a blessing!!!

You have a nice home. You have a wife. Brah. Some folks will kill to have your life. Life ain't meant to be perfect. It's a push all through no matter your job. Enjoy the imperfections. We've got no other choice

I care less about money i just wanna learn how to code

If you lack patience don't go into this field. Sometimes it takes forever for tech support to show up and we lose our minds.

I don't understand why people tunnelvision so hard on race in the US. Diversity is far more, you aren't a certain kind of person just because you're born black/white/whatever. In an assessment center I was rejected, because 4 people stood in front of a whiteboard, all doing the same thing, while I was re-reading the task. I added a bunch of useful insight that they overloooked, but they just wanted everyone to behave the exact same way.. I lacked "team spirit" hahaha

I love the style man. Love the way you filming! Keep it up

Ppl told me not to go into nursing for the money. Ppl say don’t go into tech for the money. But that’s the point of surviving : Money. Yeah I get you have to actually like what you’re doing. These undertones with the lack of diversity isn’t exactly encouring black youth that there are other options besides sports, medicine , rap etc. we are very capable of gaining other skills.

As a real African studying Software Engineering in Canada, it’s true that my peers are mainly white people. I don’t see any problem with this, why do you have a problem with it? I’ve been in so many environments that were predominantly black people, I never had a problem with that either.

Love the honesty, thank you !

There is a lack of people of color in this field. In quite a few of my undergrad courses in Comp. Sci. out here in the Bay Area, I met only , maybe, 2-3 dudes that were black and a couple hispanic. All of which were the chillest dudes ever and smart as hell. This field is dominated by males, further, white males. That is one issue with this field. The next is lack of experience in a real job, etc. yet if you go to my GitHub and LinkedIn and personal site, you can very well see that I have built fullstack apps, I got a comp sci degree and I have worked hard. Yet 'your skills did not match those of this job' yet when you read the job desc. you match everything, lol. This field has many flaws. Above all, going in it for money already sets you up for failure. You will not work hard. You will just try to get the job, and then once you do you will love the pay, and then get comfortable, not grow, nor put in good work. Personally, I love the pay but love the work and love fullstack web technology far beyond the pay. I love this stuff!

Thank you for this! I’m entering to the field because I love it. This video is very helpful on things to look out for

Definitely with you on the journey to change diversity in tech. If your passionate about something, why can’t we do what we want to do, be who we want to be.

I can see why this video has almost 200k views and only 6k likes. This guy starts out with "getting into coding for money is cringy. Coding is only good if you're highly disciplined and smart". It worked for you though so how can you say that? I get this video is 3 years old but, I can tell that his delivery was off. Maybe he's gotten better at making videos down the road but, this was the wrong message. After graduating a boot camp, I can safely say that the biggest turn-off about software engineering is that it isn't simply a job. Many people talk about the lifestyle of being a software engineer without talking about the major downside of being a software engineer. Which is that it essentially becomes your lifestyle, it becomes all you do. Don't believe me? Look at all the software engineers who end up turning their social media platforms into Ted talks about their daily job life. Software engineering becomes all they ever talk about and all they do day in and day out. I follow tons of these creators and none of them seem to talk about their life outside of their daily routine and work. I'm all for taking pride in their work but, I've been coding for going on 8 months now and it feels like it's taken over my life as well as my cohort's lives. I'm sure many people thrive in this field in the same way many people thrive as police officers or in the military. However, the underlying theme I've seen in the military, policing, and software engineering is that it slowly consumes your life and gives you no time to really enjoy the things that matter. When you're done studying, you're highly encouraged and recommended to work on certifications outside of your specific field of study. Continue grinding, continue hustling, and don't ever slow down or get comfortable. You must always be working at a high level of aptitude or else you'll end up falling behind and get stuck like I am spending the last 2 months searching for a job only to hear nothing back. When I was in the military I was working 80-hour weeks. Then when I got out and worked as a federal police officer I was still working 70 hours a week. Now as a software engineer who's fully certified and trying to get a job, I feel like this is all I do. I could understand if I was passionate about this job field and wanted to focus on being a developer day in and day out but, I'm starting to realize that I don't want to be stuck at my desk all day every day answering emails. Software engineering might be for smart people who are passionate but, I'm just not that. I know that it's a field that anyone can do and I agree that anyone with enough patience and consistency can do it but, after 8 months of study and job searching, I'm starting to feel like this field won't be right for me. I could be burned out but, even after taking a couple weeks away from this, I feel like I'm going right back to the grind. I'm not feeling motivated to turn this into my full-time job where I want to grind and hustle just to secure a job for a few months and then get laid off just to go back to hustling. Again, this would all be fine if I loved software engineering but as of now I've only dabbled in it for less than a year and I'm still struggling with not only being good at it but, even how to tolerate the rough patches of software engineering. For those of you who find a way to stick with software engineering, I commend you but for me. I'm going back to finish my masters in a field of study that I can at least enjoy. Don't do it for the money or the hope of an easy-going lifestyle, doit because you genuinely enjoy doing it or are somehow good at it. Thanks for coming to my Ted Talk.

I had a technical interview recently. Killed it. I could answer every question that was thrown at me. But I didn’t get the job because I said “umm..” too much

I've wanted to become a software developer for a long, long time but I never actually pursued it. After being a security guard for four years I'm working toward finally making the jump, I want to actually follow my dreams for once. Thank you for making this video!

Nope, I do it for the money. Algortithms aren't fun but am motivated coz they bring mulla

Software engineering is the best everyone should become a software engineer. My comment is respectuful and I am following the community guidelines. This is my opinion and I have the complete right to own an opinion.

Great points. Thanks!

I studied this in college for the money and hated every moment.....but I'm broke now sooo gotdamit

I’m a finance major rn. But I’m having trouble deciding what I really want to do. Every job in the future will be automated and I think think this is something I’d love to do and help the world become what I kno it can be

Thank you for keeping it 100% real. I do want to get into the technology field not necessarily as an engineer. I were would love to work in computer security and maybe code for fun.

The lack of diversity is one of my concern for my son who is black .But he is bent on taking on this area of study.So I support him.

Everything Gyasi is saying is very true and spot on. As a hispanic male and first generation American it's been isolating being a developer. In college programming was very fun, in the real world doing it 8 or 12hrs a day for a paycheck could burn you out because of the complexity and pressure of the job. It's worse if you're dealing with imposter syndrome LOL

Yes, I would love to code with you and learn more about the business.

Thanks for the video man! Good thing to know the pros and cons of this career 👍💪

Coming into the IT field has a awesome way of satisfying my curiosity and I’m surprised how quickly I’ve fallen into it. I’m currently taking the google ITSS certification and I really like it! In these past 2 weeks I’ve learned about binary and Ik how to build a computer now. But now I’m a little worried since you mentioned that getting into coding is a skill that idk if I have 😥. Plus I’m in between being a software engineer or a cloud security architect. I guess the only way to know if I have the skill it to try it lol 😂

Dude I appreciate your insight, I’m on the path and watching your videos keeps me motivated to keep pushing. It gets frustrating sometimes but I want to make a difference and be apart of the small percentage of “us” to create the change. - Jon J.

Thanks alot bro. I feel like forwarding this video to all the annoying recruiters that have sent me stupid coding tests that has no meaning with what you do daily as a developer. Thanks for keeping it real bro.

I don't understand why people with this knowledge are looking for jobs. The reason why there's so many openings is because most programmers would rather freelance. You can do it from home and nobody even has to look at your face just get the job done and move on. The main point is to create your own applications build the portfolio and sell your skills. Being a minority in the tech industry is not a negative it's actually a positive because you bring more flavor and more ingenuity than the white counterpart. Another thing is that although it is technical unless you have creativity added to it then your programming skills are no different than anyone else's.

Definitely enjoying your videos! Good stuff...

( this is just how I think about " don't do it for the money ) With that " don't do it for the money ", imagine some1 is like poor asf, he is trying to make sum cash, and he finds out about the pogramming stuff and his mindset changes, cuz his mind will say, I must work to live, and there is not back, everyone can do it, if they do not like it, with time they will fins their place ans they will be just same as everyone, thans for undersransing!

For my 4-year degree I had to make an iOS app, code embedded processors, and create simulation models with code. After all that I still ended up being a crappy programmer. I didn't particularly enjoy it either. That's why I changed course and work as an electrical engineer instead

I just hate third party frameworks because they have unique procedures and approaches

Dang. I’m still gonna pursue it though...

Pretty wholistic perspective 😂 I love the bit about if you don’t want a hard job this isn’t it

I thought i subscribed months ago, thanks RU-vid algorithm for reminding me you exist

After washing your video; I will definitely become a software engineer. Indeed; all what you mentioned is for those willing to work for other people. But; this should never be a final goal. All business are software based today and not being software developer or engineer is being blind. Programming should be compulsory today worldwide. Moreover; no one should be working for others till death. You should run your own software based business after all; and your 5 reasons are all game over. I think you; opening a RU-vid channel about programming; shows already that you start understanding my view. As black people are few in the field; you should be encouraging us to learn instead of discouraging.

I like coding, but there are too many ups and downs in my career. I've been a software developer for 12 years and I'm seriously considering changing my career to something non-technical.

It’s gonna be hard but some day I’ll become a software engineer

not doing it for money and i really love what i'm doing but without money you can't survive and if you can't survive you can't code anymore so no one can deny that

I love how the first thing in all these "financial freedom shouldn't be a goal" really?

You say black women make up 4% of the tech industry but make up 16% of the general population. This is very incorrect, black men AND women make up 16% of the US population so black women make up about 8% of the US population. If you're going to rant about the races of the people you work with at least attempt to be statistically accurate.

Would love a follow along/tutorial type of vid. Keep up the great work!

"Shouldn't" Is a wrong idea for this video, everything you mentioned just made me want to pursue it more.

Concerning technical interviews, it doesn't do it any justice to say that most people aren't that good at technical interviews because we're all still humans and even highly technical and capable people can suffer from anxiety and stress when doing some sort of coding challenge in front of people.

Man I just got out of a coding assessment where I had to recreate the platform and I just got so demotivated man...

I think this was a very good video. Thank you for being so transparent with the reality of this field because a lot of people leave these things out !

You are such a cool dude! Thank you for the video!

I first would like to thank you Gyasi. What do you think of Front End? I heard its less complex to help you get to the backend engineering part of the industry. your feedbacks are important.

be thankful you have a job bro, i been trying to get in this field for about 2 years.

Your channel is very misleading first you talk about why you should be a software engineer now this. Pick a narrative

You’re videos are awesome brother much love !

I am looking into totally changing my career field. Any suggestions on what I could get into that would translate over to the gaming industry?

Im the only black girl in my year in uni😂maybe the only black person. I think part of the reason why there is no diversity is because black people just don't pursue it. They're flooded in the business sectors and sciences but dont pursue software engineering You can find a lot of them in IT but maybe it's just the mentality that software engineering is for white males probably makes them not want to pursue it. Same applies with just the gender ratio. It's dominated by males and white males more specifically.

Best job for people who have creative ideas😍👍✌️

You’re one chill dude 👊. Surprised haven’t hit 100k minimum subscribers!