Feeling tired at work? Looking forward to holidays? Today, I want to remind you how exciting and rewarding it is to work as a programmer. I’ve already shared with you the Secrets to Staying Motivated as a Software Developer. Now, I hope you’ll always be proud to be one.
Solving Tough Problems
One thing that I find very satisfying in this job is to be constantly challenged to solve problems. I don’t know about you, but finding solutions to technical problems makes me happy. Even better, when I get involved in a discussion with stakeholders to design the best solution to match their needs.
I feel the same about maintenance, actually. I know that a lot of programmers don’t like it. Probably because they have to dig into others’ — most likely, old — code, or they prefer to write new code. When debugging code, I would picture myself as Sherlock Holmes investigating and looking for hints to solve an enigma. Fixing something that didn’t work before feels quite rewarding, doesn’t it?
I know; you probably don’t build new solutions to interesting problems everyday. Nor are all bugs challenging and worthy of your wits. However, we need to accept that there is some kind of routine in every job. Don’t forget how exciting it is to solve problems.
Taking Part in the Technology Transition
The software world is moving fast. Look at how fast it has evolved for 10 years. Just try to spend one day without using a piece of software, and you will realize how much it has invaded our lives. For good or bad? That would be a discussion for another post. What’s for sure is that you have the chance to be a part of it.
If you believe in the power of programming and acknowledge how much it can shape tomorrow’s world, then use every opportunity to make the right choices. Make the programming industry evolve in the right direction! I think this is the duty of every software developer.
Building applications the right way. Saying no to the wrong arguments for bad solutions. Reducing the gap between the older generations and new technologies. Empowering new generations with coding: teaching kids how to code can have astounding results. Fighting for excellence and ethics: don’t write code that you are ashamed of.
These are the obligations of the programming industry today. If you’re a programmer, you share a part of responsibility in building the future of programming.
Making the World a Better Place
Every programmer, at his/her own level, has the possibility to improve the world. Unfortunately, people often emphasize the bad things: big brother surveillance, ads spamming, bugs provoking accidents… However, I think that we should try to focus on all the great achievements that programming has already enabled and the other ones yet to come.
Programmers save people’s time. We can do so many things — not enough yet — from our cellphones in a few swipes and taps. Technology has made social bonds very strong. You can reach and communicate with almost anyone on the planet in a matter of minutes. Technology has also enabled a world of sharing. Documents, photos, videos, knowledge… Anything!
Sometimes, we’re just ignorant of where and how technology can impact the world positively. Might seem anecdotic, but a Japanese farmer used machine learning to sort cucumbers. There are many ways in which machine learning could help agriculture. A lot of domains can benefit from programming solutions — justice, for example. You can also use your programming skills to help poor people.
Programming also saves lives. Now you think that I’m exaggerating; medical doctors save people, not programmers, right?
What about those mobile apps that could help save people’s lives? And those robots capable of assisting humans in surgeries? What about those data analysis softwares which can help prevent — or at least, mitigate — disasters? Did you forget those sensors making all vehicles more “intelligent?”
By coding, you help to make the world a better place, and we have yet to discover how much more programming will improve our daily lives. I’m personally looking forward to what blockchain technology will bring us, for example.
Embracing New Opportunities
Sure, not all programming jobs will give you the opportunity to have such a positive impact on the society. But plenty of other software developer positions enable you to fulfill your needs and your personal challenges. At the end of the day, the decision to choose a job that will make you feel proud is yours.
One good thing about our industry is that, once you know the basics of programming, you can pretty much work on anything. Every new thing you will learn will open new doors. That’s what we’re trying to do at CodinGame. We help you improve your skills and empower you to achieve your full potential.
To this end, I’m super happy to announce a special coding challenge: Code4Life sponsored by Roche, the world’s largest biotech company and a leader in diagnostics (invitro & tissue-based cancer). Saving or improving lives through the insights of diagnostic testing or finding new medicines; they do it every day! They look for new solutions to the challenging problems across health care, from disease prevention to diagnosis to treatment.
We believe that they are the perfect example of what good can come out of programming in healthcare. We’ve crafted a specific game which matches their world, and we can’t wait for you to discover it.
Code4Life starts on the 12th of May
and help make the world a better place!
Programming enables us to shape the world, even if only on a very small scale. Programming for good? Opportunities exist; you just have to find them. And be proud to be a programmer!