Coding Stereotypes we should leave in 2020!

Coding Stereotypes we should leave in 2020!

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6 min read

Happy new year 🥳 ! Starting the new year with a list of things we should leave out of 2021 please? Thank you.

1. Technical people have a certain look 🥴?

The Technical industry has one of the lowest bar to entry, which means now more than ever we have more people from all works of life transitioning into this industry. This means we are no longer accustomed to the stereotypical Tech bro with geek glasses and a poor sense of fashion. Stop joking! Its 2021 ..... we now have a diverse representation of what a technical person looks like!

  • She can be a Mom of 3 and still making waves in the Tech Industry.

  • He can be a gym head and still know how to write code

  • She can be a Beauty Queen who is very much into coding.

And the list goes on...... Nowadays it doesn't only look like the picture on the left it also looks like the picture on the right.

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Check them out .... these are real people out here doing amazing work Brenda Michelle, Raf Rasenberg, @senegoddess , @hibacodes, @kg.codes , @codewithsheryra and finally @juliacodes

2. Passing Coding Test doesn't Determine the Best Developer for the Job!

Yes! I say this because, there is a lot more about being a developer that surpasses just knowing how to code! The candidate has to also be

  • A team player
  • Have great communication skills
  • Be professional etc.

The only time this might not apply is if the company does not value company culture. It's important to employ people that have a similar ethics and values the company has.

This is why it would be unfair if candidates are only judged on their technical performance. Other interpersonal skills should be put into considerations when picking the best candidate for the job.

3. There is more to a developer's life than writing code!

Can we stop thinking all developers do is lock themselves in a dark room and code all day? 😄 ..... I mean what a life, if you have got any friends like that PLEASE OPEN THE CURTAINS, THAT'S NOT NORMAL!

I can confess I have got an increased affection towards my laptop than the average human being, but with everything in life, there needs to be balance. This also applies in the work place, developers can and should be encouraged to take leadership positions like managers or technical leads. Which means encouraging training in non-technical areas like managing people.

Outside of work, I encourage developers to find other hobbies to indulge in. If there's one thing the pandemic taught me, it would be that, connecting with human beings has become even more important. So get out there! Technology makes it easy to disconnect but take several steps to connect with reality on a daily basis.

4. We all start with 6' figure salaries 🤣

Alright this is probably one of the things that makes the Tech Industry very desirable for a lot of people, the dream that you start making a large amount of money at entry level. I don't know what the industry is like in different parts of the world in terms of tech salaries at entry roles but in the UK, the average starting salary is between 25k-35k before tax! So no we don't all start with 6'figure salaries, but what I can say is true is,

compared to other industries the average advertised salaries in tech is 44% higher than the national average

Which means reaching that 6'figure range might be a lot quicker than if you were in other industries. So let's get our facts right.

In Conclusion,

  • Being a tech bro/babe doesn't have a certain look.
  • The best developer for the job should have a combination of technical and non-technical skills.
  • Dear developer, close your laptop!
  • Finally, it's a great time to start your tech journey, and if this is something you are interested in doing, stereotypes aside, it is a great industry to be in! Wishing you luck with smashing all your goals this year!

Credits: Images used for representation belong to the individuals tagged in this post

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