₦airaland Forum

Welcome everyone.
Today I will be writing about starting a life as a programmer which I will list 5 things to know and be ready to do or let go to be able to be a successful programmer.


1. You don't need to be a computer science student

These days it's very easy to pick up a skill you are interested in and learn. Content are so much available for anything possible you can learn or you wish you know about.
In programing, you are expected to be a computer science student but in reality you don't even need to be in a computer related field to be a successful programmer.
Non computer science student are breaking borders and solving problems.


2. Google is your friend

No programmer can know everything, the best programmers in the world still use Google to find a way out of there problems.
In programing, no man is an island. I once watch an interview between Bill gates and Steve Job. Steve Job talks about how they had to fly bill gate from his location down to there factory just to help them build a particular function for their pc OS. So always ask for help through any means.


3. Don't follow the crowd.

Let me paint a picture for you on this.
Peter wants to start learning programing, his friends tunde is a PHP developer. Just because he don't want to follow tunde because NodeJs is the next big thing he followed the crowd.
1 year later peter is still looking for a job but tunde keep cashing out on PHP Core language.
In programing you choose what you want and can do and not what other people wants. Do you want to go into robotics look in python etc, you want to go into app look into java etc.

PHP alone can make you a billionaire if you chose the right path. In PHP you can choose to go into WordPress which are break into Themes, Plugins, Add-on and many more, or Magnito or OpenCart or Laravel etc which are build on PHP. Choose a language you no you can create and build on not just because Mr A is into it then you want to do the same.


4. You don't need a job, you only need an idea

In Nigeria, going into programing is all about working in a good reputable company and earn a moderate salary. But little do they know that there are markets meant for programmers. People sell scripts, plugins , fully customized Website and get millions of dollars with $100 per download.
Choose your path in this great adventure you find yourself into. We need more programmers in this country. Check YouTuber you find out that india's has dominant the web development space. Good programmers sharing ideas to help young developer to excel. They are making the use of their large population of programmers to improve there life and that of their country.



5. Have a pet projects

Pet projects helps in building your path to where you wish to end up. A pet projects is your small little miracle waiting to happen. A twitter engineer was using Bootstrap as a pet project for job for his tasks till it became best frontend css framework.
Don't start programming without having a pet project, it shape you. It takes your boring time and it also keep you consistent which is the key in our line of job.



Thanks. I hope you understand me.
By EkenmaPeter

SegFault:
And those that lose theirs through fire outbreaks or high voltage trashing their motherboards are aliens, if you lose your laptop and you are broke funds is still going to be an issue.

True

SegFault:
What about funds to buy laptop, I'm just tired of this programming horseshit, going back to writing.

Before you think of programing you must know that you will need a laptop or desktop

Thanks for coming in.
I will like to point out 6 problems young developer face in Nigeria.

I will explain it as stages so as to show you how hard and most times stressful trying to be a successful programmer in Nigeria.

1. Electricity.
I have to add this to number 1 spot because all programmer needs to charge their gadgets and you find it hard to learn further without light.

Outside Nigeria you can dedicate your time to learn and also code without going out for months, but you can't try that here. It's very expensive to run learn programing with generator unless you are from a rich background.


2. Working in a start-up company

Now you have tried learning some few programing languages, maybe you have some pretty code to show and a little portfolio to brag about.

You applied for a frontend developer role in a NEW start-up company. Lucky you got invited and you find out its just one guy who probably have a Fiverr account and maybe can't handle all the jobs coming to them, so he decides to get an extra hand. (Red flag)

You end up showing some code but if you don't have any hosted site on the web, they can't employ you. They don't want to take the risk of employing a newbie and start teaching him some industry standard in web development.

Most times you will come to the interview with your laptop, you work with them with your laptop and they pay you 30,000.


3. Not solving problem

To be successful in programing is to have the idea to solve problems. Problems are just walls blocking you from bring your dreams to reality.


Some people learn coding just to work and earn a moderate salary. Some learn programing to solve problems.

4. Don't learn for fun, learn to make money

Are you from a rich home? If yes you can learn for fun. Play around and test all the languages. But if you are from a low class , I will advise you learn for the money.

When you learn to survive, you unleash the zeal to find small project to live from to think out of the box in problem solving. eg PHP, Laravel, Flask, React or WordPress (Pokect no dry languages)


5. Working under pressure

Becareful when accepting to work under pressure because most times you get frustrated along the way. Working under pressure without giving the programers time to rest or have time for family and personal issues should not be over look unless it's a six figure project.


Many companies gives young programmers task and limited time or space with low salary. Some even have to work as intern for months.


6. Working for scammers

All this scammers are no geek. Most of them don't even know coding but the get scripts from developer who are ready with cash.


Let me paint a story for you using me as an example.

I spent 2 years learning coding, after learning you find it hard to get a moderate job just to start life.

After some few months you give up, just because you are good a friend from your street contracted you to build a site that steals people social media details. He pays you 70k ( That's your two months salary working under pressure) within some days you are done.

You hand over the job and he pays you deal settle, you got more request from his friends of friends and you got caught up in the dark web.

People will say you don't need to do that but in reality, having the power to put your skills to test and you got paid handsomely. These are ways we keep loosing our young and talented developers.


7. No competition

Coding contest is another ways to catch them young. Looking at the country social life we only focus on entertainment. Everybody wants to be the next emmanuella. Comedy shit everywhere, reality shows promoting zero talent or skills.

Coding is boring, and finding love and passion in the boring things we engage into is why we need to create a world class ICT code competition.


8. No local investors

I have seen great programers who have build great pet projects which can solve one problem or the other.

An avarage Nigeria man can't spend is one kobo on any internet related idea or business.

You create an amazing app but no money to promote it. No money to hire more team to improve on the projects. That's another problem.


Thanks for your time.
By EkenmaPeter

Happy birthday bro

RIP

Same thing happening to Endsars... People using it to cash out

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