Life on the Software Engineering Path

Life Choices on the Path to Software Engineering §

Should I pursue a career as a software engineer?

20230401

• Current situation:

  • I have been considering various life choices, such as becoming a software engineer, pursuing a PhD, entrepreneurship, or exploring other options.
  • However, when it comes to thinking about what I do on a daily basis and how I spend my summers, it might be more beneficial to narrow down the possibilities and focus my resources there.

• Things to consider:

  • Should I aim to become a “software engineer”?
    • If I were to be more specific, it could mean doing things like practicing LeetCode or applying for SWE internships.
    • The decision to “aim for” or “not aim for” is only relevant to the current decision-making process and does not necessarily bind me to feeling the same way six months from now.

• Hmm, it doesn’t seem very meaningful to think about the vague and low-resolution concept of being a “software engineer” (blu3mo).

  • /chicken/Giving Up on Pursuing Software Engineering as a Career
  • I completely agree. Instead of thinking about becoming a “software engineer,” I should focus on what I want to do, like X (blu3mo).
    • It’s definitely a Decision-Making Ignoring Frameworks (blu3mo).

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Current Perspective as of 20210908

• If I continue in the direction I am currently heading, I feel like my life will follow a path like this:

  • Enter a good university in Japan through AO or recommendation (hopefully the University of Tokyo, SFC, or Tsukuba)

  • Major in information science at university

  • Acquire skills in information science/software engineering

  • Get a decent job at an IT company and work as an engineer

  • This is just a rough idea of what my life might look like.

• I think this is a fairly realistic path.

  • If I work hard without major setbacks, I believe I can pursue a career as an engineer at a decent company.
  • (I might be underestimating life) (This is just my perspective as of 202109)

• However, is that the best choice?

  • The idea of Programming as a Means is strong in my mind (not 100%, but…)
    • Programming is not the only “means” in this world, and I want to explore various other means.
  • Also, I’m not exceptionally skilled in implementation, and I have doubts and concerns about competing in an increasingly saturated field.
    • Perhaps my comparison group (such as peers in the “未踏” or “未踏Jr” programs) is not the right one, though (laughs).
  • On the other hand, I believe my strengths lie in areas other than implementation.
    • In that case, I wonder if the occupation of an engineer is the most optimized choice.
  • Also, the fact that the path of “working hard to become an engineer” seemed somewhat realistic is why I feel inclined to try more uncertain paths.
    • (I might be underestimating life) (This is just my perspective as of 202109)
  • Additionally, I feel that my focus is not necessarily on Software Engineering, but more on Exploring New Models through Implementation.
    • I wrote about this in my application to the Yanai Foundation.

• Therefore,

  • I have a desire to study at an American university (one of the reasons)
    • In Japan, if I enter a university primarily focused on information science (although there may be opportunities to transfer, etc.), I feel like I would be locked into this engineering path.
      • (If I have the ability, I might be able to pursue a different path)
    • In America, I feel like I would have more flexibility in making that decision.
  • I also have a desire to explore more freely rather than being fixated on information science.

• Perhaps because I can already see a realistic path, I feel more inclined to choose a path with higher uncertainty.

  • (I don’t know if it’s really realistic, but at least I believe it is, which allows me to choose uncertainty)#believability- If I couldn’t see any future path for myself to make a living, I probably wouldn’t have chosen to study abroad, which is highly uncertain for someone like me.

• @youten_redo

• On the contrary, I feel that programming productivity has increased so much that it’s becoming more valuable for “non-programmers” to do programming, rather than “real programmers.”

• The happy period where “people who want to do programming can make a living from it” may only last for another 10 years or so.

• https://twitter.com/youten_redo/status/1437203157843517446

  • By “real programmers” mentioned here, I think it refers to people who enjoy programming as a goal? (blu3mo)
    • not Programming as a Means
  • @Nkzn

  • When I see people with a background in philosophy who have a solid understanding of “how to think” or doctors and farmers who have domain knowledge right in the middle, learning programming and creating good services,

  • I feel anxious that I can only appeal programming itself as my expertise, and that it may not be considered a high-level skill. https://t.co/Vr7NnJ3hcV

  • https://twitter.com/Nkzn/status/1437214648298663938

#myself