What are your key differentiators as a programmer?

A great programmer is able to understand problems clearly, break them down into hypotheses, and propose solutions in a coherent manner. They understand concepts quickly, or ask the right questions to help make them clear, and don’t need to have everything written down in a specifications document.

What a programmer should know about the IT industry?

As a programmer or software engineer, you must have familiarity with programming languages. Often, experience with a single programming language won’t get you very far. If you want to open the door to better opportunities, develop expertise in multiple coding languages (Java, Python, C++, JavaScript, etc.)

Are good programmers just randomly looking for work?

Good programmers are probably less likely to be randomly looking for work. It’s easy to find programmers. It’s hard to find good programmers. The crappy programmers are probably perpetually looking for work.

Do your colleagues not appreciate you at work?

If your colleagues don’t appreciate you at work, you come home and begin to appreciate yourself less to. It even gets to the point where you don’t believe you deserve appreciation. I know this happens too often – and it’s even happened to me in one of my previous jobs. If you’re currently not appreciated at work it doesn’t have to be that way.

What are the most common problems faced by software developers?

Just about every project ends up being over budget and behind schedule, forcing programmers to work tons of uncompensated and unappreciated overtime to deliver a poorly-designed and poorly-tested product.

Is it possible to become a great programmer by taking classes?

No one has ever become a great programmer just by taking classes or reading books. It takes hours of practice. And contrary to popular belief, CS programs do not teach programming. CS programs teach theory.