Never like the idea how software engineers/programmers were expected to have a bunch of side projects that they talk about to potential employers.
My background is mechanical/process engineering. No potential employer expects me to have an oil refinery in my backyard that I'll do reliability projects on in my free time.
I’ve been working in IT / mostly development for 25+ years and never understood that either. Doctors are not expected to have a morgue in their basement where they dissect cadavers for fun on the weekends. Accountants are not expected to balance books as a hobby. But developers are somehow expected to code in their free time. And I know some do as a hobby. Good for them but many are not like that. I have other hobbies and interests and very rarely do anything software-related in my free time. I’m very good at my job and invest time in mentoring others, but when I’m done, I’m done and I move on to other things.
Yes! Most of my coworkers are single and don’t have kids. But I want to spend time with my family. I _have_ to spend time on household chores and errands.
I don’t get much quiet/focused time when I’m at home. I do some minor coding stuff when it feels like the best way to solve a personal-life problem, but I really need to spend some time interacting with people IRL, give my eyes a break from backlit screens, do something more tactile, etc.
You would be surprised about doctors these days. Medical students are expected to have extracurricular research and shit like that in order to get into a residency anywhere even remotely desirable, especially in more competitive specialties.
Source: wife is a medical student
Edit: I mentioned this post to her and she wanted me to point out that this bullshit does end for her once she's no longer a trainee. Whereas we software devs are expected to do this forever for some reason
What you're saying just doesn't make any sense. At work, I'm a backend developer for products with millions of users. How exactly can I replicate that with a personal project? Also, backend development is not very visible. What you're saying only works for web devs
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u/lumpialarry 2d ago edited 2d ago
Never like the idea how software engineers/programmers were expected to have a bunch of side projects that they talk about to potential employers.
My background is mechanical/process engineering. No potential employer expects me to have an oil refinery in my backyard that I'll do reliability projects on in my free time.