@javiercunat — 4x breakout

Loading video…

Harsh Realities of studying CS and being a Software Engineer 👨‍💻

@javiercunat

3.1K followers · usually 6.5K views a post

Views

20.1K

Likes

706

Comments

Why it worked

The post resonates with a large audience by honestly addressing the difficult aspects of a highly sought-after career path, while still maintaining an overall positive outlook. This relatable and balanced perspective encourages engagement and sharing.

Summary

This post outlines the harsh realities and challenges of studying Computer Science and working as a Software Engineer, including intense competition, imposter syndrome, overwork, and the evolving nature of the field. Despite these difficulties, it concludes that the pros of the profession still greatly outweigh the cons.

Structure

1Introduction to the harsh realities of CS and software engineering
2Competition and imposter syndrome
3Overwork and burnout
4Frustration with constant learning and the changing value of coding skills
5Acknowledging the benefits and ambition-driving nature of the industry
6Conclusion: Pros outweigh the cons

On-screen text

Harsh Realities of studying CS and being a Software Engineer 👨‍💻 Competition is tough. Everyone wants that FAANG internship and grinding Leetcode can be brutal. Being around smart people doing complex stuff can make you feel imposter syndrome hard. Overworking and burning out isn't rare. Average tenure at most companies is 2-3 years. A lot of engineers work well past five, pulling 60-80 hour weeks near launches or on-call. Team culture varies a lot, some can be super hierarchical, political, or just lonely. If you don't enjoy constantly learning and never fully mastering anything, it can get frustrating. Coding isn't a valuable skill anymore. Engineers used to make $100k+ out of building websites, now Claude does it for $20 a month. You need to learn how to actually design scalable systems, write and explain technical documents, and maintain large codebases. LLMs can't do this. That being said, it's still one of the best jobs and will always be a leading industry to go into. It's allowed me to live the lifestyle I've dreamed of and be ambitious. Pros still greatly outweigh the cons