In today’s Nerd Talk, I’ll share another excerpt from a conversation I had with my friend Macelo. You’ll find some interesting thoughts on software development, the job market, college courses—in short, careers. Here’s the conversation:
Valério says: A great book for you to read: Getting Real.
Macelo says: What’s the book about?
Valério says: Whatever programming language you use, Get Real. It’s about how to build real software projects.
Macelo says: Haha. I see. I’ve been through an experience. Is it about UML? Or some other kind of modeling?
Valério says: The programming language is only one part of it. The biggest challenge is to fill gaps in the market in a way that no one can imitate in the short term. It’s different from UML. In fact, the text points out many drawbacks of focusing too much on modeling, including UML. It’s about the real lives of productive programmers. About doing only what’s truly useful. About identifying and eliminating the bottlenecks that end up destroying our productivity.
Macelo says: Hmm, I like it. I’ll read it.
Valério says: It’s not about looking for the perfect approach (model everything before development); it’s about making things work and staying flexible when changes come along (getting real).
Macelo says: That’s really good, because people get trapped in what they’ve learned. They don’t want to learn other things and refuse to experiment.
Valério says: This book made me reconsider several ideas I learned in college. Sometimes college presents certain ideas as facts instead of possibilities; the section on UML was one example. Sometimes college tries to create or defend its own ways of seeing the world and becomes detached from reality. Then it tries to create jobs where people can make money by repeating these distortions. Again, that only happens sometimes. You can also find great Professionals there. UML is also used successfully by many companies. My question is that it should be presented as a resource, as one possibility that may or may not be effective depending on the context. In my case, I prefer the point of view in Getting Real. Each person should compare the options and use what works best for them or their company.
Macelo says: Uh-huh. I like it; I just read a bit. And it really does cover things that are useless (sometimes) in UML. Tell me more about your experience with college.
Valério says: College is an environment that opens doors and a place to make friends with similar interests. It’s also a place to find references to interesting books that you can research later. In other words, it’s just the first step.
Macelo says: Institutions are always the first steps. I’ve heard that since I was younger, since sixth grade.
Valério says: Actually, for many people it’s the first step. There are plenty of people who dropped out of college and founded successful companies. But it’s not easy to repeat that feat, so I decided to spend some time in college. :)
Macelo says: Uh-huh. There are always exceptions. College is the easiest and most reliable path …
Valério says: On the contrary, college is one path among many, and none comes with a guarantee. (;)) The only guarantee is you! Make the right connections, make the right decisions, get involved in things that excite you most of the time, and keep pursuing your goals using the old method of trial and error along with advice from successful mentors.
I’ve seen a lot of graduates who aren’t happy with their jobs after graduation. I’ve heard people say: “I work in something that has nothing to do with what I wanted, and I don’t like it. I work because I have to.”
Personally, I think that’s a complicated way to look at work. Every job has something good to offer the person doing it. You can spend some time helping an organization grow and grow along with it. At the same time, you should look for your own path: study, go to conventions and conferences, meet people in your field of interest, until the day comes to take the next step. Say goodbye to the previous place with a hug, wish them success, and follow your path.
There may also be a mismatch between your personal values and those of the organization. In those cases, the most important thing is to look as quickly as possible for an environment whose values align with yours.
Macelo says: But without college, it’s even harder just to survive.
Valério says: It is and it isn’t; it depends on what you want for yourself.
- Akita left college and is very successful today.
- I know the owner of a little neighborhood grocery store where I used to live. He never went to college, but he never behaved in a mediocre way either. He worked hard every day and saved his money. Within a few years, he’d built up income from several houses he bought and rented out. It’s a success story, within the limits of the life he wanted.
Macelo says: But how many people drop out in Brazil and end up as criminals? Those cases you mentioned are exceptions. It’s easier to get somewhere through college than outside it. I’m not saying those people just got lucky.
Valério says: All right, but to be exceptions, they went beyond the average. They always behaved like exceptions. Being exceptional doesn’t happen by magic.
Macelo says: I know, like you told me, it comes down to the person. Even when you have everything, if you don’t want to succeed, you lose.
Valério says: The job market is based on credentials, so college is important. But it’s necessary to understand certain characteristics if you don’t want to become a mediocre professional. I’ll show you what those characteristics are.
When you finish college, you can generally follow one of two paths:
- The job market, either as an employee or by founding your own company.
- An academic career: teacher, researcher, or scientist.
In either path, you can choose to be a professional (lowercase p = mediocre) or a Professional (uppercase P = someone with a reputation to protect).
Mediocre professionals usually hide behind job titles and credentials and spend too much time on status. I define status as a crystal goblet. It’s incredibly beautiful. But if you’re careless for even a moment, it falls from your hand, breaks, and cuts your foot and the foot of whoever is next to you. The credential only shows that you went through college; it doesn’t guarantee that you’re a good professional. A credential is temporary, not continuous. If someone doesn’t keep learning, college won’t be worth anything.
If you choose a professional based on their quality, you’ll quickly realize that a credential is like a martial artist’s belt: it only decorates your pants. I’ve seen less advanced students beat students with higher ranks. The belt around your waist guarantees nothing. Every match is unique. Only through persistence will a person start winning most of their matches, rise above average, and become a winner.
By contrast, the Professional (uppercase P) builds their career and life around their reputation. To define reputation, I’ll borrow Edmour Saiani’s Ponto de Referência concept: Always do something unique in a way that no one else can imitate in the short term! It’s about always being one step ahead. Always innovating, always reinventing yourself. In plain language, it’s about showing what you can do! The Professional doesn’t waste time complaining, because they know they can choose where they want to work. When problems arise, they face them as obstacles and learn along the way.
People just starting their careers are often still unsure about what they really want to do. I suggest that you do go to the college of your choice. But take the course with big ambitions. Think about your reputation. Think of college as only the first step, after which you’ll have to walk on your own two feet. Take the course with the goal of becoming a Professional (uppercase P) with a reputation to protect, someone with their own brilliance who helps others grow alongside them.
Macelo says: Thanks for the advice.
There are other ways to divide up career choices: working for small or large corporations; or, as an entrepreneur, starting a product or service company or working as a consultant. Saiani explains all of this very well in his post on the topic: Where to work? The most important decision of your life.