A Beginner

I have been developing software for about 20 years now. And yet, I still consider myself a beginner.

Let me elaborate on that. In the world of software development, everything evolves extremely fast. New technologies emerge like mushrooms from the ground, and then new versions, new frameworks and it keeps going and going.

Every project I ever did, was always in a new technology, a new version, new tools, new methodologies. I have always been dropped into a situation, at a new company, customer or project with a new type of business, new team, new management. And almost always, I had to find myself at the beginning, learning.

We keep on learning new things every day. So yes, I consider myself a beginner, every time, over and over. Don't get me wrong, it's a good thing. It allows me to learn new things all the time, get to know new people.

But don't confuse a beginner with someone unexperienced. That's where those 20 years come into play. Experience is the backpack of knowledge you collect with every project or job you do. And it's up to you to make it bigger. Working for 20 years doesn't mean you have 20 years of experience either. It all depends on what you do and what you learn on the job. Doing the same thing over and over for years is not experience.

I don't like labels like "junior", "medior" or "senior" because it doesn't make any sense. How do you define seniority? Every company or even individual has their own definition based on different parameters. Sometimes people just bump from one level to the next based on the amount of working years. I've seen more intelligent "junior" people with 2 years of experience than so called "seniors" with 10-15 years of experience. And it certainly has nothing to do with age either. The context in which I tell this story is IT, but it's applicable in many industries.

Developing software is not just about writing code. There's no need for people who just write code on demand anymore. You might as well be replaced by an AI. Software is created for people so you need to be able to talk to people. It is all about communication. I recognize that some things will be replaced by an AI, which is already the case. But great people will never be replaced.

My drive has always been curiosity, passion and my ability to adapt quickly into a new environment. And that's something to strive for, always.

A wise person once said: "The mind that opens to a new idea never returns to its original size."