Don’t let misinformation keep you from a career in software development.

We look at 6 of the largest misconceptions about this fast growing career field.

6 MYTHS

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Contents

2 Title of the book

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Introduction to Coding

Myth 1: Entry Level Jobs Don’t Pay Well

Myth 2: A 4 Year Degree is Required

Myth 3: It’s Boring

Myth 4: There’s No Room For Creative People

Myth 5: Coding Requires Mastery of Complex Math

Myth 6: It’s Only For Young People

About devCodeCamp

About the Author

Introduction to Coding

3 6 Myths of Coding

The world of coding is moving in warp speed, growing virtually exponentially with every passing day. It is a field that is perpetually evolving, with new languages entering into relevance and needs for it growing. This has created a demand for people with coding experience that is not keeping up with the need.

The coding industry is booming and that won’t change anytime soon. Many of these jobs pay extremely well, and you just might be a prime candidate to fill such a job. If you are interested in departing your current field for this one, don’t let any of these 6 myths prevent you from the pursuit of web development training. This industry needs you.

If the industry is ever going to fill the ever-growing pool of positions within it, there will have to be a groundswell of career changers that pursue code-specific training. Coding is not a job that just anyone off the street can fill. It requires a unique combination of talents, skills, interests and personality.The field has exploded in recent years, leading to a wealth of misinformation pertaining to web development, software engineering, and coding. It’s our hope that this book helps to straighten out some misconceptions that those looking to enter the field may have.

SPOTLIGHTSpeaking in CodeThe percentage of women majoring in computer science is dropping. According to a recent study that can be found here (link to study) the percentage of women pursuing computer science has gone from 37% in the mid-eighties to just 18% in 2012. The coding industry needs women, and there are countless opportunities in-field for them.

Myth 1: Entry Level Jobs Don’t Pay Well

Entry level jobs in coding pay surprisingly well.

This is absolutely false.

Most careers won’t make you wealthy in your first position. This rings true often for lawyers and doctors in their first job. This one won’t either, but the numbers don’t lie when it comes to beginning salary for coders: You will be well compensated.

There are a lot of factors in

this. While coding jobs exist everywhere in the US and out, a majority of the jobs out there are in some big cities. Some are more affordable to live in, some are on the other end. Jobs in San Diego and Seattle; two of the nation’s premiere cities for programming jobs, are likely to pay more. The sliding scale of pay heed can also depend on the size of the company. As expected, large companies are likely to pay more right out of the chute. Training also has a heady impact on salary. Coders that only know one or two

languages will likely find they make less to start. Many training programs are language heavy, leaving graduates with several mastered before entering the workforce. To be competitive in the market, this is important.

Continued on Page 5

4 6 Myths of Coding

5 6 Myths of Coding

At the end of the day, a beginning salary of $40,000 or more is common. This is a pretty good place to start, especially considering the vast amount of growth potential that exists in the field. A good coder won’t be making that for long, and the ceiling for pay is high. By some counts, there are over a million jobs available with an average salary in excess of $90K. Compared to other fields, coding is starting their newbies out with a much higher pay than most.

Myth 1 Continued

SPOTLIGHT

Speaking in CodeThe need for software developers has left some staggering statistics to consider. One that jumps out at you is the average salary for software developers. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the average salary for a software developer is $93,350 per year. See their full slate of applicable statistics here: BLS Stats

Myth 2: A 4 Year Degree is Required

Industry needs are altering requirements to enter the field.

6 6 Myths of Coding

This too is absolutely false.

Let’s be clear; a degree does not hurt, but this is not a field where it is an automatic prerequisite.

The tech field is certainly one that has presented this dilemma before. Four year colleges and certificate shops have debated this for years. Where does the true value exist? Is it in Bachelor’s Degrees of Computer Science or in a healthy slate of Microsoft Certifications?

Truth is, is that it depends entirely on the

company.

Rough estimates is that it’s about a 50-50 split, although one has to wonder how many of the job listing a Bachelor’s Degree as a requirement really mean it. It’s well known in the tech world as a whole that oftentimes that is listed as concrete but secretly is flexible as warm taffy.

Nowhere is this more applicable than in coding. If you hold out for someone with a four year degree,

you may be listening to crickets chirping for a good while.

The demand for coders has exploded so fast that companies are faced with leaving jobs open or hiring people from short term boot camp programs, often before they’re even half-way done with their training. It’s really a form of supply and demand; the competition for competent people is fierce, not only driving up salaries but watering down any traditional requirements surrounding a degree. Continued on Page 7

7 6 Myths of Coding

Even for folks with a degree, the presence of qualified, certified coding boot camps are hard to come by. Some states don’t have any yet, and online ones leave huge gaps in practical application as the hands-on experience tends to hold the most weight in the field. A degree alone won’t help you obtain a job in coding, unless you can demonstrate mastery of the languages.

The math in this is fairly simple; companies need to fill jobs, and to stay competitive, waiting four years for qualified candidates sets them back. If you are degreed already, it will help you advance in the long run. If you are getting started in the career, you can pursue that later.

Myth 2 Continued

SPOTLIGHTSpeaking in CodeFinding code development schools is no easy task, unless you know which resources to use. According to Course Report, there are 873 schools around the country that offer some form of an in-person program. To see the list of those schools, click on the link here: Code Development Schools in the US

8 6 Myths of Coding

This is, of course, a matter of perspective.

To people that code, it’s the antithesis of boring. It builds on the sort of addition that a great video game can incur, and becomes an exercise in creative problem solving that is highly consuming. The field presents a literal endless opportunity to solve problems and string solutions together to make people’s lives better.

Granted, this incorporates a lot of time spent sitting and concentrating, hence, it is not for everyone. Talk to an experienced coder however, and their faces will light up when asked about the field. Passion can erase an awful lot of boredom.

Part of the problem with the perception that coding is boring is that misconceptions abound in this area.

For one, programming is no longer a job best done in solitude. For better or worse, it requires much more social interaction in today’s field. Much of it is carried out individually, but a great deal of teamwork goes on in coding. Projects are normal and often involve several people in charge of different aspects of it.

Continued on Page 9SPOTLIGHT

Speaking in CodeThe work environments for computer programmers and software developers reflects the need for qualified people. It’s an employers market. Some companies offer ridiculous fringe benefits. Which places are the best to work at in this field? Check out this article to see a some of the best perks in the tech field. (Perks Article) If that’s not exciting enough for you, check out this article that highlights the companies paying their developers the highest. (Salary Article)

Myth 3: It’s BoringCoders claim addiction to problem solving is real…and exciting.

Something else that makes this a gripping field is that good coders are often treated like rock stars.

Competition for talented people in an underserved field has created an environment that is exciting to work in all on its own. Beautiful and comfortable work locations add to this. Stop in at a top coding shop and you’ll find music blasting, folks lying down and playing games on the job; all things that would get you fired at a normal job are fostered and encouraged here.

Some of the aspects of coding might require long hours of repetition and concentration, but between the chance to problem solve, make great money while doing so, and doing so in a field where the minions run the show and are treated accordingly.

That folks, is the definition of exciting.

9 6 Myths of Coding

Myth 3 Continued

Not long ago, there was a near-universal belief that people could uniformly be classified as either left or right brained people. Right brained people were creative, warm, outgoing types. Right brained people were more serious, analytical and logical.

Science has largely debunked this. Turns out, most of us are capable of relying on a mix of talents accrued from both sides of our human heads.

For people that go into coding, this is great news. The suggestion that creative people don’t have room in coding is entirely wrong. It’s quite the opposite.

What is more accurate to say is that coding requires creative people that are capable of using and understanding logic.

With any scientific problem solving activity, there needs to be an ability to analyze, eliminate and add things based on logic. This may have been where programming of yesteryear ended, but it hardly is now.

Continued on Page 11

10 6 Myths of Coding

Myth 4: There’s No Room For Creative People

Coding is perpetual problem solving. Problem solving requires creativity.

Coders need to be able to conceptualize a finished product or function and see the bigger picture. A narrow scope lacking in creativity can be fatal to a programmer. Not to mention that problem solving itself is largely a creative function. Coding is not the solution to one problem. It’s the combined solutions of many. When something doesn’t work, it requires the forethought to develop another potential solution, and another when those don’t work.

11 6 Myths of Coding

Speaking in CodeCoding is a fast-growing industry, but are you the right fit? There’s no way to know definitively without delving into it, but there are some ways to see if your skill set and interests would be conducive to software development, coding or any closely related position. The best initial step might be to complete a handful of online career inventories. They can be a good litmus test to see if this is a field for you. There are many to choose from, but the one offered by What Career is Right for Me? Another good one exists at Sokanu. Neither should be relied on as true science, but it can help you get started on the right foot if looking to change careers.

That’s creativity at its finest.

To coders passionate about the field, this is a form of art. Like paint or other mediums, one must be able to adapt, manipulate and revisit the medium to attain the desired end result. There is no one universal color to art, and the same applies to coding. It’s the coders job to determine which color goes in which part of their technical painting, so to speak.

Without creativity, a coder is a one dimensional piece in a three dimensional world. Hence, there is more than enough room for creative people in this field.

Myth 4 Continued

SPOTLIGHT

This might stand as the biggest misconception of the field.

Mathematical skills are required, without a doubt. A lack thereof would make this a very difficult field to master, if not outright impossible. With that in mind, it’s worth taking a closer look at the math involved.

It’s not as complex as you think.

The math skills that someone has to have to become a master coder must have some specific traits. For one, they must be consistent. A person that is consistently inconsistent in their math skills might find this a challenging field. For people who have the basics down pat, this is a great field.

Another aspect of the math required to do the job is that is is just as mentioned; basic. This does not require trigonometry, geometry, or any other kind of metry. A good understanding of algebra and functional business math are all that are truly needed. For career changers, it’s not the lack of skill or capability that might serve as an impediment, but a lack of practice. If you haven’t taken a formal math class since high school or college, and it has been several years since doing so, taking a class to brush up before training might be a good idea.

Continued on Page 13

12 6 Myths of Coding

Myth 5: Coding Requires Mastery of Complex Math

Required functions are often much more basic than most realize.

13 6 Myths of Coding

Speaking in CodeDid you know that the Bureau of Labor Statistics publishes a list of required personal traits and individual skills for hundreds of thousands of jobs, including software development? It’s a valuable resource for anyone considering a career in coding. What does the BLS say makes a good code developer? Check out their summary here: Traits of Good Code Developers

The enjoyment of math certainly doesn’t hurt, but quite honestly if you asked a hundred programmers if they loved the subject as a student, a large number of them would say no. If you enjoy it, this is a great field. Loving it is not a requirement, though.

The best description for the math needed to become a great coder is discrete mathematics. Discrete mathematics is a term used to describe a form of math that is relative to the computer science field. Discrete math is a combination of integers, graphs and statements of logic. On the math scale, it’s basically a step up from normal high school level math, but hardly at the level of anything complex.

Of course, everyone has differing skill sets; so what is difficult for one might be child’s play for another, and vice versa.

For people with average math skills, understanding and applying the concepts of discrete math should not be unattainable. Keep in mind though, that a coding job in a field that is highly scientific or creating software for fields that utilize numbers, your grasp of it may have to be higher than noted here.

A person motivated to become a coder should not find the math involved to be a huge impediment towards completing training and entering a job in field. Oh, and it doesn’t hurt to be able to count money, either.

These jobs pay well.

With a coding job, you’ll be needing that.

Myth 5 Continued

SPOTLIGHT

14 6 Myths of Coding

To address this, let’s role play.

You have invested hundreds of thousands of dollars to launch a software startup, and suddenly are facing a pair of other similar companies that wish to corner a market you were about to be all alone in.

You’ve invested your time, money, and put other career aspirations on hold to get this far. It’s consumed your life, taxing both your home and recreational endeavors. It’s your passion, and now you are being challenged by a pair of rivals that intend to take that market from you.

You have an immediate need for someone with talent to help you expedite the process. You post an ad, you network, but the best person you come up with is in their late thirties or early forties. Do you pass on them?

Not if you want your business to thrive.

Continued on Page 15

SPOTLIGHT

Speaking in CodeCareer change is becoming a normal part of professional life. In years past, longevity in a field was prized, as was time spent with one company. Such is no longer the case. On average, people will change careers 5-7 times as adults; many of these changes coming later in life. To read more about midlife career change, check out the Huffington Post’s section dedicated to later-in-life career changes here: Huffington Post Articles

Myth 6: It’s Only For Young People

The coding industry needs all hands on deck, regardless their age.

If you are unhappy in your career, don’t let age be an unnecessary obstacle for you to find a new career in coding. In all reality, your work and industry experience could prove to be an advantage, not a hinderance.

As mentioned before, by some counts there are a million or more jobs waiting to be filled in this field. That’s a staggering number, and it’s a number that won’t be able to be filled by sticking to a fountain of youth. The field needs experts and they need them now.

It’s often been said that age is just a number. It’s true. So too is a million, and it’s guaranteed to be much higher than anyone’s age. That’s how many jobs are waiting to be filled. If there’s a number to focus on, let it be that one.

9 6 Myths of Coding

Myth 6 Continued

If all things are equal, companies don’t care if you’re a career changer or if you are a Millennial that recently entered the workforce. What companies care about is their bottom line. Will this person be successful? Will they be reliable? Are they mature enough to handle the expectations and meet deadlines?

For people entering the field from afar, it helps to have a grasp of the concepts and theory behind coding. Without at least a conceptual idea of the field, it could be a hard adjustment to make. This understanding isn’t really made easier by a lower number of digits on the age scale. In most cases, either you get it, or you don’t.

devCodeCamp: Wisconsin’s only code development boot camp.

AboutThe devCodeCamp campus is located in Waukesha, WI, and offered by Brensten Education. It is currently the only one of its kind in the state of Wisconsin. Waukesha is located 15 minutes west of Downtown Milwaukee and conveniently located just seconds off of I-94.

We set out to disrupt traditional education by creating a model that is focused, fierce and fun. Students in the program are entered into a fully immersive 12 week program study. The program is fast paced, challenging and hands-on. Students are on campus for up to 10 hours a day, five days a week over that timeframe. The program is structured to teach software concepts that are transferable to any language.

From day one, students dive into languages and frameworks used by major corporations and tech companies. Among the languages learned are Python, .NET & ASP.NET, GIT, Visual Studio, JQuery, Javascript, HTML 5 and AngularJS. As new languages take hold in the industry, we include them in our curriculum.

devCodeCamp instills the skills for students to write their own software, and gain employment as a junior software engineer. We provide experienced job placement and career advising services to our students. In 2014, Brensten Education celebrated 20 years of teaching technology. We have graduated and placed over 5,000 students into tech jobs, and have taught over 80,000 classes to more than 1,000 organizations. As an accredited school since 2007, Brensten Education carefully crafted the devCodeCamp program to provide students with a thorough understanding of coding best practices, practical knowledge, and hirable skills. Our instructors have collectively written over 3,000,000 lines of code that are in production today.

If you are interested in learning more about the devCodeCamp, please visit www.devcodecamp.com today to learn more about this exciting new program.

Benjamin Tomes is an author and digital marketing professional in Waukesha, WI.

His writing career began in 2010, following an extended recovery from spinal trauma incurred in an accident. He used the recovery time to write a four part nonfiction humor series called “Confessions of the Unmedicated Mind; Growing up with ADHD, before ADHD.” The first book in the series was released in 2012 and called, Volume 1: Home. In 2014 he followed up with a 2nd instillation of the series called Volume 2: School. There are two more installments in the series scheduled to be released in 2015.

Prior to his work in digital marketing and writing, he was a highly successful urban teacher and athletic coach. He was named the 2002 National Coach of the Year by Wrestling USA Magazine, the sport’s largest publication, becoming the youngest coach to ever win the award. He received a similar award from Sports Illustrated, who named him their National Coach of Influence in 2005. Tomes was also featured in an award winning 2003 PBS documentary called “Wrestling City Kids”. The film detailed the plight of the inner-city wrestling program thathe started from scratch at one of the nation’smost challenging schools and nearly leading them to a state title.

In addition to his work as an author, Tomes is a general education and digital marketing instructor at Brensten Education in Waukesha, WI. Heis single and has two children; Zander (13) and Abigail (11).

devCodeCamp: Wisconsin’s only code development boot camp.

About the Author