Software development may not be for you
At least, not if you think it’s all about six-figure salaries, remote work, and free snacks. I’ve been in this field long enough to see people burn out, quit, or realize too late that they hate the day-to-day reality.
Every time I post a video or write about software engineering, someone argues with me (open in a new tab) like I’m trying to sell this career. I’m not. In fact, here’s why this path might not be for you.
The schooling is brutal and it never ends
A CS degree is brutal and it’s almost mandatory now. Sure, a handful of outliers still land jobs without one, but the days of “learn from YouTube, land a junior role, and learn on the job” are basically gone.
And here’s the kicker: graduation isn’t the finish line. The learning never stops. Your employers and your team will expect you to stay sharp. Frameworks, libraries, and languages will evolve. Proprietary tools at your company will also evolve constantly. Keep up.
The job market is ruthless
Software developers are expected to stay sharp on interview skills — but here’s the catch: those skills often have little to do with your actual job. Most companies use “LeetCode-style questions” to filter candidates, which means hours of grinding algorithms you may never touch again. And you don’t just prove yourself once — you prove it every single time you switch jobs.
I’ve met senior developers who were rock-solid in their day-to-day work but terrified to interview because they were “out of shape” on whiteboard problems. It’s like having a physically demanding job, then still needing to hit the gym to stay employable.
And right now? The market is flooded with applicants. Even strong developers are struggling to stand out.
Burn out is real and common
Software engineering is one of those careers where burnout isn’t the exception, it’s the norm. I’ve seen it in myself, and in plenty of peers. There’s no “chill button” in this field: the backlog is endless, deadlines keep coming, and the work is never truly “done.”
That grind wears on you. You log off knowing there are still a thousand bugs and feature requests waiting. You wake up the next morning already behind. Over time, it’s exhausting to realize you’ll never get ahead of the work.
The money isn’t as good as you think
The dream is a quarter-million salary right out of college. Can it happen? Sure, but only for a very select few, and usually in a very specific place: San Francisco’s Bay Area (or maybe Seattle).
Even there, most new grads I know are landing somewhere between $100k and $150k, and that’s in one of the most expensive places on the planet. Outside the big tech hubs, I’ve seen starting offers as low as ~$60k.
It’s good money compared to many other fields, but it’s not the instant path to riches people on TikTok or Reddit make it out to be.
You’re are not passionate about it
If you don’t genuinely love building software and feel passionate about the craft, you’re going to struggle. This career demands constant learning and self-improvement, not just when you feel like it, but consistently, year after year. Without that intrinsic motivation, it becomes a grinding uphill battle to stay competitive, especially considering everything I’ve outlined above.
Look, I personally love this work. But even I spent years contemplating this path, tinkering with code as a freelancer, and testing whether I actually enjoyed the day-to-day reality before committing to it as a career. If you’re drawn to software engineering mainly for the perceived perks like the salary, flexibility, or prestige, I’d encourage you to dig deeper and ask yourself if you actually enjoy the work itself.
Because at the end of the day, no amount of money or remote work flexibility will make up for spending 8+ hours a day doing something you fundamentally don’t enjoy.
