As a developer, know your worth
Software is valuable and you should be compensated
When you work as a software developer, you solve difficult problems that are valuable. That’s why startups see valuations of millions or billions of dollars.
Today, let’s talk a little bit about valuing developers and self-worth as a software engineer.
Damaging self-talk
Recently, I’ve heard some self-defeating talk from developers I know. They say things like:
- “I’m self-taught”
- “I don’t have enough experience”
- “I don’t know much about ___ technology.”
They convince themselves that they should be paid less or don’t deserve a role at a top company. However, I know these people. They have the skills to make meaningful contributions to an engineering team!
Perhaps they’re not ready to make architecture decisions or lead a team, but they have the skills and the willingness to learn that it takes to be a great contributor.
The value of software development
It helps to look at software from the business perspective, so you know what companies are gaining when they hire you.
By writing code, you’re creating value for your company. The code you write powers an application that the company can then sell many times, for a marginal cost per sale.
Think about it. You write the code once and then you can run it as many times as needed for as many customers as you want. The scalability of software is what makes it such a valuable business proposition.
It’s why companies pay software developers $100k+. Once they have the software, companies can re-sell it for millions of dollars in recurring revenue.
Why compensation matters
Once you’ve broken into the profession, you’re likely making more than $100k in the United States. Especially if you’ve switched jobs and negotiated well.
It matters that you’re paid well because software engineering is not a commodity. Working on a team to deliver software is valuable. And software engineers do a lot more than just write code.
More personally, it matters that you negotiate strong salaries because it impacts the way management views you. If you cast yourself as a junior developer, you’re less likely to be offered opportunities to work on larger projects. Your performance will be more closely monitored. And, unfortunately, many managers will look down on you.
By contrast, if you negotiate a high salary and a job title, in many cases the job actually becomes more fun! You’re trusted to complete tasks on your own. You get respect when it comes time for your team to make decisions.
A pep talk
Avoid the mental barriers of considering yourself a “junior developer” or that being self-taught is somehow lesser.
On the contrary, in my experience self-taught developers are often better equipped than CS grads and bootcampers because they have developed the skills of searching for information on their own and building things without help or tutorials.
If you can build projects on your own, you have enough knowledge to work as a valuable member of an engineering team. The fact of the matter is that having a degree in computer science doesn’t actually teach much about the job of being a Django developer, for instance.
My advice: Never describe yourself as “junior.” Ban that word from your vocabulary. Feel assured that you know enough and can learn the rest.
More resources
Building a meaningful developer career — Email course on how to build a tech career with meaning and purpose
What I Learned from Mentoring New Developers — Valuable lessons about building a software career
What you need to know to get a job as a backend developer — A curated roadmap of topics to break into backend development
