What is Imposter Syndrome in coding?

Impostor syndrome: feelings of inadequacy in the workplace, leading to the fear of being ‘found out’ as a fraud. Developer imposter syndrome sees both junior and senior developers dwelling on the knowledge and coding languages that they don’t know.

Why does coding seem so hard?

Coding is thought to be hard because it’s a different type of skill; and “different” in the sense that it’s unlike anything most of us have ever experienced before. You might know about the different kids coding languages, and what code looks like, etc., but the other 90\% is very different.

Should you give a coding test to your developers?

A coding sample, in the case of a mid-level developer, or a quick few phone calls, in the case of a senior developer, should establish pretty quickly as to whether or not they’re qualified. A coding test also doesn’t identify the most important aspect of a programmer: whether or not they’re capable of learning.

Is learning to code worth it?

One of the strongest and most obvious draws of learning to code is the earning potential for coding and programming professionals. The Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) tracks salary and other important workforce information for a variety of careers.

Are coding and programming skills important for non-coding jobs?

You might think coding and programming skills are only valuable for people working in highly technical specialist jobs. While it’s true that learning to code is more important for some roles, that doesn’t mean you can’t find practical ways to apply coding knowledge in non-coding jobs.

Should you ask developers to write code during their interview?

Joel Spolsky talks about how it’s important to ask developers to write code during their interview. But he also goes into detail about how he interprets this in his own company: namely, he asks people to write functions during the interview. He doesn’t administer a coding test.