One of the questions I used to ask myself when I started programming was, "Should I learn X or Y to get a job at Google?", and I'm pretty sure that someone reading this article has searched this at least once or in my case, 175 times. And this is a rational question to ask, we all want to learn a programming language and make as much impact as possible with what we've learned. But is this the best question to be asking?

Software Engineering is a massive field and it's easy to get overwhelmed by all the choices available for someone to take when starting. So much so that you wish that there was a sure roadmap to a fulfilling and rewarding career in tech. Well, what if I told you that there was one, and more so it's not as complicated as google makes it seem? It's simple and easy to follow. In this article, I'll be showing you how to choose a field in technology, one that will lead to a very full and fulfilling career.

A little bit about me

I am a software developer with 1+ years of professional experience with the ability to create high-fidelity mobile... bla bla bla. I'm sure you don't want the whole resume introduction line gimmick. The truth is I am just like you, Yes you! Not so long ago I was trying to find out what I liked, what I enjoyed, and how to make a living with that thing, and it was quite a hassle for me, Why? because I liked a lot of things, I enjoyed doing a lot of things and it was so darn difficult for me to choose one field in technology, so I did a lot of things, I did web development, mobile development, cloud computing, blockchain, data science... And I think like two more. Before long I wasted about 2 years of my life jumping around different technologies without specializing, trying to find out what clicked for me. Now I don't want that for anyone, and not for you. So what should you do to get started?

Where People are getting it wrong

If you search for one of the most famous newbie programmer questions, "what programming language should I learn?", you'll get the very generic response stating that "if you learn X you'll be able to do Y and get employed by Y", this although a good response is not the best path to go about learning and choosing a career in tech. Most people are choosing to specialize in fields where they believe the pay is "higher", but this method of choosing comes with so much more cons than pros. This is made worse by other beliefs such as

• If I learn X I'll get to work with Y in Z months
• Learning X will lead to a job with a much higher pay
• Learning X will make you the most sought-after developer in Y years

All these points are not fundamentally flawed, but if focused on as a metric for choosing a career, will eventually lead to a dissatisfied life working at a job you do not enjoy. Although money is a good drive to making a choice, there are a lot of others to consider when choosing a career path, not looking at the bigger picture tends to lead to regrets further down in life.

What you should focus on when choosing a field in tech

Before going further I would like to make it clear what technology is, according to Study.org, Technology is the way we apply scientific knowledge for practical purposes. If you're from computer science, you will know that all we do as software engineers, developers, AI engineers, Data Scientists, etc. is simply provide solutions to problems and improve already existing solutions. So your major drive should be to solve problems, money and cash should come as a result of success in solving problems. So here are a few things to consider when choosing a field in technology.

Tech is an enabler

Most people think that technology is all about programming languages, coding, working at google, etc. But one thing I wish more people understood is that tech is not a driver or solution, but an enabler instead. Technology is an enabler. It provides the means to create and make a difference, which ultimately brings lasting progress and radical transformation.

What this means is that you can use tech with whatever you choose to make a difference. You don't have to be a coder to be in tech, there are technical writers, project managers, designers, and many non-technical roles, making a living for themselves in technology. So it's not about what technology can do with you, it's about what you can do with technology

What do you love doing?

Extending from the point mentioned above, in order for you to make a choice in a career path, you need to find out what you enjoy doing, this does not have to be related to technology at all, it can be writing, drawing, keeping things in order, etc. Once you find this out, then you should find out a field in technology that aligns with what you enjoy doing, do you enjoy writing? You can be a technical writer, Are you more of a creative soul? There are UI designers making a living doing what they love.

If you are more into technical roles in technology, you can choose a technology stack or language whose use cases align with who you are, and what you enjoy doing. Are you creative and visual? you can be a frontend engineer, are you inclined towards solving problems, software development and engineering are very lucrative fields. In hindsight, you should choose a field based on what fascinates you, and what makes you happy. If you use this as a metric for your choices, then you'll end up choosing a career that you love and enjoy.

Availability of jobs

Now although I stated that you should make a career that aligns with what you love doing, I would also like to emphasize that you should make sure that you choose a career that makes you hireable. No one is going to hire you if you love eating pizza, and it's quite difficult to find a career based on such a passion.
Make enough research on the job market, find a career prospect that aligns with what you love, then make sure that it is in demand in the market. Once, you've found a good match then you've gotten yourself a career prospect worth pursuing.

Higher paying career is a myth

This is a more controversial point because most people would disagree with this. But stick with me, it'll make sense in a moment. I'm sure that you must have seen the whole "X makes more than Y, because of Z", I don't totally disagree with this, there are career prospects with more impactful use cases and hence provide higher pay, But it doesn't really matter, all you should focus on is how to be proficient in the career prospect you choose to pursue.

Firms, companies, and recruiters look for proficiency and skill in job roles, it doesn't matter if you become an AI Engineer, a Technical Writer can earn more if he/she is more proficient in what he/she does. So strive for proficiency and upskilling in your respective career prospect.

It'll Take Time

One of the mistakes people do is trying to choose a programming language with which there'll get a job in the next 3 days, I'm not saying that it's completely wrong, getting a job you love as soon as possible is what we all want. But you shouldn't rush the learning process, learn what you need to. This is because if you don't learn sufficiently before getting a job, you'll not enjoy the job regardless of if it's based on your passion or not. Rushing the learning process is a one-way road to turning a dream into a nightmare. So take your time, Rome wasn't built in a day.

What Should I Do Now?

I want you to do something right now. I want you to take a pen and paper, and write down all the things you enjoy doing, and what you love doing, once you do so, find out what using technology with your passion will help you achieve. Once you do so, check the job market in your respective location (or not, remote jobs are a thing), if you find out that recruiters are hiring for such a
skill or career prospect, then that should be your choice in a career. The pay should not be a metric, because it doesn't matter, what matters is how well you can do what you do.

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