It is perfectly OK to only code at work, you can have a life too
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It is perfectly OK to only code at work, you can have a life too
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Re: It is perfectly OK to only code at work, you can have a life too
#2It is perfectly OK to only code at work, but you need to ensure you are learning and developing at work. Almost all programming related fields are still growing and changing rapidly. To stay relevant you need to invest in learning and self improvement. This can definitely be done as part of your job, but it's also something you can achieve by coding outside of work.
Regardless of how you do it, ensuring that you are continuously learning and staying relevant is important.
Re: It is perfectly OK to only code at work, you can have a life too
#3Anecdotally, I've been a professional software engineer for around 10 years at top tech companies. I'm currently have similar pay and seniority as a Google L6. I've very rarely worked more than 9 hours in a day, and in those 10 years, I've spent less than 100 evenings coding on personal projects. So yeah, it's possible for sure.
Re: It is perfectly OK to only code at work, you can have a life too
#4I think this goes deeper than coding, we live in a world of “Give it you’re all”, but really the only thing we should be giving it all for is what makes us happy.
Over the last 25 years of coding, I’ve always stuck to the 9-5 (ish), 5 days a weeks. I’m not rich, but do alright and I’m fairly happy. I actually have time to do things that are not coding outside of work.
The world needs driven people that give it their ‘all’, but we shouldn’t give those a hard time that just give their ‘bit’
Re: It is perfectly OK to only code at work, you can have a life too
#5Yes, and similarly it's also possible to be into coding both at work and at home and to still have "a life" where you're doing what you're enjoying.
Re: It is perfectly OK to only code at work, you can have a life too
#6Totally this! My father is/was a stage and costume designer in the theatre.
He worked so hard during the week (and weekends - theatre people keep some heavy hours!) that he rarely did many passion projects (though he did manage to fit a few in). But when he did they were on things that we really important to him, and that he gave himself the time to enjoy the process, and results and the iterations to follow.
I think he's always set me to have a good work life balance, and when I look back at the life he built for himself (and for us) it makes me really proud.
Now he's 'retired' he is in over-drive. He and my mother are slowly hand-painting their entire house, nothing is safe from redecoration. He's also painting loads of portraits and writing far more. Great to see a 78 year old man have so much drive and energy for creativity. I hope I do too at his age.
Re: It is perfectly OK to only code at work, you can have a life too
#7Anecdotally, I've been a professional software engineer for around 10 years at top tech companies. I'm currently have similar pay and seniority as a Google L6. I've very rarely worked more than 9 hours in a day, and in those 10 years, I've spent less than 100 evenings coding on personal projects. So yeah, it's possible for sure.
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Re: It is perfectly OK to only code at work, you can have a life too
#8It is perfectly OK to only code at work, but you need to ensure you are learning and developing at work. Almost all programming related fields are still growing and changing rapidly. To stay relevant you need to invest in learning and self improvement. This can definitely be done as part of your job, but it's also something you can achieve by coding outside of work. Regardless of how you do it, ensuring that you are…
You absolutely should be learning and growing on company time.
Re: It is perfectly OK to only code at work, you can have a life too
#9I recall this as a standard 'canned' interview question. The goal was to assess if the applicant had a general passion for software development as well as a drive to learn new things. While I had no particular issue with the goal of the question at the time, I always felt it a bit one dimensional. At a different job in a more corporate setting, I find the push to be just the opposite. Time-off is time to unwind, use it as such. I believe companies have found success in this cultural imperative as a means of preventing turnover and burnout.
Re: It is perfectly OK to only code at work, you can have a life too
#10i like 4 hours a day, everyday, weekends too. Even on vacations I like to get 4 hours of coding in and THEN enjoy non-coding activity. But lots of coders seem stuck in i must do a full 8 hours a day M-F only.