Why So Many Developers Quit Before Ever Getting a Job (And Why You Shouldn‘t)

Learning to code is hard. Really hard. It‘s not unusual to spend hours debugging an issue only to discover you missed a semicolon, or days implementing a feature only to realize there‘s a better approach and starting over from scratch.

According to recent studies, nearly a third of computer science graduates don‘t end up working in a job that requires their degree. And among self-taught learners, the percentage is likely even higher. Despite the explosion of coding bootcamps and online resources, many aspiring developers end up quitting before ever breaking into the field.

In fact, the attrition rate at coding bootcamps is nearly 40% according to a 2018 report by the Council on Integrity in Results Reporting. And that doesn‘t even account for the countless self-taught learners who give up somewhere along the way.

As an experienced full-stack developer who now mentors aspiring programmers, I‘ve seen firsthand the struggles that cause so many to throw in the towel. The two most common reasons? Feeling overwhelmed by how much there is to learn, and the mistaken belief that if you don‘t absolutely love programming, you‘re not cut out for it.

The Myth of the Passionate Programmer

One pervasive myth is that if you don‘t love programming with every fiber of your being, you should find another career. I‘ve lost count of how many times I‘ve heard new developers say "I don‘t think I‘m passionate enough about this. Maybe it‘s not for me."

Let me be clear – you absolutely do NOT need to love programming all the time in order to be a successful developer. In truth, even the most dedicated programmers have moments (or days or weeks) where they can‘t stand staring at code for one more second.

A 2019 survey by Blind found that over half of developers experience burnout, defined as "a prolonged period of stress that leads to exhaustion, cynicism, and detachment from work." If you sometimes find coding tedious or frustrating, congratulations – you‘re human!

As Elle Xue, a senior software engineer at LinkedIn puts it, "There are days when I feel like everything I‘m doing is pointless and I‘m not good enough. But those days pass. You have to remember your successes and trust that you‘ll have many more to come."

The key is to push through the difficult parts. Focus on your end goal, whether that‘s building something cool, solving an interesting problem, or providing for your family with a lucrative tech career. When the going gets tough, take a step back and remember why you started learning to code in the first place.

The Overwhelm Is Real

The other major challenge is the sheer volume of things to learn. It seems like every day there‘s a new language, framework, or technology you‘re supposed to know. It can feel like you‘ll never catch up to more experienced developers, let alone be qualified for a job.

Here‘s the thing – you‘re right, you‘ll never know everything. Not even close. I‘ve been programming professionally for over a decade, and I still have moments where I feel like an impostor who has no idea what I‘m doing.

The field of programming is so vast that you could spend a lifetime learning and still barely scratch the surface. As daunting as that sounds, it‘s actually liberating. You don‘t need to be an expert in everything – it‘s literally impossible.

Instead, focus on developing a solid foundation in the fundamentals. Learn how to break down complex problems, research solutions, and understand basic programming concepts. Build small projects to cement your knowledge. Contribute to open source projects to gain practical experience. Participate in coding challenges and hackathons.

Over time, you‘ll naturally gain expertise in the languages, tools and domains that interest you the most. But no matter how experienced you become, you‘ll always be learning. Embrace that, and get comfortable with constantly feeling a little out of your depth. It‘s the only way to grow.

By the Numbers: Why Devs Quit

So just how many aspiring developers quit before making it to a professional career? Here‘s a breakdown of the most telling statistics:

• Nearly 40% of coding bootcamp students drop out before completing the program (Council on Integrity in Results Reporting, 2018)
• Only 57.5% of computer science graduates are employed in a job directly related to their major (National Center for Education Statistics, 2021)
• The most common reasons aspiring developers quit are feeling overwhelmed (33%), not understanding concepts (21%), and losing motivation (16%) (CodeinGame Developer Survey, 2020)
• On average, it takes 6-8 months of dedicated study and practice to be job-ready as a junior web developer (Codecademy)

Looking at these numbers, it‘s clear that becoming a professional developer is no cakewalk. It requires serious time, effort, and grit.

So what separates those who make it from those who throw in the towel? In my experience, it comes down to mindset, realistic expectations, and a willingness to push through the inevitable frustration.

Playing the Long Game

Ultimately, becoming a developer is a marathon, not a sprint. It takes consistent effort and dedication over months and years.

Consider this: to become a doctor, you have to complete a 4-year undergraduate degree, 4 years of medical school, and 3-7 years of residency. That‘s 11-15 years of intense training before you can practice independently.

Now, I‘m not saying you need to study programming for a decade before applying for jobs. With focused effort, you can absolutely become employable much faster than that. But my point is, it‘s completely normal for it to take significant time to develop your skills to a professional level.

If a budding surgeon threw up their hands and said "I did a biology course and dissected a frog, but I still can‘t perform open heart surgery! I must not be cut out for this doctor thing," we‘d think that was absurd. Yet when new programmers hit a roadblock after a few months and conclude they‘re not meant to be developers, we don‘t bat an eye.

Developing expertise in any complex field requires perseverance. There will be challenging concepts, aggravating bugs, and moments of total discouragement. The key is to keep showing up and pushing forward, one day at a time.

If You‘re Feeling Stuck

So what should you do if you‘re learning to code and feeling discouraged? First, know that you‘re not alone. Even the most accomplished developers have been there.

Ire Aderinokun, a self-taught developer and UI Engineer at Google, shares:

When I was learning to code, I had so many moments where I thought ‘I‘m just not getting this, it‘s too hard, I can‘t do it.‘ But I kept pushing through, taking breaks when I needed to, but always coming back to it. And now I have my dream job. It‘s 100% worth sticking with it.

If you‘re struggling to make progress, here are some actionable tips:

1. Break things down into smaller steps. If a project or concept feels overwhelming, divide it up into bite-sized tasks. Focus on one small piece at a time, and celebrate each tiny victory.

2. Reach out for help. If you‘re stuck on a bug or can‘t wrap your head around a concept, don‘t spin your wheels alone. Ask a friend, post on Stack Overflow, or hop on a developer forum. The coding community is incredibly supportive and someone will be happy to help.

3. Take a break. Sometimes the best thing you can do is step away for a bit and let your brain relax. Go for a walk, watch a movie, or work on a totally unrelated hobby. When you come back to your code with fresh eyes, the solution might seem obvious.

4. Focus on the fundamentals. Don‘t get hung up on mastering every latest and greatest technology. Concentrate on core skills like breaking down problems, researching solutions, and thinking logically. The rest will come with time and practice.

5. Celebrate your progress. Learning to code is a journey full of small successes. Did you finally vanquish that stubborn bug? High five! Did you build a working prototype of your app idea? Amazing! Take time to appreciate how far you‘ve come, even if you still have a long way to go.

You‘re in Good Company

Still not convinced you have what it takes? You might be surprised to learn that some of the most iconic figures in tech struggled mightily with coding at first.

Actress Mayim Bialik, who plays a neurobiologist on The Big Bang Theory, has a PhD in neuroscience in real life. But when she tried her hand at coding, it didn‘t come easily. As she told Girls Who Code:

I had a really hard time learning to code. I cried a lot. I thought I was stupid. It was really hard for me to get a handle on it. But I persevered and it‘s been incredibly valuable in my life.

President Obama has also spoken about his experience learning to code, admitting "it was hard." But he stuck with it because he believes that "Computer Science education is a powerful tool for any student in any field."

And then there‘s Steve Jobs, who famously said in a 1995 interview:

I‘m not a great programmer; I‘m just a good programmer with great habits.

The common thread among all of these stories? Persistence in the face of difficulty. Coding doesn‘t come naturally to most people. It takes sustained practice and a willingness to push through the frustration.

But for those who stick with it, the rewards are immense. You get to spend your days solving interesting problems, continuously learning, and building things that have a real impact on people‘s lives. Plus, the compensation is nothing to sneeze at – the median salary for software developers in the US is over $110,000 per year.

You‘ve Got This

Learning to program is a challenging journey full of peaks, valleys, and plateaus. But it‘s one that‘s well worth taking. With enough persistence and dedication, you WILL become a developer. Maybe not tomorrow or next week or even next month. But as long as you keep putting one foot in front of the other, you‘ll get there.

And you‘ll be in excellent company. Some of the brightest minds in tech – people like Mayim Bialik, Barack Obama, and Steve Jobs – have been exactly where you are. They‘ve felt the frustration, the self-doubt, the temptation to quit. But they kept going, and so can you.

So if you‘re currently in the trenches of learning to code, keep pushing forward. Embrace the challenges, celebrate the small victories, and most importantly, don‘t give up. Believe in yourself and trust the process.

You‘ve got this! The tech world is waiting for you.