The Debate: Self-Taught vs. Formal Education in Tech. Part 2 of 2 with Brian Feister.

Coding Chats episode 35 - John Crickett and Brian Feister explore the journey of becoming a software engineer, discussing the value of self-taught skills versus formal education, the impact of boot camps, and the importance of community in tech. They delve into their experiences with the Go programming language, sharing insights on learning, challenges faced, and the advantages of Go in modern software development.

Chapters

00:00 The Value of Computer Science Degrees

05:46 Self-Taught vs. Formal Education in Software Engineering

08:32 The Reality of Bootcamps and Career Expectations

14:21 Approaches to Learning Go Programming

18:03 Navigating Technical Challenges in Web Development

20:22 Transitioning to Go: Experiences and Insights

26:06 The Power of Go's Toolchain and Compiler Speed

28:40 Learning Go: Tips and Resources

32:06 Building with Go: Frontend and Backend Integration

34:45 Understanding Go Routines and Concurrency

39:28 Final Thoughts on Community and Connection

Brian's Links:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/brianfeister/

Meet Near Me on LinkedIn:https://www.linkedin.com/company/meet-near-me

John's Links:

John's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/johncrickett/

John’s YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@johncrickett

John's Twitter: https://x.com/johncrickett

John's Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/johncrickett.bsky.social

Check out John's software engineering related newsletters:

Coding Challenges: https://codingchallenges.substack.com/ which shares real-world project ideas that you can use to level up your coding skills.

Developing Skills: https://read.developingskills.fyi/ covering everything from system design to soft skills, helping them progress their career from junior to staff+ or for those that want onto a management track.

Takeaways

Self-taught engineers often excel due to passion and curiosity.

Formal education can provide useful fundamentals but isn't always necessary.

Boot camps can mislead students about job prospects and salaries.

Community support is crucial for growth in software engineering careers.

Learning Go can be a rewarding experience with the right approach.

Go's simplicity and efficiency make it a powerful tool for developers.

Understanding concurrency in Go can enhance performance in applications.

The tech industry is evolving, and adaptability is key for success.

Remote work presents unique challenges for social interaction.

Building a supportive network can help navigate the tech landscape.