As a twenty-six-year-old software engineer – I shan’t use the word “programmer”, for obvious reasons – who’s only ever really had one job, I probably ought to refrain from posting an opinion on this post:

Don’t Call Yourself a Programmer

But I will anyway. It’s true, every single word of it. I’m lucky enough to be in that 10% of jobs that isn’t producing “line of business” software, but that percentage doesn’t seem far off the mark. And all the rest applies – in my industry perhaps more than most, the points about networking and about managers hiring people they know ring true.

It’s a long read, but if you’re in the software industry or at University aiming for a job in software, do yourself a favour and read it. It’s well-written and probably the most concentrated page of good advice you will read this year.