Nvidia's CTO Names 2 Key Skills Young Programmers Need to Develop
The job market for young programmers is more competitive than ever. Here’s some advice for beginners from Nvidia’s chief architect.
The job market for young programmers is more competitive than ever. Here’s some advice for beginners from Nvidia’s chief architect.
«I think it’s a very challenging time for young programmers,» Nvidia’s chief architect Bryce Adelstein Lelbach said in a recent episode of the TechBytes podcast. «The reality is that most big tech companies today can only afford to hire experienced people.»
Mass layoffs in the wake of the pandemic have led to an influx of mid- and senior-level programmers into the job market, who suddenly find themselves competing with junior programmers for positions they were previously considered overqualified for.
As artificial intelligence is likely to further shrink the pool of available jobs, Lelbach says he would suggest that young programmers prioritize two skills.
The first is writing.
«Especially with the advent of large language models, the ability to express one’s ideas and thoughts will become even more important,» says Lelbach.
The second is the «timeless realm» of pure mathematics.
«While in the future we humans may be doing a lot less programming, the fundamentals that you learn in mathematics will always, I think, be relevant,» he said. «They will be relevant to how we design things and how we build things.»
First of all, practical knowledge remains the main thing.
«I think the best option is an internship,» he said. «If you want to get a job as a software engineer, you need to do an internship almost every year during college.»
While it’s tempting to delay your career path with a master’s degree, Lelbach says that approach can create more problems than solutions. Currently, a graduate degree won’t do much to help you stand out from the competition.
For seniors weighing their options, Lelbach advises focusing on getting as much real-world work experience as possible.
A student who has practical experience in the IT industry may have a chance to get a position at a slightly higher level than an entry-level one.
«If you graduate with a master’s or doctoral degree without any industry experience, you’re going to be competing with a group of people looking for junior positions,» says Lelbach. «As opposed to going and getting, say, two to four years of industry experience — then you’re going to be competing for senior-level roles.»
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