The 10000 hour rule won't make you a master programmer, but at least it's a good starting point

　　 author | Luis Minvielle

　　 translator | Qiu Kai

　　 Reviser | Noe

        If you are a student who is studying the basics of programming in a training class , So how long does it take you to become a software programming expert ？ Canadian writer Malcolm · Malcolm Gladwell （Malcolm Gladwell） In his best seller 《 Alien species 》（Outliers） The famous 10000 hour law is proposed in —— This is an empirical law , It is used to describe the time anyone needs to study and train before becoming an expert and successful person in some fields .

　　 According to Gladwell's reasoning , The reason why the Beatles can become a successful band , Because 60 In the early s, they were in Hamburg ( A port city in northern Germany ) Work , By constantly touring the city's nightclubs , I have accumulated about 10000 hours of live singing experience .

　　 Besides , bill · The reason why gates can become a legendary programmer —— At that time , He is the best in the world 50 One of the programmers —— Because he first invested 10000 hours to make his code effective 、 Fast and no abnormal error reporting . He did this when he was young —— As a teenager , He slipped into the computer lab in high school , Self taught the basic knowledge and concepts of programming . When he founded Microsoft , Although gates is a fledgling businessman , But he is a technical expert , Is a developer who has been certified by the 10000 hour law .

        This law is simply fascinating —— Gladwell summed up the complex theory as an easy to understand slogan —— And make it a reference standard for learning and success . Even Paul · Mccartney （Paul McCartney） Also express ,“ This is in line with many facts ”.

　　 If we apply Gladwell's findings and apply the law to the career of programmers , We will easily judge how long it takes to become a master programmer —— Maybe it can also provide a reference guide , Let's know when we can ask for a raise .

From apprentice to master

        For this test , Let's assume that the 10000 hour law is very accurate （ Spoiler alert ： allegedly , This is not the case ）. in addition , Suppose you attend a full-time high-intensity training class （ Similar to wogeng programming training camp ）, Dream of becoming a data scientist . It means , When you finish the course , You have practiced about 350 Hours —— Accounting for the ultimate goal 3.5%.

　　 But this is just the beginning .2020 year ,79% Of the graduates of the training class found a job within six months after the completion of the course . A job —— Or high school computer laboratory —— It may be the best place to improve programming .

　　 therefore , It takes a long way to become a professional programmer , But how long does it take ？ in consideration of 350 Hours of time advantage and （ In a pessimistic situation ） Six month interruption , You can evaluate this now .

　　 If you find a job as a data scientist in a company , And every week 5 God 、 Every day 8 Hours to program and hone your skills , Then you will spend about 5 It takes a year and a half to reach the requirements of the 10000 hour law . It's not easy , But it is not very difficult ！

I am a job 3840 Hours of engineers , I ask for a raise .

　　 No , Please don't say that to your boss . however , Because wages are usually determined by a loose hierarchy , So for a person who has 3840 For programmers with hours of professional experience , It may mean that you have the conditions to increase your monthly income .

　　 You can use it. 3840 How many things do in an hour ？ First , You can watch the matrix surpass 1500 Time , Or watch the replay of every Champions League final 40 Time . however , most important of all , If you have 3840 Hours of experience as a programmer , This means that you have invested at least two years in practicing 、 Work and hone your programming skills , And everyone will recognize your progress .

　　 that , By this time , You are no longer a junior engineer —— You can call yourself an intermediate engineer . As we mentioned earlier , Have 2 To 3 Years of programmer experience means you will be able to win about 8 To 9 Ten thousand dollars in salary （ In the U.S. ）.

　　 The 10000 hour law allows us to easily evaluate our progress in two years ： Because we are talking about the 10000 hour goal 3840 Hours , We will say , When you have completed more than one third of the expected journey , You are already an intermediate engineer .

Senior engineer milestone

　　 If you are a senior engineer , It means that you know how to become both an expert and a beginner ： Senior engineers can easily explore new programming languages or concepts . This may also mean that your LinkedIn inbox is often full ： According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics , almost 98% Senior software engineers are easy to hire .

　　 what's more ,37% Senior software engineers usually only stay in one company for one to two years . Statistics reflect the market （ Whether private or public ） For all directions 、 The high demand of experienced software developers . If you are a senior engineer , Then you are likely to get dozens of job offers in a year .

　　 that , Before becoming a senior software engineer , How long should we program ？ Research centers seem to prefer to use years as the basis for evaluation ： At least five years as a programmer , You can become a senior engineer .

　　 Yes ： Five years , Equivalent to completing the requirements of the 10000 hour law . Gladwell's law fully conforms to industry standards . Gladwell's view is , A lot of practice can not only gain professional knowledge , It will also bring success .

　　 therefore , According to him , If you work very hard for five years of programming training , You will accumulate 10000 hours “ Flight time ”—— This will prepare you for success . If possible , At that time, your salary should be 11 Around ten thousand dollars , If you work in Silicon Valley , The salary will be more .

summary

　　 The beauty of the 10000 hour law is that it almost perfectly matches the programming profession ： If we blindly choose to believe and obey the law , Then become a data science expert 、 Web development experts or Ninja（ A speed focused construction tool ） Program experts will spend the same amount of time , That is about five years . The industry seems to be following this Law , That is, with the increase of working years, employees will be given a higher salary —— Increase with your professional knowledge .

　　 Of course , Career has ups and downs . You may only spend three hours programming every day , This will take you longer to achieve the 10000 hour law . Besides , You may also put a lot of energy into a passionate project , This enables you to achieve your goals at a rate of less than five years .

　　 even so , Another view of this analysis is , In the eyes of most HR teams , Your distance is recognized by them “ senior ” Personnel still have five years . and , If this theory proves to be correct , Then you are only five years away from professional success .

Translator introduction

　　 Qiu Kai ,51CTO Community editor , At present, he works for Beijing Express Co., Ltd , The position is information security engineer . Mainly responsible for the company's information security planning and construction （ Equal insurance ,ISO27001）, The main contents of daily work are the formulation and implementation of safety plan 、 Internal safety audit and risk assessment and management .

Original title ：The 10,000 hour rule won’t make you a coding expert, but it’s a good start

link ：https://thenextweb.com/news/10000-hour-rule-coding-expert