Why do they get all the glory

Dec 1, 2014 at 7:05pm
I am a 16 year junior in high school. I have been programming for about five years and have some skills in Java, Scala, Ruby, Python, C, Assembly,JavaScript, and C#. However, there is a freshmen that thinks he knows JavaScript(but actually only knows how to use Javascript) and writes cheap pointless games. I am studying web app development with the play-framework. Yet this freshmen gets job offers, internships, and all kinds of crap. He does not really know programming. I am not saying that I am an absolute master at it, I am just saying that at least I know the language I am using and not just the API I'm using. Technically he is not even using JavaScript. Technically he is using JScript which is the .netified version. Why is this guy getting all this and I am not.
Dec 1, 2014 at 8:24pm
Because it looks like he's getting things done.
Dec 2, 2014 at 12:25am
There is no glory to be had.
Dec 2, 2014 at 12:28am
One thing that you should always remember - life is unfair.
Dec 2, 2014 at 12:29am
He is probably applying for them and you seem a bit jealous imo...
Dec 2, 2014 at 1:16am
Networking and charisma go a lot further than talent and skill. It's unfortunate, but the sooner you learn that (and take advantage of it), the better.
Dec 2, 2014 at 3:18am
^ What Disch said. This guy very well may just be better at selling himself than you are. Being able to convince people of your skills is just as important as the skills themselves.
Dec 2, 2014 at 7:46am
You say he's making simple little games and getting attention? What are you doing to show your skills in programming? Yeah you might even know 10x more bit if nobody can see that you're not going to get anything.
You know you could chat to this guy and collaborate in something, if he sells you both well and you teach him more things, could be good?
Dec 2, 2014 at 6:24pm
Better to be the guy who has 5 complete, if simple and poorly designed, projects than the guy who has 100 incomplete projects with perfect designs. Better to be the guy who uses the easiest language and tools and gets things done than the guy who uses the coolest language and the best-performing APIs but can only write 10% as much code per day because he's constantly looking up documentation and fixing bugs in his manual memory management.

I keep telling myself that but I still have hardly any finished projects worth looking at. Be a completionist, not a perfectionist. A pragmatist rather than an idealist.
Dec 2, 2014 at 8:39pm
What everyone before me said.

I would advice analizying and make an inference about guys actions(what he does and attracts employers). Change your actions according to the result you get.
Dec 3, 2014 at 1:19pm
It's not just what you've got, but also how you package it. Having the
best ideas, the finest code, or the most pragmatic thinking is ultimately sterile unless you can communicate with other
people. A good idea is an orphan without effective communication.
-The Pragmatic Programmer, From Journeyman To Master
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