I have a colleague who I’ve worked with for a few years that I really respect as a leader. He’s no non-sense, straight forward, and not affraid to be bold.
In the past, I’ve bemoaned to this guy that “what we do” (build and operate software) isn’t that difficult for 80% of the things that companies build and operate. Often, my friend will agree, frequently pointing out that he can take a good car mechanic and turn him or her into a productive developer.
The skills that make you a good car mechanic - intellectual curiosity, troubleshooting acumen, and a methodical approach to problem solving are the same traits that make a good engineer. To be a good mechanic, you need to understand the underlying principals of how a car operates and the way in which the parts work together. You need to holistically understand the machine and the interfaces between the various moving parts.
Often, the machine will come in with ambigious symptoms or be failing in unexpected ways. Depending on the manufacturer, make, and model of a car, the parts may be slightly different and put together in unique ways. No mechanic will ever, inside and out, understand the intricacies of every single car that may come into their shop. They need to be detail oriented but extrapolate those details to the unknown.
There are a lot of parallels to software development. While we strive for standardization, no two applications are built in the same way. In my opinion, problem solving skills are the most important skill for both professions. One of the reasons that I love being a technologist is that there are always new problems to solve. My favorite aspect of my job is tracking down and fixing bugs; which requires the same skill set that a mechanic needs when they get a new car in their shop.
As a software developer, you need to understand principals and apply them to new areas. As new languages and platforms emerge, you need to quickly add them to your toolbox; just as the mechanic needs to be able to service newer cars with new features.
If there are any auto mechanics out there that have made the switch to working in IT, or anyone else has any stories to share about their disparate backgrounds and paths to tech, please discuss below!