Why Your Coding Skills Won’t Be Enough: What to Do Before It’s Too Late

Interviewer: What is a CI/CD pipeline, and how many ways can we design one?

Candidate: Yes, I have good experience in application development, and I know what a CI/CD pipeline is. But this is a separate role in my organization, managed by a dedicated team.

Interviewer: Continuing with the question, how many ways can we design a CI/CD pipeline?

Candidate: Well, as I mentioned, there's a separate team that handles this, so I haven’t had the chance to work on it.

I’ve received responses like this from candidates with 15-16 years of experience. Despite their vast experience, they don’t know how to design a CI/CD pipeline, let alone the different ways to build one.

You might continue reading or move on, thinking this doesn’t apply to you, and that's fine. But I’m on a mission to Simplify the College-to-Corporate Journey by highlighting real issues people face today. The job market is shifting rapidly, and if you're not paying attention, trust me, the mindset of "I only need coding" will cause many to struggle.

Gone are the days when companies valued developers solely for their coding skills. Things are changing fast. If you're a software developer, you need to stay alert and conscious about your career. Relying on just one skill—like coding—won't be enough. With AI tools like ChatGPT writing code faster and better than ever, isn’t that true?

What sets you apart then? In the next 2-3 years, coding alone might become irrelevant, not because coding will stop, but because the landscape is evolving, and growing with just that skill will be harder.

So, what should you do?

My advice is to learn additional, in-demand skills like DevOps, AI, Machine Learning, Cloud Computing, Robotics, Copywriting, Personal Branding, and more. Choose based on your interests. Coding will give you an edge, but learning something new will be a game changer.

I know many people don’t realize their true market value versus what they’re currently earning. I was one of them. You might be too. You might think you're doing well, but that could just be self-satisfaction. Here’s a simple test: multiply your years of experience by five—that’s your market value in LPA (lakhs per annum). If you're multiplying by four, you're doing better than average. If it's three or below, you're not meeting expectations, and beyond that, you're underpaid.

This isn’t rocket science. It’s about knowing what you deserve. Often, we settle without understanding the market. Did you know freshers these days are earning in 3-5 years what it took 15-16 years for others to earn? I’m talking about experienced professionals who are not getting what they deserve.

What’s the solution?

I’ve developed a framework that worked for me, and I call it the 3S Framework:

1. Self-Learning

2. Self-Awareness

3. Self-Development

Start by learning something new every day—whether it’s through books, articles, podcasts, or videos on YouTube. Scrolling Instagram and Facebook reels won’t change your career. But using these platforms to learn could be a game changer for you.

As you learn, you'll become more self-aware. You’ll discover who you are beyond your current role, and you'll understand your true value—what you're getting now versus what you deserve.

You can't learn everything for free. Sure, there’s plenty of information on social media and YouTube, but it’s just information until you apply it. Yes, some things you can implement on your own, but for other things, you’ll struggle. Maybe you're stuck on a problem you’ve been trying to solve for days or months. In this case, you need someone to guide you. Remember, not everything comes for free. You’ll need to invest in yourself—that’s what self-development is all about.

Maybe you're technically strong but struggling to move to the next level, whether that’s becoming a lead, manager, solution architect, VP, or even CTO. To achieve your dream career, you have to invest in yourself. The results will follow. Think of it this way: if investing ?20k-?30k gets you a 40%-50% salary hike or a promotion, what’s the problem? By investing a small amount, you're setting yourself up for bigger returns. People are spending lakhs on self-development, and they're earning 10 times that in return.

Are they foolish? No. They know it’s an investment in their future. Unfortunately, many of us in the middle class think we're smart by quitting webinars when money is mentioned. But that's not smart—it’s ignorance. This mindset is why many remain stuck, while others move forward by changing their thinking and investing in their own learning.

I want to draw your attention to why we're struggling. I come from a middle-class background, and I’ve faced many challenges to get to where I am today. A year and a half ago, I was also ignoring these things. But when I dug deeper, I found that the key difference between the middle class and the upper class is their learning attitude. I thought I was the smart one, but in reality, I had been holding myself back.

Now, I’m working on myself and helping others. I’m dedicated to Simplifying the College-to-Corporate Journey for software professionals. I know this is a huge problem, and it will take time and effort, but I’m ready to invest both to make a difference. I have strong conviction in my mission.

Every day, I’m raising awareness through my free content, masterclasses, and eBooks. If you resonate with my thoughts, follow me on social media. If you don’t agree with me, that's okay too. I’m not here to impress anyone—this is the voice of my heart, and I’m confident I'll succeed.

Along with free resources, I also offer paid programs where I teach DevOps skills, leadership skills, career growth strategies, communication skills, personal branding, work-life balance, productivity tips, and more. If you think I can help you, let’s connect!