Ask HN: What skills should I learn?

2 pointsstatusanxiety5y ago1 comments

I'm 23 years old and have half a year left of my bachelor of Arts degree. I've been learning web design and python for the last 6 - 7 months and I'm enjoying it, but am worried that I've missed the boat on coding (too far behind at my age / the market for programmers is getting oversaturated).

My ultimate goal is to work at (or potentially found) a company working to address climate change and transition to a greener economy. I'm really interested in synthetic biology as a pathway to this and thinking about doing a master's in biomedical or biochemical engineering.

My question is what skills do you think will take me the most upstream for my goals? What skills open the most doors?

I like programming because it actually allows me to build my ideas. Is programming and biology a good combination? Is programming worth pursuing? If so, what area of programming should I focus in on?

Are there skills that I'm overlooking?

1 comments

2 comments · 2 top-level

brudgers5y ago

Wanting to change the economy is a worthwhile desire. Pursuing programming is a practical vocation. Biomedical engineering is an interesting field.

But they are separate. Programming in python is orthogonal to changing the economy. Orthogonal to biomedical engineering. And so on.

It's ok to pursue a vocation. It's ok to pursue an intellectually interesting academic field. It's ok to rationalize as based on a noble desire. But it is better if you recognize that this is a rationalization and there is no intrinsic nexus.

The most important aspects of changing the world are what you do and who you know. What you know, expertise, is just table stakes. Where change happens everyone is an expert.

What does a company that addresses climate change and fosters a greener economy look like? How does it make money? How does it address climate change? How does it foster a greener economy?

Good luck.

talolard5y ago

Hi I started coding at 27 and am doing well despite the late start. If you like coding keep investing in growing your skills and try to get a job/internship at a place that aligns with your interest.

If you enjoy it it’s a great job with great money, and you get to learn about whatever domain you’re coding for. IMO it’s an implementation skill and having a solid academic background in biology would still make you a more effective biologist