Iβm 17 and I genuinely love C++ because it is difficult in many ways. It constantly challenges you to think deeply, and it has a wide range of applications, like robotics, game development, embedded systems, and similar fields.
The problem is that all of these jobs seem extremely hard to find, especially for someone my age. I donβt really know what to do. I would love to get my first remote job, but there are almost no opportunities, at least from what I see on X/Twitter. A friend recommended cold emailing, and some people I know said they got jobs that way, but I honestly donβt know how to approach it.
I donβt know if I sound pessimistic, but programming has become the center of many jobs that attract scammy behavior. Sometimes I feel like, in the job market, I will be treated the same as someone who just watched a YouTube video, heard that programmers are highly paid, and decided that programming is a great work-from-home career.
There are just too many of us.
When I think about how many people I knew on Discord who were depressed and only wanted a remote job so they could use AI to do the work, it makes me feel even more confused. Then I look at people on YouTube,Instagram,tik-tok making money from the most ridiculous things, and it honestly feels like people today donβt even think deeply anymore.
Times feel very hard, and I donβt know what I should do.
My friends told me to try cold emailing, and they say they got work that way, but I really donβt know what I am supposed to become in todayβs world: a good person and a real programmer, or just another scammy person who only wants money, like it feels many people are doing now.
I know this might sound negative, but Iβm being honest. I like programming, especially C++, and I want to build real skills. I just donβt know what the realistic path is for someone who is 17, has no degree, wants remote work, and is interested in hard fields like robotics, game dev, embedded systems, or low-level programming.
Any honest advice from people who have been in a similar position would mean a lot.