Hi All,

How would you rank a programmer skill level out of 5?

Here's what I came up with but I have 4 out of 5

1
2. Basic
3. Intermediate
4. Advanced
5. Expert

Thanks in advance for your suggestion.

Eric007

 

Perhaps you could call level #1 Novice? I think I've seen that used before as a skill level below Basic.

Out of curiosity, why are you asking this? Are you putting together a survey?

 

Perhaps you could call level #1 Novice? I think I've seen that used before as a skill level below Basic.

Out of curiosity, why are you asking this? Are you putting together a survey?

ranking myself...

 

If you plan to rank yourself, it is probably more important to define what distinguishes each level than to come up with the best names. Programmer 1, 2, 3... is just fine. Its advantage is that it lacks the emotional content of calling someone a beginner, novice, expert, etc.

As an aid, think that you are trying to define job levels. Each level must /should be distinctively different for the others , or there will be continuous battles about unfair wages.

John

 

3. I'm a jack of many trades, but a master of none.

 

I have been writing software since 1980 but still don't consider myself an expert.
Things move on so fast you don't get time to keep up with everything new that is coming out.

 

I have been writing software since 1980 but still don't consider myself an expert.
Things move on so fast you don't get time to keep up with everything new that is coming out.

So how do you rank yourself below?

1. Novice
2. Basic
3. Intermediate
4. Advanced
5. Expert

Given that you started in the 80's I would assume that you're at least an 'Advanced' programmer.
There will always be new things coming out and I don't think that's a problem.

Eric007

 

I think you should have 2 categories too, lowlevel hardware based software skill, and high level software based software skill. they are 2 different things, one is pins, I/O, ram and monitors, and the other is more theoretical algorythms.

 

Isn't easier to make reference to a particular language or group of languages to qualify your own level?

In my job I tend to say in what type of cargoes (and corresponding vessels ) I have no experience at all. It clarify things up front. Then I'll detail my experience.

 

It's worth considering the Dunning-Kruger effect with things like this. Like others above I have been programming since the early 80's and the more I learn the more I realise how much more I have to learn.

A lot of the knowledge of programming is knowing the libraries for a language and platform. So one might be an expert at database programming (i.e. writing software to read and write a database) but only a beginner at network code. If someone came to me with a simple 1 to 5 view of their skill level I would know they were a 1 because it is too big a field to be classified in such a simplistic way.

 

In answer to you initial question. You already have 5. level 1 = NONE!

 

It's worth considering the Dunning-Kruger effect with things like this...

Sirch2, this just sounds like a great way of keeping everyone feeling unworthy. I'm a firm believer that no-one is perfect but we each hold the potential for doing great things. If you put two world renowned experts of the same field in a room they would still learn from each other.

Eric007, although it seems like a strange question (maybe I've misunderstood), I don't think the question of classifying actual skill would be relevant more so of how confident the individual is and maybe the level of competency in results of satisfying the criteria asked.

 

Hey Dal, thats really nice.

Dunning Kruger I think was actually invented by a person that did nothing with his life, my reasoning is he couldnt do anything, so he invented something about other people not being able to do things.

Saying the better you are, the less you can believe you can do, is complete crap, explains why ai got nowhere for 50 years. (so it seems.)

I think alot of it is hidden away in some army base in america, what actually was automated successfully - because think - we dont really need automation when we have bored people that need to do things? I dunno about that, maybe thats a poor reason but there might be a good one I havent thought of yet.

The fact that automation is further along than what even so-called professionals know.

 

Sirch2, this just sounds like a great way of keeping everyone feeling unworthy. I'm a firm believer that no-one is perfect but we each hold the potential for doing great things. If you put two world renowned experts of the same field in a room they would still learn from each other.

Eric007, although it seems like a strange question (maybe I've misunderstood), I don't think the question of classifying actual skill would be relevant more so of how confident the individual is and maybe the level of competency in results of satisfying the criteria asked.

If you put two world renowned experts of the same field in a room they will first feel each other out then progress to a usually polite argument about some fringe aspect of the problem until the cows come home.
I've been to these meeting to give information on how their ideas worked in a engineering reality, some of these guys ego's are in the clouds.

I agree that a level rating for programming skill as a field is irrelevant to what you can do on one type of programming job.

 

For me I would say basic since I have only been programming since 2013.

 

Sirch2, this just sounds like a great way of keeping everyone feeling unworthy. I'm a firm believer that no-one is perfect but we each hold the potential for doing great things. If you put two world renowned experts of the same field in a room they would still learn from each other.

I think you missed the point; which is that beginners will overestimate their skill level where as more experienced people will recognise that there is always more to learn.

 

...

Eric007, although it seems like a strange question (maybe I've misunderstood), I don't think the question of classifying actual skill would be relevant more so of how confident the individual is and maybe the level of competency in results of satisfying the criteria asked.

Just to clarify, in the OP, I meant in a particular language! That could be C or C++ or VB.Net,... whatever programming language you are using. I didn't mean all languages. I think one should be able to rank himself / herself.

 

I would give my ability in programming the same that R.R. gives their motor H.P. ratings, "Sufficient".
Max.

 

Just to clarify, in the OP, I meant in a particular language! That could be C or C++ or VB.Net,... whatever programming language you are using. I didn't mean all languages. I think one should be able to rank himself / herself.

Take C and Linus Torvalds. Is he near the top of operating systems C programmers? Yes, but where would you rank him in the field of digital signal processing or cryptography using C?

I think Max has it right, "Sufficient".

 

Take C and Linus Torvalds. Is he near the top of operating systems C programmers? Yes, but where would you rank him in the field of digital signal processing or cryptography using C?

I think Max has it right, "Sufficient".

I just read one of his (Linus Torvalds) quote "Software is like sex: it's better when it's free." LOL
do you agree with that?

I still think (I might be wrong though) that he won't have any problem with digital signal processing or cryptography in C. The algorithm is/ will be different but He still going to use the same tool (language) that He masters.