I agree with this. Even when I used to game seriously, I wasn't gaming all the time (some of my friends shocked me with how seriously they took the hobby). I really envy people who can dedicate their entire lives to doing one thing and one thing only 24/7 - whether gaming or coding. That is beyond me.
> I really envy people who can dedicate their entire lives to doing one thing and one thing only 24/7 - whether gaming or coding.
Similarly, I used to have a crippling envy of accomplished coders who were same age as me, which has long since evaporated.
Probably a symptom of ADHD, my life consists of many short distinct phases where I hyperfocus on an interest. Knitting, woodworking, programming, reading, etc. I do have several projects that I wish I could just dedicate a couple of months too, however! Seeing how far I could get in a dedicated week always makes me long for another month of intense focus.
That's not my point at all. I'm just saying that if you don't have a career history to demonstrate your ability and experience, there are still many, many ways to do that. I'm not saying it's a requirement, but it's a valid and useful option.
This viewpoint is garbage. Outside of work hours, a person has no obligation to be career-focused. Tech shouldn't require someone to be about their career in their free time as well.
Maybe I'm misunderstanding you. I sure hope I am because this expectation to make CS your hobby to be a valid CS grad in the workplace is awful.