TLDR: Airbnb software engineer Jorge Lara shares lessons from 13 years in tech and his work mentoring new developers, including Veterans. His advice: build personal projects and stay curious about new tools and technologies like AI without getting overwhelmed.
Do you need a Computer Science degree to get hired? Is AI going to take all the entry-level software engineer jobs? For Veterans and military spouses trying to transition into software engineering, it can feel like the odds are stacked against you.
Airbnb software engineer Jorge Lara has spent 13 years in the field and mentored dozens of new software developers, including Code Platoon grads. His advice? Don’t buy into the myths. Persistence, curiosity, and the drive to keep learning are what actually matter in today’s tech world.
College degree or coding bootcamp? Jorge has worked with software engineers from both paths, and he insists the gap isn’t as wide as people think.
Computer science programs teach theory, but theory doesn’t automatically translate to building production-level software. Bootcamps, on the other hand, push students to tackle projects that look more like real-world software engineering jobs.
“Neither path is a magic bullet. Software developers who succeed stay curious,” Jorge says. “Tech changes too fast for anyone to stay relevant if they don’t keep learning, regardless of whether they came from a university program or a coding bootcamp.”
A polished resume isn’t enough. Jorge says the best way to stand out is through meaningful projects.
“I recommend new developers continue working on personal projects, especially ones that solve real-world problems,” he says. “If it does something useful, you’ll be more motivated, and you’re more likely to have other people use it.”
Skip the cookie-cutter portfolio site. Instead, tackle coding challenges that stretch your skills, such as authentication, frameworks, or building apps that collect and display data. “Exploring is great,” Jorge says, “but make sure you have a project you went in-depth on.”
Volunteering is another underrated way to grow. Whether contributing to open source or helping nonprofits, volunteering proves you can collaborate, adapt to existing codebases, and build solutions with others—all skills employers look for.
AI is changing the industry quickly, and many new developers feel pressure to keep up. But Jorge warns against overdoing it.
“It’s almost like investing,” he says. “Looking at the stock market every day isn’t helpful because things change so quickly. It’s better to check in on the tech trends every month instead of driving yourself crazy tracking every new fluctuation day-to-day.”
His advice is simple. Pick a couple of widely used AI tools and get hands-on experience by applying them in your personal projects. For example, Jorge uses Cloud Code frequently on his own personal projects. He previously used CursorAI before Airbnb built its own AI development tools.
One of the biggest questions in the engineering job market today is “Will AI replace software engineering jobs?” Jorge doesn’t think so.
“Coding is only part of the software developer’s daily work,” he says. “I spend most of my time communicating with people, catching my team up on features, and planning projects around our strategy. AI can help, but it can’t automate everything I do on a daily basis.”
Instead, Jorge believes that the future of software engineering might look like self-checkout at the grocery store. Machines can ring up items, but human workers still need to check IDs, clear errors, and keep things running smoothly. AI might change how engineers work, but it won’t eliminate them.
“Software engineers will always be needed to understand the tech stack and guide AI tools responsibly," he says. “At some point, our current workforce will retire. We’ll have to replace them with a new generation."
Jorge’s perspective makes one thing clear: you don’t need perfect timing, a perfect resume, or a perfect degree to succeed in tech. You need persistence, curiosity, and lifelong learning.
Ready to start your own journey? Explore how Code Platoon’s programs can help Veterans and military spouses gain the software engineering skills, mentorship, and community to launch a tech career in the evolving market.
Want to hear more from Jorge? Listen to Jorge’s full episode on the Service to Software podcast below for more insights on breaking into tech.