Coding a Career: Real Talk from Detroit’s Apple Developer Academy

In a year of AI hype cycles, tech layoffs, and “learn to code” headlines, learners at the Apple Developer Academy in Detroit wanted to know one thing: what does a real career in coding actually look like? Our speakers addressed that and much more during our “Coding as a Career” panel, moderated by senior director of global membership Alex Cooke and featuring Amazon engineer Abhay Fernandes , serial founder David Wasilewski, and Albion Professor Dr. Caroline Adamczyk. While learners heard three different perspectives, they all focused on the same questions: how do you get started, how do you grow, and how do you build a community that keeps you going?

Abhay spoke to learners about how to grow early in their careers by staying curious about the bigger problems they’re solving, not just the tickets in front of them. On AI, his advice was clear: don’t let it think for you, especially at the start. Use it to offload repetitive tasks so you can focus on building your own problem-solving skills.

David and Dr. Adamczyk dug into what it really feels like to build a career over time. David was candid about failure, loneliness, and the reality of running multiple companies, underscoring why it’s critical to have peers to lean on and learn from. Dr. Adamczyk shared her nonlinear path and how mentors opened doors along the way, reminding learners that most professionals want to help; you just have to ask.

That focus on community carried into the lunch that followed, where learners, alumni, and speakers continued trading tips, tricks, questions, and advice. We left Detroit grateful for an honest, inspiring conversation about what a career in tech looks like in practice! We’re excited to keep building spaces where learners can see coding and tech as a sustainable, community-driven path.

Check out our highlight reel below, as well as our LinkedIn recap and live X (Twitter) thread.