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Last week marked my first year as a professional software developer 
I learned many things, but 7 lessons stick out. My hope is that at least one of them proves useful for your own journey.
I learned many things, but 7 lessons stick out. My hope is that at least one of them proves useful for your own journey.
1. Take Notes
Everyone forgets things. Create a note system and start writing down everything. Meeting notes, helpful resources, advice from managers, how you solved a problem, etc. You'll be the hero your team needs, and also have seeds for future content creation!
Everyone forgets things. Create a note system and start writing down everything. Meeting notes, helpful resources, advice from managers, how you solved a problem, etc. You'll be the hero your team needs, and also have seeds for future content creation!
2. Know the WHY
Don't copy/paste code without understanding why the code does what it does. It may solve your problem in the moment, but you'll still have the same gap in knowledge moving forward. You don't want massive technical knowledge debt 5 years down the road!
Don't copy/paste code without understanding why the code does what it does. It may solve your problem in the moment, but you'll still have the same gap in knowledge moving forward. You don't want massive technical knowledge debt 5 years down the road!
3. Speak Up for Yourself
This is a biggie for your career. No one knows what you need except for you - so don't expect your managers to read your
. Need more support? Ask for it. Need a raise to cover growing expenses? Ask for it. Have a dream role in mind? Ask for it!
This is a biggie for your career. No one knows what you need except for you - so don't expect your managers to read your
. Need more support? Ask for it. Need a raise to cover growing expenses? Ask for it. Have a dream role in mind? Ask for it!
4. Mentor Others
You don't have to wait until you're mid-level to start teaching and nurturing others. Others who are a notch or two below your level will benefit from your knowledge. Not only that, but teaching is a great way to reinforce your existing skills.
You don't have to wait until you're mid-level to start teaching and nurturing others. Others who are a notch or two below your level will benefit from your knowledge. Not only that, but teaching is a great way to reinforce your existing skills.
5. Ask Questions
Don't be the dev who asks questions every 5 minutes without having Googled beforehand. But also don't be the dev who holds up a feature because they were stuck on a problem and waited 2 days to ask for help. There are no
stupid questions !
Don't be the dev who asks questions every 5 minutes without having Googled beforehand. But also don't be the dev who holds up a feature because they were stuck on a problem and waited 2 days to ask for help. There are no
stupid questions !
6. Have a Hobby
No matter how much coffee you've had, your isn't meant to code 24/7. Give your mind rest and space to be creative by doing other activities you enjoy. Otherwise, risk burnout. Besides, having other interests can make you more fun to work with.
No matter how much coffee you've had, your
isn't meant to code 24/7. Give your mind rest and space to be creative by doing other activities you enjoy. Otherwise, risk burnout. Besides, having other interests can make you more fun to work with.
7. Don't Take Things Personally
You are not your code. Learn to view it as temporary. As part of a team, you'll see it change over time for reasons that have nothing to do with your abilities - the codebase grows, business requirements change, code reviews happen, etc.
You are not your code. Learn to view it as temporary. As part of a team, you'll see it change over time for reasons that have nothing to do with your abilities - the codebase grows, business requirements change, code reviews happen, etc.
