This is a guest post from Rachel Kroll, lightly edited. Enjoy. Dear new developer, I worked for a web hosting company that had a dubious history of keeping spammers around far too long. Then while I was there, they had the so-called "adware" vendor. They got mad if you called it "spyware". I honestly thought … Continue reading How To Avoid Working For Evil
Dear new developer, The title of this post is true. I've seen it done and done it myself. However, when I first started out, I saw the managers who hired me and thought "wow, they are the ones in charge; I want that!" Spoiler: I didn't. Common software development roles Let's define some common terms. … Continue reading It Is Possible To Progress In Your Career Without Managing People
Dear new developer, I was chatting with a Twitter friend the other day and he asked me how I got into software, specifically what was the first program I wrote. I realized I've never shared the story in written form, though I did discuss it on a podcast, so I wanted to write it down … Continue reading How I Got Into Software
Dear new developer, As I look back over my career of over two decades, I see waves of effort. Sometimes I was working really hard, other times I wasn't. I don't know if I ever truly coasted, but there were definitely times when I took downtime on the job and worked a less intensely. Work … Continue reading Cycles of Work
This is a guest post generated by ChatGPT. Only the intro, signature, and title were written by me. I did change the description/bio provided by ChatGPT from first to third person. Enjoy. Dear New Software Developer, Congratulations on starting your career in software development! I'm sure you're excited to embark on this journey and learn … Continue reading Advice From an AI
This is a guest post from Jay Miller. Enjoy. Dear Developer, I just wrote this 300 word unintentional brag piece for you trying to convince you that putting yourself in the right places in front of the right people would have a spinoff effect of more important people knowing who you are. I decided not … Continue reading Make It Impactful or Fun (or Both)
This is a guest post from Anthony D. Mays. Enjoy. Dear new developer, Before jumping into some tips around making career moves, it’s important to address mindset. Many transitioning into tech encounter frustration because the journey isn’t what they hoped. You need to have accurate expectations if you’re going to succeed in any transition. You … Continue reading How To Get Into Tech: Getting Your Mind Right
Dear new developer, You know that moment, when you are in an interview, towards the end of it? The moment when the interviewer looks up from their notes, smiles and says "I appreciate your time. I know interviews can be exhausting, but do you have any questions for me?" Nod. Take a deep breath. And … Continue reading “So, do you have any questions for me?”
This is a guest post from Sarah Harvey. Enjoy. Dear new developer, I’ve given this sort of pep talk to a bunch of newly joined women at Square, to the point where I’ve just decided to sit down and write all that stuff in one document. I’ll add a disclaimer that this is very engineering-focused, … Continue reading Starting a career in tech
Dear new developer, I enjoyed this article about how to quit. It covers a lot of relevant territory. My favorite quote: By convention, when people are uninspired by their role or unsure about their next career move, most hold this back from their manager. They feel a sense of duty to be invested in the … Continue reading How you quit a job is as important as how you start it
Letters To A New Developer 