Dear new developer,
You may or not may have the luxury of choosing where you work, but when you are looking for a job, steer away from employers that seem full of B.S.
What exactly is B.S. will vary for you. Some people can’t stand politics, while others can’t stand shifting priorities, while others can’t stand rigid hierarchies, while others can’t stand not knowing where they stand. It may take you some time to determine what you can’t stand in a work environment. But interviews go both ways, and when you are talking to possible employer, make sure you find out what their variety of B.S. is. (Unfortunately, all jobs have some kind of toil and drudgery.) You can do this by asking questions like:
- what’s a typical day like
- who makes decisions
- what kind of projects do you do
- what’s the best and worst parts of your job
No job is perfect, but by keeping an eye out for the particular forms of drudgery that you can tolerate and those you can’t, you’ll be able to find an employer that matches what you need and can offer.
Sincerely,
Dan
Letters To A New Developer 