This is a guest blog post from Jesse Ling. Enjoy.
Dear new developer,
Be comfortable with being uncomfortable. You’ll never know all the things. And that’s ok.
Ask questions – at the right time. There’s a fine line between reaching out for help too early and too late. Struggling is imperative to growth, but reaching out for answers too soon significantly hinders it. You’ll better understand where that line lives over time.
“Stand on the shoulders of giants.” More than likely, your problem has already been solved. Don’t be afraid of trying other’s solutions if it makes sense for your implementation. But do take the time to fully understand why and how it works.
Be persistent. Programming is difficult and often times frustrating. Don’t give up. The feeling of figuring things out after a struggle is amazing.
Network. Talk to devs at, below, and above your skill level. Opportunities can present themselves in mysterious ways. Utilize your network to not only help yourself, but more importantly to help others.
Sincerely,
Jesse Ling
Jesse Ling is a motivated and relentless problem solver, and a recent Turing School graduate seeking web development opportunities.
Letters To A New Developer 