Dear new developer, When you are coding, you must be precise. If not, the compiler yells at you (if you are using a statically typed language) or you have runtime errors (if not). A mistake as simple as misspelling a word or omitting a single quote can and have caused me debugging pain. This rigor … Continue reading Answer the question someone wants answered, not the one they ask
Dear new developer, As a new developer, you have a lot of flexibility when looking for a job. This is great in some ways, but makes it difficult to hone in on particular a job opportunity. What should you do when you are looking for a position? After all, if you are open to any … Continue reading What should you look for in a job?
This is a guest post from Rizel Scarlett. Enjoy. Dear Developer, If you're experiencing impostor syndrome, you're not alone. For some people, impostor syndrome will never "go away," but you can create a healthy relationship with it. Impostor syndrome in technology is pervasive. Part of the problem is that tech is rooted in elitism and … Continue reading Own Your Power
Dear new developer, When I was a new dev, I brought my lunch almost every day. I would take a break from coding, walk out to a small embankment, and sit in the sun. I'd munch on my sandwich and carrots, and enjoy a bit of piece and quite. What a mistake! I'm not saying … Continue reading Eat lunch with your coworkers
This is a guest post from Caitlyn Greffly. Enjoy. Dear new developer, If you decide to go the coding bootcamp route, chances are you are going to have a few months of absolute madness. You are trying to change careers and pick up a mass of technical knowledge in a condensed amount of time. It's … Continue reading Changes from Bootcamp to a Real Dev Job
This is a guest post from Ben Greenberg. Enjoy. Dear New Developer, Welcome to the wonderful and exciting world of software development! You may have chosen this field for any combination of innumerable reasons. No matter the reasons that brought you into this space, I am so delighted you are here. You are embarking on … Continue reading Principles Over Syntax
This is a guest post from Jean Lee. Enjoy. Dear new developer, Change is hard, but you need to influence folks to make it happen. Here are five questions to ask when you want to have influence over specific situations or people. Who is this change benefiting? Is it me? Is it my teammates, my … Continue reading Questions To Ask To Have Influence Over People
Dear new developer, It's a crazy market right now for developer talent. But I still see plenty of new developers struggling. I also see some mid and senior developers struggling. "What? I thought senior developers had it made!" you might be saying to yourself. Unfortunately, one can fall into the trap of the expert beginner. … Continue reading What To Change If You Aren’t Getting The Offers You Want
Dear new developer, I heard this phrase on a podcast from a reporter and it struck home. I don't know how old you are. I don't know if software development is your first career or your fifth. I don't know if you have a family. But, I do know that work can be mighty fulfilling. … Continue reading “Work will never love you back”
This is a guest post from Charity Majors. Enjoy. Dear new developer, Story time. Susan was hired as a database engineer. Her primary projects, which are supposed to be upgrading/rolling out a major point release and running load tests against various config options and developing a schema management tool, keep slipping. But she is one … Continue reading Know your “One Job” and do it first
Letters To A New Developer 