Dear new developer, Feedback loops are so important. (If you're not sure what that is, I'd recommend "Thinking in Systems".) These loops help systems improve. If you don't have feedback, you'll improve more slowly, in my experience. Why? Because you won't know what you are doing that is good and what is garbage. It's really … Continue reading Seek feedback loops
Dear new developer, Dev.to is a relatively new community of developers. A few years ago, someone on that community asked for advice for junior developers, and I found the answers fascinating. Here are a few of my favorites. People should respect you. It's your right to push back against disrespectful interactions. If it's waved away … Continue reading What’s your best advice for a new developer?
This is a guest post from Luca Florio, lightly edited. Enjoy. Dear Self, You just graduated and you are ready to start your career in the IT field. I cannot spoil anything, but I assure you it will be an interesting ride. I’m writing you this letter because I want to give you some advice … Continue reading A letter to myself as a fresh software engineer
Dear new developer, At some point in your career, you might get laid off. This is different than being fired for performance reasons (which might happen too, unfortunately). First off, I am not a lawyer, so this is based on experience, reading and research, not a law degree. Please don't take this as legal advice … Continue reading How to go through a layoff
Dear New Developer, Congratulations! Let’s take a moment to celebrate the decision you’ve made to launch or redirect your career. What lies ahead is a lot of hard work, satisfaction, the occasional desire to throw your laptop out a window, and a ton of learning. That’s true of most professions, so you’re also in good … Continue reading “It never gets easier, you just go faster.”
This is a guest blog post, lightly edited, from Josh Doody. Enjoy. Dear new developer, Let's talk about jobs. My first job I was 25, and I wanted to move my career along as quickly as possible. I had my first real job, and had gotten three raises and a promotion in only two and … Continue reading The best career advice I’ve ever gotten
This is a guest post from Morgan Whaley, lightly edited. Enjoy. Dear new developer, Honestly my #1 piece of career or technical advice to new developers is: Be adaptable and authentic. I don’t think there is any one magic bullet to helping someone “break into” a job, or business, or new city. Humans are all … Continue reading Be Adaptable and Authentic
Dear new developer, A few years ago I was job hunting (during a hot job market and with almost two decades of experience) and had a lot of people turn me down or say I wasn't a good fit. Sometimes it was for coding ability, sometimes it was for familiarity with various systems, sometimes it … Continue reading You have to fit the job
Dear new developer, I really liked this post on mid-career challenges. I know you're new, but you'll be mid-career before you know it! I’m in a position right now where I have to figure out what comes next for me and how to navigate the challenges of getting there. I made it to senior engineer, … Continue reading On mid-career challenges
Dear new developer, You have to manage your career. If you don't, no one else will. This means three things. Know what you want. Communicate that. Make moves toward it. Let's talk about each of these in turn. "Know what you want" is the hardest part. Because we are lucky to live in a world … Continue reading Manage your career
Letters To A New Developer 