Dear new developer,

Every company has its warts (aka issues, aka problems). I have never met anyone who worked for the perfect company.

So, go in with your eyes wide open and choose what warts your company has. You may be able to help fix some of them, but some will be permanent.

One wart to avoid: an indifferent team. One just punching the clock, trying to get through the day.

If a company is full of people who don’t care, then you’ll have trouble fixing any other issue. Customers will be an after thought. And work will drag. (Yes, places like this exist.)

That’s not to say that a place where people care will be unicorns and roses, but at least people will want to fix issues and serve customers well.

How can you tell from the outside if people don’t care? Ask questions like “how do you improve processes” or “what do customers love about what you do” or “what changes have you all struggled with over the past year” or “how do you keep up to speed on the newest technology”. If the answers to these indicate a lack of caring and empathy, then I’d shy away from that place of work. If you are already in it, make plans to leave.

Sincerely,

Dan

PS You also want to avoid people who don’t care.