More than just code. 5 other simple things every aspiring Web Developer needs to learn.
It’s Friday and it’s been a really long week. I’ve been having a nightmare debugging and i’m just glad it’s over for a few days! Who would want to get into software development eh!
Anyway, just thought I would squeeze in a quick post to give you something to think about over weekend. I’m considerate like that.
I thought I would quickly cover some of the non-code related things that you need to know when you get your first junior developer job.
Learning to code is great but i have quickly found that there are many other things that being a new developer encompasses. Some of these things are straight forward and fairly self explanatory, but if you can incorporate some of them into your daily learning and workflow then it will really help you when you do get eventually get hired.
It’s advice that I wish someone would have given me when i was learning to code, as on my first day, it was like banging my head into a brick wall!
When I had my first job interview, i was asked what my development environment was like. I honestly didn’t know what to say. I was just used to working on my laptop at home, sitting in bed or, sitting on the sofa in front of the TV.
Text editor? easy one, Brackets, it was free and was the editor used by the instructor of my first Udemy course!
Operating system? OSX…I’ve got a MacBook.
Tooling? I just installed MAMP and got going, that’s what we did on the tutorial!
Server? Apache? Yeah, I like helicopters :-)
Webpack? Pardon?!
You get the idea, when your first starting out and your overwhelmed with information, it’s impossible to know what you should and shouldn’t be using.
I think that the sooner you start working like a professional, the better. It will only help when you eventually do get a job. What I would recommend is that you find a quiet place whether it be a coffee shop or a spare room in the house. Create yourself some kind of working environment. I appreciate that not everyone can set up a home office but find a coffee shop or library and remove yourself from distraction. Your learning and productivity will go through the roof once you give yourself the opportunity to focus 100%. If you are serious about being a developer, you need to treat learning like it’s your first job.
Anyway, I digress, on to the 5 things.
1. Linux
Linux is an operating system, just like Windows and Mac OS X. Its free, open source and powers supercomputers, Tesla’s and the majority of web servers.
If i’m honest i had never even heard of Linux before I got my first job. Call me an Apple fan boy but it’s what I was used to and i just assumed that that’s what all the cool kids were using!
Imagine my surprise when on my first day i was met with a fresh install of Ubuntu. I didn’t know where to find anything, what software was installed or where to start. Luckily Ubuntu is really intuitive and easy to pick up.
Because Linux powers the majority of the web servers that you will be deploying your applications to, using Linux means that you can set up your local development environment to be as close to your production environment as possible. Whilst at this stage in your career, this doesn’t really matter, it definitely won’t hurt to familiarise yourself with Ubuntu/Linux sooner rather than later.
It’s worth noting that this might not apply for agencies or people who are primarily focused on design. Its will be a beneficial skill to learn, all new skill are, but Linux might not be the best operating system for you, due to its compatibility with programs such as Photoshop and other Mac/Windows only tools.
2. Command Line Shell
Often associated, but not limited to Linux is the terminal. The command line is a text interface for typing commands directly to your computer’s operating system. No fancy software or graphic interface.
Although it’s not 100% necessary, it is definitely worth learning basic terminal usage as soon as possible.
It may seem complicated and daunting at first, but stick with it and you will become proficient in no time. Get used to using a few basic commands to navigate the file system and perform basic tasks. Once you get comfortable you will realise just how much quicker and easier it is to use the command line instead of relying on a graphical interface.
3. Get used to Git
Git is a version control system that allows you to have “versions” of a project. This means that you can manage changes to your project over time. This allows you to easily backtrack if necessary, or try new idea’s in a “branch” without affecting your “master” project.
Git is also an invaluable tool for collaboration within a team. This means several developers can all be working on the same code base and then “merge” their work together.
I know all this sounds pointless when you are just starting out. You might only be working on a small tribute page or your portfolio page. Surely you can just save the files to your computer or Dropbox and delete or edit as necessary?! This is true, and all fine in this instance.
However, from day one of your first development job, i’m 99.9% confident that you will be working with Git so its definitely a case of learning it sooner rather than later.
4. Slack
I’m sure you have all heard of it. Slack is a collaboration and communication tool. A beefed up messaging platform if you like.
Slack is commonly used in the workplace for communicating with co-workers and it also allows you to easily share files and code snippets.
When I first started my job I was surprised how little people in our office actually talk to each other.
It took a bit of getting used to, messaging someone who is sat on a desk 3 feet away from you.
However, when someone’s in the zone, got there head buried in code, the last thing they want is to be interrupted. I’m sure you all know the feeling. Just send a little slack message and wait for a response. That’s how it works in our office anyway!
Although you might not be collaborating or working in that kind of environment at the minute, there are plenty of web development related slack communities and channels that you can join and get involved with.
It’s definitely worth taking a break away from Facebook and social media and starting to interact with some like minded people on Slack. The big benefit that i find to Slack is that you always have access to a ‘live’ community, so when your stuck you can often get help or a reply within minutes!
5. Trello
Trello is a collaboration tool that organises your projects into boards. Trello allows you to see what is being worked on, who’s working on what, and whether something is in progress or has been completed.
At work, we use Trello to manage all our jobs and projects and i would encourage you to get started with Trello today.
What you can do, straight away, is use Trello to track your learning progress and the projects that you are working on. Had a great idea for a new header section on your portfolio page…add it to a Trello card and you can come back to it when your ready to work on its implementation. Found an interesting blog post, but you haven’t had time to read…add it to a Trello card for later. Just finished that awesome Git tutorial on Udemy…mark that Trello card as completed. You get the idea.
Use Trello to track your progress, like this, and it will help you keep focused on the job in hand, help prevent procrastination and distraction and also keep you organised. All while you’re also getting familiar with a common tool used in a commercial development environment.
Note — I’m actually working on a public Trello board at the moment, full of learning resources, checklists, and projects that people learning web dev can work through. Make sure you follow me and keep checking back for a future post all about that!
I know all these things might seem fairly basic or even unnecessary overkill for someone just working through tutorials at home. But, the sooner they become a normal part of your workflow and working environment, the better.
These aren’t really skills that you ‘learn’, but things that you will passively become more comfortable and familiar with over time.
Why wait until you get a job, before you start working like a developer? Start using Trello to organise your projects or the command line to push your code up to Github. Start using the command line to move and copy files, instead of having to rely on the mouse.
When you get your first job, you want to be spending 100% of your time learning and improving your code, not getting distracted with figuring out these ‘tools’.
If you want to be a developer, start acting like a developer. Now.
Just a little something to think about, have a great weekend guys!
