6 Tips for a Junior Developer
You’ve landed your first job as a Developer. Now what?
There’s no doubt about it, your first role as a software developer can be daunting. That’s why the Engineering team at iTech Media have put together a list of their best advice for anybody that wants to grow as a developer. Take a look below 👇
1. Ask It!
“You may have heard it oft-times: No question is a silly question. So, DO NOT be afraid of asking away. Being a junior (or new) at anything can be seen as a privilege that doesn’t stay with you for very long. So, make the most of it — ask any questions you may have. And if it still doesn’t help; remember: If you ask a silly question; you’ll only be silly for 5 minutes. But if you don’t — you may stay silly forever!”
— Shuchi Wadhwa
2. Learn Your IDE
“The IDE (integrated development editor) is the interface between you and your software. The better you know it, the faster you will develop. For example, I am a big fan of Jetbrains suite and I am using Jetbrains PhpStorm (https://www.jetbrains.com/phpstorm/) for PHP development. It is a great tool but until I dived deeper into it (and watched the Laracasts tutorial here: https://laracasts.com/series/how-to-be-awesome-in-phpstorm/), I did not know that I could use git directly in it, diff files with previous git versions, speed up my code writing using Live Templates, debug php scripts using the Configurations feature, debug websites with Xdebug tool or even run database queries. Being ignorant cost me a lot of extra time, which now I can use for faster development or learn new things”
— Felix Manea
3. Ask For The Right Tools
“You are entitled to the right tools to do your job properly. Ask your employers to buy a license for your preferred IDE, make sure they provide you with a computer powerful enough to not hinder your work.”
— Alex Lepretre
4. Don’t Forget to Help Others
“Senior developers aren’t gurus and geniuses. Seriously, you’ll be surprised how quickly you can get to their level if you keep at it. Chances are — if you study a technology in depth — you already know more than some of your more experienced peers. Don’t forget to help others. Even though you’re a junior, you know some things that some of your peers don’t. When a senior dev is confused about a JavaScript problem and you happen to have a clue, step in. You’ll get tons of virtual high fives if you’re a team player.”
— Alex Lepretre
5. Don’t Sweat It!
“It’s important to understand at the start of this journey what needs your attention. DON’T sweat about changing technologies; don’t try to get on the popularity bandwagon by just learning the ‘shiny, new, cool’ things and don’t keep switching from one thing to another.
Whilst it’s absolutely necessary to stay on top of the new trends in technology — make sure you spend some time thoroughly understanding the ins and outs of what you do. Steer away from ‘copying and pasting’ as much as possible especially in the areas that are new to you. Understanding how and why things work is something that will hold you in good stead in the years to come.”
— Shuchi Wadhwa
6. Keep Doing It!
“And then do some more. Practicing is the key. Write code — then throw it away. Keep learning and keep thinking of the ways you can improve on your coding skills. Get your code reviewed and discuss your thoughts. Ask for feedback and genuinely strive to get better at what you do. Make mistakes — but also learn from them.
And as a lost Dory would say: Just keep swimming, swimming, swimming!”
— Shuchi Wadhwa
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