Five Things Devs Must Never Say

                                                                         Photo by Evie S. @evieshaffer on Unsplash

Passing software engineering interviews is difficult, and you need to keep your skills sharp to stand a chance of passing.

To be a successful software engineer you will also need to be a good member of the team, with sparkling communication skills.

That last point can be challenging for developers. There are some “secret” phrases that should never be uttered in interviews, at work or anywhere for that matter. So here are those sayings that suck, those phrases that we should phase out and talk that shouldn’t be spoken.

I don’t know

Some developers will reply “I don’t know” to pretty much any query that goes their way. You know the person. They don’t respond quickly and when they do it seems that they don’t know anything.

The Secret Developer seldom doesn’t know anything.

Why you shouldn’t say it

Shrugging and saying that you don’t know usually means someone else on the team needs to answer. It’s a poor get-out for poor preparation and poor teamwork.

Of course, if you really don’t know something don’t bluff your way through a solution. It is much better if you say you don’t know, but you are willing to check and find a solution. Be proactive!

What you should replace it with

Admit if you don’t know the answer but reply to questions that you should know the answer to with a knowledgeable and considered answer. Professionalism is communicating in a timely way, in the right way, and with the right information.

You’re wrong

We are all tempted to say it. Someone guesses the answer to a technical question. This is after they’ve forgotten the release schedule. They don’t seem to know anything, so the temptation to tell them (in case they aren’t aware is just too strong). You say, “You’re wrong” and sit satisfied after your announcement.

Why you shouldn’t say it

Telling people they are wrong effectively tells them that they are worthless and shouldn’t even bother trying.

This can destroy morale in the team and even make enemies of the people you work with. Telling people, they are wrong makes it personal and means people are less likely to listen to your opinions in the future — it’s a true lose/lose situation.

Remember if you tell The Secret Developer they are wrong, you are probably wrong.

What you should replace it with

You can call someone’s work or opinion wrong without saying that they are wrong, something like “That opinion is wrong”. However, more sophisticated people can hint about the wrongness without offending “Have you thought about…” or “What about…” can preserve a speaker’s dignity and get the most out of them socially and professionally.

It works on my computer

I previously wrote a parody article about this. Seriously, though, don’t say “It works on my computer. As a software developer, you should be used to working in a variety of environments and producing quality work. You should ditch the poor excuses and improve the quality of what you do.

Why you shouldn’t say it

Saying it works on your computer puts the onus on the test team (or whoever reported the defect) to prove that there is a problem with the code. Since you didn’t check it on the test environment (I know you didn’t) you can’t be sure about that.

Great coders don’t assume they’re right, they check their code and become certain they are right.

What you should replace it with

You should be able to identify why something isn’t working and what should be done about it. This means working on your preparation and working hard before meetings.

They always do that

Have you ever worked in a team where someone is treated as the runt of the litter? Everybody piles on when there is an issue because Dan hasn’t grasped how to set up his environments correctly.

Usually said behind someone’s back, the team seems to mutter “he always does that”.

Why you shouldn’t say it

This demeans a person and their work. It might even verge into bullying as this is the type of thing that happens behind people’s backs and is simply poor behavior.

What you should replace it with

Instead of making them the whipping boy, why not support them to get better and grow? The whole team, company, and customers would benefit. It might surprise you, but bullying others is unprofessional. This is one case where you should say nothing.

I’m working on ticket T1234

In any standup, the most important thing to be communicated is whether there are blocks on your work. You need to give the team context, so they know what the issue is and what (if anything) needs to be done.

It’s disappointing when someone says, “I’m working on ticket T1234 and am doing design work”. What is that anyway?

Why you shouldn’t say it

In Agile the whole team must understand the issue. When you reduce a problem to a number, many of your audience will assume that the issue does not apply to them,

What you should replace it with

You can name the ticket number, sure, but also mention the context around the piece of work. That will help everyone understand what you are speaking about.

Conclusion

If you’re using these phrases, it doesn’t guarantee that you’re an unprofessional developer. Saying them in an interview doesn’t mean that you’ll fail to get the job. Saying them at work doesn’t mean you’ll have issues with your colleagues.

It does make all of them more likely, however. Yet (as always) the impact of what you say depends on the context, and you’re in control of how you react to any particular situation you are placed in.

Good luck!