Misconceptions That Hinder New Software Developers
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The struggles of new software developers have remained roughly unchanged for years. This is The Secret Developer’s take on the common struggles for new college graduates in the first year of their first software job.
Expect our favorite judgmental software developer to have some off-beat comments about this one!
The Misconceptions that Hinder New Software Developers
And what they should do to avoid these hindrances.
“When I became a new software developer I thought that I was perfect. It is only with years of experience that The Secret Developer can confirm this was a correct analysis.
Let me go through these misconceptions and see if I can use my experience to help those less able than I.”
I must do everything myself so that I look good to my manager
A dangerous misconception. New hires oftentimes have the perceived need to perform and hide deficiencies in such a way as to add time to any particular task because it seems to contribute to poor communication and take employees longer to acclimatize to a new position.
Don’t
Wait too long to seek help
Cover up issues that you think you ‘should know’
Do
Be open
Be prepared to drop issues that are not worth solving, so they become someone else’s problem.
”If you are trying to impress a manager you are probably doing things wrong to begin with. That means you need to get a technical mentor to look up to and work with. Improve your code at all cost and eventually you might come up with the best way to be an awesome software developer.
I’m saying you should ape me, people.”
I must be the one to fix any bug I see — and I should fix it the “right” way, even if I do not have time for it
New software developers oftentimes feel that anything that is not working needs to be fixed immediately. They ignore the procedures for reporting, triaging, and dealing with bugs, and even seek to work around these guardrails.
Don’t
Ignore the system within which you work
Do
Change your perception and the way you work. Work well with the team you are in, and adapt to the working conditions you encounter.
”Frankly, I don’t understand this idea that ‘I don’t have time’. I mean, if you git gud you can stretch well into the night and work miracles.“
If there was only more documentation…
The near-daily plea of the new software developer. Otherwise known as blaming the (lack) of documentation for lack of performance.
Don’t
Think documentation is a way of solving every problem, as even the best documentation goes stale quickly.
Do
Talk to experienced software developers about specific issues or code.
Recognize the complexity and timelines of modern software development, and the fact that these can limit the viability of documentation and you should use people in lieu.
“Documentation? You really want what is in my head. Even if I write it down that would be too awesome for you to even understand. Truth.”
‘I know when I am stuck when solving a problem’
Put simply new software developers waste time and effort by failing to recognize when they are stuck.
Do
Reflect on your progress and learn (wherever possible)
Don’t
Waste your time (wherever possible)
“Alternatively don’t get stuck. Do this by practicing and getting better and better at your craft until you have some work to be proud of.
No work to be proud of? I think this might be a you problem.”
Conclusion
This article is about one thing. Building resilience in software development means developing your skills, communication, and the quality of your work.
”I hope all of the people reading this article can agree on this!”