Practical Insights from My Journey as a Software Engineer — Part 1

Hello everyone,

Today I would like to share with you some lessons I have learned through my journey as a software engineer that you will find useful. If you are new to development or considering becoming a developer, this can help.

I have worked in business, e-commerce, and fintech since 2017. I began as a project manager, switched to web development, and for the past five years, I have focused on 𝗶𝗢𝗦 𝗺𝗼𝗯𝗶𝗹𝗲 𝗱𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗹𝗼𝗽𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁. Through this journey, I have learned these valuable lessons:

1. 𝗘𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘆 𝗲𝘅𝗽𝗲𝗿𝗶𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗲𝗱 𝗱𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗹𝗼𝗽𝗲𝗿 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝘀𝗲𝗲 𝘁𝗼𝗱𝗮𝘆 𝗶𝘀 𝗮 𝗯𝗲𝗴𝗶𝗻𝗻𝗲𝗿 𝗮𝘁 𝘀𝗼𝗺𝗲𝘁𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗴 because there is always something new to learn. So do not be scared to admit when you do not know something, and never be afraid to ask questions. It is the fastest way to grow. And trust me, no question is a dumb one.

2. 𝗣𝗶𝗰𝗸 𝗮 𝗹𝗮𝗻𝗴𝘂𝗮𝗴𝗲 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗴𝗲𝘁 𝗴𝗼𝗼𝗱 𝗮𝘁 𝗶𝘁. Do not worry about trying to learn everything at once — focus on the basics well. A business-focused language can be a smart choice. Again, understand the fundamentals. Do not chase trends or the latest tools; knowing the core principles will set you apart, making it easier for you to pick up new technologies and frameworks as you advance in your career

3. 𝗟𝗲𝗮𝗿𝗻 𝗚𝗶𝘁 𝗲𝗮𝗿𝗹𝘆 𝗽𝗹𝗲𝗮𝘀𝗲. 𝗜𝘁 𝗶𝘀 𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘆 𝗶𝗺𝗽𝗼𝗿𝘁𝗮𝗻𝘁. You do not need to be an expert, but you should know how to fork, branch, merge, clone, and handle basic commands like committing, pushing, and opening pull requests. Junior developers who are already familiar with Git always get up to speed faster on any team.

4. 𝗧𝗮𝗸𝗲 𝗳𝗲𝗲𝗱𝗯𝗮𝗰𝗸 𝘄𝗲𝗹𝗹 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗱𝗼𝗻’𝘁 𝗯𝗲 𝗮𝗳𝗿𝗮𝗶𝗱 𝘁𝗼 𝗮𝘀𝗸 𝗾𝘂𝗲𝘀𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀. Even experienced developers make mistakes, so it is okay to ask why they did something when you are not clear (as long as you are respectful). It is a good way to learn & remember, Google is really helpful — use it a lot.

5. 𝗜𝗳 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝗺𝗼𝘃𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗳𝗿𝗼𝗺 𝗮𝗻𝗼𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗿 𝗳𝗶𝗲𝗹𝗱, 𝗱𝗼 𝗻𝗼𝘁 𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗴𝗲𝘁 𝘁𝗼 𝘂𝘀𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘀𝗼𝗳𝘁 𝘀𝗸𝗶𝗹𝗹𝘀 you have gathered over the year like communication, problem-solving, and teamwork skills. These skills are very useful, even if you are still working on your technical abilities — they will set you apart.

6. 𝗞𝗲𝗲𝗽 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗴𝘀 𝗼𝗿𝗴𝗮𝗻𝗶𝘀𝗲𝗱 𝘂𝘀𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘄𝗵𝗮𝘁𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗿 𝗺𝗲𝘁𝗵𝗼𝗱 𝘀𝘂𝗶𝘁𝘀 𝘆𝗼𝘂 — be it a to-do list, a notion board, or any other tool ( I enjoy notion). Make sure to jot down notes & document your work please; you will forget details if you don’t when you need it later, trust me.

Coding builds confidence because it lets you create the things you imagine but the real mark of growth, as you advance, is learning from mistakes & staying open to learning again & again. No one has all the answers, trust me.

Good luck with your journey & transition. If you found this helpful, let me know, and I will create a follow-up.