It's not that I'm something special, super experienced, or an extraordinary coder, but I earn my living being a self-taught Software Engineer. You have to sacrifice a lot, manage your time well and always be willing to learn.
There are a lot of underwater rocks, but don’t waste a single neuron on the train of thought that begins
“I ain’t smart enough for this”
because quite clearly nothing is impossible.
This is my personal power list on how to push the Tech Frog down your gut.
Decide Your Language
Beginners are very tempted to start learning everything at once. Today you're making games in Unity, tomorrow you're designing web applications, and at the weekend you're developing iOS apps in Swift or learning Machine Learning.
No matter how much you want to, you won't be able to learn it all. It's important to focus on one thing right from the start. Always remember that programming languages are just tools to choose from depending on your goals.
Be Yourself
Technical knowledge is important, but great Tech leaders look for the personality of the person to figure out if he/she would fit in with their team dynamics.
Enjoy
Have fun building the products you work on. If you aren't, it's probably time to switch your team, job, or better yet, build your own company.
Stay Curious
The opposite of dogma is curiosity. So, instead of avoiding tools because of what you read online, check them out if they look like they might be useful.
Every tool was made to solve specific problem(s). But that doesn’t mean it’s a good tool. Maybe its designer fixed a problem you don’t care about or maybe that very solution is flawed yet someone took the time to create it. It might be worth playing around with it a little.
Don’t limit your curiosity to tools. Learn about the problems you’re solving.
“Look past the list of requirements you’ve been given and learn about your customer’s problems. I can’t stress this enough: True mastery comes from understanding the problem you are solving with your code.”
Stay Fit
You'll always have enough work, but do not work overly long hours.Distress when you need to. Go on a vacation. Find a fitness hobby - go to the gym, join a dancing club or play your favorite sport.
Keep Practicing Problems
Keep practicing solving programming problems on your favorite platforms i.e leetcode. It makes your thinking sharp and keeps you prepared for the next opportunity.
Have A Side Project
Build something - anything you love on the side and maybe build it in public. It keeps your creative muscles working and the small entrepreneur in you alive. Such products can bring in unimaginable opportunities if used right. But ensure you complete the project(s).
Network
You'll meet amazing people at work. Network and connect with them. You never know what doors a connection might open for you next. Join tech communities, be professional with your approach.
On LinkedIn, I reached out to Mr. Ali Kassim Hussein a host of Ali Talks Tech who told me this,
“always payback kindness with kindness.”
Learn, Adapt, Repeat
Practice the LAR principle due to the fact that technology changes very fast. Never stop learning new stuff. J Query was a popular choice just 10 years ago while Vue.js and Typescript had no existence.
Don’t Be Afraid To Make Mistakes
If you’re curious, experimenting or making mistakes, it is OK. And it’s not only OK but it’s inevitable. Don’t be afraid.
This isn’t a license to be a “Cyborg.” Measure twice, so you only need to cut once. Pay attention to what you’re doing.
Learn how to use testing to catch mistakes before they happen. Try to test your theories in low-stakes(staging) environments.
Watch Your Personal Time
Programming can be a demanding career. But it’s very rewarding in terms of both personal satisfaction and financial remuneration. This doesn’t write-off the fact that it can also eat your life.
Guard your personal time and make sure you don’t spend too much of it on taking your work home.
“Make sure you don’t spend too much of it on taking your work home. The personal rewards of coding make it easy to blur the line. Get away from the keyboard and get out and see the world. Your sanity will thank you for it, and your career will benefit from broader horizons.”
Don’t Over-Practice
Take regular breaks, rest and you should also keep an eye on your health.When coding, it’s hard to keep a sense of time.
And most of the time you don’t want to be bothered so you spend extensive hours sitting in front of your computer, eating things that are easy/quick, unhealthy and drinking coffee or energy drinks to stay awake and keep momentum.
Eat healthily and drink plenty of water, I know you heard it somewhere, but it’s the truth.
More significantly, if your computer does not have this feature already, make sure you install f.lux in order to protect your eyes from blue light exposure emitted from your screen.
Don’t Compare Yourself To Others
There are kids who are born coding and then there is you and me. Don’t let the progress of others discourage you. It’s not a race, even if it were, you know how quickly things can change. Treat your growth like a marathon not a sprint.
But this is an ongoing process, you’re never too old to start and you’re never done learning. You don’t have to have it all figured out and let me emphasize this one, you don’t need a CS degree.
In fact, a lot of people quit their stable jobs and careers to become self-taught developers.
There isn’t a straight path or a right path to anything. If it’s smooth sailing for you, take a step back and analyze where and why you stopped challenging yourself.
Do Not Worry About Your Age
You can start programming at any age. A talented and hardworking professional, even if he/she is already over 40, will be accepted by any company.
Modern advanced startups employ both young people and people of age. You have a high chance of getting your position. But for this, you need working project(s).
Program Every Day
Once you have written a certain number of lines of code, make a note in your diary or use habit trackers for smartphones. You can also keep a track of your personal commits either by using version control.
It is important that programming becomes your daily routine as taking a morning shower or a meal.
You don't have to create a website or an app every day. Your job is to get used to programming and coding for at least 2 hours or 4 hours a day. Even a little progress is always better than no progress at all.
Avoid Tutorial Hell
Don't get stuck watching too many tutorials known as tutorial hell. They're useful but start working on your own, you will learn a lot more that way. You learn more from your mistakes than your successes (this is the solid truth true in this industry).
Read Docs & Ask Questions
Learn how to read docs and ask good questions, and don't be afraid to ask for help.
Don't believe everyone on the internet, hype is a thing, don't get caught by it. Learn the basics first, then advance to learning frameworks or more complex topics.
People will tell you you must learn the new super cool ultra invincible framework, don't believe them it's usually just BS. Adopt frameworks and tools that have been used for a while and have a big community behind.
Conclusion
These are recommendations from my personal experience and everyone can have a slightly different one. You must know one thing, you can do it! It’s not easy, it may take some time, but you can do it!
The most important thing I would recommend is what my mentor Mr. Josephat Macharia always tells me,
""It's impossible to know everything, you just need to know that it can be done, then when you need it you can research and make use of it.""
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