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Discussion on: I switched careers to Software Engineering in my late 30s while nursing a newborn, Ask Me Anything!

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aritdeveloper profile image
Arit Developer • Edited

Super question Richard! Honestly, I was very scared the first week. I wasn't sure how complex the codebase was, and I was experiencing lots of imposter syndrome. However, I have a super-supportive team, and because I'm a Junior, the expectation is I will have lots of questions, and would need a fairly long runway to get up to speed.

Here are some practical things I did:

  • I prepared myself mentally each day to work hard. I figured I'd prove to my teammates that I was worth their support and input
  • I took every opportunity to pair with more senior engineers as they worked on their tickets. And asked lots of questions
  • Before asking a question about the ticket I was working on, I'd take no more than 30-45 mins to research all I could. That way my question sounded like "Hey Dan? I though this method would accomplish this task, but it's not working for some reason..." instead of "Hey Dan, I don't know how to work this issue"
  • In the first few weeks I took on simpler tickets that required little code. This way I increased my knowledge of the codebase (and databases) and built my confidence.
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richardsefton profile image
RichardSefton

Yearly update.

I'm on furlough right now but I love my new job. Wasn't too sure what to expect going into it but I am now a nav developer and also studying for a degree.

Best life decision I've made

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