DEV Community: Carla Bernardino

Compiling 2025

Carla Bernardino — Sat, 01 Feb 2025 19:19:38 +0000

This is a submission for the 2025 New Year Writing challenge: Compiling 2025.

Introduction

When starting a new year, we often write down lists of resolutions to try and improve ourselves and our lives.

Working as a Software Engineer, having goals and things to create and aspire to is really important, to keep up with the many changes in the area and to have our career journey polished.

🗓️ This is my current list for this year that just began.

Roadmap for 2025

🔜 Short-term goals: (6-8 months)

Improve React Native knowledge

Keep building, breaking, and fixing things to get better at React Native. Experiment with new patterns and best practices to solidify my skills.

Measure of Success: Successfully build and deploy at least one side project or significant features using advanced React Native concepts. Be able to explain complex topics to others with confidence.
Be the owner of a major feature in my full-time work project

Take full responsibility for a key feature, from planning to production. Make sure it’s well-architected, scalable, and impactful for users.

Measure of Success: Deliver a full-fledged feature with minimal supervision, receive positive feedback from both users and teammates, and document the process clearly for future reference.
Reduce tech debt significantly and work on accessibility

Clean up outdated code and improve maintainability without slowing down development. Push for better accessibility so the product is more inclusive for everyone.

Measure of Success: Successfully refactor at least two major legacy components and improve accessibility compliance scores (e.g., WCAG). Get recognition from QA or users for making the app more inclusive.
Bring fresh, disruptive perspectives and big-picture thinking

Challenge existing assumptions and introduce innovative ideas. Keep a strategic mindset and think beyond just code—consider business impact and user experience.

Measure of Success: Propose and implement at least one major improvement that positively impacts performance, developer experience, or user engagement. Be recognized as someone who brings valuable insights to discussions.
Be a speaker at conferences and share knowledge with the team

Step up as a speaker to share insights and experiences with the dev community. Actively mentor teammates and help spread technical knowledge within the team.

Measure of Success: Give at least one talk at a conference or internal event. Have teammates apply my teachings and ask for more knowledge-sharing sessions.

🕔 Long-term goals: (8-12 months)

Reach Senior level in my career

Become a trusted expert and key decision-maker in the team. Take on more complex challenges and mentor others along the way.

Measure of Success: Get officially promoted to Senior Engineer or be recognized as one through responsibilities and leadership. Have a clear impact on technical decisions.
Learn new skills: NodeJS, Docker, Kubernetes

Expand my backend and DevOps knowledge to be a more well-rounded engineer. Gain hands-on experience with these tools to improve scalability and deployment strategies.

Measure of Success: Conclude a couple of courses on these technologies and implement something valuable using them.
Guide new joiners and juniors, explore team leadership

Help newcomers get up to speed and foster a supportive learning environment. Understand the responsibilities of leadership and how to manage a team effectively.

Measure of Success: Successfully onboard at least one new teammate and receive positive feedback on guidance. Lead a project or process that requires coordination across the team.
Contribute more to open-source projects

Give back to the developer community by fixing bugs, adding features, and improving documentation. Learn from experienced contributors and collaborate with developers worldwide.

Measure of Success: Have multiple merged pull requests in at least one major open-source project. Be recognized as an active contributor in an open-source community.

Some important soft skills to keep developing:

Emotional intelligence for everyday work

Stay calm, patient, and empathetic, even in stressful situations. Build strong relationships with colleagues by understanding different perspectives.

Measure of Success: Maintain good relationships with teammates and receive positive feedback on communication and collaboration. Feel more in control of emotions during high-pressure situations.
Growth mentality

Always look for ways to improve and never settle for "good enough." Treat challenges as opportunities to learn rather than obstacles.

Measure of Success: Regularly take on tasks outside my comfort zone and reflect on key learnings. Show continuous improvement in skills and mindset over time.
Embrace uncertainty and let go of anxiety about it

Accept that not everything will be predictable, and that’s okay. Focus on adapting, staying flexible, and making the best decisions with the info available.

Measure of Success: Feel noticeably less stressed in uncertain situations and approach challenges with a problem-solving mindset. Receive feedback on being a steady, adaptable team member.

Conclusion

Setting goals is one thing, but staying accountable is what truly drives progress. I’d love to hear from you—what are your short-term and long-term goals? Drop them in the comments or share your thoughts! Let’s keep each other motivated and on track. If you’re working on similar objectives, let’s connect, exchange insights, and push forward together. 🚀

How I keep myself sane as a full-time Frontend Engineer

Carla Bernardino — Mon, 09 Dec 2024 19:23:54 +0000

Introduction

Being a full-time Frontend Engineer is like playing a video game with no pause button, where every level is a new JavaScript framework, and every boss fight is a CSS bug that only appears in Safari. It’s exhilarating, as each day is a roller-coaster, but it’s also exhausting.

In this article, I briefly mention my current struggles and then reflect on some things I use frequently to be able to not lose myself in the middle of all the work.

My current struggles

Forcing myself to stop
Coding is addictive. “Just one more bug fix,” I say, two hours past bedtime. But I’ve realized the hard way: if I don’t stop, my brain starts functioning like an unoptimized app: slow, glitchy, and prone to crashing.
Not believing every guru tip or buzzword out there
The internet is a mixed bag. One second, you’re learning something useful; the next, you’re convinced you have to master WebAssembly, Rust, and the art of latte foam design to stay relevant. Plus, it's a constant challenge to stay updated with current industry trends and tools!
Managing emotions
From the high of nailing a complex animation to the low of finding 50 unhandled errors in the console, it’s a lot. I would say this is really the most difficult thing in IT jobs.
Seeing the value of my work and progress
Even with years of experience, Impostor Syndrome likes to whisper in my ear: “You don’t belong here.” It’s a struggle to step back and say, “Hey, I’ve come a long way. That modal didn’t style itself!”
Wanting to do everything alone
I used to think teamwork was just a formality—why rely on others when you can do it all yourself? (Spoiler: because burnout is real, and collaboration often leads to better ideas.)

How I stay sane

Cats: My furry therapists
Petting my cats is like debugging my entire soul. They remind me that sometimes all you need is a nap in a sunny spot and the occasional zoomies around the house.
Aikido training
Throwing people around (safely!) in Aikido twice a week is oddly therapeutic. It also reminds me that balance—physical or metaphorical—is something very important to work on.
Nourishing breaks & stick to the basics
A break isn’t a guilt trip; it’s a productivity hack. I’ll make a smoothie, stretch, or even stare out the window.
Sleep, nutrition, hygiene—these are non-negotiable. It's not easy to fix a memory leak if your body is running on empty.
Practising zazen and reading about Zen
Sitting still and focusing on nothing is harder than it sounds, but it’s incredibly grounding. Zen philosophy also teaches me not to freak out over the “undefined” parts of life. I find comfort in simple things, such as breathing the morning air or playing with a leaf.
Celebrating little wins
Finished that sprint? Solved that weird bug? I treat myself—whether it’s a slice of cake or watching yet another re-run of my favorite movies.
Talking it out
Every team needs an emotional buddy. Mine is a lifesaver when I need to vent about work or just talk about non-work stuff to reset my brain.
Keeping my space tidy
A tidy desk equals a tidy mind. Plus, it’s harder to lose your headphones when your desk doesn’t look like an archaeological dig site.
Switching up work environments
Occasionally, I’ll go to the office (currently working mostly remote) or take my laptop to a library or even just another room. It’s amazing how a change of scenery can refresh your perspective.

Conclusion

Being a Frontend Engineer isn’t just about writing great code; it’s about managing your energy, emotions, and sanity. Sure, some days are harder than others. But with a mix of discipline, self-care, and the occasional cat cuddle, I’ve found ways to keep moving forward without losing myself.

To all the other Frontend Engineers out there: you’ve got this and are all amazing!
My honest wishes are for you to achieve success (in whatever form it makes more sense to you in the moment) and to stay sane in these crazy times.

Let me know your suggestions and ways of coping with daily work! 🙌