DEV Community: Fomonyuytar Joseph

What I Learned During My Software Enginnering Internship💻

Fomonyuytar Joseph — Mon, 10 Feb 2025 10:16:42 +0000

Hello! 👋 Today, I want to share my experience and the valuable lessons I learned during my internship.

I started university in 2019, pursuing a degree in Software Engineering. As part of the program, students were required to complete an internship in their third year to gain real-world experience.

For my internship, I joined Digital Renter, a real estate software startup that helps people find houses. I was excited to work there because it was a startup, meaning I’d have the opportunity to take on a lot of responsibilities. Even better, the CEO was a software engineer, so I knew I’d learn a great deal from him and gain hands-on experience.

Though I was scheduled to start in August 2022, my eagerness to learn wouldn’t let me wait. Instead of staying idle at home, I reached out to the company and asked if I could start early in July—and they agreed! That extra month allowed me to familiarize myself with the company’s tech stack. Since I was assigned to work on the frontend, I needed to learn React Native, which was used for their mobile app. Fortunately, I had already learned React Native in one of my courses, so diving into their codebase felt more like reinforcing and solidifying my knowledge rather than starting from scratch.

During my internship, I gained invaluable experience—not just in technology, but in problem-solving, teamwork, and how the real world software industry operates. It laid a solid foundation for my career, and even after the internship ended, the lessons I learned continued to shape me.

It was an amazing journey, filled with challenges, growth, and unforgettable experiences. In this blog, I’ll share the most important lessons I took away from that time—both technical and life-changing.

🚀 Always Be a Student: Embrace Daily Learning

During my internship, I had to learn constantly—not just technically but also socially and in understanding how a startup operates.

On the technical side, one major adjustment I made was in my Git workflow. Before the internship, I primarily used the VS Code GUI for Git operations in my personal projects. However, at Digital Renter, I had to switch to the command line for committing and pushing code. Over time, this became second nature, and to this day, I default to using the CLI for Git operations and this also me familiarize with git commands.

Another key lesson was about code structure. I had a habit of writing long, unstructured code in a single file. But through the internship, I learned the importance of breaking code into components and modules, making my work more organized and maintainable.

💡 Your Health Fuels Your Productivity

At the start of my internship, I used to sit at my desk and code for hours without breaks—only getting up when absolutely necessary. Over time, I realized this was affecting my focus and energy levels.

The CEO emphasized the importance of taking breaks every 30 minutes to an hour. He encouraged us to step outside, get fresh air, look at distant objects (to relax our eyes), and stay hydrated by keeping a water bottle at our desks. These small habits greatly improved my productivity and energy levels, making my work experience much better.

🆘 Stuck? Ask for Help – It’s a Superpower!

Working in a startup meant dealing with large codebases, fixing bugs, and adding new features—often using technologies and methodologies I hadn’t encountered before. This led to moments of imposter syndrome, where I felt like I wasn’t good enough and that someone might discover I didn’t belong.

But one thing I quickly learned was that asking for help is not a weakness—it’s essential. My superiors were always willing to guide me, and I realized that internships are for learning. No one expects you to know everything, so it’s okay to ask questions when needed.

🤝 Tech is a Team Sport: Learn to Collaborate

Before my internship, I worked mostly on personal projects, where I had full control over everything. But at Digital Renter, I had to collaborate with a team of other interns, a tech lead, and even the CEO.

I learned that teamwork in tech is crucial—it’s not just about coding alone but about working together to build, review, and improve projects. We shared ideas, analyzed bugs, and combined efforts to create better solutions. In the tech industry, success is a team effort.

🗣️ Soft Skills Matter: Communication & Leadership in Tech

Internships aren’t just about learning technical skills—soft skills are just as important.

One major area of growth for me was communication. I had to regularly explain my work to the team, which improved my ability to articulate technical concepts clearly.

I also developed leadership skills when I was assigned as the team lead for a side project—a restaurant management system that needed a redesigned UI. Working with two other interns, I learned how to delegate tasks, manage expectations, and collaborate effectively.

These lessons shaped my growth as a software engineer and prepared me for real-world challenges. My internship was more than just a technical learning experience—it was a journey of personal and professional development.

VScode Extension Spotlight : Random Everything

Fomonyuytar Joseph — Wed, 07 Feb 2024 21:24:48 +0000

Introduction

Hello 👋! Welcome to the Vscode Spotlight Series. In this series, we'll explore some amazing VScode extensions. They will help you become a more productive and efficient software developer
I know you have read several articles about some of the top VScode extensions and also familiar with some of the popular Vscode extensions like Prettier, but we will look at some unique extensions.

Now that you know what to expect from this series, let's dive into today's VScode highlight. Drumroll, please!

The VScode extension for today is Random Everything.

It's an extension tool to generate random data for testing or filling object values. This extension saves time and effort by providing data for web app or endpoint testing
This extension helps generate some very useful random data such as names, emails, URLs, dates, countries, numbers, and GUIDs.

How to use the extension

To demonstrate its usage, I've created a simple JavaScript file called index.js in Vscode. This file contains an array of objects named "users" with properties like id, name, email, and country all initialized with empty values. We will use the the "Random Everything" extension to generate random data

To get started, you'll need to install the "Random Everything" extension. Navigate to the extension tab on the sidebar of VS Code, search for "Random Everything", and install it..Alternatively, you can use this link to install the extension

Once installed, select the property for which you want to generate data. Use the shortcut Ctrl + D (Windows/Linux) or Cmd + D (MacOS) to select all the properties, and then move to the values where the data will be generated.

Next, open the Command Palette with the shortcut Ctrl + Shift + P (Windows/Linux) or Cmd + Shift + P (MacOS).)

Type the word "random," and you'll see various options for the category of random data you want to generate. Select the one you need; for example, if you choose "GUID," random data will be generated for all id properties. Repeat this process for other properties like name, email, and country.

For a detailed walkthrough, watch the video below:

Conclusion

In conclusion, Random Everything is a powerful extension that can enhance your productivity as a software developer by providing random data for testing or populating your software applications.

The step-by-step guide provided in this article demonstrates how easy it is to generate random data using this extension. You can quickly fill specific properties, making the testing and development process smoother and more efficient.

Stay tuned for more VScode Spotlights in this series to discover additional unique extensions that can make you a more productive developer. Happy coding! 🚀

A Personal Roadmap as a Software Developer in 2024

Fomonyuytar Joseph — Wed, 24 Jan 2024 21:57:48 +0000

Introduction

Reflecting on 2023, it was a fulfilling year for me both academically and professionally. I proudly graduated from the University of Buea, Cameroon, with a bachelor's degree in software engineering, marking a significant milestone in my educational journey. Additionally, I had the privilege of completing two enriching internships that contributed to my professional growth.

As we step into 2024 together, I'm excited about the possibilities that lie ahead. Just like many others, I've crafted a roadmap for the year, aiming to maximize my professional potential. As a JavaScript/Typescript developer, my primary focus has been on Frontend development, occasionally venturing into backend tasks.

Despite these achievements, I've grappled with imposter syndrome and a lingering sense that my foundational knowledge isn't solid. This realization struck me during a collaborative project for my bachelor's degree, where I worked alongside a proficient friend on a front-end module for a record management system. Witnessing his adept understanding of programming concepts and theory made me recognize the importance of a solid foundation.

This revelation prompted a deep self-examination, revealing areas where I could enhance my skills and build a more solid foundation. I've come to appreciate the importance in mastering the basics before delving into advanced technologies. My friend's advice has become a guiding principle as I plan and focus on my goals for this year.

In essence, 2024 is not just another year for professional growth; it's an opportunity to fortify my foundation, deepen my understanding of fundamental concepts, and pave the way for more confident and informed advancements in my software development journey.

So here is an overview of my plan for this year.

Solidify my JavaScript Basics
Enhance CSS Skills
Learn Python and Django

So let begin to explore the plan together.

1) Solidify my JavaScript Basics

When I started programming in JavaScript in 2021, I embarked on the 100 Days of Code challenge. Unfortunately, due to school commitments, I couldn't complete the challenge. During that period, I had a school project involving the creation of an e-commerce site and app. To streamline development, I opted for React and React Native, as I was already delving into JavaScript. The rush to learn these frameworks impacted the depth of my JavaScript understanding.

To solidify my foundation, I've set a goal to learn JavaScript this year, ensuring a solid mastery without the pressures to finish fast. I believe a solid understanding of JavaScript is crucial before delving into Data Structures and Algorithms. Additionally, I expect that mastering JavaScript will ease the learning curve for any other JavaScript framework I choose to explore.

For my JavaScript learning journey, I've enrolled in "The Complete JavaScript Course" by Jonas Schmedtmann on Udemy. Having already started the course, I've found the instructor's approach to be effective. His thorough explanations have enhanced my understanding of various concepts, making the learning process enjoyable. I would highly recommend checking out this course if you're looking to strengthen your JavaScript skills.

2) Enhance CSS Skills

I've been working with CSS for a while now and have successfully built numerous projects, gaining a level of comfort with it. While I wouldn't claim to be an expert—learning in tech is never ends—I feel it's time to elevate my CSS skills. My goal for this year is to delve deeper into advanced CSS techniques, particularly in styling webpages, crafting layouts, and mastering animations.

To achieve this, I've decided to enroll in the "Advanced CSS and Sass: Flexbox, Grid, Animations and More!" course by Jonas Schmedtmann. I believe that this course will provide the comprehensive and practical knowledge I need to take my CSS abilities to the next level. Here's to a year of refining my skills and creating even more visually impressive and dynamic web projects.

3) Learning Python and Django

I have always loved python and I started learning it before JavaScript the reason I stopped learning was because I had a deep interest in JavaScript and the whole frontend development that made me make the switch, but this year I really want to get back learning python again and since I am into web development and python is used in the backend .So my plan will be to learn python and then learn a python backend framework which will be Django. Having python in my skillset will be a big advantage for me as I can be able to transition into Data science or Machine Learning in future.

I will study the book "The Python Crash Course" by Eric Matthes to learn Python. For Django, I will follow some YouTube tutorials online.

Conclusion

In summary, I've outlined a clear roadmap for myself to learn programming languages this year. To succeed and become a better developer, I'll need dedication, consistency, and discipline. I'm ready for the journey ahead, excited about the growth and learning that awaits.