DEV Community: Lucas Sacheto

What if you were a 60-year-old Developer

Lucas Sacheto — Thu, 30 Nov 2023 15:53:07 +0000

I witnessed HTML for the first time 21 years ago (I'm 40). Then I was thinking, what will happen in the next 21 years?

Imagine you are an experienced developer, 60 years old, and feel too old to get a job. You don't have enough savings, so you have to find something that can be related to what you've done and make you happy. What would you do?

That sounds like anxiety since I'm currently unemployed. Those items I found helped me see more future opportunities, so I hope that helps you, too.

Well, here are some topics I found.

Feeling too old to get a job in the traditional sense can be a common concern, but age should not be a barrier to pursuing your passions or finding fulfilling work. Here are a few potential avenues you might consider exploring:

Consulting or Freelancing:

Leverage your decades of experience in development by offering consultancy services or freelancing. Companies value the wisdom and expertise that come with age and may be willing to hire you for short-term projects or advisory roles. Websites like Upwork, Freelancer, or Toptal could be good platforms to find freelance opportunities.

Teaching and Mentoring:

Consider sharing your knowledge and skills by becoming a mentor or educator. You could teach coding classes at community centers, schools, or online platforms like Udemy, Coursera, or Teachable. Your experience can be precious in guiding and inspiring the next generation of developers.

Content Creation:

Start a blog, YouTube channel, or podcast where you share insights, tips, and lessons learned from your years of experience in development. Creating content is an excellent way to stay engaged with the industry, share your expertise, and generate income through sponsorships, ads, or affiliate marketing.

Specialized Niche Focus:

Identify a niche within the development field where your experience could be precious. For example, cybersecurity, legacy system maintenance, accessibility in software development, or any emerging technology trend where your deep expertise could be in high demand.

Volunteering:

Consider volunteering your skills for non-profit organizations or local community groups. Using your expertise for a good cause while staying active in your field can be rewarding.

Continuous Learning and Skill Update:

Despite decades of experience, staying updated with the latest technologies and trends is crucial in the fast-paced tech industry. Consider taking online courses, attending workshops, or earning certifications to keep your skills current.

Age can bring valuable insights, wisdom, and a broader perspective that younger professionals may not have. It's essential to focus on your strengths, adaptability, and the unique value you bring. Networking, building connections, and showcasing your expertise can open doors to new opportunities, even if they differ from traditional job roles.

Photo by Beth Macdonald on Unsplash

The Secret Weapon for Developers

Lucas Sacheto — Tue, 28 Nov 2023 19:28:04 +0000

To grow, you have to embrace the discomfort.

That sentence comes from this article and fits perfectly in what happened to me recently.

Dr. Elizabeth Lombardo, Psychologist and author of Better Than Perfect, says people who regularly seek fresh experiences are more creative and emotionally resilient than those who remain stuck in routine.

“Breaking your mould can only make you stronger and more confident to reach higher levels in your professional and personal life,” she says.

Of course, in theory, that works, but how do you put it into practice?

I accidentally became vulnerable while writing my first post on this website. The feedback was much better than I had ever expected. Negative and positive responses made me rethink many things.

The main one was to review the code from the project I gave as an example in the article. There was a HUGE security mistake; even though it is a harmless app, I learned something from it. After all those years, I finally can comprehend how much you can grow personally and professionally.

Since I’m not a writer or specialist, here are the 5 tips from Chat GPT to help you become more vulnerable :)

Open Communication:

Cultivate an environment where open communication is encouraged.

Admit Mistakes and Learn from Them:

Acknowledge your mistakes rather than trying to conceal or ignore them.

Seek Feedback and Act Upon It:

Request feedback from peers, managers, or mentors to gain different perspectives on your work or approach.

Build Relationships Based on Trust:

Be authentic and empathetic and foster genuine connections with colleagues or team members.

Take Calculated Risks:

Embrace opportunities that challenge you to step out of your comfort zone.

Share your thoughts below :)

Top 7 most used JavaScript syntaxes

Lucas Sacheto — Thu, 23 Nov 2023 17:45:25 +0000

JavaScript is the most used language based on GitHub stats (more info), and after my first article on this website, I got excited and decided to create a fun list of Top 7 most used JavaScript syntaxes based on AI research.

Variables and Constants: Declaring variables and constants using var, let, and const.

Functions: Defining functions for reusable blocks of code.

Conditional Statements: Using if, else if, else for decision-making in code execution.

Loops: Employing loops such as for, while, and do...while for iteration.

Objects and Arrays: Creating and working with objects and arrays.

Arrow Functions: A concise way to write functions.

Template Literals: Utilizing backticks (`) for string interpolation.

I hope you like the list.

Is there any syntax that needs to be added here? Let me know in the comments.

Junior Dev to Senior in 1 hour

Lucas Sacheto — Wed, 22 Nov 2023 22:28:12 +0000

I’m a web developer since 2002. The times when HTML and CSS were cutting-edge, JavaScript was terrifying, and you were a GOD if you knew it well, Macromedia dominated web applications like Dreamweaver and Flash, and 99% of the Internet uses Internet Explorer.

I’ve never had a good relationship with JavaScript, and as long as you don’t live under a rock, you know that it became necessary for web development years ago. So, in 2017, after working comfortably using basic JS in many companies, I was forced to learn it for many reasons. That was challenging, and I felt overwhelmed with all the changes and how behind I was. 4 years later, in 2021, I finally felt more included, always keeping track of new trends, which is important to know/hear about.

But is that enough to label myself a Senior Front End Developer?
Well, something has been missing in some Senior Developers recently. Back then, we used to be called Web Master, without Google or Stackoverflow kind of websites. We do have books as resources, but come on now. Nobody read that. We made it work, no matter what.

What I mean by all of this is the sense of figuring things out. Research. Break. Try. Research again and try better. Please, never say “No,” “I don’t know,” or “Sorry, I’ve never worked with this.”. Be curious, and that will help you without you even noticing it.

You don’t need to reinvent the wheel.
One thing I learned in all those years of experience is the mindset that If you are repeating a task, build something to make your life easier. And that will help your peers as well. It doesn’t need to be huge applications using the latest stacks. Make it usable and helpful.

An example of that is the latest tool I built. I called Garbage Chute. It’s pretty straightforward. It helps the residents of my building know if the garbage chute is open.

It’s a collaborative web app showing the garbage chute’s current status.
It is simple and even more efficient when more residents help.

How it works:

To check the status, you have to access the URL: View Demo
You can add the page to your phone home screen as an app.
For the residents who want to collaborate, send me a DM with their first name and unit. (I will keep a log of who made the changes to keep things organized.)
Once they have a username, the button becomes available to change the status and type the username I provided.

What did I use? (I chose the fastest way since it’s a basic app.)

ViteJS Great bundle to use React + Typescript
Firebase  to store users, status, and timestamp.

If you make it to the end of this article, you are probably asking yourself why I mentioned 1 hour in the title. That was how long it took me to build it.
So, with a slight knowledge of React and the mindset of "make life easier," you can grow as a Developer and become essential for the company.