DEV Community: Michelle Sanseverino

Believe in what you know already

Michelle Sanseverino — Tue, 19 Nov 2024 10:36:42 +0000

Hello everyone!

It's been a long time no see. I haven't been able to upload for a few months, but now I will upload more frequently. And today I'm going to share a feeling I've been having the last few months.

In 2024, I made a goal for my career: to study JavaScript development and English to be able to secure a job position. And that's what I did (and still do). No, I haven't had my job opportunity yet, but it will come. Now I have that mindset, but for a really long time I was sure I didn't know enough to be a developer.

How many people don't suffer from this almost every day? Doubting everything we do or believing that our knowledge is not enough for a job opportunity. It's a feeling that I think everyone has had at least once in their life.

We practice, we build applications, we test, we share, and we still struggle to believe in ourselves.

Something I have started to do, and maybe you can too, is to track my steps. To keep track of where I am and where I want to be. Registering what I am learning and what I have done makes me realize that I have progressed from the beginner of the year.

Now I know that I may find difficulties along the way, but I also see that I understand better, can see the solution to a problem in a way that I didn't before.

For those of you who would like to try it, I recommend that you take a blank page (it can be digital, like a notepad or an idea, but also a post-it on your wall) and write down what you did that day. For example, "11/18/2024 - studied arrays in JavaScript, wrote an article for Dev.to, tested a local server". There are also people participating in #100DaysofCode, a project to get everyone to learn or create something for 100 days. That way you can build consistency.

This way you have a record of everything you do and maybe in a few months you can see all the progress you have made.

Now let me know, how are you feeling? How has your 2024 been? How are you tracking your progress and what are your goals? Please comment, let's share and help each other as the great community we are.

See you soon!

Header by drobotdean on Freepik

Upgrading your GitHub README

Michelle Sanseverino — Sat, 27 Apr 2024 23:08:48 +0000

Hello everyone!

How's everyone doing? Today I came here to talk about GitHub. Since I'm starting my studies as a developer again, I saw that it's important to update my GitHub and make it presentable.

I have been using my account for a few years, but sometimes I forgot to keep it up to date. This year, I'm going to do my best to keep it updated with all the projects and content I'm working on.

I changed my bio and README, updated my social media, and also updated my projects. I want my profile to represent who I am and what I want for my life/future.

As I was changing my profile, I was thinking, "What are the best practices to have on GitHub? What is the market looking for?". And that made me write here and ask you guys: What do you think is important in a GitHub profile? Leave your tips in the comments!.

PS: If you feel like, please let me know what I can do to make my profile better! I would really appreciate it! And leave your profiles here in the comments so everyone can meet, get inspired, and connect!

A good documentation can lead you to be better

Michelle Sanseverino — Fri, 22 Mar 2024 19:08:15 +0000

Hello!

I'm sure you've encountered a lot of documentation in your life, whether it was for studies or work. Even your mom probably already read documentation on how to change her profile picture on Facebook! But have you ever considered the importance of writing your own documentation?

Creating your own documentation can help you retain the information you're learning. Write it as if you're explaining to someone else what you're studying.

It's not an easy task, but this exercise will engage your brain and help you fix the knowledge you've acquired. Imagine this: one day, you ask a senior developer about a function in the code you're working with and they explain how each component works within the code. Now, fast forward a few days, and you need to revisit that part of the code but you have forgotten how it works. Wouldn't it be better if you had a documentation to support you?

Documentation is an important step, you'll be showcasing how much you know and how much care you put into your code and work. And now, I'd like to share a few tips that I use when I'm writing:

Write first and edit later

You know when you are studying or coding and you think about everything all at once? Write it down! Don't worry about whether it's right or if it makes sense. Just write. Put your thoughts into words.

After you finish, give it some time, like 30 minutes or 1 hour, and then come back to it. Read it and see what you can improve. Repeating this will help you to improve your writing skills. Trust me.

Pretend you're explaining it to someone unfamiliar with technology

When writing and trying to explain something, imagine that you are talking to someone who doesn't understand how technology works. This will help you think of the best ways to communicate what you mean, maybe it'll be through texts only, or maybe it'll be clearer if you add drawings, images, videos, etc.

As technical writers, we need to ensure that everything we write is easy to understand, regardless of the reader's level of expertise.

Keep it organized

There are a bunch of tools, like Notion or Obsidian, that can help you stay organized with all the content you are going to produce. They will help you find the information you are looking for in an easier way. Do a bit of research before you start and try different tools at first. You can learn how you can use the tools and the best way to organize your content, like links between contents, tags, folders, and others.

Conclusion

Good writing doesn't come easy. It's an exercise, and every day we all improve a little. But I dare you do it anyway! You'll find it becomes easier every day and in the future you'll be thankful for starting it.

Now, tell me, do you already write about the things you develop or study? If yes, how do you do it? If not, are you interested? Let me know, and let's exchange experiences.

Thank you for reading and see you soon!

Cover image by pch.vector from Freepik.

As a young woman in different dev teams

Michelle Sanseverino — Sat, 09 Mar 2024 00:48:26 +0000

Hello everyone!

For those who don't know me, I'm Michelle and I'm a Technical Documentation Analyst in a Brazilian multinational company. Here I'm going to share my experiences during the 2 and a half years I've been working as a Technical Writer.

I entered this world after graduating in Journalism, in 2020. I have always loved technology (for years it was my dream to work in this field). And the opportunity to work as a technical writer in a well-known company was amazing.

I worked with different teams, some more product-related (with more direct impact on the client) and some were internal teams (with more technical and detailed content, focused on the development team). It was challenging at first, of course. I had to learn how best to communicate with different audiences. Also, the teams had expectations for my work, and I wanted to meet them.

But one thing I noticed was that there were very few women on the teams, especially women of color or from the LGBTQ+ community. Most of the women I met on those teams were in support, testing, or more product-related (like product owners). Thankfully, I have had the opportunity to meet and work with some of the female developers over the years.

As women, we see how difficult it is to get into a company and see women as analysts or managers. In the company where I work, we have some examples of women who've worked for years and years and are now in management positions. But I see how hard it is, how hard they have to fight for it. I have a perception that this happens more prevalent in small and medium-sized companies. Form my experience and search, I believe that bigger companys are trying to change this (part of them at least, we know that are exceptions). It's an important step towards equality in IT companies.

I was a little worried to be on teams that were mostly male. But I was also lucky, the teams were great and tried to help me in many ways, like explaining how databases worked or how they developed the system. I learned a lot about technology from them.

The women who worked on these products made me feel more welcome because I saw how everyone worked together. Of course, there were moments where I felt a little uncomfortable when something happen, like a joke that wasn't funny, but I was able to work through it in a good way.

This opportunity to work in different teams allowed me to gain knowledge and even become a reference in some products. I was the main contact for internal documentation on the technology used by the company.

I hope to have the same luck with the next teams I work with. And I hope that every person, regardless of gender or sexual orientation, can have a safe place to work where they are respected and have a good relationship with their colleagues.

So, after all this, I want to thank all the amazing women I met. I'm proud of every one of you guys! I'd especially like to thank my beautiful girlfriend, who I'm most proud of and love to see all the things she conquers. Who it's my inspiration in life and also in her career in technology (she's a Content Project Manager in a international company and worked as dev before). I hope to be there to cheer each new thing in your life! (Also, thank you so much for your support and, of course, for all the help with my English :D)

This is just a short post to share on this Women's Day. I hope you enjoyed it. Let me know about your experiences working in diverse teams in the comments!

See you soon!

P.S. Happy Women's Day!

Cover Image by Jannoon028 on Freepik

Starting again as a dev student and working as tech writer

Michelle Sanseverino — Thu, 07 Mar 2024 15:09:10 +0000

Hello everyone!

This is my first time writing here (and also writing about my journey as a developer). Well, let me introduce myself.

My name is Michelle, I'm a Brazilian technical documentation analyst. I've been studying programming on and off for a few years. My journey started when I was 18 years old and went to college to major in Computer Science. I ended up having some struggles, including with my mental health, and didn't finish the course. Some time after, I changed my major to Journalism, and I graduated at the end of 2020 (yes, I graduated in the middle of the pandemic, so the dynamic was different than expected).

Later, I got a job as a Technical Writer in a Brazilian multinational company. It was my first job in an IT company and my opportunity to enter this world.

All these years I've been studying HTML, CSS and JavaScript. It's something I love and want to work with, along with technical writing.

Of course I'm still learning and this year this will be my focus. I want to become a front-end developer and open up my world to new possibilities. I'm currently also studying for my postgraduate diploma in UX Design and a MBA in Agile.

I will write about my journey here. It'll be a way to share my studies and knowledge growth. I will also talk about tech writing and share my experiences and studies. Hope someone can feel represented and closer. If anyone wants to chat, feel free to reach me anytime. Let's make 2024 a better year, the beginning of a better life!

Thanks for reading and hope to see you soon!

Cover image by Freepik