π TL;DR
I'm still early in my own career, and lately I've been thinking about how much advice we hear when we're starting out.
Learn this. Build...
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I don't have decades of experience yet, but there are a few things I wish someone had told me when I started.
Don't optimize your career so much that you forget to live it.
Early on, I felt guilty whenever I wasn't learning, coding, studying Japanese, building projects, or doing something "productive." It took me a while to realize that rest isn't falling behind, it's part of staying consistent.
Fundamentals outlast trends.
AI, frameworks, and tools will keep changing, but being able to think clearly, communicate, solve problems, and understand the basics has helped me far more than chasing every new thing.
Find people who genuinely want you to succeed.
A supportive community can change the direction of your career. I've learned as much from conversations with people here on DEV as I have from tutorials. Sometimes one encouraging comment is enough to keep you going when you're questioning yourself.
Your career isn't a race against everyone else.
It's easy to compare yourself to people getting promoted, shipping incredible projects, or writing amazing articles. What I've realized is that everyone is running a different race with different starting points. The only comparison that has consistently helped me is with who I was a few months ago. Though a little healthy competition is always favorable, a good balance is the best way to move forward in my opinion.
I'm still figuring things out myself, but if I could summarize everything into one sentence, it'd be this:
Build a career that you can sustain, not one that only looks impressive from the outside.
Thanks for opening this discussion, Hema. I have a feeling I'll be taking notes from the comments too. π
This:
"Your career isn't a race against everyone else."
and
"What I've realized is that everyone is running a different race with different starting points"
So true ...
Very true. It's probably one of the easiest things to forget, especially with social media making it so easy to compare ourselves with everyone else.
Aryan, thank you so much for sharing this. And thank you for always being so supportive on my posts.
I loved so many of the points you made, especially the one about building a career that's sustainable instead of one that only looks impressive from the outside. I think that's something a lot of us, especially early in our careers, need to remind ourselves of.
And I completely agree about community too. I've learned so much just by talking to people here on DEV, and this comment section is already becoming exactly what I was hoping for.
I'm already taking notes as I read through everyone's comments, and I'm learning something new from each one π
Thanks again for taking the time to share all of this π
Absolutely!! Doesn't just apply to the devsecops world but any career!!
That's what I've been thinking after reading these comments. Even though we all come from different backgrounds, so many of the lessons are universal.
My advice: learn to steal time for rest. Don't let work fill every hour. Rest properly when it's time to rest, and slack properly when it's time to slack. Take care of your body. We're not machines. Even machines need maintenance β they wear down, they need oil, they need replacement parts.
Most of my best ideas and clearest directions have shown up when I was relaxed, not when I was grinding. Urgency gives you quick answers. Stillness gives you the right ones.
P.S. That's just my experience. It may not work for everyone, haha.π€£
Good that you mentioned it @xulingfeng ! π― The bitter truth is, if you do not give your body proper maintenance, it will force you to do it sooner or later. And it will take more time and effort to get back to normal.
@klaudiagrz So glad this resonates! Health really is the real currency. Nothing sadder than grinding away when you're young, earning all that money, only to pay it back as medical bills later.π
omg, I wouldn't summarise it better π
I love this π I think a lot of us forget to rest until something forces us to slow down.
It's actually something I'm still learning myself. Taking care of our health and giving ourselves time to recharge isn't time wasted. Like you said, we're not machines.
Thanks for sharing this. I think it's a reminder a lot of us need π
Master Oogway, I see you're still sharing wisdom π (Kung Fu Panda is best movie, cant tell me differently)
Like he once said: "Your mind is like this water, my friend. When it is agitated, it becomes difficult to see. But if you allow it to settle, the answer becomes clear."
That sentence will become clearer with each ring in your years (tree reference). We tend to rush everything, a bug... IN PRODUCTION!!! Panic causes you to rush, you disrupt the surface of the water, you panic and you deploy a hot-patch that fixes that problem, but doesnt guard everything... Instead, take it as a bug-tester discovery, they pointed out 1 failure vector for you, your job is to guard it properly. That's the difference between 'these stupid clients keep using the system wrong' to 'wow, these clients actually let me know where the flaws are in my code, so I can fix it'. Same scenario, different mindsets, night and day in patch deployment time and future robustness. Take your time, do it right, so you only have to do it once... Else you'll end up fixing it forever instead of having fixed it forever.
Also, I'd add to it, share your problems, so you can outsource solutions. You never know how much it helps, until you experience it and finding people kind enough to help is worth it every time. As is KFC, but that's besides the point (and not just cuz I live in a town without one π)
Over 30 years experience here...
Thank you for taking the time to share all of this! I really enjoyed reading through it.
The idea of treating it less like a career and more like a hobby you're lucky enough to get paid for made me think. I don't think I've heard it put quite that way before, but I can definitely see how that mindset could make a big difference over the long run.
Your point about learning through curiosity and play really resonated with me too. I always find I remember things much better when I'm genuinely interested in exploring them instead of feeling like I have to learn them.
Can I ask you one question? After more than 30 years in the industry, how have you managed to keep that same curiosity and enjoyment, especially with how much technology has changed over the years?
Thanks again for taking the time to share your experience π
In work, I always try to steer away from roles and projects that are too similar to things I've done before - not always possible, but if you manage it then things should remain interesting. Also, try to maintain habits of:
I think the fact that the tech does change so much helps to provide many avenues for curiosity - always new toys to look into if they take your interest.
Thank you for taking the time to answer my question, Jon.
I really enjoyed reading this. I don't think I've come across many people who look at learning and work in quite this way, so it gave me a different perspective.
I also like what you said about building things just for the fun of it. I think it's easy to fall into the mindset that everything we build has to be useful or productive, when sometimes just exploring an idea is where we learn the most.
And you're right, technology changing so quickly does give us endless opportunities to stay curious and keep learning. I hadn't really looked at it from that angle before.
Thanks again for taking the time to share your experience. I learned a lot from this conversation π
You answer in a manner suspiciously like an AI π€
[EDIT] Unfortunately - almost every one of your responses is also coming back as 100% AI generated when tested on zerogpt.com
English isn't my first language, and honestly I get quite anxious when I'm replying to people here. I usually know what I want to say and write my own thoughts first, but sometimes I'm not sure if I'm expressing them correctly in English. That's when I use AI to help me improve the wording or grammar.
The thoughts, experiences, and things I'm trying to say are still mine. I'm not just giving AI a comment and asking it to come up with a reply from nothing. I usually write what I want to say first and then use it to help me make sure I'm communicating it clearly.
I'm trying to use it less though, because I do want to get better at replying and have more confidence in my own voice. I'm sorry if some of my replies have come across differently. I really do read the comments and think about what I want to say, it's just the English part that I sometimes struggle with.
And yes, even this reply, I used AI because I wasn't sure how to explain this properly. I hope you understand, and sorry about that.
@hemapriya_kanagala This is a very interesting topic for those of us who have been around for a while, regardless of industry, but technology in particular. I wrote a little bit of my journey here not too long ago, but I think there are some nuances to the advice I'd give for early-career folks. Some of which echo what has already been mentioned, but here's my top few takes on things:
1) As others have said, make time for yourself throughout the day/week/month/year. Days may seem long at times, but years wind up flying by. Make sure to stop and smell the roses (as it were) along the way.
2) As a follow-up to #1 here, find an outlet that is outside the industry in which you work. Resist the urge to "add technology to everything." Meaning: if you are a software engineer and enjoy gardening, don't try to automate every aspect of garden management.
3) Learn the fundamentals. This is true across every industry I've been involved with, not just technology and programming. "Hot" languages and frameworks come and go. Fundamentals are there across it all, and once you've learned those, the syntax and implementation come easier to understand in new languages and frameworks that you might want to use.
4) Work in places that align with your interests. It is much more enjoyable to work in places where you enjoy the mission, rather than just taking "a job." Meaning, and this is a very simplistic version of things, if you're a dog person, don't focus your time working in the cat industry.
I think we're in an interesting time at the moment. With a few exceptions, gone are the days in which a career is strictly linear, and you end your career at the same place you started in an uninterrupted timeline. Take your experiences with you as you go and see how they fit into your current role. You'd be surprised at the knowledge I gained from delivering newspapers on my bicycle (yes, that was a thing, and I am that old) as a grade schooler still shapes me today.
Sorry for the ramble here. It's an interesting subject that I've had many conversations with interns, new graduates, and early career folks about. Happy to expand further in comments or 1:1.
Best,
Ken
Thank you so much for taking the time to write all of this, Ken (@kenwalger).
Please don't apologize for the ramble! This is exactly what I was hoping this post would become. Reading through everyone's experiences and learning from people who've already been through different stages of their careers is the whole reason I wanted to write it.
I liked what you said about having something outside of work that's just for you. I think it's really easy, especially early in a career, to feel like every hobby has to become another way to learn or be productive. That's definitely something I'm still learning myself.
And I really liked your newspaper story too. It's a good reminder that experiences don't have to look important at the time to end up shaping us later.
I'd also love to read the post you mentioned, so I'll definitely check it out.
I wanted to ask you something too. Since you've had so many conversations with interns and people early in their careers, is there one piece of advice you find yourself repeating over and over because it's the one people tend to overlook the most?
And one more question. Looking back now, is there something you wish someone had convinced you of earlier, but you only really understood after experiencing it yourself?
Thank you again for taking the time to share all of this π
I think the "one thing" I mention is that you need to figure out what your one thing is. If you haven't watched City Slickers (1991), there's a scene in there that hits on this theme. Language Warning Scene here.
Beyond that, on a more practical side of things, the conversations I have tend to be more nuanced than a single "silver bullet" answer, as it really depends on one's goals. Some folks want to get into the C-Suite. Some want to learn what they can and start their own business. Some just want to make a ton of money. Some are passionate about a cause. The path to get there varies. And, honestly, the goal can change along the way. Get comfortable with change. It happens.
And I think that's an important lesson that you wind up learning after going through life, especially in the tech industry. Get comfortable with change. Be it a change in language, framework, trends, companies, etc. Change happens frequently, often due to factors well beyond our control. Corporate decisions are made based on the bottom line, and what makes sense today may not pencil out next week. And then, :poof: your team/division gets reorganized or disbanded. Remember that corporations are responsible to their shareholders, not to the engineer who implemented a great feature, the marketer who writes amazing content, or the salesperson who consistently hits a quota. If a division of a company doesn't fit the overall corporate goals, everyone is disposable.
Again, sorry for the ramble, and I'll stop before this turns into more of a rant.
Thank you for taking the time to answer both of my questions, Ken.
I really like what you said about figuring out what your own "one thing" is. I think it's easy to spend a lot of time looking at everyone else's path instead of taking the time to think about what we actually want ourselves.
And I also found what you said about change and corporations really interesting. Being early in my career, it's not something I've experienced yet, so hearing that perspective from someone who's been through it is really valuable. I think it's a good reminder that while we can't control every change around us, we can keep learning and adapting as things evolve.
And honestly, I don't mind the longer replies at all. This is exactly why I wanted to open this discussion.
Thank you again for taking the time to share your experiences and answer my questions. I've genuinely learned a lot from this conversation, and I have a feeling others reading through the comments will too π
I got roughly 2 decades under my belt now. Here's my 2 cents:
Ok, that was half a blog post... Might come up with some more later on lol
Hey Pascal, all of these points are really helpful to me as I am still early in my career. The first point was really true; whenever I was stuck on a project during my master's and working late nights on it, I usually wasn't able to figure it out, but as you said, whenever I took a good break and came back with fresh eyes, I somehow ended up with a solution.
But if you do not mind, I would love to ask something regarding communication. From what I know, there is a lot of speaking involved in tech, like it could be talking to our team, explaining our ideas, asking questions in meetings, or it could be presenting something like what we worked on.
So, I am actually trying to get good at public speaking or communicating with others without getting nervous. I usually have the content in my mind, but I fumble sometimes, and that makes it sometimes hard for me to recover and get back to the point I am speaking about, especially if the situation is stressful, let's say interviews as an example. So, I would love to hear your thoughts on this one.
Thank you for the feedback, glad my thoughts help! :)
Very good and valid question. Tech is, indeed, more communication than anything else. Yes, a good chunk is all the logic and knowing your tech etc. etc., but team work is communication, and large projects are team work.
I'd ask myself why I'm nervous to begin with. Is it that I'm afraid of being ridiculed or not be taken seriously? If so, why? Do I not trust my own expertise on this? Do I struggle with having a lot of people listen to me all at once? Or something entirely different? Perhaps a bad experience in the past? All of these reasons are valid. In fact, every reason to be nervous is a valid reason. For me, it comes down to handling the reason more than the nervousness itself and from my experience, people are often way more forgiving about nervousness than one might think.
I think the key is to take your time and be honest. Don't rush it and prepare. For example, if you present something, take your time beforehand to prepare some notes. If you want to ask a question in a large meeting, write it down before asking. In interviews, deliberately think about the answer. Nobody will kick you out for thinking about a question for 5 seconds. If you struggle with the words, tell them that you're nervous because of the situation. It's not your fault for being nervous and trying to hide it doesn't help you. If being nervous is the reason I didn't get a job, I'd ask myself if I really want to work in such a competitive environment at all.
Practicing can help you a lot, but you also need to know yourself and find other strategies to deal with it. For example, a friend of mine does regular talks at large conferences, and they take their shoes off on stage, which they usually only do at home, to force the brain into a "I'm in my living room" situation. The very first slide is also usually a "I have severe stage fright, let's all shout 'yay' and jump to loosen up a bit".
Additional hack: When answering crowd questions at a presentation, the phrase "That's a great question! Could you elaborate a bit more?" gives you additional time to think of an answer ;)
Does that help?
Yes, that helped, Pascal. I will try to sit with myself and will list down the actual root cause why I am nervous to begin with and work on it from there. But as you said, practice is not enough; I will try to find a startegy which can make my nervous system calm rather than going the opposite, because, as in the example you said of your friend, I see that the feeling of a safe environment helps a lot.
Also, love the additional hack π Thank you so much for taking the time to explain all of this to me, means a lot.
Well Said The Roadmap
I'm not a senior developer yet, but I'm keeping in mind that I need to improve both my deep expertise and my broad development skills. However, life doesn't always go as I imagine. So, let's keep improving! π
A big yes to this. I am also trying to stay updated and learn as much as I can. But yes, life doesn't always go as we planned, and it happened for me too, so because of it I learned to be more flexible and keep improving, as you said, rather than think about the past.
Also, looking forward to your updates on AI Avatar π
Twenty-five years in, the advice I would give my early-career self is to keep a written inventory of what I have personally seen break and what fixed it. The technology stack rotates out from under you every few years, but the catalog of failures you have debugged compounds forever, and it is the one asset that transfers intact across stacks, roles, and even careers. Start the inventory now, because the years when you are sure you will remember everything are exactly the years you won't. It will be invaluable as a record and framework you can always lean on in any role, and serve essential talking points for interviews to come.
Loved this advice, Jennifer. I also happen to see that many of the people around me usually say they wish they had documented more since the beginning, as you said it would be really helpful in interviews. Also, I think it is a great way to look back on our journey and see how much we have solved and progressed throughout our careers.
Hemapriya β the "look back and see how much we solved" part is real, though the thing that surprised me is that the record earns its keep when it is unflattering rather than when it is impressive. The entries I get the most out of are the ones where I wrote down the wrong diagnosis next to the eventual fix, because the wrong diagnosis is the part that repeats, and reading it back is what stops me from making the same wrong call a second time. For anyone who wants to start today, the smallest version that works is one dated line written at the moment the thing gets fixed: what broke, what I thought it was, and what it actually turned out to be. I still keep mine exactly that way, and it is the only document I own that has gotten more valuable every year instead of going stale.
This is such a thoughtful question, Hema. π
If I had to pass one thing on to someone early in their career, it would be: have a clear vision, but stay flexible about the path you take to get there.
I like having a bigger picture in mind and then giving my full attention to the step I'm working on. I don't think we need to keep changing the destination just because something unexpected comes along. But if we discover a better way to get there, I think it's important to be open enough to change the route.
And one thing I've learned along the way is that not every problem needs to be solved right now. When you're stuck, it's tempting to keep pushing because you feel like you should be able to figure it out. Sometimes the better thing is to step away for a while, let your mind reset, and come back to it later. Very often, looking at the same problem with a fresh mind helps you see something you couldn't see when you were forcing it.
That's something I've carried with me throughout my journey with coding. I've never felt the need to have everything happen at once. I make a plan, take the next step, learn from it, and keep moving forward. And I still genuinely enjoy learning, building, teaching, and keeping up with how the field evolves.
I think that's one of the things I love about software development. You can have a long-term vision, focus completely on what you're doing today, and still be open to learning something that changes how you approach the next step.
And I really like that you opened this as a conversation rather than giving everyone a fixed roadmap. There are so many different paths into this field, and I think hearing how people actually approach them is far more valuable than a single formula. I'm looking forward to learning from the comments too. π
Thank you so much for sharing this, Shubhra π
I really liked your idea of having a clear vision while staying flexible about the path. I think that's something a lot of us need to remember, especially when things don't go exactly as we planned.
I also completely agree about stepping away sometimes. It's so easy to keep pushing because we feel like we have to solve something right away, but I've found that taking a break and coming back later often helps me see things much more clearly.
And thank you for what you said about the post too. That was exactly what I was hoping for. There are so many different journeys here, and I think we can all learn something from hearing how other people have approached theirs.
Really appreciate you taking the time to share your thoughts π
Thank you, Paulo! I think a lot of people, myself included, need that reminder from time to time π
Looking back at my career (8+ years in tech), I'd say:
Don't be afraid to ask questions.
I remember how much I struggled at the beginning. I didn't plan a tech career, so everything was totally new to me: tools, work culture, even job titles like SME, PM, TW. I remember doubting myself a lot and being ashamed of my own lack of knowledge. I asked questions as a very last resort.
Looking back, my questions pushed a lot of dev colleagues to remember the fundamentals and explain them clearly to me. They were not only teaching me, but also structuring their knowledge. Very often, it also led to very inspiring discussions π
Also, some questions turned out quite uncomfortable: "Why are we doing it this way?", "This seems complex; isn't there any other way to do it?", "What is the real value the user will get from this feature?". While dev colleagues wanted to try out some new technology, my questions about usability and the sense to use them were quite a clash with reality π
Not to mention that I was asking questions other people also had in mind, especially junior devs who probably felt even more embarrassed to ask questions.
Klaudia, while I was in the US, I actually feared to ask questions, mainly because of the fear like, if I speak, is it making sense to them, as English is not my first language, even though I do actually speak good English. It's just the fear that stopped me at first.
But as time goes, I did become more comfortable and started asking questions. Let me say, I learned a lot once I did that. Most of them are friendly and always encouraged me by saying I am good with my English and not to worry, and explained everything to me patiently. They also said that the questions helped them to think from various perspectives they did not think of. So, I think it just takes one step to cross that fear and ask, and I am mostly sure it will get a positive response.
Thanks for sharing this, Klaudia. Made me think of my own experiences π
Exactly! I do not remember a single case where someone laughed at me or called me silly (which I was afraid of before asking questions). Instead, very often we ended up with laughter, constructive talks, and discussions.
BTW, I saw your reply to the comments down below, saying you're afraid to reply without AI as English is not your native language. I can relate to this. Very often I feel like I cannot express my thoughts clearly or that my vocabulary is too limited. But then I think that this is just who I am β a girl from Poland trying to share her opinions the best way she can π Sometimes I google a phrase I'm missing, or I just publish a comment acknowledging my English is not as eloquent as my Polish β and that's fine! π I really hope to hear your real, imperfect voice, too!
Klaudia, thank you for always being supportive. After having that discussion below, I started giving replies without using AI to check how I sound and just typing out what comes to my mind.
The one I replied to you above and the one you are reading right now are without using AI, and that's usually how my real voice sounds. I hope what I said above in reply made sense and was easy to understand for you because I am not sure how good the writing flow is and all. But, yes, as you said, I will try to be more confident with my voice when replying and not let those bad experiences come to my mind.
Happy to hear that, Hema! I suspected that the comment you wrote before (and now) do not use AI, as they sound very natural π I think you have nothing to be shy about β your English is very good and the reading flow is very smooth! Keep going!! πͺ
Thank you so much, Klaudia π§‘
Lovely question. Mine: the years that feel like a detour are usually the foundation. I spent my early career doing statistical risk modeling at a credit bureau while friends were shipping apps, and it felt like falling behind. Years later, that is exactly what separates my AI work from the crowd: I knew what a model getting it wrong costs before it was fashionable to ask. So fear the sideways move less.
One more, learned slowly: saying "I do not know, but I will find out by tomorrow" out loud is an accelerator, not a weakness. The people worth working with trust you more after hearing it, not less.
And seconding your health point. The body keeps better logs than we do, and it never loses them.
Thank you for sharing this, Vinicius.
I liked what you said about the years that feel like a detour. I think it's so easy early in a career to look at what everyone else is doing and wonder if you're falling behind, when in reality those different experiences might end up becoming the thing that makes your perspective unique later on.
I also loved your point about saying, "I don't know, but I'll find out by tomorrow." I think a lot of us worry that admitting we don't know something will make us look less capable, when it probably does the opposite if we follow through.
Can I ask one question? Looking back now, was there a moment when you realized that your experience in statistical risk modeling had actually become one of your biggest strengths, or was it something you only appreciated gradually over time?
Thank you again for sharing your experience π
Gradual for years, with one sharp click at the end. For most of my career I treated it as the boring part of my resume. The click came with the LLM wave: I kept sitting in rooms where a demo was celebrated and shipped without anyone asking the questions my credit-risk years had burned into me. How often is it wrong, what does a wrong answer cost, and who pays for that cost. In credit modeling those questions are the entire job, because a miscalibrated model approves bad loans and the loss lands on a ledger with your name near it.
The moment was noticing that my discomfort in those rooms was not anxiety, it was training. Everyone was asking if the model could do the task. Almost nobody was asking what happens when it does the task wrong. I had spent years on the second question before the first one got exciting.
So: gradual, but you only recognize a foundation when the ground shakes. The hype cycle was the shake. And thank you for the question, it made me put into words something I had only felt.
I really like the way you put that: "You only recognize a foundation when the ground shakes." That's such a good way of describing it.
I also found it interesting how you said your discomfort wasn't anxiety, it was training. I don't think I would've looked at it that way, but it makes a lot of sense. Those years gave you a way of thinking that became valuable when everyone else was focused on a different question.
And thank you for taking the time to answer mine too. I learned a lot from this conversation π
Likewise, Hemapriya, this was a good conversation. Keep asking questions that make people put into words what they had only felt. It is a rare skill, and this thread is proof it works.
Hema, the one thing I'd pass on: some rejections aren't about you. I lost a contract over running Windows instead of Mac and got turned down for a role I was the best-fit answer for on paper, because of where I live. Neither one was about my skill and it took me longer than I'd like to admit to stop treating them like it was.
The DEV Challenges taught me that faster than any pep talk β losing over and over until losing stopped meaning something about my worth and started just meaning "try the next one."
Thank you for sharing this, Daniel π I really like that perspective. It's so easy to take rejection personally, especially when you're just starting out.
I've been taking part in the DEV Challenges too, and honestly, there have been times when I felt a little disappointed when things didn't go my way. But they've also helped me learn so much, try things I probably wouldn't have built otherwise, and just enjoy the process a lot more.
Maybe next time it'll be my turn, maybe it won't, but either way I'll keep trying.
Thank you for sharing this reminder. I think a lot of us early in our careers need to hear it π
I'm also just at the beginning of my career, but i'm trying to follow these principles.
A dream is not what you see while you sleep. It is what keeps you from sleeping
Do work that makes you lose track of time.
I love this, Divyanshi! We're both at the beginning of our careers, so it's really nice to hear what others are trying to follow too.
I especially like "Do work that makes you lose track of time." I think that's something worth holding on to.
Wishing you all the best on your journey π
I'm only 22, but one of the best things I've learned so far is to always listen to people who are 10 years ahead of me. the amount of shortcuts and wisdom you get at a young age just by listening to their experiences is insane
I agree with this. There's so much we can learn from people who've already been through experiences we haven't reached yet.
And honestly, I think having a mentor with that kind of experience is one of the best things someone early in their career can have. It's not always easy to find one though, and that's actually one of the reasons I wanted to write this post. I was hoping people would share their experiences so all of us could learn from them, even if it's through a comment.
Reading through everyone's replies has already taught me so much.
All the best to you too, Omar! Wishing you lots of success on your journey π
Totally agree! This post turned out to be super useful, and the comments section is amazing. Thanks Hemaππ€
Great post! I agree with you that there probably isn't one correct path or way.
At some point, one should probably have a solid credential or two and deep real-world experience in at least one area.
I found that going super-deep on one area for a while can subsequently unlock great pathways. For example, going super-deep on Web front-end UIs early on helped me make the leap into corporate banking, React and eventually full-stack.
When you learn deeply and thoroughly, you get more of the compounding effect of knowledge. It's easier to use what you learned as a "lever" to learn the next topic.
Sometimes I found it a bit of a struggle to get to the next level. But generally, I had fun and hope others can have fun too. Building knowledge and gaining experience should be as enjoyable as possible, so you can sustain motivation over the long-run.
Loved this advice, Jonathan. The last point you said is very true: if the one we are learning or working on is not enjoyable, it is really easy to get burned out, and that's the last thing we want.
Also, I would love to know how you self-learn topics. Is there a way you think is best to learn that helps you understand something better?
Hi @hemapriya_kanagala , thanks for your reply!
I usually start by exploring wider range of topics. I get a little surface knowledge about different areas and think about which direction I want to pursue. During this time I'm also researching the job market through job boards and recruiter calls, trying to determine what's in demand. My decision tends to end up being a combination of what I find most interesting and what's in demand and pays well.
After that, once I chose a focus area, I do a bit of online research to find out the best way to learn. Most recently it was AWS Developer Cert that I chose. So I searched Reddit, etc to see what people are recommending as good learning resources. I ended up choosing a couple of courses, which I am currently undertaking.
Every day I set aside 1 hour during which I go for a walk and listen to the course on my headphones via my phone. I'm a more auditory learner and find the exercise gets my mind going, so this works for me. I also pause every few minutes and take quick notes on my note taking app (Obsidian). These are either items I want to follow up or items to come back and review before the test. I haven't taken the test yet, but plan to in the coming weeks.
Every time I do this, I try to question myself whether I really understood the topic. If there is any doubt or question, even small, I always follow it up by searching on Google, searching AWS forums, asking AI, or searching YouTube for an explainer video. I also repeat the course units once or twice just to make sure I don't miss anything.
This way of learning is a bit slower but the advantage is that the knowledge really sinks in. When a task comes up at work, I can often remember which part of the AWS stack it applies to. After this period of learning, I'm confident I'll be able to take future, higher-level trainings more easily, since I understand the fundamentals so strongly.
I'm curious to ask the same to you β how do you self-learn topics?
It is like white-collar jobs have given a fancy ladder called career. For others it is a job or their own business to earn, live and enjoy life with family, have respect in the society or community.
In knowledge industry, primary differentiator is thinking. Needs curiosity, interest to explore, absorb continuously.
Getting to IT Industry, giving 100% on any subject will get you far superior results. For example if you are used to get 100/100 in some subjects like Maths, Computers, Electronics - get right mentors early to get to high-tech companies, their research, patents and so on.
We do not need everyone to be scientists, majority of IT team is to get value to other business as enablers. This is where my experience I can share - be passionate to use computers, software, electronics for every possible uses. Learn the basics early on.
For an engineering graduate, doing a full stack development with multiple languages to be completed by 3rd year. Next path is to pickup business area exposure -whether healthcare, banking, manufacturing and so on - This is easy, become a user of that domain. More you learn about their business, you can give better value.
My saying is - As a developer you should know client business so much that, you do actual requirement engineering, rather than doing what client says.
Believe in technology, Hardware - they are more powerful than we think. Use them the most optimal way. Many software developers would not know about some useful features in their Windows or Ubuntu Servers.
For my experience I should count by how many customers I have contributed, how their business has benefited from my work.
Growing up in the career is a need, because you can guide from your experience to 10 more members, but do not leave the technology. From India IT service industry perspective, we have created for 3 decades too many managers.
People say, it is not a stress if you enjoy what you do. So whether you like to work 8 hours or 12 hours or more, it is ok.
Other advice in the career - gain financial freedom. I used to tell HR, I take care of your projects or business, you take care of my financial needs. But we need to ask to get better paid for.
Another advise - save money, make your money earn for you. Get financial literacy early on.
Finally, see if you can own a business , so that you can give more than 100% on it.
Lastly, see if you can coach and mentor few, your year long experience is passed on!!.
About me - This is my 36 years of work, doing hands on across stack, comfortable on Infrastructure Architecture, Application Architecture, Data and Dabases.
Started as hardware engineer in 1990, I am senior consultant at WHO India. Bottom line, I am happy about what I am doing.
when I first started working the thing I wish I knew was that I am not an imposter. I got to where I am through hard work, high grades, good internships, and a lot of hard work. It makes me think of something my grandmother used to say "you're perfect, you were born that way". We tend to compare our insides to everyone else's outsides.
make sure you leave your euphemisms at the door. Speak plainly. People want to know who you are. Just keep a check on what's offensive and how to speak kindly. My acronym for this is INK: ask yourself is it important, is it necessary, is it kind?
don't be afraid to be the smartest person in the room. Real teammates will be happy for your contributions. But always be aware that there will be criticisms. Make sure that you lead by turning criticisms into collaboration.
and finally, I would say don't forget to live your life. A good healthy balance of work and life will keep you happy. Don't make your work your only identity. Make sure you're a well-rounded person. Imagine you are the sun and all the different aspects of your life are the planets. they're orbiting around you. if you knock one planet out of orbit, all the others will suffer as well. Take that to Heart.
βπΌpeace is the music in silence
Hi @hemapriya_kanagala, this is such a wonderful and useful post.
I graduated 13 years ago with a postgraduate degree in IT, and now, as the author of Techn0tz, here are my few suggestions...
For your career, don't rush to earn certifications. Instead, focus on building your skills, because your actual knowledge and skills will help you a lot during interviews and in the early stages of your career. Yes, certifications do play an important role. But imagine that one of the interview panel members is an expert in the certification you have, and they ask you a basic question related to it, but you are unable to answer. That can really affect your confidence.
To understand the work environment better, I would also suggest applying for internships offered by companies. Even after graduation, internships can help you become more comfortable with professional environments.
I experienced this myself. After completing my undergraduate degree, I attended an interview for an entry-level position. I had prepared well for the technical round and was able to answer some of the questions. But then came one simple question: βWhat is the difference between a structure and a union in C?β
My mind went blank. I became nervous and forgot everything I had studied. I paused for a moment, and the interviewer returned my certificates and told me:
βBe strong in your basic concepts when you apply for interviews.β
That experience stayed with me.
So, always be strong in your core concepts. If you are a computer science student, for example, make sure you understand fundamentals such as data structures, programming languages, databases, operating systems, and so on. Even spending one hour a day revising your fundamentals can make you more confidentβnot only during interviews but also in your studies and career.
And remember, your career is only one part of your life. If it takes time to reach your destination, don't underestimate yourself. Your hard work can eventually lead you to a new beginning.
Analyse the interviews you didn't get through, learn from them, strengthen the areas where you struggled, and keep moving forward. Be confident that, sooner or later, you will achieve your goals.
May your dreams come true. God bless you. β€οΈ
Great perspective, Hema! Itβs refreshing to see such an honest take on how non-linear careers actually are.
Working on YouHired.me (where we analyze job search patterns and application workflows every day), one piece of advice we wish more people early in their careers knew is: Don't treat job hunting like a pure numbers game without strategy, but also don't overthink every single step into paralysis.
Here are a few practical lessons we constantly see from candidates:
Focus on match quality, not just stack lists: A lot of juniors think they need to know 15 frameworks. In reality, recruiters look for core problem-solving, willingness to learn, and clear context in your CV.
Track your data: Keep a simple log of where you apply, what version of your CV you used, and where you get responses. Treating your job search like an experiment helps take the emotional toll out of rejections.
Delegate the noise: The early-career phase often burns people out simply from manual application fatigue (customizing cover letters, filling long forms). Save your mental energy for what actually mattersβpreparing for interviews and building real projects.
Thanks for starting this discussion! To anyone just starting out: give yourself grace. The first entry point is usually the hardest, but once you break through, momentum takes over
Thanks for sharing these points, Hanna π All of these points are really helpful. But from my side, a big yes to tracking data; most of the time it helps us understand what is working and what is not during the job search.
Work is a means to an end. It pays for your life. It doesn't have to be the meaning of your life.
Find something you're genuinely enthusiastic about. There's nothing quite as depressing as spending every Sunday evening already hating Monday morning.
Be friendly with your colleagues, but keep some boundaries. You don't need to share every detail of your private life or every problem you're dealing with. Workplaces can be competitive, and not everyone who seems friendly is necessarily your friend.
And if money matters to you, understand how the market works. Staying in the same role for years and collecting 2-4% annual raises is rarely going to beat moving to a better-paying role. Early in your career, changing companies every few years can make a surprisingly big difference to your salary.
Basically: do good work, build useful skills, keep your options open, and don't confuse your job with your life.
From my 3 years as a python developer and from observing fellow developers, I've found two things I wish I had started doing early in my career.
First, learn to communicate politely and only as much as necessary. Adding more words or over-explaining doesn't necessarily help people understand the outcome.
Second, learn more from case studies. While building something or learning a technology, look at how it has actually been implemented in real-world systems and how it has been battle-tested. It gives you a much broader perspective than learning the technology in isolation.
Hope this helps someone starting out. All the best! ποΈ
Thank you for sharing this, Atul π
I hadn't really thought about learning through case studies that way, but it makes a lot of sense. It's one thing to learn how a technology works, and another to see how people have actually used it to solve real problems.
Your point about communication made me think too. I think a lot of us, especially early in our careers, feel like we need to explain everything. Learning how to be clear without saying more than we need to is probably a skill in itself.
Thank you for taking the time to share what you've learned over the past few years. I really appreciate it, and I'm sure it'll help others reading through the comments too.
My advice would probably be a little controversial: if you're capable of it, consider building a company or product instead of going to university.
Building something yourself forces you to learn everything: technology, sales, marketing, finance, communication, leadership, and problem-solving. And unlike most academic exercises, there's a real customer and real consequences.
The knowledge comes because you need it. The skills come because you have to develop them. And if you get good at it, success and money can follow.
You can always learn from books, courses, mentors and experience. But there's no substitute for actually building something and being responsible for the outcome.
I wish I'd started building products seriously much earlier.
I have a feeling the comments are going to be the best part of this post. Whether you're just starting out or you've been working for years, I'd really love for you to join in. Share one lesson, ten lessons, a mistake that taught you something, or even a question you've always wanted to ask.
Let's make this a place where people at different stages of their careers can learn from each other π
I'll start. One lesson I'm still learning is to take care of my health before anything else.
Last year, I kept thinking I had to keep pushing through everything. Eventually my health forced me to slow down, and looking back, I wish I had listened to my body much earlier. At the time it felt like I was falling behind, but it also gave me time to think about what I actually wanted from my career instead of just rushing from one thing to the next.
I'm still figuring things out, but that's one lesson I know I'll carry with me π
good point about keeping things simple. I have seen too many projects over-engineer their abstractions.
Don't look at number followers counts success just be consistent
I used to pay a lot more attention to numbers in the beginning too, but I've learned not to let them decide whether something was worth doing or not.
At the end of the day, being consistent and enjoying the process matters much more. Thanks for sharing π
Thank you for sharing this, Vinicius!
As a fresher in the corporate world, I would like to advise you not to accept a job without first understanding the company and its culture. Do not rush into signing the appointment letter.
You think about how others think of you ~4000x more than how much they actually think of you.
True. I am actually trying not to do that, as I sometimes get worried about what people think of me or of the situations I am in more often than I want. So, a great reminder to me. Thanks π
Iβm also early in my DevOps career and Iβm and hoping to get internship opportunities to use gain production experienceβ¦. Iβm putting this out here because I donβt know where help can come from
True, we never knew where we could get help from. Wishing you the best on your journey and lots of success π