Well, first real job and I still haven't gotten used to waking up for a 6:30 AM shift... I've been doing this for months now and at this point you'...
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It's all fun and coding until you get into an environment where you are not taught at all. I notice this when you start actually working instead of learning new languages and such. Turns out communication is a bigger thing than just coding lol.
Speaking of communication, I sent you a message on Slack in the Virtual Coffee group. It's important to let you know :)
It is likely that when you are in charge of a big project, you will be involved in only a small part of the work. On the other hand, if you are in charge of a small project, you will likely be involved in a wide range of work. Welcome to my startup! It is so small that you can do anything you like! 🤣
Hey WDH!! Thank you for the comment, and having me in your startup too I guess😭 It really makes me feel better to know I have a backup plan right here🤣
Sounds like my first job in big corpo 😄 I think communication issues come naturally in such an environment. It's still an important lesson – since it's your first job, you're figuring out what you like, what you want to do in your life, what works for you, and what doesn't. It's not the knowledge you start with; rather, you get it by trying out different things.
Also, for your next job, consider a smaller company (maybe a start-up?). They usually give much more flexibility, and in the case of a start-up, you do not have to maintain old technologies.
Eheheh, I see many colleagues struggling with production to such an extent that very often what they suggest as a solution for the dev environment has no chance of working on prod, for example under heavier load 😄 But this is another important lesson, and, in my opinion, dev colleagues simply undervalue prod – in the end, whether we like it or not, this is where the money comes from.
Good luck with your first job, Aryan! You're doing great!
Hey Klaudia! Thank you for taking your time to write this... I think I lucked out with the right skills at the right time, and I am also thinking of moving to a smaller company after my N2 is done, or might even go solo, will cross that bridge when I get there.
Hahaha, consider me one of your dev colleagues then, I've been listening to lectures and taunts in group meetings, about the same thing for the last 2 weeks now😭 and I genuinely try not to make any mistakes but still somehow manage to miss a unique step every time. It's like some bad luck is onto me ಥ‿ಥ
Once again, thank you for the comment and the well wishes. Good luck to you too(＾∇＾)ﾉ♪
My first job in tech was back when I was still at university, teaching kids to code in Python. I ran one on one online lessons with kids from Ukraine and the EU. We wrote Minecraft scripts and built small games in Python :D
That is such a cool job man!!! I hope I can find something fun like that soon!
Yoo, thats actually a good job to have!! the kids must be so excited every time!!
This is the part no one really prepares you for, learning that engineering in the real world often means understanding old systems before changing anything. Still, those experiences teach you more than a rewrite ever could.
Yes definitely Allen, thank you for commenting!
One thing that stood out to me is the distinction between being responsible for your work and being in control of the system around your work.
In large organizations, productivity is rarely just about how fast one person works. Tooling, access, dependencies, process design, training, and communication all become part of the equation.
I also liked the point about learning what you don't want to spend the next ten years doing. A first engineering job doesn't necessarily have to confirm your career direction — sometimes it gives you enough evidence to change it.
Hey Suraj! Exactly my thoughts, I think we figure out exactly what to do as we move ahead.
Thank you for your comment!!
Exactly. I think that’s one of the underrated benefits of a first job — it gives you evidence, not just experience.
You may not immediately know what you want to do, but you start getting a much clearer picture of what kind of problems, environments, and responsibilities actually fit you.
And honestly, realizing that early can be just as valuable as finding the “perfect” role.
love the energy of the article really interesting thanks you sharing
Thank you so much for reading and the supporting comment @jsb-securedme !!
it just right in time for me to read your article im looking for a job it 5 years im a solo dev it will be so weird working for someone else i don't know what to expect and i end on your article it was perfect i'm not alone with my fear other have thanks you sharing your story it help me coping with the stress so thanks to you ^_- all honor are your's
Hey Jean! 5 years as a solo dev is huge, and it's okay to feel weird, it might be little different from your usual experience as a solo dev, but other than that I think you'll be better than most.
If you don't mind me asking what position or JD are you joining in as?
And also really appreciate your comment man, really sweet of you... All the best to us for the future! Thank you so much(/^-^(^ ^*)/
To be honest, I'm still figuring out exactly what role to target! I've been building SeCuReDmE solo for the last 5 years, and since I wear every single hat—basically handling all the C-suite tasks—it’s hard to figure out where I fit in, especially since I don't have a formal diploma. My biggest fear right now is that without a degree, I'll just end up stuck doing administrative tasks, filling out endless paperwork, or running test after test, without ever getting to use all the deep technical knowledge I've built to actually create something useful.
Looking for a traditional job feels weird because I always have this hope that my company is going to take off at any moment. The reality is that the architecture of my project is incredibly complex. The funny part is, whenever I jump into someone else's codebase to fix their bugs, it feels so easy! But navigating my own massive system is a long, arduous journey. I definitely didn't choose to build something simple. Ultimately, the hardest part right now is accepting that I have to go work on someone else's dream while trying to keep my own alive.
Thanks again for the kind words and encouragement—it really means a lot to me as I navigate this massive transition!
Wow that's so cool!!! You made something so difficult that everything else feels easy... But I really hope you find something that doesn't take too much of your energy or time so you still can keep your own dream alive. I really wish the best for you Jean. All the best!!
Your honest take on the 6:30 AM wake‑up and the surprising lessons you’re learning on the job really resonated with me. If you think it could help more devs, consider syndicating it on ZyVOP (zyvop.com) to reach a wider audience.
Hi Aryan, please check zyvop.com, I hope you like it, some developers from here are already registered
The gap between what we imagine engineering will be and what production support actually looks like can be huge. But honestly, learning to work with legacy systems, understand constraints, and protect production is valuable engineering experience too. The “new guy rewriting everything” phase is probably best avoided!
Hahaha yeah, that's why not everyone is given the access to edit everything, it's for the best. But that itch of curiosity to only know about the architecture or why something happens doesn't just fade away.
Anyways thank you for commenting Edward!!
I totally agree with the meeting being the bottleneck part, some sprints back in retro, we (the dev team) pulled this issue that the meetings take too long and doesn't require everybody on call for a single person's issue/doubt and they listened haha, now our meetings are hella short, like only a standup call 4days a week and two grooming calls not more than an hour long and that concludes our meetings for the sprints haha.
sometimes if your team lead is willing to bring up the topic as well as the PO's are understanding people then the team can function without being a pain in the butt of each other.
anyways, about the lesson part my bordie, you dont have to have it figured out, afterall that's what life is all about, we never know what's coming your way, a punch on the face or warm embrace of prosperity haha
That's... something I am jealous of
Really enjoyed this honest take on the reality of a first engineering job. The part about being responsible for your work without being in control of everything around it really stood out to me. 👏
It’s easy to confuse “I’m new at this” with “I’m bad at this,” especially when working with systems built by people with years of experience. Great reminder that mistakes, communication challenges, and even discovering what you don’t want to do are all valuable parts of building a career.
Great read! 🚀
Hey Harsh! Really glad that you enjoyed my post!! Thank you for the comment man!
Aryan, this sounds so much like my first on-campus job while I was in the US. It was part-time, but wow, I still learned so much from it, especially about communication. Hope you’re taking care of yourself too with everything going on!
Hey Hemapriya!! I am definitely trying to make myself better, sometimes it does get a bit tough but I make sure to rest and come back stronger after! Thank you for your support always!! Really appreciate it. 💛
This hits hard.
My first job: I spent 3 months learning Kubernetes. Built a perfect cluster. Auto-scaling, monitoring, the works.
My manager: "Why didn't you just use Docker Compose? The deadline was last week."
The lesson isn't that Kubernetes is bad. It's that the "right" tool is the one that ships.
Now I ask two questions before building anything:
Most of the time, Docker Compose wins.
That's a simple but important observation that goes a long way in corporate, doesn't matter what way you use (ofc not going into the ethical/unethical aspect of it but in simple ways of doing any task), you get the job done right and get the job done on time. That's mostly it.
It's great you observed and reflected on that, hope you are doing great now and all the best for the future!! Thank you for sharing this!
I’ve also completed a year at my job, and this really reminded me of when I first started 😃 I thought I’d be able to do this and that, and slowly realized how different things are in an actual job Since we’re the same age too, this felt even more relatable. All the best for your next article! ❤️
Hey Divya! First of all congratulations on completing a year at your job! Yeah expectations and reality don't really match often times. All the best to you too, and thank you for commenting!! ❤️
Really relatable. Sometimes our first engineering job teaches us less about what we want to do and more about what we don’t want to do ~ and that’s valuable too.
Yeah that is probably the most definite learning we can take from it. Thank you for commenting!
I just kept showing up and hoping for the best.
I think that's one way to do it I guess
There is nothing in your story as "wasting your time". There will be many things you can grab and learn, even though it is not in your interest. Happy learning 😊
Hey Alika! I am hoping that is true lol, even so learning about it and actually doing the job without mistakes are 2 different things here... But anyways thank you for your supportive comment!! Happy learning to you as well!
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