TL;DR notes from articles I read today.
Is there a future beyond writing great code?
There are many things we developers can do that will make us more fulfilled in our professional lives. There are immediate options to explore beyond just writing code. You can work towards going into engineering management and be a great engineering leader. To move forward in life, one has to give back. And some ways of giving back could be as simple as code reviews, workshops, and individual assessments with some colleagues. Go do it and be a mentor to fellow developers. You will learn a lot of new things on the way too. If meaning is what you are looking for, why not consider doing pro-bono tech work for a social cause that’s close to your heart. There are always ways to get more fulfillment from our skillsets and our careers than we think. We just need to explore.
Full post here, 9 mins read
Ways to stay motivated while learning to code
- You are going to spend a lot of time finding & fixing bugs. When you solve a problem completely, treat yourself.
- Don’t learn to code - code to learn. Aim for small incremental improvements.
- Amplify the positive, not negative. Don’t give in to the impostor syndrome. Learn to keep moving in spite of it.
- Always look at the bigger picture of what you're enabling. Find and frame the reasons why you love your job.
- Develop a hobby that gets your blood flowing, literally. Physical exercise helps a lot in staying motivated and focused!
Full post here, 14 mins read
Developers mentoring other developers: practices I've seen work well
- When mentoring someone, you should delay sharing solutions to problems your mentee is facing as long as possible. Prompt them to introspect and figure out solutions on their own.
- As they say, the devil is in the details. Ask specific questions to dive deeper and seek context. Listen intently and understand the underlying subtext.
- Draw upon your own experiences, contexts and perspectives rather than giving textbook-ish suggestions.
- Always be supportive and let the mentee know that you are on their side.
Full post here, 18 mins read
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