DEV Community

Cover image for Personal Roadmap for becoming a better software developer in 2024

Personal Roadmap for becoming a better software developer in 2024

Mrinmoy Arnob on December 29, 2023

So, it has been a while since I last focused on self-improvement and building confidence. Despite coding for almost two years, I still struggle wit...
Collapse
 
euperia profile image
Andrew McCombe

I've been developing web-based software for over 26 years and I can tell you that the impostor syndrome doesn't go away. Writing this road map and having a plan for your continued development is a great way to handle it. I wish I'd done something similar years ago.

Collapse
 
mrinmoy09 profile image
Mrinmoy Arnob

Getting a comment from an experienced person like you makes me realize that no matter how hard I try, I will still face that problem. But what I can do is survive. I think no one is good enough, and neither do they need to be. As a fresher, I suffer a lot, and I do not get enough courage to apply to jobs. I think you have figured out the path, but I have a long way to go. There is no other option but to do what I need to do. Thanks to your comment, it motivated me to some extent, and I might have planned something good for myself.

Collapse
 
tensorprogramming profile image
Tensor-Programming • Edited

You want help with your foundational skills, you should read and work through the new JavaScript edition of structure and interpretation of computer programs. It's one of the best computer programming textbooks of all time.

Imposter syndrome is a thing that even the most senior of devs have to deal with. I've been in the industry for almost 25 years and sometimes I feel that way. The way I break out of it is by inflating my own ego. It's a kind of balance, because you have to still be aware of your own shortcomings but not so aware of them as to believe that you do not belong in the job.

I honestly believe that imposter syndrome comes from the Dunning Krueger effect. Basically, the more you know about something, the more you can appreciate all of the work and effort that goes into that subject. Because computer science is such a big topic, it's very hard to ignore all of the things that you do not know and while it might seem like your co-workers are effortlessly able to shift from one domain to another, they have to go through the same things you do. It's very easy to think that your co-workers or managers don't do as much research as you do, but that is rarely the case.

Collapse
 
mrinmoy09 profile image
Mrinmoy Arnob • Edited

Thanks for your reply. It's reassuring to know that not only I, but experienced individuals like yourself, still grapple with imposter syndrome. I've already taken a look at the book you suggested, and I believe it will be a great help for me. Again, thanks. Comments from people like you make me more motivated.

Collapse
 
arnoldbhebhe profile image
ArnoldB

Great roadmap @mrinmoy09 !

Now, the upcoming challenge lies in execution. How do you plan to ensure consistency and follow through on your outlined goals? While planning is straightforward, the execution process can pose challenges. My advice, as a fellow developer, is to acknowledge that deviations from the plan may occur. Don't let this intimidate you or erode your self-trust. Stay flexible, maintain a growth mindset, and embrace the learning experience amidst doubts and challenges.

Also, here are some things that could help with the execution:

  1. Participate in Hackathons, an example platform is Devpost. It's always good to work as part of a team, but try to go Solo sometimes. A mix of both Solo and team projects would be great to evaluate your growth.
  2. Find an accountability partner. Could be posting on Dev community like this post, or having a friend who is also maybe doing something similar. The idea is, the other person or platform you use can help you stay accountable and responsible for your work.
Collapse
 
mrinmoy09 profile image
Mrinmoy Arnob • Edited

That was a very informative comment with some great advices. I am also working on writing a article about how to make sure that my plan work out and I wll surely keep your suggestions on my mind. Hackathon was not very much the thing that I am familiar with and I am always afraid of competitions(you know why) but I think I am going to give it a try. Again thank you so much for such a amazing comment.

Collapse
 
arnoldbhebhe profile image
ArnoldB

Absolutely! And speaking of growth, having a mentor has been incredibly valuable for me. During my past internships, my technical mentors helped me navigate complex projects and hone my skills, which directly influenced my performance and confidence. Even my non-technical personal mentor has offered invaluable guidance on communication, leadership, and career management. It's amazing how a mentor's perspective can benefit all aspects of your professional journey.

If you haven't already, I highly encourage you to explore mentorship opportunities as well. The right mentor can make a world of difference!

Thread Thread
 
f3rno64 profile image
Cris Mihalache

Where would you recommend one look for mentorship opportunities?

Collapse
 
bhaskar359 profile image
venkata narasimha bhaskar divi • Edited

facing same problem from last 6 months. I have joined in a company a year ago and now I'm feeling not worthy anymore. I have started leetcode, git repos, DSA and gym for descipline. None of them worked out. I stopped everything within 3 days due to several silly reasons. This 2024, I want to make a better version of me. This time, I'll not repeat any mistakes that I did before.

Collapse
 
mrinmoy09 profile image
Mrinmoy Arnob

You, I, and almost everyone face the same problems, I believe. We are not alone in this game. But at least, I do not want you to lose hope. Keep trying. All the best to you. I hope 2024 is going to be the year for you as well as for me. Also, you are on the right track as you have already started LeetCode and DSA. I think all you need is to have some patience.

Collapse
 
nicolapalmieri profile image
Nicola Palmieri

Hi

Collapse
 
f3rno64 profile image
Cris Mihalache

I can recommend the learning approach of learning by doing, specifically building projects using technologies you wish to master.

By having a goal to aim at, the finished product, you reduce the "unknown unknowns" and can follow a predefined path to the target.

I.e., set a goal to make a To-do app with TypeScript and React. Immediately, you will learn about React components, the concepts of props and state, the DOM, and maybe some SCSS...

Do that with enough small, achievable projects, and you'll reach your goals!

Collapse
 
mrinmoy09 profile image
Mrinmoy Arnob

Thanks for your advice. I will keep that on my mind. And yes It's true that building projects is one of the best way to learn. But I am considering myself as a beginner now. So I think I will revise the whole javascript concept once again and then I will start building projects with React and Typescript.

Collapse
 
danielbarsolvo profile image
daniel-bar-solvo

I got only 3 years, but one of the things that made me really good is to start read the docs, I do like one subject a day (take 15 mins). Let's say you are developing in react, just start reading the docs from the start, one subject a day, I think it changes the thinking about the framework. it makes everything more whole.

reading code is another thing that's really helping, that's an advise I got from 20+ years dev.

Collapse
 
mrinmoy09 profile image
Mrinmoy Arnob

I also believe that reading docs and code is a good way to improve. I will surely try to do that regularly. Thanks for pointing this out. I will add this on my list too.

Collapse
 
reaganodhiambo profile image
Reagan Odhiambo

Need an accountability partner?
Think I'll follow your roadmap this time round

Collapse
 
ken286 profile image
ken286

am ready when you are
i all so need one
twitter.com/icodejsx

please reach out to me on twitter

Collapse
 
mrinmoy09 profile image
Mrinmoy Arnob

I think you should make a better roadmap for yourself. What you can do with this roadmap is that you can just take it as an example. That would be my suggestion for you.

Collapse
 
ahmadakel profile image
Ahmad Akel

Most of the developers/learners have the same feeling, and it's always happening when you learn more (learning more = knowing that there are a lot of things you miss) which is normal.
The only advice I would give is just to keep learning, and keep practicing because it's a journey of learning, working, and developing.

Collapse
 
abdelali_elyasraoui profile image
abdelali elyassraoui

Many times, I find myself facing challenges in my learning journey. As I acquire more knowledge, I become aware of the multitude of topics to grasp. This realization diminishes my confidence in this dynamic field, making me doubt my ability to reach an advanced level. Despite having spent five years in this field, balancing studies and work, I've recently acknowledged that I'm not alone in experiencing imposter syndrome.

Upon reading your post, I'm genuinely grateful for the insightful roadmap you provided. I plan to follow it diligently and make necessary adjustments based on my goals. Thank you for sharing this valuable guidance. Keep up the great work!

Collapse
 
mrinmoy09 profile image
Mrinmoy Arnob

So basically, that was my personal roadmap. When I wrote that, I didn't even think about posting it here. But now I can see how much it helped me and am glad to know that my roadmap is helping others as well. I now understand how people feel about imposter syndrome and how they want to share their feelings with others. There are several YouTube videos, but none of them actually helped me this much. I now feel like there are some people like me on this journey who are trying so hard to get out of this phase. And that gives me motivation to do my work because we all have our individual journey, but the struggle we are facing is the same.

Thanks for your comment.

Collapse
 
pavithra_sandamini profile image
Pavithra Sandamini

will follow this for upcoming year

Collapse
 
mrinmoy09 profile image
Mrinmoy Arnob

Good to know that.

Collapse
 
jhonmiko profile image
jhonmike

Your honesty is admirable, and your roadmap is well-thought-out! Recognizing the need for a solid foundation and focusing on basics, DSA, and consistent coding is a great approach. Remember, it's okay to face challenges, and betflix growth takes time. Wishing you the best on your journey to becoming a better software developer.

Collapse
 
mrinmoy09 profile image
Mrinmoy Arnob

Thanks for your valuable opinion.

Collapse
 
Sloan, the sloth mascot
Comment deleted
Collapse
 
mrinmoy09 profile image
Mrinmoy Arnob

Yeah I think you are right. So there are things that I will prioritised more. Like first of all my main focus on improving my basic and DSA.

Collapse
 
growingwings profile image
Peter Hegedus

Are paid books/courses actually worth it? In my experience, anything worth knowing is already out there for free.

Collapse
 
mrinmoy09 profile image
Mrinmoy Arnob

You are absolutely right. In my opinion, when you pay for something, you become more committed. Also, paid courses instill greater discipline. Currently, I am focusing on one website: The Odin Project. They cover almost everything. However, since there are no deadlines, it's quite common for people to procrastinate instead of learning. I don't know about others but most of the case paid courses helped me more than the free resources.

Collapse
 
growingwings profile image
Peter Hegedus

I see, I guess it is a matter of personal preference then.

Collapse
 
ken286 profile image
ken286 • Edited

this is exactly what am going through now but i still have my intern role but i need to be more discipline to learn and improve and also always afraid of what the new task will be..

wrote what topics i need to learn daily about javascript and type script but i havet even started learning on since this year..

omo please i need help and i was wondering if you can be my accountability partner since we are facing exactly same problem in your career

Collapse
 
mrinmoy09 profile image
Mrinmoy Arnob

the only kind of help you need right now is to stop thinking about anything else and start focusing on what you have to do. I think, there is no other way.

Best of luck to you.

Collapse
 
kilian099 profile image
Kilian Perez

Once, I read this article I didn't feel alone. I have been years of stuck on consistency and discipline. Finger crossed by following advises like you one day I will become more confident in we dev. Thanks for sharing this article

Collapse
 
mrinmoy09 profile image
Mrinmoy Arnob

Yeah, I used to know that almost everyone had to face imposter syndrome, but what I didn't know is that people are that open about it. I think most people settle down once they get a job. However, after writing this article and receiving this much response, it motivated me in a way that none of the YouTube videos have ever done.

Collapse
 
lexnim profile image
lexnim

Constant fear of impostor syndrome will always stay no matter the years of experience. Learning new things every day and understanding the core concepts is one way to overcome this fear.

Collapse
 
mrinmoy09 profile image
Mrinmoy Arnob

Yes consistency does matter to improve in anything.

Collapse
 
yousufrana profile image
Yousuf Rana

I will follow this. Thank you.

Collapse
 
mrinmoy09 profile image
Mrinmoy Arnob

Good to know that. You are most welcome.

Collapse
 
ugurkocak1980 profile image
Ugur Kocak

Great understanding of self development I will take heed of it

Collapse
 
mrinmoy09 profile image
Mrinmoy Arnob

Thanks a lot.

Collapse
 
mvqdev profile image
mvqdev

Good points, Happy Coding!

Collapse
 
mrinmoy09 profile image
Mrinmoy Arnob

Thanks a lot.

Collapse
 
pavelee profile image
Paweł Ciosek

Great post! Keep going 🙌❤️

Collapse
 
mrinmoy09 profile image
Mrinmoy Arnob

Thanks for your comment ❤️

Collapse
 
chi_code profile image
chioma

Reading this just feels like you are in my head and saying words I couldn't say. I really needed this thank you.

Collapse
 
mrinmoy09 profile image
Mrinmoy Arnob

You are most welcome. Try to figure out what you really need to do. I wish you best of luck for your future.

Collapse
 
chi_code profile image
chioma

Thank you

Collapse
 
wesborland profile image
Marcos Javier Gómez Hollger

I love this roadmap... great for apply that in life too. ❤️

Collapse
 
ugurkocak1980 profile image
Ugur Kocak

Which YouTube videos you guys would suggest for DSA?

Collapse
 
mrinmoy09 profile image
Mrinmoy Arnob

Well there are several good channels. But to be honest it is hard to find a good playlist which explain the DSA using JavaScript. I am following this two playlists for now-

Codevolution:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=coqQwbDezUA&list=PLC3y8-rFHvwjPxNAKvZpdnsr41E0fCMMP
Roadside Coder:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PbQPUPpM1vc&list=PLKhlp2qtUcSZtJefDThsXcsAbRBCSTgW4

Collapse
 
ugurkocak1980 profile image
Ugur Kocak

Thank you @mrinmoy09

Collapse
 
sylvia31096 profile image
Sylvia Achach

Wishing you luck on your journey!

Collapse
 
s4y3f profile image
Saif

The soon you start, the better. Take it from someone who spent a while developing

Collapse
 
mrinmoy09 profile image
Mrinmoy Arnob

Thanks for your suggestion. I am trying to overcome my procrastination.

Collapse
 
kevinrawal profile image
kevinrawal

informative 🙌

Collapse
 
mrinmoy09 profile image
Mrinmoy Arnob

Thanks 🫶

Collapse
 
makwasi1 profile image
Makwasi

Count me in on this plan. Thanks for sharing.

Collapse
 
mrinmoy09 profile image
Mrinmoy Arnob

Glad to know that it helped you. You are welcome.

Collapse
 
john90 profile image
John bobby

Awesome 👍

Collapse
 
mrinmoy09 profile image
Mrinmoy Arnob

Thanks ✅

Some comments have been hidden by the post's author - find out more