I do career panels every once in a while and get asked a variation of this question.
One thing I wish I started earlier in my career was networking.
Get out there to coding meetups, cons, presentations, etc. Make connections. You are more likely to land a new gig through your network than you are through a recruiter or hunting it yourself. Same goes for when you become a hiring manager -- you'll never have to use a recruiter or post-and-wait websites.
I do career panels every once in a while and get asked a variation of this question.
One thing I wish I started earlier in my career was networking.
Get out there to coding meetups, cons, presentations, etc. Make connections. You are more likely to land a new gig through your network than you are through a recruiter or hunting it yourself. Same goes for when you become a hiring manager -- you'll never have to use a recruiter or post-and-wait websites.
Plus all the things you learn is a bonus.
Agree 100%. I forgot to put this one. Also, hackathons.