18 Tips for Your Young Self as a Software Engineer (Part 2)

If you could travel back to 10 years ago, what advice would you give to your younger self?

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When I look back more than a decade ago, there are several things I wish I had or should not have done. These career tips could have helped me avoid bad decisions and move forward more focused and faster. That's why I decided to write down some of the advice I gave to my younger self to help those who are just starting their career journey in software engineering jobs.

If I could go back in time, these are the 18 pieces of advice I would tell my younger self as a software engineer (This article only shows the V-X, and part 1 shows the I-IV).

V. Selecting the right organization

People are usually more concerned about the position than the company. When applying for a job, you need to make sure that you can select the most suitable company.

This is important because of the services you provide and the connection you make with that company. i.e., the vision, mission and values. Your work will bring you more satisfaction and happiness if the company's values align with yours.

The company should invest in your professional development. It should have practices that focus on employee growth, such as mini-courses or lectures.

The proper organization will also have the right resources of knowledgeable people. Experienced engineers will help read clear code and gain insight into the culture of senior colleagues who can help newcomers analyze the reasons behind innovative approaches and technical decisions. Having experienced colleagues around you can significantly enhance your learning.

Therefore, it is necessary to get to know the company as well as possible. Please don't get distracted by the company's website or infrastructure; research their products, services and customers. The more you know about the company, its mission, vision and culture, the more you will understand how it will affect your career development.

VI. Become an expert in the field

Domain expertise is critical to the success of a project. The significance of gaining expertise is rarely discussed, especially when compared to the emphasis we place on improving technical skills. Becoming an expert makes sense for career development and guides you in making the right decisions in your career.

Sometimes in an organization, only an expert can remedy a situation. That's why most companies prefer to hire experts rather than versatile people.

In the current scenario, domain experts with a technical background are preferred over pure technical experts. Domain experts have the edge of domain knowledge, relevant challenges, domain classification, ecosystem and trend analysis. They have a better comprehension of different problems or scenarios. Domain experts can help deliver flexible and agile applications or software to help companies improve the marketability of their products.

VII. Courage to change

If you keep doing repetitive work and solving the same problems, the result will become unnecessary and unchallenging.

Staying in the same job for a long time can make your resume look stagnant. Changing roles every 24-30 months for career advancement Jumping to a new company or position helps keep your skills up to date. Another important reason to change jobs is that you usually only learn the most significant things in your first few years, and changing employment allows you to develop a broader range of content.

Of course, this does not necessarily mean that you must change jobs. It can be an internal rotation or transfer, which keeps your resume up to date and makes it more attractive to employers because it implies a willingness to take on new challenges and opportunities.

VIII. Act decisively

No one accepts a job expecting it to turn into something disappointing. Once you conclude that your career has become a source of tension, things are about to get serious.

Don't be bitter about incompetent employers or afraid to leave quickly when things aren't going your way when you find your superiors not responding to your feedback or are often exhausted from work. Don't tolerate people who are not prepared to make any input into your growth.

IX. Staying comfortable in adversity

The primary purpose of building software is to provide a robust solution to a problem. The CI/CD pipeline helps build such powerful and accurate software. As Brian Tracy used to say, "Get out of your comfort zone. You can only grow if you are willing to feel awkward and uncomfortable in trying new things."

Proceeding with caution will often distract you from success, and learning to remain comfortable in the face of adversity will help individuals achieve their highest levels of potential. If you are afraid to take the first step, you will never reach new heights. Learning new skills and lessons will help you through life.

One of the best ways to step out of your comfort zone is to take risks wisely. It encourages you to develop advanced skills that will help in the long run. It will also provide you with a greater sense of ownership and confidence in your work.

In the next 18 months, individuals will learn to understand the following skills: Quantum Computing and Q#, Distributed Computing, RUST, Tensor Flow, Snowflake, Unity (for 3D modelling, AR, VR, MR), and 5G.

You may be wondering: Why is all this career advice so important? Isn't it enough to make your immediate supervisor satisfied? The answer is usually no. There will be unexplained challenges along the journey to success, but when moving in the right direction from the beginning, it is easier to deal with them and move faster than others. In the long run, career advice is worth it.

X. Continuous learning

The digital world is moving forward at a rapid pace, and software engineers should not only get an understanding of their technical field, but also possess in-depth knowledge of other fields. Continuous learning and retraining programs are the best way for this. When a person is certified in various technical disciplines, he can gain the requirements of his customers better.

Engineers can demonstrate their competence and build expertise in their field through continuous learning and certification. In addition, certification training is often improved regularly to ensure that anyone practicing in the area is up to date with the latest trends and developments.

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