18 Tips for Your Young Self as a Software Engineer

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Infrastructure is one of the core principles of the software development process, and it is directly responsible for the stable operation of software applications. This infrastructure can range from servers, load balancers, firewalls and databases to complex clusters for different container types. If you could travel back 10 years ago, what advice would you give your younger self?

If I were to travel back in time to when I started my career, I would give my younger self one piece of advice: "Set a variety of goals for what you want to achieve. With the right plan and vision, which all fits the reality."

Over the past 25 years, I have experienced both success and failure. The journey has been memorable because it has taught me the importance of failure and success. Each victory has been close to my heart and continues to give me a better understanding of teamwork and accomplishment. Still, each disappointment has provided me with a new and innovative way to find extraordinary solutions.

Another quality that has helped me get to where I am today is the willingness to take risks. I was never afraid of obstacles and looked for challenging tasks instead of taking on the first project I came across. Consciously stepping out of my comfort zone has allowed me to learn advanced skills faster than my peers.

If I could go back in time, these are the 18 pieces of advice I would have taught my younger self as a software engineer.

I. Be willing to ask questions

As a professional, asking questions allows you to be clear about your role and mission and demonstrate the ideal leadership qualities. Even if it's a silly question, a serious concern or a simple idea, always raise your voice and put your ideas out there. What needs to be understood is that it is critical to bring your voice to the workplace. Curiosity is necessary for all top developers, and understanding the "why" and "how" of interest makes developers a great asset to the team. Most breakthrough discoveries and inventions in history have been the result of curiosity.

In the eyes of superiors, asking questions means:

• Be willing to learn: Asking questions facilitates the transformation of the office hierarchy into an educational system from which extraordinary things can be learned.
• Actively go for participation: Asking questions and listening carefully to the answers shows that you value the insights of your peers and want to get a perspective on things before finalizing any outcomes.
• Continuous knowledge-seeking: Understanding how others think and work, opening the door to creative ideas and solutions.
• Most of the time, asking relevant questions will spark innovation and help us identify risks and challenges early.

Newcomers to the IT industry who are not proactive are likely to fail to detect problems encountered by customers or teams. It's easy to stand on your own feet and rely on the usual patterns to deal with challenges, but when tackling challenges with your supervisor and team members, a more multifaceted approach can be found to solve the problem.

II. Stay curious

The Daily Work Schedule plugin enabled you to calculate workload statistics for each day of a given month for everyone in the project based on the start time, end time and estimated work hours of the tasks in ZenTao. Implementing infrastructure automation will require many changes and refactoring, which can be a demanding process for organizations. If you want to avoid most of the limitations and make the transition as smooth as possible, please follow these excellent practices below.

Curiosity is a key behavior for all top developers, and the ability to understand the "why" and "how" of curiosity makes developers a great asset to their teams. Most breakthrough discoveries and inventions in history have been the result of curiosity.

Curiosity is essential in software engineering work because it helps leaders and employees adapt to uncertain market conditions and external pressures. We must never forget that an understanding of business requirements is also essential.

Curiosity drives us to think more deeply and rationally about decisions and come up with more creative solutions.

III. Application of minimalist methods

IaC has many merits, but the model has some challenges that can be understood and properly addressed before the implementation. It is almost impossible to teach minimalism in software engineering. But here is my simple list of minimalism：

• The fastest code is the code that doesn't run at all.
• It is always better to run fewer SQL queries.
• The complexity decreases when there are fewer features, tools, and frameworks.
• Too much complexity can waste time and money.
• Don't waste time doing useless things.
• Always focus on avoiding complexity and code.
• Build effective teams, not rely on tools.
• Articulate project requirements and work with other teams regularly.
• Engineers must find alternative approaches to avoid technical debt.
• Attention to intricate details, such as analyzing and maintaining old code or developing strategic approaches.
• Software engineers are expected to manage multiple projects at the same time.

IV. Create your own brand

Generally, software engineers do not actively market themselves or focus on building their brand. This is because most of them regard branding as an unnecessary task. However, it is important to realize that it is challenging for software engineers to gain accurate recognition without a personal brand.

Building a personal brand is essential advice for your younger self, as it can help practitioners at any stage: from freelance developers to entrepreneurs to engineers looking for work. Everyone, including software engineers, must stand out from the competition, especially in the new normal of scarce job opportunities. Ways for software engineers to build their brand：

• New LinkedIn Profile: Your LinkedIn profile should contain all the information in your resume. The information should be displayed to tell the recruiter you are worthy of consideration.
• Consistency in posting: Stay active by posting consistently on your social platforms. When you publish content regularly, your followers will look forward to your content, which will lead to high engagement.
• Demonstrate enthusiasm for the job: Showing enthusiasm is not the best predictor of a perfect candidate, but hiring managers will mention this trait in their interview feedback.

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.

XI. Software engineering is simple, but the human relationship is complex

It is critical for software engineers to study their work's social aspects. Most of the time, engineers do not realize the value of appreciating the social elements that can somehow limit a career after that.

One of the reasons is that we have to work with other people or teams, as communication and collaboration are more important than ever. That's why it's critical to focus on technical skills and interact with and understand the people around you.

Building a social network "social structure" is a group or community that is built around you and supports you. It can be your family, friends, colleagues or neighbours. It is a community that is there for you in your time of need. How the integrated values interact in each chain determines whether this is the social bond that binds people together.

The quality of a social structure determines how effectively one structures its organization to achieve prosperity. The key to creating a stronger, more cohesive social system lies not in creating rigid, inflexible values but in consciously renewing and supplementing the cohesive values that underpin the social structure.

XII. Finding a mentor

The right mentoring relationship can be a powerful tool for career development. It can lead to a new job, a promotion, or a better work-life balance. The best way to find a mentor is to understand your goals (both short- and long-term).

The clearer the goals, the easier to find the right mentor. The principles for creating practical and easily achievable goals can be found in SMART: Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Relevant, and Time-bound.

The second best way to do this is to get to know your existing network. The more others know about your work and abilities, the more effective they can be in mentoring you. Of course, ensure that the person you want to find also possesses the expertise you need.

XIII. Academic advancement

Computer and information technology jobs are expected to grow by 12 per cent, adding 546,200 new jobs. A master's degree is a critical step in career development, mainly if you have limited professional experience but want a job-hopping or want to move to a new level even though you are already in the industry.

Academic advancement allows one to gain experience in systematic thinking, business ethics, and organizational strategy. It also can take your strategic thinking skills to a new level. In addition, this lifelong credential demonstrates one's expertise and dedication to the field while expanding professional contacts.

XIV. To JOMO, not FOMO

Fear of missing out(FOMO) is the possibility of missing out on a good time, and it is a feeling of anxiety or regret. But the fear of missing out can be replaced with a healthier, happier way: the joy of missing out (JOMO).

The joy of missing out teaches us the value of being in the right place and at the right time. It doesn't mean saying no to every social event or opportunity, but rather knowing when to say yes or no, i.e., the right to choose.

XV. Software Engineering Ethics

Software developers are an integral part of protecting our critical infrastructure. Their job is to write algorithms that greatly influence people's lives. Academic and professional associations are uniquely positioned to develop codes of ethics for software engineers, but they haven't made much of an impact. Software engineers' code of ethics should not be a list of codes.

It should be more like "all software developers should know about programming biases and their potential hazards, examine their plans and subsequent code, be able to explain how they deal with these issues, be willing to accept review of their code, claim responsibility for defects found in code, and address issues raised by the oversight committees. "

XVI. Choosing the right career direction

There are many different ways of thinking to solve the problems of scaling a business. Fortunately, software engineers have access to a wide variety of work environments to shape their ideas on the right track and move forward.

XVII. Solving motivational problems

To answer the question of work motivation, a software engineer needs to be able to clearly understand how his day-to-day work fits into the bigger picture and whether he wants to know that the work they do is relevant.

The first step is to list why you want to achieve your goals. That's why you need to be assertive in your plans. Moreover, be prepared for temporary setbacks or sheer exhaustion, don't take it into your mind but move forward with complete determination.

XVIII. Spending time in software engineering mode

Observability: A tool or technical practice enables engineering teams to debug their systems diligently. It explores new patterns and properties that may not be predefined or determined. Since code may perform differently in a production environment, it is important to proactively observe what is happening in a production environment that affects users. The code needs to be tested to generate telemetry techniques to achieve true system observability.

Monitoring as code: This practice enables teams to observe and study the different states of their systems, usually through predefined metrics and dashboard reports that are updated in real-time. The basis for providing data for these dashboards is assembling a set of predefined metrics or logs.

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

You may be wondering: why are these career suggestions so important? Isn't it enough to keep your immediate supervisor happy? The answer is usually no. There are unexplained challenges along the journey to success, but when moving in the right direction from the start, it's easier to deal with them.

In the long run, these career tips are feasible.