▲ 2 points

Ask HN: I start my first real job as a developer Monday. Tips? Words of wisdom?

by rhgraysonii·12y ago·2 comments·view on hn ↗

I've been a hobby programmer since I was about 12 years old, and obsessed ever since. I didn't finish in college and ended up going to a programming bootcamp concentrating on Rails, and now I am on my way to being an actual dev! I'm extremely excited, and its at a startup with about 30 guys or so right now. I was just wondering if you guys had any words of wisdom? I'm not worried about my skills and being able to perform, moreso just nuances of the workplace, tips to stay productive and not burn out, good ways to communicate, etc. Thanks!

2 comments

Here are mine: 1)Take chances, specially, if you can learn. 2)Start planning your exit plan. Grow by being the best you can be. Once you grow, move on. Look out for yourself no one else will. 3)Make and keep friends, being a loner never helps. 4)Always deliver more than what you promise and always on time. 5)Don't be afraid of management and make sure they know how good you are. 6) Never take credit for something you did not do. 7)Don't go looking for enemies 8)All jobs end, plan for that. 9)Don't be a push-over but don't be an asshole either.

Good luck!

don't be afraid to ask for help. even if you know the solution to a problem, sometimes the more experienced devs will have better ways to do it, and if they're good devs they'll appreciate you taking the time to learn.

the best thing you can get out of a job is to learn more. you'll almost always have other devs around you who have been around the block a few times and have a few tricks up their sleeves, they're often worth listening to.