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Discussion on: Just got my first job offer, going to take it. What are some tips for being the best junior developer I can be?

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Max Antonucci
  • Be eager to learn, both with help and on your own. Ask colleagues for advice, and do plenty of research on your own. Let the two areas mix - share articles you find with them, and research new things they mention in your spare time.
  • Ask questions, but don't make people hold your hand. If your unsure of a concept or tool that's mentioned, ask about it. If something's broken and you can't figure out why, do your own research before asking.
  • Accept that you will fail, often due to a lack of knowledge. It's no big deal, the seniors will do this sometimes too (albeit less often). The more important thing is getting back up and not repeating mistakes.
  • Focus on principles before tools. Both matter, but broader things like a good code editor, command line fluency, and basic language knowledge and design patterns go a long way. Knowing the basics means you can quickly pick and learn the right tool for each job. Knowing a handful of specific tools and nothing else just limits you.
  • Write, in some form. Take notes, write blog posts, keep a cheat sheet, write blog comments, whatever. Writing is how you focus and remember important info. Just reading and thinking means it'll fade away without much use.