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Discussion on: I switched careers to Software Engineering in my late 30s while nursing a newborn, Ask Me Anything!

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richardsefton profile image
RichardSefton

I'm a tailor due to start my first job in the it industry (at 31). How did you find the transition to working with professional code from professional developers and how complex did you find the code base?

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aritdeveloper profile image
Arit Developer • Edited

Super question Richard! Honestly, I was very scared the first week. I wasn't sure how complex the codebase was, and I was experiencing lots of imposter syndrome. However, I have a super-supportive team, and because I'm a Junior, the expectation is I will have lots of questions, and would need a fairly long runway to get up to speed.

Here are some practical things I did:

  • I prepared myself mentally each day to work hard. I figured I'd prove to my teammates that I was worth their support and input
  • I took every opportunity to pair with more senior engineers as they worked on their tickets. And asked lots of questions
  • Before asking a question about the ticket I was working on, I'd take no more than 30-45 mins to research all I could. That way my question sounded like "Hey Dan? I though this method would accomplish this task, but it's not working for some reason..." instead of "Hey Dan, I don't know how to work this issue"
  • In the first few weeks I took on simpler tickets that required little code. This way I increased my knowledge of the codebase (and databases) and built my confidence.
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RichardSefton

Yearly update.

I'm on furlough right now but I love my new job. Wasn't too sure what to expect going into it but I am now a nav developer and also studying for a degree.

Best life decision I've made

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