Introduction

In this post, I'd like to detail a few bits of advice upon starting my first job as a Software Developer Intern.

💡 To quickly introduce myself, I'm currently studying my Bachelor's in Computer Science in the city of Manchester, UK. As part of this degree, I've taken a year out to gain some Industrial Experience, which will form part of my degree. I started working over a week ago, so thought I'd get this post out following my experiences so far, as well as general tips which I feel will help anyone starting out in a new job.

What I've learned and my tips 👍🏼

You won't know everything straight away, and that's OK 🤯
I felt bad about all of the things I didn't know, despite being new to the company. I had to adjust this mindset so that, instead of feeling bad about myself, I'd simply try my best with a given task and see what I could achieve. Over time, you will get to grips with things - just know that this will take time.

Don't be afraid to ask for help 🗣️
As nice as it may be to get on with a task for some time to try and make progress, there may come a point where you aren't getting anywhere. This is the time to ask for help. You don't want to be hitting the same brick wall which, if you had asked for help earlier, could've avoided completely. The way I'm trying to approach this is to try my best with a given task and when I'm feeling completely stuck, I will ask for guidance.

Don't be afraid to make mistakes ❌
Let's be honest, the last thing you want to be doing as a new employee is making a mistake - whether it be a small mistake or a catastrophic one. But these things happen sometimes. Why shouldn't you be afraid of these mistakes? Because: you will genuinely learn from such an experience. You'll want to ensure that the same mistake won't happen again, so you will do what you need to do in order to really learn from the mistake you made.

Reflect on your experiences regularly 📖
The process of reflecting can really help you look back on all of the things you've achieved so far, and help you identify areas which you'd like to work on more. I'm personally trying to write down all of the things I've done at the end of each week, reflecting on both my progress at work and also my feelings throughout the process. I feel like this will help me as I progress in my career as a developer. As a student, I'll have something to look back on, before eventually starting my career once I've graduated from university.

If you aren't feeling totally comfortable - speak to someone about it
Starting a new job, no matter what level you are at, can be daunting. You may have a bunch of thoughts and emotions running through your mind, and sometimes just talking to someone about things can help you make sense of all of this. This could be with someone at your new workplace, or someone you know in your personal life.

Conclusion

I hope this quick post helps you out in some way, and if you found it useful, please share it with friends and family who you think may find it useful too! Thank you for taking the time to read my post☺️
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