How to become a better developer at a corporate job

“Fill your own cup first because only then you can fill the cup of others — anonymous

You are probably here because you want to make constant improvements to yourself and you know that you can make yourself a better developer and help others become better as well. This article is about you. The person who’s the most responsible for your own education and development. It’s your job to polish your strengths and leverage your weakness. This is not motivational, this is a fact. Being a better developer or programmer at the job is a continuous process and this article should help get started.

It’s a continuous process

One day I meet a person who speaks 5 languages fluently and asked him how he can speak them so perfectly. “It’s easy” he replied “I just study and practice it every day and I applied what I learned by talking to people”.

Is that all? I asked. “Absolutely” he replied. “Do that for 20 years and you can speak them fluently as well”.

Rome wasn’t built in a day. Being good at speaking different languages takes time and so does being a great programmer. That is the power of tiny gains. As James Clear said the author of atomic habit “If you get one percent better each day for one year, you’ll end up thirty-seven times better by the time you’re done.” So stop making lame excuses and work to refine the skills that you have. Unlike mastering 5 languages for 20 years, if you make enough effort for yourself, Eventually you’ll start seeing results in a matter of months. Over the years you’ll be amazed at how your skills have grown.

Stop making lame excuses

One day my manager assigned a task that was completely new to me. I know nothing about it, and I was about to spell out all the excuses why It can’t be done. But then I remembered. One way to become a better developer is to stop making lame excuses. I took a step back and run through a conversation in my mind. Did I consider that? Is there anything else I can try? Do I need more additional resources to proceed? Before going and tell your manager the bad news.

Perhaps you need to spend more time learning the functional design, or maybe you need to learn some technologies in greater depth. Don’t be afraid to ask or to admit that you need help. Instead of excuses, provide options. Don’t say It can’t be done. If you must, explain what can be done to salvage the situation. Try to clear away lame excuses before voicing them out. Realized that it’s just either you can do it or not. You simply have to decide what you want to believe.’

Believe in yourself

This is a no-brainer, If you don’t believe in yourself who else will?

It’s not all about programming

Working in a corporate job is not all about programming. It’s about working in a team, reporting to your manager, resolving bugs, understanding business requirements, following deadlines, and producing high-quality codes.

All of these skills are important to all developers out there. The more efficient you become as a developer, The more likely you’ll work well with a team. This means you will be working with lots of different people, and the way you handle people is also an ingredient to your success.

It’s your life

I’m not in this world to live up to your expectations and you’re not in this world to live up to mine — Bruce Lee

It’s your life. You own it. You run it. You create it.

Sometimes programmers tend to focus too much on enhancing their technical skills. while these are indeed important things to spend time on. It’s also important to focus on your attitude. People skills are important for long-term success. Many of the developers I talked to was frustrated and most of their concerns are feeling underpaid or unappreciated or that their teams are toxic.

They hop to another job only to experience the same crap again. Folks like this tend to do the same thing over and over again. Hoping something will change.

Why resist the change?

If you are feeling underpaid. Look for another employer who is willing to pay you more.

Want to work flexible hours? have you asked? if they don’t then find another one.

This Industry gives you a tremendous set of opportunities. Be proactive, and grab them. Cheers!