Standing Out at Entry-Level

Source: https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/how-stand-out-entry-level-software-engineer-xavier-e-l%C3%B3pez/

The author hopes that applying some of these will make you stand out and accelerate your early career as a developer.

• Always be learning

  • Learning is considered a lifelong journey in this field

  • Read books and articles, take courses, and participate in workshops and hackathons

  • Sometimes, companies pay for you to do this, ask your manager about this

• Don't assume existing code is untouchable

  • Well-intentioned code can have anti-patterns in it, be hard to read, get stale over time, and it can create bugs. So go ahead and suggest a change to the code, it may need it.

• If in doubt, underpromise and overdeliver

  • Your goal should be to match and exceed expectations consistently

  • Best to consistently deliver on your goals and surprise people with your speed than to promise the moon but always be late.

• Embrace the grunt work

  • See a problem? Volunteer to help fix it. See an area of improvement? Say yes to working on it.

  • As a result of it, the product improves, the productivity and morale of those around you go up, you learn a new skill, and you gain the respect of others.

  • You can then use this goodwill and track record to work on more exciting things over time.

• Code is social

  • Review your teammates' code and learn from it.

  • Don't just read it, but also comment on it and ask questions. Learn from how people write code.

• Feedback = Improvement

  • Explicitly ask for feedback from your manager and teammates.

  • Use this feedback to transform yourself continuously.

  • Remember that one of the best ways to learn is by doing the wrong thing, realizing why it's wrong, and then not doing it anymore. Rinse and repeat.

• Take ownership of something

  • Work with your manager to find something that can be yours.

  • Working on a project of your own gives you a way to be unique, learn about all the stages of development, and cultivate accountability.

• Look for the low-hanging fruits

  • There are many small things in the codebase that you can do with your current skillset.

  • Taking these on and showing off your skills right away is an excellent way to get noticed.

• Be everywhere

  • Show up every day to discuss problems, answer your teammates' questions, celebrate wins, and provide moral support when things go wrong.

  • You want others to think that you've been at the company for much longer.

• Speak up

  • It's a good idea to be humble in general, but you also want to communicate your thoughts, even if you lack experience.

  • People like to see new people with different perspectives add to the conversation.

• Rely on your manager

  • Ask your manager to help you plan out your goals and to keep you accountable. They're there for you, use their time and support wisely.

• Have fun

  • You want to enjoy doing this because you'll likely be doing it for many years. Find projects that connect with you, work on problems that excite you.

• Find informal mentors

  • Have lunch, coffee with more experienced engineers, develop a rapport with them, and ask them questions you have.