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Ask HN: Senior developers, what would you tell a younger you?

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Re: Ask HN: Senior developers, what would you tell a younger you?

#71

Post by cwisecarver »

data_hope wrote: post #6

- don't only worry about code or getting features shipped, but about the process, how to deliver quality. - behind any given reason, there is a complex network of real reasons. You don't need to second-guess any decision/order/suggestion, but it helps understanding. - most user stories / user requests are raw diamonds waiting to be polished. ("What do they really want me to solve") Essential reading list: - Clean Cod…

This: most user stories / user requests are raw diamonds waiting to be polished. ("What do they really want me to solve")

Re: Ask HN: Senior developers, what would you tell a younger you?

#72

Post by patrickgordon »

rckclmbr wrote: post #14

* Don't strive to be a senior engineer. Strive to solve peoples problems through technology * Always be solving problems * Make mistakes, and learn from them * Just because something didn't work 5 years ago doesnt mean it wont today * Don't buy into hype * Be passionate and excited about things. You're not a robot * Don't feel guilty about wasting time. * Don't overabstract every problem * The quickest solution is ge…

> * Build relationships with people. Be their friends. Talk to them about non- work related things

Making friends and socialising is not something that comes easily to me so this is something I have been actively working on for the last year and it has had a profoundly positive effect on my work-life.

I am still amazed at how much more willing people are to go out of their way to help me work-wise when we have even a small(?) personal relationship.

Re: Ask HN: Senior developers, what would you tell a younger you?

#74

Post by NotThe1Pct »

DO NOT TALK TO RECRUITERS.

They hate you because you have skills and they usually failed in their careers (or have a liberal arts degree, which is even worse).

They will record and make public whatever you told in private.

They will blanket spam your CV to every corner of the world.

They will lie to you to make you sign it.

They will make you feel worthless so you can accept a lower package.

Re: Ask HN: Senior developers, what would you tell a younger you?

#75

Post by teekno »

NotThe1Pct wrote: post #74

DO NOT TALK TO RECRUITERS. They hate you because you have skills and they usually failed in their careers (or have a liberal arts degree, which is even worse). They will record and make public whatever you told in private. They will blanket spam your CV to every corner of the world. They will lie to you to make you sign it. They will make you feel worthless so you can accept a lower package.

As a software engineer, I would argue that my liberal arts education is one of my greatest assets.

Re: Ask HN: Senior developers, what would you tell a younger you?

#77

Post by Shorel »

joemanaco wrote: post #33
Chos89 wrote: post #25

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Care to explain?

I've wasted many, many years thinking OOP is the right way to do things and just realized in 99% it's the wrong approach to develop software. In the end you always end up in a big mess of classes, dependencies. And every now and then new there are new best-practices, design patterns or solutions to fix the problems only to make it even more complex. Please watch this video. I don't agree 100% but with most of it: htt…

I learned that lesson with the transition from WordPerfect 5.1 to WP 6.0.

The new Object Oriented WP 6.0 macro language was unable to do the things I did with the 5.1 macro language (a typewriter mode for diacritics plus spell checker plus smart commas and smart spaces).

Since then, I have always been an skeptic about OOP.

Also: closures are not too different to instantiated objects, one can usually convert from one style to the other while keeping all functionality.

Re: Ask HN: Senior developers, what would you tell a younger you?

#78

Post by NotThe1Pct »

teekno wrote: post #75
NotThe1Pct wrote: post #74

DO NOT TALK TO RECRUITERS. They hate you because you have skills and they usually failed in their careers (or have a liberal arts degree, which is even worse). They will record and make public whatever you told in private. They will blanket spam your CV to every corner of the world. They will lie to you to make you sign it. They will make you feel worthless so you can accept a lower package.

As a software engineer, I would argue that my liberal arts education is one of my greatest assets.

I find that refreshing. But for 50% of liberal arts majors, under and unemployment is a hard reality.

http://www.theatlantic.com/business/archive/2012/04/53-of-re...

The problem is not intrinsically the content of the degrees but the fact that there is probably 2x as much graduates being thrown in the market than there are jobs.

Re: Ask HN: Senior developers, what would you tell a younger you?

#79

Post by vcool07 »

* Get a post-graduate (Masters) degree - either MS or MBA, within the first four years of employment.

* Work hard and earn/learn as much as you can in the first 10 years of job. Volunteer for code reviews, take up jobs outside your comfort zone, build a solid network of peers. IMO, what is learnt in the first 10 years is gonna stick with you for the rest of your career, so be a sponge and absorb as much as you can in this time !

Re: Ask HN: Senior developers, what would you tell a younger you?

#80

Post by GrinningFool »

typicalrunt wrote: post #61
GrinningFool wrote: post #45

* Some people will be hostile to you or your ideas. Maybe it will be personal, maybe not - but people can be ass-hats, so expect it. Don't waste a lot of energy on people who have no interest in exploring new ideas simply because they didn't come up with them. * there's always something to learn. You know that, but you'll lose sight of it. * look at the bigger picture, always * don't be afraid to ask questions, as ma…

Hmm, I'm replying to a comment... Oh well. :) > you'll get paid more than you need to survive - so don't be an idiot with your money. Adding to this is something to consider: You will be paid more than you need to survive, but you will most likely survive longer than you will be paid. Make sure you save money for those times.

Very valid point, also a thing I figured out nearly (but hopefully not) too late.
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