Tips From the Time Machine: Things I Wish I Would Have Known Starting a Career as an Android Dev

Starting a career into Android development (or anything really) is filled with challenges.

If I could go back in time to give myself advice, I would encourage myself to:

- have courage: ask questions, take risks
- practice self compassion: remember that it's okay to not know everything or do everything
- connect with others: embrace connections with the community and build a support system

Check out this tweet thread to see what others have shared regarding their challenges when starting out.

https://twitter.com/n8ebel/status/982720003689476097

Transcript

1. Tips From the Time Machine
   Things I Wish I Had Known When Starting a Career as an
   Android dev
   @n8ebel
   

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2. What advice would I give
   myself?
   @n8ebel 2
   

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3. Where's the technical filling?
   ๏ How to handle a click?
   ๏ Fragments vs Custom views?
   ๏ Enums Y or N ?
   @n8ebel 3
   

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4. Where's the technical filling?
   ๏ Not As Important As It Always Seems
   @n8ebel 4
   

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5. To the Time Machine
   ๏ Finding your first job
   ๏ Growing into your first role
   ๏ Building your career
   @n8ebel 5
   

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6. Finding Your First Job
   @n8ebel 6
   

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7. "do you have what it
   takes?"
   @n8ebel 7
   

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8. Finding Your First Job
   ๏ Define your goals
   ๏ What is your ideal self? Your hobbies? Your interests?
   ๏ Don't chase a resume checkmark
   @n8ebel 8
   

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9. Finding Your First Job
   ๏ Don't disqualify yourself
   ๏ Experience comes in many forms
   ๏ Highlight what you have
   @n8ebel 9
   

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10. Finding Your First Job
    ๏ Honestly evaluate companies and whether they serve in
    reaching those goals
    ๏ Know why you are interviewing at a company
    ๏ Something beyond "it's a job" is preferable
    @n8ebel 10
    

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11. Starting Your First Job
    @n8ebel 11
    

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12. "do you know enough?"
    @n8ebel 12
    

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13. Starting Your First Job
    ๏ Where is your desk?
    ๏ What is expected of you?
    ๏ Where and how are bugs tracked?
    ๏ What's a sprint? What's a scrum?
    ๏ Where's the code? How is it structured?
    ๏ Where is the coffee machine?
    @n8ebel 13
    

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14. So Many Questions
    @n8ebel 14
    

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15. So many questions
    ๏ How do you feel about those questions?
    ๏ Are you comfortable with "I don't know"?
    @n8ebel 15
    

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16. So many questions
    ๏ Questions are perfectly normal
    ๏ You don't have to know everything
    ๏ Be open & honest about what you do know
    @n8ebel 16
    

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17. Do you want to learn? or
    do you want to never be
    wrong?
    @n8ebel 17
    

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18. Why ask?
    ๏ Learn faster
    ๏ Greater productivity
    ๏ Develops trust & confidence
    @n8ebel 18
    

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19. Shouldn't You Know These Things?
    ๏ They already hired you.
    ๏ You have the skills and are worth investing in
    ๏ Open and honest curiosity/learning is the best way to
    develop that investment
    @n8ebel 19
    

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20. Building Your Career
    @n8ebel 20
    

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21. "are you doing enough?"
    @n8ebel 21
    

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22. How do you stay up to date?
    ๏ Embrace the change
    ๏ You won't know it all
    @n8ebel 22
    

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23. What should you focus on?
    ๏ What is relevant at work?
    ๏ What are you interested in?
    ๏ What keeps you excited?
    ๏ What can you explore without sacrificing your personal life?
    @n8ebel 23
    

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24. Maintain perspective
    ๏ Don't let trivial things wear you down
    ๏ Remember that no one is doing "all the things"
    ๏ Don't sacrifice your personal life
    ๏ Be aware of how you impact those around you
    @n8ebel 24
    

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25. Dream Big
    ๏ Understand your motivations
    ๏ What do you want it to look like?
    ๏ Take meaningful steps towards that vision
    ๏ No single blueprint
    @n8ebel 25
    

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26. This Is Hard
    @n8ebel 26
    

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27. @n8ebel 27
    

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28. Imposter Syndrome
    @n8ebel 28
    

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29. Imposter Syndrome
    a pervasive pattern of dismissing accomplishments and
    believing that their success would disappear once others
    discovered the awful secret that they were, in fact, “impostors.” 2
    2 https://impostorsyndrome.com/valerie-young/
    @n8ebel 29
    

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30. @n8ebel 30
    

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31. Imposter Syndrome
    ๏ Seek to understand
    ๏ You're not alone
    @n8ebel 31
    

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32. You Are Not Alone
    @n8ebel 32
    

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33. You Are Not Alone
    ๏ There is an entire community of individuals experiencing the
    same things
    ๏ Engaging with that community is incredibly rewarding
    ๏ It doesn't just happen
    @n8ebel 33
    

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34. So what would I tell
    myself?
    @n8ebel 34
    

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35. So what would I tell myself?
    ๏ be curious. ask questions. step out of your comfort zone.
    ๏ you are enough. give yourself a break. your work is not you.
    ๏ seek and build connections with those around you. develop a
    support system.
    @n8ebel 35
    

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36. It's hard to have an
    impact when burnt out,
    alone, and afraid
    @n8ebel 36
    

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37. Thanks For Sharing
    Rajanikant Deshmukh → @_alpharion_
    James Henderson → @JRayHenny
    Jake Wharton → @JakeWharton
    Andreas Ioannou → @xnorcode
    Rhex Gomez → @rhexgomez
    Jonathan Maltz → @maltzj
    Jordan Carlyon → @JordanCarlyon
    Chris → @kodi
    @n8ebel 37
    

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38. Thanks For Sharing
    Sam Edwards → @HandstandSam
    Zarah Dominguez → @zarahjutz
    Chiu-Ki Chan → @chiuki
    Miquel Beltran → @Miqubel
    Mike Wolfson → @mikewolfson
    Adam McNeilly → @AdamMc331
    Annyce Davis → @brwngrldev
    Eric Maxwell → @emmax
    Ryan Harter → @rharter
    @n8ebel 38
    

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39. Thanks For Sharing
    Giorgio Natili → @giorgionatili
    Rebecca Franks → @riggaroo
    Orhan Obut → @orhanobut
    Anita Singh → @anitas3791
    Aman → @multivitaman
    Divya Jain → @divyajain2405
    Mark O'Sullivan → @MarkOSullivan94
    Rob Drimmie → @RobDrimmie
    Kaan Mamikoglu → @kaanmamikoglu
    @n8ebel 39
    

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40. Thanks For Sharing
    Nnabueze → @_NezSpencer
    James Coggan → @mad_team
    Craig Russell → @trionkidnapper
    Britt Barak → @BrittBarak
    Anthony → @AnthonyOng03
    Estefania Cassingena Navone → @Estefania_Cass
    Bradley Jewell → @BradleyJewell
    Akshay → @avdave83
    @n8ebel 40
    

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41. Udacity
    ๏ Great source of information & training
    ๏ Interested in developing Android courses?
    ๏ We are hiring!
    ๏ https://www.udacity.com/jobs#learning-products
    @n8ebel 41
    

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42. Thanks For Coming
    with("n8ebel").apply {
    Twitter
    .com
    Medium
    Instagram
    Facebook
    GitHub
    }
    @n8ebel 42
    

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