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
2. What advice would I give myself? @n8ebel 2
3. Where's the technical filling? ๏ How to handle a click? ๏ Fragments vs Custom views? ๏ Enums Y or N ? @n8ebel 3
4. Where's the technical filling? ๏ Not As Important As It Always Seems @n8ebel 4
5. To the Time Machine ๏ Finding your first job ๏ Growing into your first role ๏ Building your career @n8ebel 5
6. Finding Your First Job @n8ebel 6
7. "do you have what it takes?" @n8ebel 7
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
9. Finding Your First Job ๏ Don't disqualify yourself ๏ Experience comes in many forms ๏ Highlight what you have @n8ebel 9
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
11. Starting Your First Job @n8ebel 11
12. "do you know enough?" @n8ebel 12
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
14. So Many Questions @n8ebel 14
15. So many questions ๏ How do you feel about those questions? ๏ Are you comfortable with "I don't know"? @n8ebel 15
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
17. Do you want to learn? or do you want to never be wrong? @n8ebel 17
18. Why ask? ๏ Learn faster ๏ Greater productivity ๏ Develops trust & confidence @n8ebel 18
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
20. Building Your Career @n8ebel 20
21. "are you doing enough?" @n8ebel 21
22. How do you stay up to date? ๏ Embrace the change ๏ You won't know it all @n8ebel 22
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
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
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
26. This Is Hard @n8ebel 26
27. @n8ebel 27
28. Imposter Syndrome @n8ebel 28
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
30. @n8ebel 30
31. Imposter Syndrome ๏ Seek to understand ๏ You're not alone @n8ebel 31
32. You Are Not Alone @n8ebel 32
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
34. So what would I tell myself? @n8ebel 34
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
36. It's hard to have an impact when burnt out, alone, and afraid @n8ebel 36
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
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
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
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
41. Udacity ๏ Great source of information & training ๏ Interested in developing Android courses? ๏ We are hiring! ๏ https://www.udacity.com/jobs#learning-products @n8ebel 41
42. Thanks For Coming with("n8ebel").apply { Twitter .com Medium Instagram Facebook GitHub } @n8ebel 42