The Rounded Developer

Lightning talk at Andela addressed to the junior to mid-level developers.

It contains tips that I wish I knew earlier in my career, and tips that can help one become a rounded developer.

I hope someone finds this useful.

Transcript

1. the rounded developer Segun Famisa Lightning talk with Fellows at Andela October, 2016 segunfamisa.com @segunfamisa
2. Here are a few tips I wish I had known earlier in my career.
3. Improve your technical skills. Do your own homework. People will first rate you over your technical skills than anything else. This. Is. Your. Primary. Task. Improve your technical skills.
4. * Static code analysis, Code reviews, testing. * Follow standards and conventions. * Modularise. * If you find yourself doing something over and over, you probably need to extract the logic and modularise it or even automate. * Immediate profit of this is that codes are maintainable * Manage technical debts efficiently Code quality & best practices matter.
5. * Do you see yourself as a mobile dev? Front-end dev? 'Web' dev? Full stack dev, devops? * That being said, it's good to have an idea of related things while specializing in something. * I have this favourite quote (I kind of have a feeling a came up with it, but I'm not 100% certain about that) "Learn something about everything, and learn Everything about something" Focus
6. * Things change very fast these days, so much information, so much to learn, so much to do. It can become draining and can make you lose focus. * Pay closer attention to what you need Avoid information overload.
7. * Local communities, GDG, forLoop, DevCenter * Online: Twitter is a great place. Be active in communities.
8. * Writing has personally helped me improve a lot. * The way I learn, I learn more details if I write or try to write about a certain topic than just learning how to "use" it. I know I need to write and justify the "hows" and "whys", so I end up learning it in detail. Write
9. * It forces you to write good code since you know people may read it. * Give back to the community. * Good for your profile. Contribute to open source.
10. * The fast changing nature of the dev world means, you may not be able to do everything alone. * Meet and work with others. * Sometimes you think you're doing something right, while it's actually wrong. Easy to spot when working with others. * The network you build is as useful as you learning how to become a badass. Collaborate & network.
11. * Life exists beyond your computer screen * Burnouts are real. * Take time off from time to time. Don’t forget to Live!
12. Thank you! Questions? segunfamisa.com @segunfamisa