It’s your big day: You survived college and finally have a diploma in your hands to prove it. You are officially a computer engineer! Ready to dive headfirst into your first job and change the world? I know exactly how you feel.

Just two years ago, I was in the same position as you. Now that I’ve experienced my first job as a programmer, I’m here to share a few tips and tricks and guide you to programming stardom.

In the first part of this article, I covered some of the “people” situations you may face in a new job. I hope you found my previous advice beneficial!

Now it’s time to walk you through some useful tips associated with technology. Remember, your first days and weeks on the job will be much easier if you come prepared. Don’t worry, everybody will be aware you’re still a rookie, but showing some confidence and enthusiasm won’t hurt, right? The following tech tips will help prepare you for your career adventures to come. Hold on tight because we are taking off!

I will be honest: I was very reluctant to try new technologies in my early working days. My first language is Java. So, when someone asked me to write an algorithm in C++, I thought my world had collapsed.

How can I code in C++? But I did it. It was incredibly challenging, but I learned so much. Most notably, I learned how memory functions — the foundation of computer science.

Do not be afraid to try new technologies. Maybe you’ve always wanted to try Python or Java. Just go for it! Perhaps it will not turn out as you imagined. On the other hand, maybe you will love it. Either way , you will learn something new. You will become a more experienced and knowledgeable programmer. Everyone needs to go through this process. It is the only way to become a great engineer and someone young programmers will look up to in a year.

When you are writing code, don’t ask yourself if there are any bugs. Ask yourself what bugs there are. Because there will always be bugs.

This is why I suggest that you become intimately familiar with debugging tools. When things get complicated, you will need a clear overview of executing code and variable values. I know it seems tempting to use print statements as a debugging tool in your favourite language (been there done that), but it will only make things worse. Trust me.

Mastering debugging will make you more efficient in solving bugs. So, as a newbie, it is essential to get your hands dirty and work with it!

Don’t underestimate the help of another person. Sometimes, even a debugger can’t help you find that annoying bug.
It is always smart to ask someone else to go through your code. After all, it’s more likely that another person who is not involved with the project will spot the bug.

Why? Well, for me, I often get so involved with the details of the code that I cannot see the forest for the trees. In other words, I get too close to the project, and I start missing things. I’m sure this happens to a lot of people.

This is why you should find yourself another pair of eyes and solve that bug! Pair programming is a great way to learn and to improve. So, ask a colleague to take a second look. I promise, it will make your progress much faster.

I cannot stress this enough. Master git! Git is a versioning control system that helps you keep track of the code you and your team are working on.
If you don’t know how to use git properly, there is a very good chance you will mess up the code and create chaos.

Not to mention, parts of the code can be lost! And then you’ll have to do a whole lot of reverting/merging. Trust me, you don’t want that.
This happened once on one of my projects. A few days in, we realized some features were lost.

Lesson learned: Learn git and master basic commands like merge, rebase, pull and push. Before writing code on a branch, make sure to pull all changes on the remote server and try not to merge to master branch until you are 150% sure everything is perfect.
After all, no one wants git mistakes in their production code.

Today, more than ever, we hear about data breaches that impact even the most recognized companies like Facebook, Quora or Google.

Users are growing increasingly concerned about how their data is used, and they are afraid someone will exploit their sensitive data.

Furthermore, a serious security flaw can cast a shadow of doubt on a company and cause irreparable damage to their reputation. This is why it’s essential to take security seriously. So, educate yourself and learn what you can do in your code to make it more secure. Check out Top 10 risks for 2019. In terms of likelihood, data fraud and cyber attacks are among the top 5 threats for 2019.

Bottom line: security first. Check out the most common web security vulnerabilities to familiarize yourself with the topic.

When you are running production code and something bad happens, you need concise and useful logs. It is difficult to recreate bugs when they happen, but it’s nearly impossible to recreate them when you don’t have enough information.

I’m speaking from experience here. One time, there was a bug in our application, and we did not have resourceful logs. So, before doing anything, we went back and improved our logging. Once we did that, the bug was solved in no time. Now we make sure our logging is perfect. It saves us loads of time.

I hope these two articles will help and guide you as you embark on your first programming job. If I had read this two years ago, I sure think these tips would have helped me in my first adventure.

Most importantly, don’t be afraid to try new things and remember it takes time to learn and grow. Be patient, ask questions and everything else will fall into place.

If you found this and my previous article helpful in any way, share them with your friends!

Are you new to programming and want to learn more? Join Infinum Academy and learn from the best!

It’s your big day: You survived college and finally have a diploma in your hands to prove it. You are officially a computer engineer! Ready to dive headfirst into your first job and change the world? I know exactly how you feel.

Just two years ago, I was in the same position as you. Now that I’ve experienced my first job as a programmer, I’m here to share a few tips and tricks and guide you to programming stardom.

In the real world, it is not enough simply to master technology and programming – you also must interact with people on the job. In most programming positions, you will work as part of a team solving all kinds of problems, which is why people skills are equally as important as tech skills. That’s why I’m going to offer advice on how to improve your people skills as well as your tech skills in this two-part article. These tips will help prepare you for your career adventures to come. Hold on tight, because we are taking off!

When you are working on software projects, you will most certainly work as part of a team. This is why you need to know how to get along with people on the job. When you are starting your first job, you will find yourself in situations not necessarily connected to coding that will require patience, emotional intelligence and social skills. Here are some of the situations you may face and tips on how to deal with them.

I know I was, especially on my very first day. As soon as I walked into the office, I went through the standard procedure of meeting the team and acquiring all the equipment and supplies I would need for the job. And then, BAM! After that, requests started pouring in. Install this, understand that, call New York… Call New York?! What? And so it continued, into the next day and the next and the next. This is when your excitement tumbles into the depths of despair, and you start wondering if you’re in the right place. Imposter syndrome kicks in, and you question your every move and decision.

But hold on! The good thing is that this feeling is perfectly normal. Did you know everything when you started uni? No. But you worked your way up, learned the ins and outs, and got that degree.

When you start to feel overwhelmed, ask lots of questions and write down everything. In addition to my laptop, I always carry around a notebook so I can jot down even the silliest, seemingly insignificant facts and remarks. At the end of the day, I take time to read through my notes and then Google the things I’m unsure about or ask someone in the office. Don’t underestimate the power of pen and paper. It has been scientifically proven that people who actually write things down tend to learn more effectively and quickly than those who just type notes on a laptop. Be a geek: Start writing down everything you hear, and soon enough you’ll be a pro.

The IT industry is so incredibly diverse. So many technologies, so many fields, so many topics, and countless opinions. When I first started my job, I was deeply overwhelmed by, well, everything. This feeling can quickly send your professional self-esteem into a nosedive. In my case, I started to think everyone was more qualified than me.

Soon enough, I realized this simply was not true. I have valid opinions and good ideas. So do you! Just because your opinions and perspectives might differ from someone else’s doesn’t mean you are wrong or not good enough. Express your ideas, and raise concerns when something is not right. Do not be afraid. Sometimes you’ll be wrong, of course. But that’s okay! As they say, failure leads to success. So, just learn from your mistakes, apologize if necessary and move on. If you don’t value your own ideas, everyone around you will begin to influence your work and even worse, your thinking. This will lead you straight into a dead end. Changes don’t happen to wallflowers who sit silently and keep their opinions to themselves. So, speak up!

While there are some people you shouldn’t listen to, there are others who can offer you worthwhile advice and guidance. I learned this the hard way – but if you don’t find a mentor who can help and guide you, your work will be significantly harder and your overall progress will be much slower. Take opinions and advice from the veterans who have been there and done that. Look at their experience, where they’ve worked, and what they accomplished. Look for people who have a passion not just for technology, but also for quality solutions, code, and products. Keep an eye out for people who can back up their opinion with legit experience and noteworthy evidence. When you work with an experienced mentor, not only will you learn more quickly, but you’ll also know you are getting the right advice. This is will shape you into a great engineer one day.

If you’re like many new graduates, your first job may not be exactly what you expected. In a world where everything is available in an instant at your fingertips, many new programmers expect that success and the perfect job will come overnight. In reality, there’s no shortcut to success.

Even after two years of working, I am not even close to the peak of my success. And my first job certainly was not my perfect job. I made a change after nine months and landed a job here at Infinum!

I’m still learning, sometimes in theory, sometimes with trial and error. This process takes a lot of patience, but it’s worth it.

Patience is a virtue. If you work hard, you will ultimately reach the destination you desire, so just enjoy the journey. Every year you’ll get better, so hold on and don’t give up. It takes time to write good software, and it takes even more time if you are a newbie.

As you dive into your first programming role,  I hope these “people skills” tips will make your job easier. I sure wish someone had given me this advice when I started my first job two years ago.

Stay tuned for part two of this article, where I’ll cover the tech skills you need to survive your first programming job!

If you don’t know where to start and are really eager to work with technology, make sure to check out Infinum Academy. Infinum Academy is a free five-week course during which you’ll learn the basics of modern software development. But hey, you’ll also have a chance to learn some people skills.