7 mistakes programmers make in their programming career

As a life and career guide for software developers, I need to communicate with many programmers to help them improve their careers and accelerate their growth.

Over time, I found that many programmers always make the same mistakes, one after another, without knowing it.

Here are the 7 most common mistakes programmers make in their software development careers.

1. Without a clear goal

If you don’t have an end goal in mind, you will just drift with the flow.

If you want to be successful in your career in software development, then you need to have a clear goal.

Just having a vague idea of ​​the distant future is not enough.

Instead, you should have solid goals - your overarching purpose for a certain period of time - clearly defined goals.

I know many programmers and so-called professionals who have been mediocrely working in the same position for decades. Yes, you heard it right, decades!

It’s a tragedy, but if you don’t have a goal, this is your default choice in life.

Please take this as a warning, otherwise the next tragedy will be you.

So, what can we do?

Start today, take some time to think about your programming career and decide your short-term goals.

What I mean is, clarify the current primary goal.

Once you achieve this goal, set a new goal, but now, please think about it, what do you need to achieve in your programming career?

You can write it down and put it where you can see it every day to remind yourself to keep moving towards your goal.

2. Not investing in non-technical and “soft skills”

I know a lot of programmers who are actually really good at writing code.

I also know many programmers who are indeed far superior to me in algorithms. Their level of understanding and thinking about complex architectures is beyond my reach.

But guess what?

In my software development career, I have surpassed them all, not only in terms of job title, but also salary, productivity, performance, and more.

I’m not saying this to show off, I just want to illustrate how important soft skills are to our programming careers, not just the technical skills that most programmers focus on.

As a software developer, you surely know that your job is not just about writing code.

There are many other necessary key skills.

We have to deal with people all the time, so interpersonal skills are a must.

Tight deadlines and rapid changes require a stable mentality, the ability to concentrate, and the ability to motivate yourself.

In an ever-changing environment, an environment full of variety and surprises, we must learn how to prioritize and be as productive as possible.

In addition, we cannot ignore health and economic factors. If we ignore them, they will also lead to failure or even destruction.

There is a lot more related content, so I won’t go into details one by one. If you are interested, you can read "Soft Skills: The Software Developer’s Manual" for a deeper understanding.

In short, no matter what kind of work you do, soft skills are almost always more important than hard skills and technical skills - so be sure to learn this knowledge.

3. Not participating in the community

One of the things I do that has benefited me tremendously in my programming career is participating in the community.

This not only gives me a sense of belonging and no longer feels lonely, but also helps me improve my skills and dare to set higher goals.

So, I strongly recommend you to join the programming community.

Everyone adds fuel to the flames and participates in the community, which is a positive way to grow.

If you find that your software development career is stuck, join a community where like-minded people can provide you with advice to help you overcome difficulties and break out of the difficulties.

Becoming a part of the community can also allow you to gain attention and increase your visibility, which will greatly benefit your career development.

So, how to join the community?

It’s easy. There are groups like this all over the world and you can simply join one and hang out.

For example, you can join the annual, free, local Code Camp event, when many software developers will gather together to share their work experience. And usually anyone can sign up to post about anything they want to talk about.

If you don’t like this way of gathering, you can also join a virtual community.

For beginners, you might as well join the coder community. The community provides technical development exchanges and a lot of news and information, which is very good.

You can also write a blog, which is also a way to participate in the community.

In other words, blogging makes me stand out among many programmers in the community.

4. Unprofessional

If you have ever read my blog, or read my book, you will find that I mention this topic almost every time, because it is really important.

Professionalization.

Choose a direction for yourself and then focus on developing in that direction.

But that doesn’t mean you don’t need to have a broad base of knowledge – I’m a big fan of knowing multiple programming languages ​​– what I mean is that you should pick an area and then work tirelessly to dig deeper.

Becoming a professional in some form is very important, especially early in your career.

Professionals are in high demand, so their salaries are also high, and generally speaking, they can build prestige faster.

In addition, if your boss knows that you are deeply involved in the field of software development and technology, he will definitely be very happy about it.

You should be a big fish in a small pond, not a small fish in a big pond.

Perhaps eventually you will no longer fit in this pond because you are too big - at that time you can bravely dive into deeper waters - but starting your software development career as a professional can be in this line of work Build a personal brand and reputation for yourself. (I’ll explain this in detail below.)

Finally, don’t worry about being chosen after you specialize – it rarely happens.

And you don’t really need to study too deeply. By the way, in all these years, I have never met anyone who is too professional.

5. Don’t invest in personal brand

Many things in life come and go, just like the passing clouds. You may change jobs, or even your spouse; you may suddenly become rich overnight, or you may become poor; you may be in good health, but you may also gain weight - but no matter what happens in life, one thing will always be with you. In...

your name.

So, since your name will be with you throughout your life, why not put some effort into it?

Your name, or your personal brand, is a very valuable asset, one that many software developers don’t realize.

Your name, or your personal brand, is a powerful tool for finding a job, getting promoted, generating potential customers, or even starting your own business.

Even if your name is not unique literally, as long as you have a good reputation and reputation, sometimes you can solve many troubles with just a little effort.

I know many software developers who no longer have to worry about employment issues because they already have a solid personal brand. Because no matter what happens, they are sure of finding another job because their reputation is well known.

We’ve all heard of selling products and services, but have you ever thought about selling yourself?

If you want to build a personal brand in the software development industry, my suggestion is to write a blog, choose a specific field or profession, and then make your name famous.

One of the best ways is to write content that is useful to other people.

Take blogging as an example. I write blogs that build my brand and reputation on the internet. If you find this article, or even my website, valuable, then you might share it. You may also bookmark this page or subscribe to related emails so you don't miss any good information.

This is just one of the ways to build your personal brand.

You can also create YouTube videos, publish your own podcast, write articles and books, and speak at events.

But that doesn’t mean you have to do all of the above, it’s just some ideas that I think are good.

6. Don’t do side projects

We should always have a business project on hand.

There are many benefits to side projects that you may not know about.

First of all, side projects are an effective way to improve your skills. And, this will increase your growth rate far faster than your 9-to-5 job.

Developing side projects is also a great way to learn new skills and techniques, which will help you find a new job. Many programmers often complain that the current monotonous jobs do not allow them to learn new technologies, making them unable to keep up with the market. When I hear this, I always advise them to try to develop side projects using their favorite new technologies. This is definitely a good way to learn related skills.

Also, side projects can help you earn some extra money.

Maybe you won’t think about making money with side projects at first, but side projects can indeed allow you to earn extra income.

I started developing Android and iOS apps as a side project about 4 years ago, and they are still creating wealth for me today.

I also know quite a few software developers who ended up turning side projects into their full-time jobs.

Developing business projects is actually fun

When you are tired of work, writing your favorite side projects can relieve fatigue and stress. And side projects are also a good way out, and you may make a lot of money one day.

7. No plan for self-education

Every time I interview software developers, the first question I ask is often about their plan for self-education and self-improvement.

Have you done anything to make yourself better?

I often ask them what measures they use to keep up with an area that is always changing.

I often ask them what books they have read recently and which ones they think are good books to recommend to all software developers.

I want to know from their answers whether they have an exact plan for self-education and continuous growth. The reason why I do this is because I know that a person who is committed to continuous self-improvement will not only achieve himself, but also drive those around him toward success.

However, it is a pity that many programmers do not have any form of self-education plan.

If you don’t have a plan for learning and improving your skills, it’s time to make one for yourself.

Want to hear a simple plan I recommend?

Make sure to read a technical or career development book every month.

You can read a total of 12 books in one year.

Personally, I devote at least 45 minutes to reading every day.

Remember, a journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step. Even 30 minutes a day, after a year or two, can bring about huge changes in you.

Take action, Sao Nian

I hope the 7 mistakes listed in this article can warn you, but if you don’t take any action, even the panacea will not have any effect.

So, after reading this, don’t forget about it, please start taking action today.

Start by correcting at least one known mistake.

Welcome to leave comments and share your results.

A true warrior dares to face his own shortcomings and then actively correct them.

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