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Postcards From An Early-Career Developer's First Months: Recognising the Struggles and the Joys. In the fast-paced learning environment of software development, it can be hard for more established developers to remember the experience of someone finding their feet in their first software role. This talk aims to remind most of us of the common things that new developers learn, grapple with and celebrate in the first few months on the job, and for the juniors themselves, to expose how common these struggles are (and hopefully provide some pointers along the way!).
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In her talk titled 'Postcards From An Early-Career Developer's First Months,' Harriet Oughton shares insights drawn from her extensive experience as a software developer and educator. With a background as a classroom teacher and ten years teaching at coding boot camps, Harriet provides a sympathetic guide for both new developers and their more experienced peers. The session aims to highlight common challenges early-career developers face and offers actionable advice for navigating their first months in a tech role. **Key Points Discussed:** - **Initial Setup Challenges:** Early-career developers often find the initial setup of their development environment overwhelming. Harriet compares this experience to a junior doctor facing a complex medical procedure on the first day. She emphasizes the importance of taking it step by step and documenting solutions for future reference. - **Understanding Workflows:** New developers need to learn the company's coding workflow, including Git commands and pull requests (PRs). Harriet encourages creating cheat sheets and familiarizing oneself with commit styles and project guidelines. - **Navigating Production Data:** Working with real data for the first time can be intimidating. Harriet advises new developers to become familiar with local databases and run code safely, suggesting that messing up in production is a common experience among all developers. - **Complex Code Bases:** Early-career developers may struggle with large and unfamiliar code bases. Harriet suggests taking the time to understand code, using debugging techniques, and leveraging resources like documentation and support from senior developers. - **Learning Testing:** Many new developers find testing daunting, having focused more on building functionality than on defense against edge cases. She advises copying existing tests for guidance and encourages the sharing of testing resources from experienced developers. - **Community Engagement:** The importance of joining the Ruby community and seeking mentorship to build confidence is emphasized for early-career developers. Harriet advocates networking through local coding chapters and international organizations. **Conclusion:** Harriet's overarching message is a call for companies to recognize the struggles of early-career developers and to provide the support and structure necessary for them to thrive. By hiring and nurturing these individuals, experienced developers can foster growth within their teams. Furthermore, early-career developers should understand that they are not alone and actively seek out community support and mentorship. Overall, this talk serves as a resourceful reminder of the shared learning experiences in the tech industry.
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