How to be Successful in a New Developer Job
I am due to be starting a new developer job in the next few days and it has got me thinking about what makes a successful developer, particularly when moving into a new role.
I have the following tips for those about to enter a new development role. These will be relevant for developers working at any level, from junior to senior.
Ask Questions, Just Make Them the Right Questions
Asking questions is something we can often mistake as struggling, or as us not being independent. It can be really worrying in a new job as you don’t know how they will respond. This can sometimes be a personal ego thing and it can sometimes be more of a societal issue. It is however a vital part of learning and the sort of place you would want to work will invite questions. It shows humility, a willingness to learn and if you ask the right questions it can show that you are experienced and have transferable knowledge that you are trying to relate to this new role.
Don’t be Afraid to Challenge the Status Quo
Every company has their own ways of doing things and they really rely on the input of developers, both new and old, to recommend changes where necessary. You might see something that looks really odd to you, something really inefficient or a tool that so obviously is required but noone is using. You are being employed as a professional so dont worry about questioning the way things are done — they may have a good answer. If not, you will likely add value and prove yourself a valuable new member of the team.
Put in the extra effort
When starting a new job there is a lot to pick up. From company specific development processes, new development tools / IDEs and sometimes even completely new languages and frameworks. With this in mind any extra time you can put it will make you stand out and really show you are committed to the job. This doesn’t mean working an 80 hour work week but a extra hour here and there goes a long way.
