A programmer’s professional success depends on how he or she plans his or her career. It should be approached strategically, determining what decision to make and how a certain action can be beneficial in the future. Unfortunately, not all developers can do this. Developer Piero Borrelli told what mistakes to avoid in order to build a career.
Working in one place for too long
If you are satisfied with your current tasks, it seems strange to change your employer. But if you stick with that attitude, you can miss out on all sorts of opportunities. First of all, changing jobs 99% of the time means a pay raise, and companies know this. What’s more, it allows you to work on new architecture and tasks, increasing your skills and experience in certain technologies.
There is no clear formula for knowing when to change employers. The basic rule of thumb is to keep an eye on all opportunities and ask management what you’ve accomplished each year. Perhaps at some point another company will help you prove yourself better.
Apply legacy tools
If you’re working with a legacy system or outdated technology, it’s time to look for another company. There’s nothing of value in working with something no one else is using anymore.
Staying in that environment for a long time can cause you to lose value in the job market. Besides, you won’t learn anything this way: while you are poking around in old code, new algorithms and languages are being developed.
The technologies with which a programmer works are very important. They can be a hindrance to his career development.
Acting unprofessionally
In development, the approach is important. A professional takes responsibility for his or her actions, code, and interactions with colleagues. You need to be willing to improve every day and remain productive even when you’re not in the mood.
An unprofessional is the exact opposite of that. He does not meet deadlines, does not try to write good code and is willing to sit out the working hours to get paid at the end of the month.
If a programmer is willing to give of himself or herself conscientiously, it will help him or her achieve success in his or her job and build an impressive career.
Have no ambition
There are workers who don’t try to do more than the required minimum. They lose the chance to prove themselves and advance their careers.
A developer doesn’t have to be career-minded, but you shouldn’t neglect your potential. Look for opportunities to do something impressive and be inspired to get better day by day.
A career can be approached as a strategy game where you have to think every step of the way. Every decision can come close to winning or losing. Fortunately, you can read this article and learn from others’ mistakes.