Ask Lemmy

First off, the fact that you are aware of your shortcomings and are interested in addressing them is awesome. That shows real growth potential and wisdom.

I'm no rockstar developer, but I've been doing it professionally for over 2 decades. And I've been told by multiple bosses that I'm pretty good at my job. I've worked with a lot of other developers. Including some less experienced ones. Here are some thoughts on pitfalls and hurdles I've seen, both in myself and truth other developers:

• Don't get too fixated on the technology. I know that sounds weird at first blush, but there's a whole layer to software development that involves analysis and critical thinking, and that layer is completely agnostic of technology. Make sure you work on your analytical skills, because they are the foundation that will allow you to excel with actually writing code.
• Sometimes newer isn't better. It's tempting to chase after the latest approach or platform and think that will be perfect and last for many years to come. But they seldom last more than 5 years before they start getting vilified as old and outdated. Yet there's a lot of wisdom and tried-and-tested reliability in older approaches and seemingly stale design patterns.
• Related to that, many of the concepts in software development are cyclical to a degree. What's considered passe and wrong today can often be returned under a cool new name in 5 or 10 years time and suddenly find popularity and use again. So be prepared for that.
• Get to know design patterns, but don't treat them as set in stone. Two mistakes I've seen people do (and I've done myself) is assume a) a design pattern fits into more scenarios than are actually applicable, and b) think that design patterns are immutable and must be followed completely. But really they are like a buffet where you can take often a bite or two from one, and where also every trip to the restaurant is different, so your menu of choice will change.
• Practice software development from the ground up. Where the ground is reading business requirements, then converting them to system requirements, then designing your a system, then implementing it, and then working through the subsequent challenges.
• Related to that, it's extremely rare that a developer creates a complex system with perfect code right out the gate. It's okay to make mistakes and work around them. It's just part of the process and something we all do.
• Don't get too caught up on writing code "the right way". I think coding is more an art than a science. And with that in mind, have some fun with it. Keep in mind things like performance and scalability, obviously. But if you stick to a rigid approach to writing code you will struggle to evolve and adapt and build your skill set.
• Also, I bet you are a better coder than you think. So many developers I've worked with think they are poor at writing code and have imposter syndrome. But most of them are solid.
• And lastly, in my opinion don't get caught up on certifications. I've worked with devs who had lots of certificates and who were okay. But I've also worked with devs who had no formal training and no certificates, but they were amazing at writing really innovative, well designed, and high performing code. Like I said earlier, it's all about the state of mind.

Hope this helps.

Edit: fixed some typos.