So You’ve Hit a Wall?
Like any junior software developer, there comes a time when you feel like your brain can no longer hold any new information. You may feel burnt out, like there are so many things to learn in so little time, or that you are not progressing as quickly as you’d like.
However, this is unfortunately a common progression for junior developers and can lead to burnout and imposter syndrome. While it is important to stay in touch with what your colleagues/peers and seniored mentors are telling you, it’s also important to remember that as engineers, it is impossible to know everything. For example, I’m a Javascript developer, and JS has been around for quite some time. Within the time it’s been around, there have been many additions, many changes, libraries, you name it. Alongside this, there are several ways to solve any ds and algo problems, frameworks, etc. Like… it is literally impossible to learn everything. And that’s okay! I’ve been in a similar boat, and I’m here to tell you some ways to avoid burnout from trying to learn way too much.
First things first, and it’s the advice I’ve gotten from several developers, you need to narrow down the focus of what you want to accomplish and the language you want to master. This is crucial to grow as a developer and equally as crucial when trying to interview for jobs. When doing technical interviews, you will most likely be hit with either an assessment, random technical questions, or pair programming. Because of this, it’s important to prepare for anything that may come your way, rather than spending too much of your time knowing a little about each language you fancy.
Second, it’s important to know why you are studying what you want to study. Programming is very in demand and skills change constantly, but what’s important to note is how niche or in demand the skill is that you are looking to learn. Instead of starting a new course, look at the companies you are willing to work for — what is their stack? Is there something in specific that all these companies have in common? How niche is it, and is it something that is gaining popularity?
Third, diversify how you are learning. Do not get stuck in tutorial hell! Youtube is a great source, but it’s important to figure out multiple ways to learn. Udemy courses are great, but can lack interaction. Same goes for Youtube videos. A better way would be to learn something new, check out the documentation, and see if there is a way you can incorporate it into your exisiting projects. It never hurts to start a new project, either. Remember, this is all to develop you as a developer and add to resumes.
Lastly, is this something you really want to learn? Like I stated previously, it’s important to learn for the job you want. But it’s equally as important to learn something that interests you. AFter all, you will be spending 40 hours a week with this language/framework — make sure it’s something you enjoy!
