Christopher Pitt’s Post

Ever wondered what happens when a senior dev dives into a junior developer's code for the first time ? 😂 Watching a senior dev dive into a junior dev's code can feel like an episode of Extreme Code Makeover. It’s a funny but valuable reminder of how teamwork and patience go a long way in tech! As someone who values growth on all levels, here are some quick reminders for junior and senior devs alike: 👶 For Juniors: ✔ Ask Questions 🗣️: No one expects you to know everything, so never hesitate to ask. Asking early saves hours down the road. ✔ Document Your Code 📝: Even simple comments can make the next person’s life easier (and that next person could be you a month from now!). ✔ Embrace Feedback 🔄: Every piece of feedback, even tough ones, are steps to leveling up your skills. 👴 For Seniors: ✔ Be Patient 🌱: You were new once, too! Encouragement and clear explanations make all the difference. ✔ Give Context, Not Just Code 🔍: Help juniors understand why something works, not just how to make it work. ✔ Celebrate Progress 🎉: Even small wins build confidence and skill in junior devs, which lifts the whole team! Remember, every senior was a junior once, and every junior will be someone’s go-to dev someday. Let’s keep learning from each other, one line at a time! 🚀💻

The biggest difference between a junior and senior dev? It’s how they handle the non-happy paths. The errors The edge cases The unexpected A junior writes code for when things go right. A senior writes code for when things go wrong. If you’re a junior dev, and want to level up; Here’s the lesson: Don’t just focus on making your code work—ask yourself, how can it fail? Think about bad inputs, failed connections, and edge cases. Great code isn’t just functional—it’s resilient. Aim up.

And add proper comment as well.

The mark of a true senior dev? Code so simple a junior can understand it. Here's how: 1. Embrace Simplicity Don't try to be clever. Write code that solves the problem directly. 2. Name Things Clearly 'getUserData' beats 'gud' every time. Be descriptive, not brief. 3. Avoid Premature Abstraction Build it once. Abstract it twice. DRY isn't always the answer. 4. Consistent Formatting Use tools like Prettier. Let machines handle style debates. 5. Comment Strategically Explain the 'why', not the 'what'. Your code should speak for itself. Why this matters: 1. Faster onboarding 2. Fewer bugs 3. Happier teammates Most "senior" devs write overly complex code to feel smart. Real masters make the complex simple. What's your top tip for writing clearer code? Share below 👇 ********** REAL TALK: This is a lesson I learned the hard way. If you've been here, don't beat yourself up. Learn and move on.

Don’t let senior devs intimidate you, they were in your shoes once too. It’s easy to feel out of place when you’re just starting out, but remember, every senior developer was a beginner at some point. They’ve made the same mistakes and had the same questions. Most are more than willing to help you grow if you ask. Confidence starts with knowing you belong. PS: Have you ever felt intimidated by a senior dev? How did you overcome it?

To grow from Junior to Senior dev, you need to change the mindset, first. As juniors, we often focus on delivering results QUICKLY. But if you want to work for a bigger company, as a senior, think about the problems that occur in bigger projects/teams: Priority shift no.1. Stability, reliability and performance become more important than the speed of delivery. Price of bugs may be much higher for the business. Priority shift no.2. With bigger team, standards and processes become very important, so everyone would write the code in a similar/same way and could take over someone teammate's code for maintenance. So this is the main jump for a junior dev. Stop thinking as a (solo) junior, and start thinking as a TEAM MEMBER.

The #1 way to grow as a dev: Accept hard challenges. Don’t get comfortable and stick to what you know. Head for the unknown. Face those big and scary projects head on. Do this and you will experience a tremendous amount of professional growth. #softwareengineering

Is becoming a top developer purely about talent or good habits? This week, we've had fascinating conversations with some senior developers, and a thought-provoking question came up: 'What's more important in becoming a top developer - pure talent or good habits?' Everyone agreed: Habits are more important than talent. At first glance, the best developers might just seem naturally talented. The truth is often different; they've just developed great habits throughout their career and dedicated themselves to maintaining them. Some examples of those habits? - Writing clean code 👨💻 - Time management ⏰ - Prioritizing testing 📋 - Embracing feedback 🤗 - Keeping up with documentation 📚 What other habits would you add to this list?

🌟 Sunday Reflections as a Software Developer 🌟 Sundays are a time to recharge, reflect, and realign. As a software developer, it's easy to get caught up in the hustle of deadlines and constant problem-solving. But today, I’m taking a moment to appreciate the journey. From debugging at 2 AM to celebrating the success of a deployed feature, every line of code tells a story of growth and perseverance. Here’s my Sunday takeaway: 🔹 Embrace the learning curve – every challenge is a stepping stone. 🔹 Celebrate small wins – even the tiniest bug fix matters! 🔹 Keep innovating – your ideas might change the world. To all my fellow developers: Remember, the code we write is more than just syntax; it’s our passion brought to life. Let’s continue creating solutions that make a difference. Happy Sunday! Let’s start the week ahead with fresh energy and new goals. 🚀✨ #SundayThoughts #SoftwareDeveloper #GrowthMindset #CodingLife #scs

I used to think that the engineering career path was neatly divided into frontend vs backend vs DevOps. However, as I learned more about backend and DevOps, I realized those labels can hold you back. Here's why: - Learning beyond your core competency makes you a better engineer. Understanding the backend as a frontend engineer (and vice versa) gives you a holistic view of the system, leading to cleaner code and the ability to troubleshoot more effectively. - It also expands your skillset and opens doors. It makes you a more valuable asset and opens doors to more projects and opportunities. In my case, by understanding DevOps principles, I was able to take on projects involving deployment automation, which streamlined processes and improved release cycles. It's not about becoming a jack-of-all-trades, but a master of some with an appreciation for the bigger picture. Huge thanks to the Front End Happy Hour crew (Tony Casparro, Augustus Yuan and Ryan Burgess) for this insightful episode on breaking the typecast of frontend and backend engineers. https://lnkd.in/d-88-m5a What do you think about these labels? #engineering