Development 8 Tips to Become a Better Developer

Today we bring you 8 tips for you to become a better developer than you already are, getting the most out of your career. In addition, we also bring some tips to help you evolve and achieve your professional goals faster.

1st – Don’t be impatient, start with the basics

It may seem a bit obvious, it’s common for people to get frustrated along the way because they wanted to learn and couldn’t, resulting in demotivation and quitting. So follow this advice, be patient, go with the flow from the beginning and go deeper as you feel safe doing it.

It is normal to take someone or some process as an ideal example; there is nothing wrong with that. However, we must be aware that each person has their own time, rhythm, and skills. That is why we cannot believe 100% in tempting offers like “Learn to code in 5 days” because it is very difficult to measure a methodology that is effective for all profiles.

So don’t be impatient, start with the basics! 😉

2nd – Focus and have well-defined goals

Something essential to pursuing a career as a developer is to have well-defined and structured goals and objectives in mind. Never, I said never, under any circumstances, go trying everywhere! It is usual to feel a little lost when faced with the multitude of opportunities and possibilities the programming universe offers you. So it’s crucial that you outline plans and goals that you want to achieve.

Keep in mind: those who have no goal get nowhere!

Define an area, focus on it, mature as a professional, and only then evolve. The fascinating thing about programming is that you have a world of possibilities, so without a doubt, you will find something that is ideal for you. So take a chance, read, know, experiment, plan. Don’t be afraid to change and challenge yourself as long as you always have a plan and a focus that gives meaning to your choices.

3rd – Always practice

Practice makes perfect, so be sure to practice everything you’re learning along the way. Everything you don’t practice ends up going to oblivion, that’s a fact.

The more you exercise, the greater your evolution, so build a routine, review what you learn, research outside, exercise, and stay active so that your growth is solid and progressive.

4th – Each person has their own pace, don’t make comparisons

It’s common for beginners to take experienced developers as examples, and there’s nothing wrong with that, the big question here is about the danger of comparison.

People end up comparing themselves with those who already have a lot more developing baggage, and this ends up making the achievements of a beginner insignificant in their own eyes. So don’t compare yourself with those already on the journey before you, on the contrary, take the tips, understand how their processes were, adapt them to your routine and evolve progressively.

5th – If you’re stuck, take a break!

Something common in the process of learning, whether a beginner or even an experienced developer, is simply getting stuck on something. And when that happens, stop! Have a coffee, breathe, take a break and try again later. And if you still haven’t succeeded, come back the next day, and I guarantee that things will go well.

It’s very dangerous to insist and keep racking your brains to the point of stressing yourself and not being able to think straight. I know we sometimes have close deadlines, but a break can be simply enlightening at various times.

Who never ended up coming up with a solution at completely random moments, like while driving or in the shower. So rest your mind when you think it’s necessary, you will be able to solve your questions, but know your limits.

It’s smart to recognize that in certain moments it can happen that you don’t know what to do or how to solve a problem, and then we come to a truth that can be a little painful, you don’t know everything!

But calm down; there is nothing wrong with being stuck or making some slip along your development process; what we need to be is smart enough to identify problems and limitations, search for solutions and especially learn from our mistakes.

6th – Use and abuse what the internet has to offer

We live in a digital scenario where we can find answers to practically anything; with just a few clicks, we come across content on the most varied subjects. So use and abuse research.

Google is the best friend a developer can have if you just know what to ask them. You need to be able to understand the codes you find as a result of your searches and apply them to your problem.

Whether through channels about development in general, social networks, influencers in the technology area, websites about the developing world, Whatsapp or Telegram groups, who knows even through LinkedIn, or getting a reference on GitHub, there is no shortage of options for sharing experiences, find help, get project ideas, network.

So search, find channels that are interesting to help you on your journey, keep in touch with other people who have more experience, and share your achievements to serve as inspiration for the next ones to come.

7th – Benefit from quality tools

Choosing good tools can help you evolve faster, saving time and increasing productivity. Especially because a professional who is starting now needs to save and invest correctly in technologies that are of quality and that meet their development needs.

There are several languages, tools, frameworks, and libraries out there, and given this universe of possibilities, an experienced programmer knows that a single technology will not be able to solve all problems and that it is necessary to know several technologies to solve their development with assertiveness and efficiency, or being able to identify these needs and search for a suitable solution.

With time and experience, you will be able to understand market trends and add tools to optimize your processes. Whether they are RAD, low code, or Framework. IDE’s, etc.

8th – Emotional intelligence is important

Let’s say that emotional intelligence is essential in any profession. It is extremely necessary that you learn to deal with criticism, as well as to develop a skill of rational reaction when your work is criticized.

Who never looked at a code created a while ago and didn’t like it so much? It shows that you’ve evolved, that you could have done better, faster, cleaner.

Another point is, that you need to know how to deal with pressure! It can happen that we are in a scenario where everything is literally ‘falling down, and you are responsible for making everything work again. At this moment, you need to stay calm, pay attention to details, and think rationally about the solution.

I hope you enjoyed these tips. Follow our blog and stay on top of all the news.

Do you have any more tips to share? Tell us in the comments! 🙂