Finding a skilled programmer is among the toughest things for businesses to do. Tech wise, getting hold of a good developer with prowess and know-how on their individual tasks and work ethics isn’t easier too.
Currently, the demand for excellent developers is skyrocketing and doesn’t seem to slow any time soon.
Both newbies and pros often get stuck in the course of their tech journey due to the rapid technology changes. These dynamics need them to be at par and remain outstanding in their various fields. With this field being vastly expanding regularly, every programmer has his/her own difficulties to face. How one does it is what makes the difference.
Have a look at the top 10 tips for becoming a better programmer and stay relevant in your field.
1. Sharpen your interpersonal skills
Good programmers exist but the best ones are keen to ensure their relational skills are upbeat. Ensuring your communication skills are on point is among the main things that make you a better programmer. Do you really feel for others? Empathy is an attitude you need to embrace and live within your industry. Being able to deliver professionally yet humorously will take your programming skills to a higher level.
This being a complicated area for most people who are not well conversant with the tech world, you need to be likable and very charismatic. This attitude makes your ignorant prospective clients feel lighter about what you do and the service they intend to get from you.
2. Love coding and make it a practice
Investing in time to improve your skills in programming is vital. Learn how to use various programming tools and most importantly focus on how these tools work. Spending more time on learning how something works will broaden your mind on several concepts that seemed a hard nut to crack.
Take time to do some technical projects and exercises and let experts in programming rate your skills and review your code. This will help you improve where necessary.
3. Skillset diversification
Better programmers will tell you that knowing more than one programming language is vital in up-scaling your career in programming. You are eligible to be chosen first among your competitors and your earnings will shoot up. Wouldn’t you want that?
4. Community contribution is a bonus
You get empowered when you contribute to the open source community. The feedback you receive is important in ensuring you move a step ahead. Be open-minded to critics and have a positive reception of them.
You can also learn a lot from the professionals in this community by addressing conferences on programming, putting up insightful blog posts and involving yourself in mentorship programs. This will stir your passion and zeal to become a better programmer.
5. Take part in mentorship programs or user groups in your local area
Local user groups have categories like the junior and senior level where its users are mentored at no cost. Most of the times they are grouped as per languages they speak. Seniors help you grow and increase your abilities by offering help where necessary.
One on one meetings are encouraged. Here, you improve your interpersonal skills and get practical in group work. Learning from immediate feedback is better. It sticks.
6. Set aside an individual project
This could seem hectic and a scare to many. Taking up a project alongside your normal programming routine will not only be fun but make your learning experience something to always long for. For instance, why not build an app?
On GitHub, you can see what your colleagues are doing, create your own idea and if you have one in place, you can find out ways to improve it. That’s how becoming a better programmer starts.
7. Why not specialize?
Programming is very dynamic and multidimensional, thus remaining an unspecialized programmer in this field renders you irrelevant. Technology keeps getting better each day. Continuously assess your abilities and specialize in a specific section of technology that will see you climb higher with every innovation and advancement in the tech world.
8. Code review should be taken with utmost seriousness
Catching bugs isn’t the only use of code reviews. Pick up a discussion and be useful to team members by sharing knowledge. Taking criticism positively will add to your skills by improving where necessary and correcting existing mistakes spotted by members of your team.
9. Gain interest in the business side
Are you doing this for profit or charity? Nonetheless, your efforts are to eventually build a business out of the products you are developing. Be concerned about how much money your software is making for the company and knowing your competitors will help you make improvements that will ensure that the business side flourishes.
Interviewing seniors in the business departments while posing tough questions will help you realize how important it is to go global. One way of doing this is to localize your website into different languages. Your client pool will definitely broaden.
10. Love books, read books
Not everything you need to know in order to become a better programmer can be found in the college curriculum. It is your duty to explore new information regularly, by reading books and write-ups by renowned developers. Also, always stay updated on the latest design trends. This way, your journey in programming becomes much easier.
Rilind Elezaj is an experienced a Digital Marketing Specialist with a demonstrated history of working in the marketing and advertising industry. Rilind possesses a strong entrepreneurial mindset and has devoted his career to enhancing the sphere of digital marketing. In his methodological approach, Rilind integrates web development and other digital marketing solutions to create hybrid strategies that bring the best results.
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