Photo by Austin Distel on Unsplash
Once in a while, I come across an extraordinary programmer or software engineer. When that happens, my first instinct is to observe the way they work and carry themselves. Here are some things I have noticed that many successful software engineers do.
Never Stop Learning
Although it’s true that you can go to a university and find a job with just a bachelor’s degree (or without one), the truth is that for longevity in tech, you have to stay up to date. Every successful software engineer or programmer takes time to learn new technologies.
With how fast technologies and frameworks roll out, it’s quite literally impossible to learn everything, but keeping an eye out for what’s trending is the key to having a sustainable career.
Now you might be wondering how this is possible if you work a 9–5 job or have other responsibilities.
Code In Your Free Time
If you hate programming but do it for a career, you won’t like what I’m about to say. In order to stay relevant in the industry, side projects are key. You will need to code when you’re at home, or during the weekends to grind out these projects.
If you won’t do side projects, at the very least you should be Leetcoding to stay sharp on interviewing skills in case your company begins to lay off people. Those who had been doing this consistently for a long time definitely felt less pressure from the COVID-19 layoff spree companies went on.
You don’t need to love programming to do this, simply putting aside 20 minutes a day every couple of days will compound on itself and you will be amazed at how far consistency can go.
Protect Your Eyes
It’s no secret that staring at a screen trying to spot a small typo can be extremely straining. There are two things that many software engineers, including myself, do to minimize the damage on our eyes.
The first, which is completely free, is to use a blue light filter on our computer. On an IOS device, this is the Night Shift feature. On MacOS or Windows, you can use f.lux.
Blue light harms your eyes and gives it that burning sensation you may have felt. It causes poor sleep quality as well as long term damage. f.lux adjusts the blue light throughout the day so that you get enough blue light for alertness but not enough for damage.
In addition, you can also buy blue light glasses, which I personally use on top of having my filter. I personally use these ones and have had no problems with them.
My final recommendation is known as the 20/20/20 rule. Every 20 minutes, look at something 20 feet away for 20 seconds. It’s as simple as that and it will go a long way in preventing eye strain.
Summary
- Keep up with popular technologies, languages, or frameworks
- Spend a tiny bit of time each week to code on your own.
- Leetcode consistently. If you have time, doing side projects is a plus.
- Use a blue light filter on your computer. You can also use blue light glasses
- Every 20 minutes, look at something 20 feet away for 20 seconds
#coding #software-development #programming #developer #leetcode