Becoming a Better Developer: My Journey and Strategy

{ IN THE NAME OF ALLAH THE GRACIOUS THE MERCIFUL }

Becoming a Better Developer: My Journey and Strategy

Hello there! I'd like to share my journey of becoming a better developer and the strategy I've devised to achieve that goal. Currently, I'm in the final stages of completing my Programming Accreditation at the College of Cadiz. During my third year, I had the incredible opportunity to spend six months in Rome through an Erasmus scholarship. As I'm left with only a few subjects to complete my certification, I've been brimming with extra energy since February.

Upon returning from Rome, I was determined to start my search for a developer position. The tech industry offers promising opportunities, and I had a couple of interviews lined up shortly. However, things didn't go as planned. None of my interviews were successful, and it became clear that my university education hadn't fully prepared me for a developer role. Recruiters highlighted numerous concepts and skills I wasn't familiar with, and my coding skills were put to the test in technical interviews.

This experience prompted me to develop a strategy to enhance my developer profile, aiming to become an outstanding candidate that couldn't be ignored. I stuck to this plan, which I'm still following today, and I'm proud to say that I'm currently working as a Backend Engineer in a company.

If you're also considering a career change or improvement, allow me to share my strategy with you.

How I Approach Enhancing My Developer Profile

I identified my lack of practical experience in the Development field as a major concern. My university education covered only what was prescribed, and I had limited exposure to independent projects beyond group assignments. Recognizing the gaps in my knowledge, especially in areas like testing, design, and quality assurance, I knew I needed a two-pronged approach to address these issues: practice and theory.

1. Practice

I firmly believed that practice is essential for honing programming skills. After all, coding is a skill that improves with consistent practice. To ensure I was consistently practicing, I decided to take up the #100DaysOfCode challenge. This challenge encourages coding for at least an hour daily and sharing progress on Twitter using a specific hashtag. I compiled a list of coding challenge platforms, projects, and resources I wanted to tackle, and I dove into the challenge with deliberate practice.

2. Theory

I realized that practice alone wasn't sufficient. Without a solid understanding of key concepts and theories, my progress would be limited. To bridge this gap, I adopted a learning approach that complemented my practice. I discovered that teaching accelerates learning, so I started a YouTube channel to create tech content in Spanish. Additionally, I committed to writing an article each day on Medium, focusing on concepts I was learning.

This combination of practice and teaching allowed me to grasp new ideas quickly and effectively, transforming complex concepts into engaging content.

Becoming a Better Developer: My Journey and Strategy

Final Thoughts

Based on my crucial interview experiences, it became evident that my university education wasn't fully preparing me for the developer role I aspired to. In response, I devised a comprehensive plan to enhance my developer profile during the summer. This plan hinges on consistent practice through the #100DaysOfCode challenge and solidifying my understanding of concepts through teaching.

While this plan requires a significant investment of my time, it's been proven effective in my journey to becoming a Backend Developer. If you're aiming to enhance your skills as a developer, consider integrating aspects of my strategy into your approach.

Many thanks to you for setting aside some margin to peruse this article. I'd love to hear your thoughts, so feel free to share them in the comments below. If you found this article helpful, please give it a thumbs up and share it with your friends. Don't forget to follow me to stay updated on my articles.

About the Author

I'm passionate about both development and communication, and I seize every opportunity to discuss and write about technology.

Your Wellwisher

Muhammad Naeem Iqbal

Web Developer and Content Writer.