Introduction

I've been a software engineer for six months and the journey has been remarkable.

I discovered that software engineering is more than just coding.

In this post, I want to share my journey from the very beginning!

My initial assumptions

Before I began working as a developer, I watched YouTube videos on what it is like to be one.

This made many of my expectations clear.

I already had an idea that coding is just one of the elements of software engineering.

My first impression

When I began working as a developer, seeing the importance of collaboration in software engineering still hit me as a surprise.

Working with other engineers and team members taught me the value of teamwork and how it contributes to successful projects.

I also had to familiarize myself with tools used for productive coding and connecting the backend parts with the frontend ones.

Challenges I encountered

At first, I found it hard to understand how the project was organized and structured. It made me unsure how to begin coding because I wasn't familiar with how everything was set up.

Code reviews were new to me, and I struggled with them initially. I didn't know how to start or give feedback to my teammates when reviewing their code.

Working with tickets was another new thing for me. It was challenging to understand the context of each ticket and where it fits in the system.

If I could go back in time

I would ask more questions without worrying about asking too many.

Moreover, I would have started doing code reviews earlier. I think doing it until the second month was quite late. Because code reviews for both the reviewer and author of the PR are great opportunities to learn and teach.

As someone new to the field, I often reminded myself that it's important not to overthink or stress myself out.

What did I do to improve

Whenever I had a question, I wrote it down with the answer on my Laptop.

I kept an engineering diary to document my workdays:

• What I learned

• Areas for improvement

• What I would do differently if I could start the day over

I did a course on code reviews that changed my approach to authoring and reviewing PRs.

I also watched YouTube videos on common mistakes beginners make in the software field and tips for improving in the software industry.

In addition, I also built projects using technologies we use at work, which helped me learn them faster.

Conclusion

Software engineering is more than just coding and a lifelong journey of learning.