1. Use AI to Learn, don't rely solely on it
AI does generate incorrect code from time to time, and it may be hard to spot the problem, so review everything.
2. Your First Language
JavaScript.
Very hands on and visual - building UIs (but not only that)
With it, you are ready to build web apps and APIs.
Used everywhere, desktop, mobile - you name it.
Try Visual/Practical Fields First: Frontend, mobile, or game dev can be motivating due to visible results.
3. Career Skill Strategy: Become an M-Shaped Developer
Be curious.
* Master 2+ core skills (e.g., React + DevOps)
* Dabble in 3+ adjacent areas (UX, SQL, cloud infra)
When React jobs dry up, your CI/CD expertise becomes plan B.
Hybrids can pivot more easily to more interesting and high paying jobs, or even apply knowledge from both spheres.
4. Job Hunting: Luck Favors the Relentless
Big tech interviews are lottery tickets. Apply 10+ times — I got rejected by big tech at least 3 times before an offer.
Don't grind LeetCode (if you don't want to). But be aware of what can be asked during interview.
Never judge a company by one rejection. Teams vary wildly — a "no" from Meta’s ads team doesn’t mean AR/VR will reject you.
5. Proven Strategies for Career Growth and Promotion
To accelerate your career, especially in big tech, take proactive steps to stand out and advance:
* Aim High Early – Apply to your dream company now, and don’t hesitate to pursue leadership roles like team lead. Waiting rarely helps.
* Embrace Challenges – Tackle difficult tasks, take risks, and own both successes and failures. Responsibility and accountability set you apart.
* Expand Your Influence – Volunteer for cross-team projects to broaden your impact and visibility. Taking initiatives and mentoring juniors demonstrates leadership.
* Learn from Setbacks – Implement a postmortem process after failures to extract lessons and show growth.
* Master the Big 5 Success Factors – Build a strong network, acknowledge the role of luck, take calculated risks, put in consistent effort, and maintain persistence.
* Stay Curious – Never stop learning. Ask questions—even "stupid" ones—to deepen understanding.
* Learn by Doing – Start personal projects early. They sharpen skills, enhance your resume, and provide fulfillment.
* Seize Rare Opportunities – Even imperfect chances can lead to unexpected growth. Say yes to unique experiences.
* Support Your Manager – Become their reliable right-hand. This builds trust and positions you for advancement.
* Avoid Stagnation – Reject routine. Say yes to bold, "crazy" projects that push boundaries and no to complacency.
By combining strategy, initiative, and continuous learning, you’ll position yourself for rapid career growth.
6. Debugging Like a Forensic Scientist
Assume nothing. Treat every system as a black box — even your own code.
Production is a warzone:
Learn to trace uglified code without source maps (look for unique strings like error messages).
Frontend/mobile crashes? Add logs and metrics there. Catch issues before your users will.
7. Career Traps to Avoid
Greed → Burnout: Early in my career, I took hourly contracts and coded 12hr/day. Result? My skills plateaued while peers who balanced work/learning outpaced me.
Overstaying: 5 years in the same role = your skills rot. I stayed too long at a startup fearing "senior" expectations—when I left, I had to relearn modern DevOps.
Overconfidence Kills: "This PR looks fine" → $30k downtime. Now I always test, even if a teammate approves.
8. Don't Obsess Over Productivity - Have A System And Use It
Pick the simplest solution (e.g Google Keep, Apple Notes or Trello) and use it.
But also utilize your project management system to the fullest:
Leave detailed comments on your tasks, such as: why you were blocked, what's already done, what's left.
Might be useful to you, peers or higher ups
Turn your thoughts into notes → content:
1. Capture everything.
2. Refine weekly.
3. Share publicly.
4. Network through insights.
You'll remember what you read / thought.
Writing improves thinking.
9. Rest Like a Pro
Schedule vacations 3+ months early (or you’ll book a $$$ last-minute trip while burned out).
Have Fun Outside Of Work - hobbies, be adventerous
10. Don't Get Comfy
If you've worked for 5 years in the same company, doesn't mean it'll be like that forever - layoffs happen.
Experiment with Work Styles: Try remote, office, startups, products, or outsourcing to find your best fit.
11. Bet On Open Source & AI
This combo should be the trend of 2025 and beyond.
12. Key Mindset Shifts
"Senior" ≠ knows every algo. It means shipping features without handholding.
Switch early and often. I don't mean job-hopping, but once you stagnate - it's time to act.
Define Success. Clarify "done" and "ready" (DoD, DoR) to avoid misaligned efforts.
Make sure the task is really DONE. Verify it's shipped - available to users with no problems; YOU are responsible for this.
Final Tip: Run to Stay in Place
Tech evolves fast. If you’re not learning outside work, you’re falling behind.
Action step: Pick one thing from above and do it today.
Don't worry about specific stack. Pick something and stick to it for a while.
You can always switch later.
You can try anything any time.