Source: Simpleprogrammer The term junior developer is found everywhere, from job postings to employee listings. The prefix "junior" allows companies to properly organize tasks and allocate responsibilities. But just because everyone uses the term doesn't mean you should. By calling yourself a junior, you deliberately devalue your skills and value in the job market. In addition, you yourself may believe that you are not qualified enough and need constant support.
Experience is relative
To get rid of the "junior" prefix, you have to understand that all programmers develop. In other words, it doesn't matter what your experience is compared to other developers. Experience is a very relative concept. Starting to work in the company, you can expect that in 1-3 months you will be able to catch up with the rest of the team members. At first, as a beginner, you will be assigned an experienced senior developer who will bring you up to date and try to make it easier for you to enter the workflow. It will also check your code, suggesting easier ways to solve problems (if any). Of course, in the beginning you will be assigned simpler tasks. On the other hand, a senior developer who came to another company also needs time to fully understand the stack and infrastructure. That is, all developers, one way or another, adapt to new conditions. Everyone makes mistakes. Everyone is learning.
How to stop calling yourself a "junior"?
Instead of thinking of yourself as a junior, think about the cost of the resources you need to invest in you to start making consistent profits. Inviting a newcomer to work, the company is forced to distract an experienced specialist from his duties in order to bring him up to date. Let's take it to the max. If a senior developer spends 20% of their time (8 hours per week) working with you, the cost of your employment to the employer increases markedly due to a loss of one lost day per week in the mentor's productivity. This is a major barrier to hiring juniors, especially in startups that sometimes lack funding. In many cases, the investment is not justified, especially if candidates do not show much commitment. As an aspiring developer, your goal is to reduce the additional costs the company needs to get you started. To do this, you will have to build knowledge, demonstrate results, and take responsibility. Focus on acquiring skills in a technology that interests you. Try to delve into it as much as possible and explore as many of its facets as possible. People often complain that they can't get work experience because only experienced programmers are needed everywhere. A simple strategy can help you deal with this problem: create your own projects, open their code and share them with the world. After writing one or two of your own applications, you can present them at the interview as proof of your experience. Emphasize that you want to work on your part of the codebase. Mention that you want to learn and grow within the company, helping other team members whenever possible. Everything you say at the interview should revolve around theses:
I am competent in my field, here is my evidence.
I will help the company reduce costs by saving other developers from having to deal with some kind of routine.
I have the right attitude, I am loyal to the company and in general, if you hire me, it will reduce your risks.
Being committed to doing your part of the codebase (from a business standpoint) means that you don't have to ask colleagues for help (and if you do, in small amounts) to add value to the company. It's all about unique value. If you can convince the employer of your value, inspire him with confidence that you know how and what to do, and at the same time work independently, you will surely get a job.
Why start with Java?
Source: DZoneI am often asked: “What is the first programming language to choose?” and “Is it better to start with Java or Python?” The answer to these questions has several parts. Of course, Java is one of the most popular programming languages. But other than that, there are many other reasons to learn Java, from job opportunities to taking advantage of community support. Given the context of choosing Java as the first language, the most important reason is that it is easier to learn. Some might argue that Python is even easier because it doesn't require compilation, but I personally find Java syntax much easier to learn, read, and understand. At one time, C was the first programming language in our college, and then we learned C++, VB, VC++, and finally Java. For me, Java is simpler and easier to learn, but I still remember someone saying it was harder than C++. When I started writing programs on it myself, it turned out that Java is much more readable. Debugging and finding the problem was also much easier in Java than in C++ or C.
Reasons to learn Java
Here are a few reasons why I think Java is the programming language to start learning code with.
1. It's simple
Java is a simple language. Its syntax is much more readable than C, C++, or any other language.
2. He uses OOP
Java is good for learning object-oriented programming, but not so good for procedural programming. Object-oriented programming is a useful skill because it handles the complexity of a real application well. Knowing it makes it easier to work in terms of class and objects.
3. Large list of APIs
You can create a lot more with Java, including graphics, sound, and most likely writing small games. Yes, you can do it in other languages as well, but you will have to download and install various modules and libraries, which is quite difficult for beginners. When you install Java, most of these tools are included in the base installation.
4. Community Support
Java has a strong community. No matter what questions or problems you have, the Java sites and forums are here to help. This is a very important reason for a beginner, because when you start learning how to program, you will encounter many different problems. Finding answers to questions related to Java will be much easier for you than with any other language.
5. Sustainability
Java is a strongly typed language in which novice mistakes are easy to spot. And it is less suitable for static typing. This is another reason why I suggest that beginners learn Java first and not Python because Python is a dynamically typed language. You don't have to define types, which makes it easier to learn.
6. Garbage cleaner
Java comes with a built-in garbage collector, which is a big plus for newbies. Here are some of the reasons why I believe that you should start learning programming in Java and not in another language. You can call me biased because I am a Java programmer, but I also know Python and have done professional programming in C and C++. Based on this experience, I can say that Java is undoubtedly one of the best programming languages for beginners.
Is Java good enough for a successful programming career?
Not really. Some tasks are easier to solve in other languages. But once you get comfortable with Java, it will be easier for you to switch to other programming languages like Scala or JavaScript, learn Python, which doesn't need to be compiled. To work in Java, there is a large selection of tools such as Eclipse, Netbeans or IntelliJIDEA. They are great to help you with coding and debugging. There are some really good IDEs for Java programming. You will see for yourself.
The term junior developer is found everywhere, from job postings to employee listings. The prefix "junior" allows companies to properly organize tasks and allocate responsibilities. But just because everyone uses the term doesn't mean you should. By calling yourself a junior, you deliberately devalue your skills and value in the job market. In addition, you yourself may believe that you are not qualified enough and need constant support.
I am often asked: “What is the first programming language to choose?” and “Is it better to start with Java or Python?” The answer to these questions has several parts. Of course, Java is one of the most popular programming languages. But other than that, there are many other reasons to learn Java, from job opportunities to taking advantage of community support. Given the context of choosing Java as the first language, the most important reason is that it is easier to learn. Some might argue that Python is even easier because it doesn't require compilation, but I personally find Java syntax much easier to learn, read, and understand. At one time, C was the first programming language in our college, and then we learned C++, VB, VC++, and finally Java. For me, Java is simpler and easier to learn, but I still remember someone saying it was harder than C++. When I started writing programs on it myself, it turned out that Java is much more readable. Debugging and finding the problem was also much easier in Java than in C++ or C.
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