The Benefits of Pair Programming (And Why I Hate It)
Source: Honeypot When I decided to enroll in a coding bootcamp, I thought it would give me the opportunity to meet people like me. But it turned out that I was about to meet my archenemy: pair programming. There are many things I like about Agile development. Even now I believe in the power of pair programming. But not at all because I see the advantages of this technique. In fact, I hate her. Not because I think it's ineffective, but because pair programming really annoyed me. Here are some of the benefits of pair programming that I have personally experienced:
It has improved my communication skills and the way I work in a team.
I have seen with my own eyes how some programmers dramatically improve their skills by constantly working in pairs (but at what cost to their partners...).
“I stare at my monitor for 5 minutes, trying to find another advantage...” . Sorry, I think that's it.
***
After several days of intense preparation, I had my first traumatic experience with pair programming. We solved basic JS problems. I was a navigator, and he was a driver. Although I didn't like the fact that I couldn't type code myself, I tried to make the most of the exercise by asking my partner a lot of questions:
“Why did you name your variable that?”
"Why did you write this in a separate function?"
“Can we try my method to see if it works?”
At some point, without any warning, my partner stood up and left the room, leaving me bewildered. It turns out that those who ask a lot of questions every two minutes can be very annoying. And so began my long descent into hell. Goodbye to the good old days when I programmed for 18 hours without getting out of bed. Goodbye to the quiet moments with myself where I would go days, sometimes weeks, before thinking about talking to another person. Goodbye to the joy of working on your own ideas. One day, when I was at the height of my emotions, I confessed to one of the instructors that I literally hated pair programming. His answer surprised me even more: “Oh, yes!...pair programming is terrible . ” Finally my disgust was recognized by others! I'm not against pair programming. In fact, I actually think that for some people it's very healthy. I even think it would have helped me too if I were paired with more experienced programmers. But as we all studied, most students were terrible partners (including me). I know that there are people who, like me, also strongly dislike this technology, but they are afraid to say so, because in some cases such an opinion can close the doors to employment. But I'm not looking for work anymore, so I don't care.
***
So, if you're interested, here's a comprehensive list of reasons why I hate pair programming:
I hate typing on someone else's computer. First of all, I got used to my keyboard. Secondly, some programmers' keyboards are simply disgusting. If we are going to work as a couple, cleaning the keyboard every morning should be mandatory.
I hate it when people type on my computer. Especially after someone ate a massive juicy burger 10 minutes earlier and didn't even wash their hands.
These constant breaks are after 20-30 minutes of work. We take a break and change places. It's my turn to type. 10 minutes to figure out where we were staying. Another 10 minutes to figure out how to move on. After 5 minutes, I start to get into a rhythm, and after another 5 minutes, “Hey, can we take a break?” . Ahhhh...
Selfish partners. These are the ones who pretend to know everything better than you. Or the guy who constantly complains about everything. Or a genius who is definitely a lot smarter than you but does his best to stoop to your level (I mean, it's cute, but still extremely annoying).
Passive partners. The ones that are completely turned off just because you know something they don't know. Or lazy people who don't mind you doing all the work for them (honestly, that's the best case scenario). Or a person who really wants to learn, but he doesn’t succeed at all, no matter how patiently you explain.
Micro-managers. They tell you what you need to do before you even start working. "Yes, I know I should have put a semicolon, it's just a typo... LET ME CORRECT THIS DAMN THING MYSELF THAN POINT IT OUT!!!" (I always kept these words to myself, but there were a thousand situations when I wanted, to be honest, to hit this person’s head against the wall).
Noise. My God. A room full of people working in teams, either having fun or arguing. When the noise got out of control, someone literally (I'm not making this up) had to stand up and yell, "Shut up!" so that everyone calms down for about 5 minutes. I've never had such a bad headache after a day of work.
***
Why did I like the agile development methodology? She taught me the value of teamwork and learning from each other. The experience was terrifying, but nonetheless meaningful. Now I'm a freelancer. Calm again, working for hours on end, without leaving home, with a minimum of social contacts. The reality that was a dream is now an even bigger reality, with the added benefit of financial rewards. I think I've found my way.
How to Write a Cover Letter for a Resume: Hiring Manager Tips
Source: Free Code Camp Cover letters, like resumes, are difficult to write. And most people don't handle it well. The reason for this is most likely that you write cover letters or resumes very rarely. Besides, the content of this letter is to sell yourself and your skills. But many people have problems with this. In this article, I'll discuss the reasons why your cover letter is likely flawed and give you 10 tips on how to improve it so it stands out.
Why your cover letter needs improvement
People rarely consider a cover letter important - even if they really want to get an interview. You can often hear something like, “But I gave this letter to other people to read, and everyone said it was fine!” There are a couple of problems here. First, your cover letter needs to be better than just “okay.” To set you apart from your competitors, your email needs to be amazing. Secondly, most people don't know how to write good cover letters, so they can't spot the problems in your letter. On the other hand, reviewers are sometimes afraid of offending you, and therefore avoid critical comments. You can only get sound advice from someone who has experience in hiring or recruiting in your field.
My 10 Tips for Improving Your Cover Letter
As someone who has read a lot of cover letters (good and bad), I have some helpful tips for writing them.
Stop using the same cover letter over and over again.
If a vacancy is really important to you, the cover letter for your resume should be individual. A cover letter is a way to stand out from the competition and tell you why you want to work for this company. Some employers take into account the presence of such a letter, others do not. For example, for IT giants like Facebook and Google, letters usually do not matter. But a good cover letter definitely never hurt anyone. It can also be a useful exercise for you. Writing a letter is a good time to think about why you are interested in working for this company. And when you are asked such a question during an interview, you will already have a ready answer to it.
Don't follow outdated templates
You can no longer indicate your address and the address of a potential employer at the top. Treat your cover letter like you would a regular email. Start simply: “Dear Hiring Manager, …” There is no need to try to find the name of this manager somewhere. If you don't know him personally, this is not necessary. Also, do not show creativity in your letter. Keep it simple, like “I am interested in position X” or “I am writing to you regarding position Y.”
Tell us why you want to work for this company
Do you like this company and share its values? Do you think they are working on something interesting? At the very beginning, give a specific reason why you are interested in this particular job. Also tell us how you found them. Did you read on a company blog about some interesting research they were doing? Or perhaps you've noticed that the company really values volunteerism and encourages employees to give back? Where and how you find out about this company, write to them about it. Organizations spend a lot of time and money on the interviewing and hiring process. Therefore, the employer is interested in investing effort and time only in communicating with people who are truly interested in the work. If you can show the organization that you are very interested in working for them, this will likely increase your chances of getting an interview. To check if you wrote your letter well, try mentally replacing the company name and position in your letter. If your letter can be sent to any other organization, then it is worth rewriting it.
Explain why you should be hired and not another candidate
There is no need to summarize your resume again. The manager already knows what is written there. A cover letter is your chance to tell the employer what kind of person you are and why you are better suited for this position than others. Have your former management and colleagues praised your work? Then you can confidently say, “I am the best person when it comes to X.” Mention it! Are you so passionate about networking that you read an illustrated manual on TCP/IP even on the beach? Write about it! Do you spend your weekends working on your own mobile app? This is also worth talking about! Much depends on the context. Ideally, you should understand the employer's culture and write your cover letter accordingly to that culture. But in general, treat the letter like a normal conversation.
Be specific
If you want to tell the company how you can help solve their problems, provide examples from your previous work. This is much better than just praising yourself. This will make your words more powerful and trustworthy. Don’t throw around the words: “I know how to quickly solve problems and pay great attention to detail. I am able to manage complex code pipelines.” Instead, it's better (and more effective) to say, “In addition to being very adaptable, I recently migrated my company's code release process and implemented a CI/CD pipeline to AWS. As a result, we went from one release per week to daily releases, and there were fewer reported problems. I deal with all the tasks assigned to me with the same attention and passion, from code reviews to project modernization.” The second option is much more credible and literally paints the employer a picture of your abilities.
Make sure the text of the letter “speaks” your language
This does not mean that the text must accurately reflect your manner of speech. But it should reflect your style. Don't throw in tired phrases like "if you're looking for a hard-working, dedicated developer with a team spirit..." The people you're sending your email to are real, living people. Often this is someone who has been in your position most recently, and if you are hired, you will become colleagues. Write the letter as if you were telling another employee why you would be a great fit for the position.
Don't write more than one page
Your cover letter should fit into one page. If the text is longer, it means you wrote too much. If you don't know what to cut, remove what's already on your resume. Also remove the meaningless phrases about a hardworking and passionate developer with a team spirit. Write more simply. Tell us why you would be the perfect fit for this position and this company. Imagine that this is your “elevator presentation”, which you must have time to give before the elevator reaches the desired floor. By the way, when you are asked to talk about yourself at an interview, you will already have a good preparation.
Explain anything that may raise questions
If you've previously worked in a different field and are now going into something completely new, you need to make a compelling case for why you'd be good at the job. Employers often receive hundreds (if not thousands) of resumes for one job opening. To understand who is worth calling for an interview and who is not, they need to be able to quickly and easily understand the letters they receive. If an employer senses that “there’s something wrong here,” such as that the person is overqualified (or underqualified) for the job or doesn’t have experience in the field, they’ll likely just put your resume in the “no” pile. Your job is to convince the employer that you are the best option for the job. This is especially important if you are looking to change careers or if you are self-taught. I'm not saying that you shouldn't apply for jobs that don't match your previous experience. Many self-taught people have successfully changed careers and become developers. But it will be a little more difficult. A well-written cover letter and resume, a portfolio of completed projects, and a list of skills acquired in previous jobs can convince an employer that you are qualified.
Check everything again
Read your letter and then read it again. If you have problems with grammar, use spell check services. If you write in English, and this is not your native language, pay attention to the Grammarly service. There you will find out for free what needs to be corrected in the text. If you have a friend who speaks English well, ask him to help you. If there are mistakes in your resume and cover letter, this may distract the manager from listing your achievements. Additionally, communication is an important part of any job, including technical work, so it is important to show off your communication skills. The employer knows that you have had enough time to write and proofread your resume and cover letter. Therefore, the presence of errors or typos may disappoint him.
Send your cover letter correctly
If you send an application for a vacancy somewhere, then the cover letter should be in the body of your e-mail. Don't send your manager a blank email with two files attached. Use your work email address to send, not your personal one! Something like firstname.lastname@provider.com. If you are a student or graduate student, a university email domain address will also work. But if you said goodbye to your studies several years ago, then you should update your address. And of course, addresses with funny names like kotenok_xx@yahoo.com are absolutely not suitable.
Here are some of the benefits of pair programming that I have personally experienced:
In this article, I'll discuss the reasons why your cover letter is likely flawed and give you 10 tips on how to improve it so it stands out.
GO TO FULL VERSION