I am by no means a senior developer, but I attended a super informative zoom webinar that was hosted by Rahul Pandey (Android Tech Lead @ Facebook) and Alex Chiou (Android Engineer @ Robinhood). I thought it would help my fellow junior developers who are about to start or have already started their careers in the tech industry.

Create Multiplicative Value

This means to create some sort of legacy, something of impact, or something of value. Additive value means creating project after project, a.k.a. just doing your job.

It helps to be able to identify a problem and have an opinion about it. Once identified, you would need to address it and create a code, if possible, to solve the problem. Ideally, the solution will be something that will/can be used by your coworkers.

There will always be a problem because why else would engineers and developers be hired, right?

Market Yourself

Believe it or not, your managers are super busy people. They might not always notice everything that happens around them. But you know who notices everything that you do? It’s yourself!

Don’t be shy to market yourself and your projects during meetings, make status updates, or make posts. Be sure to make an active effort to communicate with people about your projects.

It helps to keep a record of the good things you’ve done so you can sell yourself for a promotion.

Clear Communication

Your manager and coworkers are your resources. If you find yourself constantly doing projects or tasks that you don’t particularly enjoy or excel at, don’t be afraid to speak to your manager and coworkers about finding a possible solution or compromise.

Find out what you excel at or what you enjoy doing so that you can participate in future projects with those skills/tasks. Maybe you have a coworker who is in the same situation as you and would like to switch tasks with you!

It helps to be able to set clear expectations with your manager early on, so there won’t be any misplacements in task delegations.

Ask for Feedback

Bland and generic compliments won’t get you anywhere. What you need is constructive feedback from coworkers and managers. It’s best to schedule one on one meetings ahead of time so the person can have time to formulate their thoughts.

Yes, it will be awkward, but there will be opportunities for growth.

This will also be a good chance for you to get to know your coworkers!