Dear Junior Coders: Stop Chasing Shiny Objects

30 Jan 2025 #career #coding

“Focus on learning one thing.”

A coworker told me that every time he got to my desk. At that time, he was the IT/network guy. Years before that, he was a certified Java engineer or something.

I was new at this coding thing. I was trying to learn about everything at once. It was back in 2010ish. I was reading The Clean Code, learning Python, using C# at work (coming from Java), and watching PHP presentations in my lunch break.

Now you see why my coworker told me to focus.

Don’t chase shiny objects, go deep into fewer things

Instead of chasing new and shiny objects (like tools, libraries, and frameworks), juniors (and we all) are better off going deep into fewer tools and concepts.

Me 10+ years ago? “Oh there’s a new framework. A new C# version. A new CI/CD tool. Hey, what’s that new Hangfire thing over there?” Arrggg!

Frameworks and libraries come and go.

Today it’s React with Typescript. Before that, it was Bootstrap with Ember or Knockout.js. Before that, it was ASP.NET WebForms. Before that, it was Perl scripts or something. I wasn’t around coding at that time.

And who knows what AI will bring to the table.

But chances are we’ll be working on a C-type language, still using text files, and writing SQL. That hasn’t changed in ~50 years. And it will remain the same. I wouldn’t bet all my money though.

If you’re starting your coding journey, master the topics that have passed the test of time:

• SQL
• HTTP
• C/C++
• Data structures
• Design patterns
• Vanilla JavaScript
• Clean code principles
• Debugging and testing
• Linux and operating systems

(Not all of them at once, of course.)

I don’t know what other subject to add to that list now. But you get the point.

And more importantly than spitting out code, master your soft skills: negotiation and persuasion. Coding is more about collaboration than cracking symbols on a file.

It took me quite a while to learn that lesson. And that’s why I wrote Street-Smart Coding: 30 Ways to Get Better at Coding. It’s the roadmap I wish I had to go from junior to senior.

Get your copy of Street-Smart Coding here. Because coding is more than chasing trends. It’s about building skills that last.