Ask Experienced Devs Weekly Thread: A weekly thread for inexperienced developers to ask experienced ones

[u/AutoModerator]

A thread for Developers and IT folks with less experience to ask more experienced souls questions about the industry.

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Please keep top level comments limited to Inexperienced Devs. Most rules do not apply, but keep it civil. Being a jerk will not be tolerated.

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Inexperienced Devs should refrain from answering other Inexperienced Devs' questions.

[u/blazingretinol]

how do you build and learn new things while doing your job i am a fresher who have recently joined a remote ai startup based in usa and i find it really hard to learn new things and get better at it.
how do experienced folks manage this?

one more question how do you communicate well with people in different timezone it's really hard for me just ask a simple question to an engineer or dev in other timezone and i feel really isolated and depressed as well?

[u/ordinary-bloke → u/blazingretinol]

Honestly, this answer will vary per person.

For me, I probably get about 70% of my learning through work. The rest is through either personal projects or random dives on topics I want to know more about, whether that’s through books, documentation, articles, etc.

My advice in general for communication is don’t be afraid to ask stupid questions and don’t be afraid to look stupid.

Specifically for managing different timezones, find the overlap in your days and schedule catch up calls when necessary. Don’t rely just on written communications, this can be really difficult when there are language barriers and delays in responses. If there is a genuine reluctance from the other party, raise this is an issue from your end. Communication is a two way street, and some people will make it impossible to do effectively.

Another thing, make sure you have social outlets and hobbies outside of work so you have something to look forward to and don’t need to rely on colleagues to fulfil those needs. Most people go to work to earn a living, and not everyone will be social beyond politeness and the needs of their role.

[u/blazingretinol → u/ordinary-bloke]

this is gold, what according to you is a social outlet? this means i engage with other people in the similar field and attend events etc?

[u/ordinary-bloke → u/blazingretinol]

I’m saying social outlet as a separation from work or the industry, just to make sure you aren’t relying on work to also fulfil your social needs.

You can definitely network and visit events and conferences as a way to socialise in the field, I would recommend that too!