Programming is a dynamic and evolving field that requires constant learning and adaptation. If you want to stay relevant in your programming career, you need to develop some habits and strategies that will help you keep up with the latest trends and technologies. Here are some tips on how to do that.
Change is inevitable in programming, and you can either resist it or embrace it. Embracing change means being open to new ideas, tools, languages, and paradigms that can improve your skills and solve problems more efficiently. It also means being flexible and adaptable to different situations and requirements. Don't get too attached to one way of doing things or one technology stack. Instead, be curious and willing to experiment and learn from others.
Technology changes really quickly due to people creating new things to help fix existing problems. What may be novel now is likely to either be replaced or become less popular over time. My only recommendation would be to see what is popular without your own tech sphere and learn enough so that you can read and write it. For example, in web development there's always new ways to create sites. New frameworks or non-frameworks are being released, such as Svelte and HTMX. There's a new SSG taking over others like Astro. Lastly, the tools just for creating, executing, and testing projects is ever expanding: Vite has overtaken Webpack, Bun is the new "NPM killer", and Vitest is gaining ground on Jest.
To stay relevant in programming: 1. Continuously learn new languages, frameworks, and technologies. 2. Engage with the developer community through forums, conferences, and online platforms. 3. Contribute to open-source projects to build your portfolio. 4. Stay updated on industry trends and best practices. 5. Develop soft skills like problem-solving, communication, and teamwork. 6. Adapt to changing demands by seeking feedback & embracing challenges.
One of the best ways to stay relevant in your programming career is to stay updated on the latest developments and innovations in your field. You can do this by following blogs, podcasts, newsletters, forums, and social media accounts of experts and influencers in your domain. You can also attend webinars, workshops, conferences, and meetups to network with other programmers and learn from their experiences. Staying updated will help you discover new opportunities, challenges, and solutions that can enhance your career.
There are a couple of ways I stay updated. Mostly, I like to hang around in the Tech Twitter and YouTube spaces. News tends to travel fastest in those areas due to the nature of people wanting to be first on reporting it. YouTube tends to be more in-depth on topics due to the longer video formats, and is great for having on in the background due to the minimal interaction required. Twitter is useful if you need to ask clarifying questions. A majority of people will assist in explaining topics, buzz words, and the like.
Programming is a skill that requires constant practice and improvement. You can't expect to master it by reading books or watching videos alone. You need to apply what you learn by working on real projects, either for yourself or for others. You can also participate in online platforms, competitions, and hackathons that can challenge your abilities and expose you to new problems and technologies. Practicing will help you sharpen your skills, build your portfolio, and showcase your value.
The best way I have found so far to practice is two-step: 1) I look at the documentation and follow along any tutorials they could have. If they don't, then I'll create a simple project using the technology. For example, if it's a library then I'll create a project where I have to use it, like a form without Formik. 2) I create a new side project where I focus on using that technology. It doesn't have to be anything grand. Most of the time it boils down to creating a clone of an existing SaaS, such as Instagram, Notion, MeetUp, etc. It's only when you attempt to integrate something new and deal with debugging that you truly find you can use something.
Programming is a broad and diverse field that offers many possibilities and paths. You can't rely on one skill or language forever. You need to learn new skills that can complement your existing ones and expand your horizons. You can do this by taking online courses, reading books, or finding mentors that can teach you new concepts and techniques. You can also explore different domains, such as web development, data science, machine learning, or game development, that can interest you and add value to your career.
When it comes to learning new skills I always find myself drawn to online courses. YouTube and Udemy are great examples, and some creators have their own websites for niche areas like Net Ninja or Wawa Sensei. There are also sites that provide university-level courses like Coursera or some colleges, such as the famous Harvard CS50. If you're looking for a mentor, I would consider reaching out to people either in real life or through social media. In terms of real life, I recommend joining a public group with a focus on tech or asking around your company if you have a department. On social media, there's spaces everywhere: Twitter, LinkedIn, Reddit, StackOverflow, HackerRank. The hard part is reaching out and maintaining that connection.
Feedback is essential for any programmer who wants to stay relevant in their career. Feedback can help you identify your strengths and weaknesses, improve your code quality, and learn from your mistakes. You can seek feedback from your peers, colleagues, clients, or users, either formally or informally. You can also use tools, such as code review platforms, code analysis tools, or testing frameworks, that can provide you with objective and constructive feedback. Seeking feedback will help you grow as a programmer and as a professional.
You always want to ask a mix of technical and non-technical people for feedback. Technical people are the ones who can look through your code and recommend tips on it. Safe coding practices, DRY code principles, DevOps pipeline recommendations, database management, etc. You'll learn how to be better at coding especially within professional environments. Non-technical people will normally give feedback on the user interface or user experience. You find that you kind of lose touch on the site from a user perspective. Some links are difficult to find, too many animations, difficult to click buttons on mobile viewports, etc.
Programming is not only a career, but also a passion and a hobby for many people. If you want to stay relevant in your programming career, you need to have fun and enjoy what you do. Having fun means finding projects that interest you, challenge you, and inspire you. It also means having a balance between work and life, and taking care of your health and well-being. Having fun will help you maintain your motivation, creativity, and enthusiasm for programming.