Developer’s Weak Skills: Detecting and Strengthening Them

The rivalry in the Software Development business is constantly increasing, so simply maintaining your skills is no longer enough — you have to keep improving. Begin by identifying the areas that need a boost, then enhance them with effective methods. Here are some proven techniques.

How to Identify Which Hard Skills to Upgrade

Avoid randomly selecting knowledge areas to deepen, as this will only spread your efforts too thin. Approach this task strategically.

Step 1: Analyze Previous Projects. Reflect on the tasks that were most challenging and the aspects of your work that colleagues commented on most often. These are the areas that need improvement.

Step: Complete Technical Tests. Regular testing helps assess your knowledge and identify weaknesses. Solve tasks on LeetCode, HackerRank, and Codewars, and analyze the speed and accuracy of your solutions. The more mistakes you make in a particular area, the more you should focus on mastering it.?

Step 3: Evaluate Performance through Metrics. Pay attention to performance indicators such as task completion time, debugging duration, and the quality of your work during multitasking. Also, consider the number and type of errors. For instance, after developing the backend for a mobile application, you encountered issues with handling incoming data. This likely reveals a need to enhance unit testing and adjust the CI/CD pipeline.

Don't hesitate to ask for feedback from colleagues and seek assistance, as this is how professional growth happens.?

3 Strategies to Boost Your Hard Skills

The next step is to work on your mistakes. We've gathered some effective methods for you.?

• Strengthen Your Theoretical Knowledge. This is the foundation without which practice will be unproductive. Read books and articles by industry leaders, such as Clean Architecture by Robert C. Martin. Follow blogs and forums, engage in discussions, and ask questions.
• Practice Pair Programming. Working on a problem together with a partner is more engaging and insightful than doing it alone. It results in a higher-quality code with you fostering the exchange of knowledge, tips, and insights. Don't forget to periodically switch roles: the driver writes the code, while the navigator observes the process and provides suggestions.
• Participate in Hackathons. These are intense, time-limited competitions. You can work on everything from backend development to frontend, databases, or interfaces. The main advantage is the real-world cases and receiving feedback from experts or other participants.

The more consistently you train, the faster you'll notice results.

How to Upgrade Your Soft Skills

Professionalism relies not only on programming knowledge but also on non-technical skills. Developers often face challenges with several of these.

Time Estimation & Management. Unrealistic time estimates leads to delays. To avoid this, work with a timer for a while — eventually, you'll become better at determining task durations. Based on this, plan your schedule to meet deadlines. Platforms like Clockify, TimeCamp, or ClickUp can be helpful.?

Critical Thinking. Analyze every task and future decision, as each step in your work should be carefully considered. Here are a few questions to guide you:

• What is the ultimate goal of this product/innovation?
• Are there alternative methods to solve this problem?
• What potential issues could arise?
• Have I considered all possible options?

Ask yourself this every time to make the most informed decisions and minimize mistakes.

Communication. This is the foundation of teamwork. Clearly articulate tasks and requests to avoid misunderstandings. If you tend to explain complex tasks in a confusing way, imagine you're speaking to someone without IT knowledge — this will help you formulate short, clear sentences. Additionally, actively participate in team discussions, presentations, and team-building activities. Practice makes perfect.

Self-improvement is an exciting yet challenging journey. We are certain that consistent work on your skills will take you to the next level.

At OGDSolutions Oü, we support continuous learning, collaborate with talented Developers, and help them grow. If you're looking for an environment where professional growth is ingrained in the corporative culture, join our team.

More:

Job Hunt: Freelance vs. Outstaffing — What Works Best for You

Stop Overestimating: How to Critically Evaluate Your Skills and Meet Stakeholder Expectations

From Job Search to Job Offer: A Step-by-Step Guide

3 Tips for Proper Preparation to Get a Dream Job

The OGDSolutions Oü platform makes it easy for Fractional CTOs and other Professionals to recruit Developers and build technical teams for their Projects.

Go to the 800+ Developer Pool, choose a Specialist for your tasks, or leave a request and get a personalized proposal: https://ogd-solutions.com/developers

Thanks for reading, we'll be back on Thursday with the next newsletter issue.