‘Things I’d Like To Tell My Younger Software Developer Self’ (Part II)

If you already checked the first part our our latest blog post, then it’s time to know what else some Exauders would like to share with their past software developer baby selves! 👶

Gonçalo de Jesus joined Exaud in 2020 and is an experience Unity developer (among other technologies), passionate about video games and Yodel playlists.

Let’s see what he has to say about it:

‘Imagine my past self and I went for a cup of coffee, and he asked me for some advice regarding his software development career. Well, first of all, kind of a weird choice of subject to talk about right off the bat with your future self without even asking how I’m doing, but hey! The guy’s got his priorities straight.

‘Soft skills matter. And not just in the way people think they do.’

For a recruiter, nothing beats the fresh feeling of opening a personalized e-mail, followed by an aesthetically pleasing CV. When you get to the interview, bring out your A-game and be passionate about what you do: be proud of what you’ve done; be confident in what you’re doing; be motivated for what’s to come.

For a client, it’s important that they can connect to the developer on a personal level. More than anything, they’ll feel safe and believe in your work, which is a critical part of the relationship between the development team and the client.

For an investor or publisher, with whom you’ll have a very short time span in the first interactions, it’s vital that you’re able to pique their interest. First meetings with them are very hard to come by, so if you get one, you’ll need your silver tongue to showcase your awesome product, your awesome team, and your awesome game plan to glue it all together.

Above all this, for a fellow developer, a healthy connection with teammates is crucial, not only for the project’s sake, but for everyone’s mental health. It makes things much smoother (and more pleasant) when all team members are on the same wave length, and that’s obtained through communication and openness. This increases productivity, which increases morale, which in turn increases productivity some more, and so on.

In the end, computers and machines are not the ones who you’ll be working with.

While fundamental, having the coding skills isn’t everything, young Skywalker. A cheeky emoji at the end of a message or a jolly old G’morning in the beginning of a meeting can make all the difference. Being human is a key component in becoming a great developer, teammate, and collaborator, even if they don’t teach you that in college.’

Next, we have Rui Cardoso’s wise advice! 👴 Rui has been with Exaud for over a year now, working in Blockchain development. He joined the team during his last college year and he already came along way since his first months as a Junior Software Developer.

Here’s what he’d tell himself from a year ago:

‘If I met my 1 year ago developer, I would say many things to him but here’s only some of them!

Don’t be nervous. No one is expecting anyhting from you, just do your best, and ask for help if needed, no one will judge you for not knowing everything!

Everything will work out. If you don’t find a solution today, you’ll find it tomorrow. If you can’t reach a solution, ask for help, I mean, two brains think better than one 😉

To wrap things up, always take care of your health. Developing can often be stressful, so you need to release all that stress. Never let any problem take the best of you!’

What about you? What you tell your younger software developer self? 👶

Working at Exaud is more than just a job. Want to come along for the ride? We’re always looking for great people to join us. Check our current openings on our Careers Page.