My First Two Years as a Mobile Dev
Lessons learned as an iOS developer at BuzzFeed
Today I’m celebrating a “Buzziversary.” I’ve been an iOS developer at BuzzFeed for two years. Some days I still can’t believe my life, and others I take it for granted like everyone else. What hasn’t changed at all is my love for this work. It only becomes more exciting and challenging the more I learn.
Through my involvement with NYC Tech Latinas, as well as a number of other organizations, I’ve had the opportunity to meet countless people who are new to programming, trying to get a foot in the door, or just starting out in their first dev roles, many of them from groups underrepresented in tech, and share my experience with them. In previous posts, I shared about how I transitioned into tech and landed a fantastic job. But now I’d like to take the time to share some of the more difficult lessons I’ve learned since.
Ask ALL the Questions
Early on, I was afraid to ask too many questions because I thought it would reveal how inexperienced I was and how little I knew. I spent way too long trying to figure things out on my own, when I could have instead checked in with my team. This caused me so much unnecessary stress. It’s been my experience that teammates are always happy to help and share information. I have never once been punished in any way for asking a question. In fact, as I’ve gained experience and tackled problems of growing complexity, communication has become vital and often necessary, so I think it’s a good idea to get into that practice early on and strive to be better at it.
Avoid Burnout
For the first few months, I would bring my laptop home and work in the evenings, sometimes weekends. This was not expected of me. I did it because of all the pressure I put on myself to be at the same level as the rest of my team, which was completely unrealistic, because they had been doing this work years longer than I had. At some point, I decided to purposely leave my laptop at the office and never look back. It was the right choice.
These days I don’t often write code outside of the office. Some may disagree and think that one should “always be coding” and have a bunch of side projects in order to get stronger at it, but I think I’m a better and happier programmer when I have a good work-life balance. Furthermore, this isn’t a race. I plan on being in this field for a long time.
Learn From Code Reviews
I’ll be the first to admit that getting feedback on your code can be daunting and soul-crushing. I’ve had some comments in code reviews that read like essays. Some days, when my emotional state isn’t so great, it’s easy to take it personally and get down on myself, but that would defeat the purpose. The truth is that I have benefited immensely from getting feedback. It has, without a doubt, made me a stronger programmer. The fact that my teammates take the time to write thorough reviews, and that I’m given the opportunity to improve my code — that my team believes in my ability— is something I’m thankful for, even if I don’t always feel that way in the moment.
Have the Difficult Conversations
At some point in my second year, I was unhappy with certain aspects of my work life. I did not talk about it with anyone for fear that I might be seen as problematic. In meetings with my manager, I would say everything was fine, but secretly I was starting to consider if I might be happier elsewhere. This went on for a few months until I realized that I needed to open up about what was bothering me or else nothing would ever change. So I did, and it was very uncomfortable, but so freeing. It was a productive conversation that changed the course of my career. I feel fortunate to work with great people and in a supportive environment that allows me to have difficult conversations.
Use Your Network
If you follow me on Twitter, you know I am very active in the iOS/Swift community. It adds fun to my days to joke around with all my best internet friends while at work. But also, it’s a constant reminder that we are all in the same boat trying to stay afloat while Apple keeps throwing stuff at us. I’ve made some great friends via Twitter. They have helped me with everything from Xcode issues to managing anxiety to getting through a divorce. I can’t say enough about how much these connections have meant to me the last couple of years. A special shout out to Fernando Paredes, for all his help and for introducing me to Chingo Bling.
These are just a few of the lessons I’ve learned so far. If I think of any others, I will add them to this post. Feel free to share any lessons you’ve learned. Would love to hear them!
