The early days of my developer journey predate the widespread use of coding in a solitary fashion. The image of a programmer during that time was of a person isolated in a room with their face buried in their work while they typed away at a computer with very little engagement with the outside world. But as the world has changed, so has the role of a developer. Today, it’s no longer enough to just write code. The professional world requires developers to be socially active people who publicly demonstrate their work and engage with other specialists.
In today’s world, having a strong presence on professional networks such as LinkedIn, HackerNoon, Dev.to, and other platforms is just as important as the technical skills we develop. It isn’t enough to possess strong coding skills because you need to maintain an active presence and contribute your knowledge by creating tutorials, completing projects, or participating in discussions. This transformation in the industry made me understand that I must change my approach.
Start Journey
Last year, I decided to make my journey public and began opening up to my peers. I set up a TikTok account to document my development experience which was something I considered unlikely before. Find me here: @jsmentoring. This decision has completely rearranged my working life in ways beyond my wildest dreams.
- At first, I was afraid of the camera. It was a big step for me, but it helped me become more open.
- I began having conversations with developers from all around the globe and from different countries which exposed me to their unique stories and perspectives. We discussed various means of enhancing our programming skills, how one could make better tutorials, and we also shared our experiences. It’s incredible how simple it has become to communicate with people and gain knowledge from them. It’s hard to believe that I used to exclude such discussions from my life just a few years ago.
- In the beginning, my friends and family had no idea what I was doing, they didn’t understand why I spent so much time on this platform. They thought it was a distraction from my work. But now, it’s different. People ask me for advice, for tutorials, and they want to know how I did something. It has become much easier to get a response from other people whether you are looking for a job or just want to talk to someone.
On Saturdays and Sundays, I dedicate 5-6 hours to the preparation of content, recording videos, and then posting them on my accounts. I make videos, write blog posts, and I make sure that all the content is properly optimized with keywords to reach the right people. It is tiresome, especially with family responsibilities, but the comments I get are wonderful.
Result
At the time of writing this, my TikTok account has been visited more than 110,000 times, and I have more than 400 videos. Some of these videos are now part of my npm package “Interview Questions” series which can help new developers prepare for their interviews. It has been wonderful to notice that the content I create is helpful to others. You can check it out here: Interview Questions on NPM.
Conclusion
I highly encourage every developer to build their personal brand and engage with other members of the community beyond just writing code. You should do something more – make tutorials, participate in discussions, or share your experience, and you will discover doors that you have never expected. It isn’t always easy, and it does take time and energy, but the effects on your career and on your personal development are huge. Don’t be scared to open up and give out information. It will transform your life in ways you can not even begin to think of.
