How to be better coder

Starting a new career in software development is both exciting and frightening. There is a lot to learn, and it takes years of practice to become really good at it, like with other crafts.

To make it a little bit easier, especially for beginners, I want to share some knowledge I've gained over the years in the form of actionable tips with you.

Find a great mentor

One of the best things you can do to become a great developer is to find an excellent mentor. A good mentor will provide sound advice on everything from architecture to design, and even how to improve your career path.

A person who is not in the same company or location may be the best mentor for you. You can talk to them and get their advice on the phone, via email, or online. A mentor doesn't have to work at your company nor be an expert developer.

Find someone who understands software development and has had success in their career that you respect.

Learn to communicate well

Being a great developer means that you can communicate effectively with users and other developers. In fact, a large part of being an excellent programmer is sharing your ideas effectively and efficiently.

If you can present your ideas clearly and concisely, others will want to listen to what you have to say.

But communication isn't just about talking. It's also about listening to what others have to say. Studies show that good listeners were more successful in their careers than good talkers.

So you should never underestimate the power of a good listener, especially when working with clients or other developers on your team.

Learning how to listen can be invaluable, especially if you're planning on working with other people.

Learn how to use Google effectively

When I started as a software developer, I remember thinking that my fellow developers were some sort of super humans because they could always point me in the right direction when solving problems or implementing features.

That's when I started Googling everything, learning new tools and techniques along the way.

It turns out that knowing how to use Google effectively doesn't make you any less of a programmer – it makes you more effective at what you are doing.

Take the time to learn about all different kinds of tools so that if an issue comes up that requires something outside your realm of experience, you can quickly determine whether it is worth spending time learning about or not.

Start writing code every day

As soon as you finish reading this article, write some code! It may sound obvious, but you've got to start writing code every day.

I know you're busy, and everyone else is too. Trust me – there's a reason we all keep telling you to write code every day. It's because it works.  

Writing code every day keeps your skills sharp, helps you learn new languages and technologies, and allows you to work on stuff that interests you.

If it doesn't interest you, switch it up – change languages or projects at least once a month. This will keep things interesting (and stop them from getting boring) and make sure that you don't get stuck in a rut for months on end.  

Hone your craft – practice your art regularly  

This one can be easier said than done, because finding time to do this can be tricky unless you are super disciplined or have lots of spare time in your week (which I doubt).

Either way, if you want to become a great software developer, practice will help immensely.

The best way I have found to do this is to have some goals for each week that focus on improving my skills in something I am currently struggling with (the skill might even be completely different!). There are two main benefits to this:

Doing the challenges on is a perfect way to practice regularly. If you need more guidance, here is a great resository from Microsoft to help new developers: