12x things make you a better software engineer
Tags: softwareengineer, developer, architecture
Published: 2022-07-23 13:23:26

---
title: 12x things make you a better software engineer
published: true
description: the following things make a good software engineer, in which I believed in
tags: softwareengineer, developer, softwarearchitecture
cover_image: https://media-exp1.licdn.com/dms/image/C4E22AQHWbg8xyRdb3A/feedshare-shrink_800/0/1657834217779?e=1661385600&v=beta&t=oH2IBa6UftCZtIJ69ghDSms0GrrwAjN08MXKqjN00Tk

---

I love coding and enjoy thinking in design and architecture. I give always my best to do the best as I can.
In my opinion, the following things make a good software engineer:

### 🎯 master the essential tools
you should be professional to use the essential dev tools, such as editor, IDE, CLI, which you are using daily for the development. So, find the time to train yourself to master the hotkey, best practice for the dev tools.

### 🎯 master the essentials patterns/architectures
As a good software engineer, you need the fundamental knowledge about the essential design patterns and software architectures. This will help you to understand the other's source code or software product faster as possible. It will build the fundament to design a good software in your mind.

### 🎯 Pairing with more experienced software engineer
Pair-programming is the most efficient way to improve the coding skill in the short term.

### 🎯 less copy and pasting
Stack-Overflow!? Yes, I do. But do less copy and pasting, if you wanna be a better software engineer. Try to write the tests, or rename the variables or refactor the original code, if you HAVE TO do copy and pasting.

### 🎯 read or write min 30. mins every day
As software engineer, insisting on reading and writing.

### 🎯 use TDD as design tool
Yes, TDD as design tool. Early very difficult, but big impact in the future.

### 🎯 watch tech talks
The world is changing. And it changes faster as you image. So stay hungry and stay foolish. P.S. be like a child, not a senior 😀

### 🎯 keep open-source mindset
Try to be involved in open-source software projects; share your best practice, code snippets or packages in the community. Don't own the code alone by yourself, but share them.

### 🎯 make side-projects
Do something different and make side-projects.

### 🎯 find a great mentor & be a great mentor
you should have a mentor to guide you, so that you will get the maximal performance in the shortest time. "Try to teach others and share your experience from beginning on. When you are a junior you can mentor students, when you have already some experience you can mentor a junior." You will have the deeper understanding on what you are teaching and mentoring. It help both parties, if you are doing a mentoring well.

### 🎯 learn to communicate well
Software engineer shares the value to the community and communicate well. So go out of the comfort zone and learn to communicate well.

### 🎯 think beyond the code, and think like designers
Designers care about the user experience, good styling and product value. Yes, we do! We care about the good design and architecture, and the business value and the end-users.

If you agree with one of these points, take it and do it well in the coming days. :)