34 Tips for Professional JavaScript Developers
Tags: javascript, career, webdev, productivity
Published: 2021-12-14 14:06:42

## What is this article all about?

It might be easier to begin by saying what it's _not_:

1. This is **not an enumeration of tips and tricks to land your first job** (there is already plenty of stuff on that topic).

2. This is **not a list of professional "networking" skills** (I find that stuff boring, no offense).

3. This is **not an aggregation of purely technical advice** (because the role of a JavaScript developer is not purely technical).

Rather, I want to dish out practical advice for what to do when you've already landed your first gig.

> In short, I want you to be feel motivated, driven, and confident in **answering the simple question of "what's next?"**

## The Journey
Specifically, I want to provide an answer to that important question beginning at the start of a new job, and then work our way from there.

## A Disclaimer
JavaScript is a broad enterprise, and there are so many different niches (and therefore positions) that one may find themself in.

I cannot possibly cover practical advice at that scale. Therefore, I will assume a specific scenario.

Even if said scenario does not describe your situation, I still hope the advice can be practical and helpful in a general sense.

I'll leave it to the reader to adopt and mold the advice to their specific circumstances.

With that aside, let's end this introduction and get started already.

## Ok, I got my first job...now what?
You're now a JavaScript developer writing code for a web application product.

You work with a group of developers, some more frontend-focused and some more backend-focused.

You have a software developer manager that you check in with once a week.

There's also a product team composed of a Product Manager, UI/UX Designer, and a Technical Product Manager.

### Tip #1

You were hired for a reason. Remember that.

### Tip #2

You don't impress peers with your technical skills.

### Tip #3

Make your first career milestone being able to complete assigned work with minimal help (but initiate asking questions until you get there).

### Tip #4
Read PRs of more experienced PRs and learn from them (even if you weren't assigned to do the review).

### Tip #5
Be yourself. A personable teammate is a very attractive quality.

### Tip #6
Expect long code review feedback cycles. That's normal in this stage.

## Alright, I can complete tasks with minimal help...what's next?

### Tip #7
Make it your next milestone to complete assigned work with better efficiency.

### Tip #8
Improve efficiency by paying attention to common points made when others review your code.

### Tip #9
Improve efficiency by targeting and resolving bottlenecks.

### Tip #10
Remember that, in part, improving efficiency just takes experience (which takes time).

## Alright, I can complete tasks with improved efficient...now I should ____?

### Tip #11
Make it your next milestone to improve the quality of your code.

### Tip #12
Get very good at providing thorough code reviews.

### Tip #13
Always take time refactor your code after you get it working, [making your code easy to review](https://www.michaelmang.dev/blog/how-to-help-someone-else-review-your-code).

### Tip #14
Write [clean code](https://gist.github.com/wojteklu/73c6914cc446146b8b533c0988cf8d29).

### Tip #15
[Get comfortable with reading open source code](https://www.michaelmang.dev/blog/use-the-source-luke).

### Tip #16
Imitate patterns found in open source code.

### Tip #17
Imitate patterns found in your codebase.

### Tip #18
Do pair code reviews.

## I'm writing cleaner code so I should focus on ____ next?

### Tip #19
Make it your next milestone to help improve the team's efficiency and culture.

### Tip #20
Initiate meetings to help developers focus on professional development (I've always liked the format of doing a [show-and-tell where developers can shared a recent thing they've learned](https://www.michaelmang.dev/blog/code-show-and-tell)).

### Tip #21
Observe and address bottlenecks in the review and deployment process.

### Tip #22
Observe and address recurring bottlenecks in project planning and execution.

### Tip #24
Initiate suggestions for better coding patterns and technologies.

### Tip #24
Initiate trying [different ways of thinking and working](https://www.michaelmang.dev/blog/how-to-energize-your-developer-experience-with-a-powerlifting-technique) (i.e. pair on all code reviews for one project).

### Tip #25
Aim for initiating one technology improvement and alternative way of working for each project.

### Tip #26
Observe and address needs for greater emphasis on career development.

### Tip #27
Observe and address needs for greater ways to motivate developers besides completing a project.

### Tip #28
Observe and address needs for greater ways to have fun as a team.

## I'm clearly becoming a tech leader, I also should ____?

### Tip #29
Make [providing input during product meetings](https://dev.to/michaelmangial1/3-not-so-obvious-ways-to-stand-out-on-a-product-team-as-a-developer-2d20) as high a priority in your role as writing code.

### Tip #30
[Share your learnings with a broader audience using a developer's content model](https://www.michaelmang.dev/blog/the-developers-content-model).

### Tip #31
Focus on a niche interest/skill in your realm of development and get really good at it.

### Tip #32
Work on side projects that sharpen your niche skill.

### Tip #33
Stay up to date with latest trends in the industry (via Twitter, [Bytes](https://click.convertkit-mail4.com/5qu696q3o8h7h4xwpkf6/3ohphduqzrmk5lhr/aHR0cHM6Ly9ieXRlcy5kZXY_eD00Nzg2Njg5MjM=), Dev.to, newsletters, etc.

### Tip #34
Outwork everyone.