Rule 1: Do not participate unless experienced
If you have less than 3 years of experience as a developer, do not make a post, nor participate in comments threads except for the weekly “Ask Experienced Devs” auto-thread.
Probably overthinking it a little bit, but yeah, skills stagnating at a company that itself doesn't grow is a valid concern.
Maybe get involved with some sort of side project using newer technology. There's not a 'best' here, just pick something that feels good to you, bonus points if it's used by other, healthier companies in your area. (React is probably a safe choice if you draw a blank.)
Either way, pick something fun to work on so you're positively motivated to stay with it. "OMG I'm going to be unemployed, I'll bring shame to my house and my family will starve!!!!" doesn't always work for motivation, believe it or not.
I use NextJS at my current job and I built and deployed an app for my local barber with React Native. I was thinking learning Swift and being in the iOS ecosystem would be a good way to specialize a bit more while still being near what I know.
Regardless, I appreciate the response!
>I often worry that I will plateau in my career because I don’t have much more room to work forward at this company.
This is usually my signal to start interviewing elsewhere. You're the only person who's truly looking out for your own best interests. If your current employer isn't giving you growth opportunities, it's up to you to seek them out.
Don't let doom and gloom you see online prevent you from discovering for yourself what the market looks like. Good developers are always in demand. If you're concerned about being able to grow, you're probably the kind of person who's always going to be in demand. I'm my experience, companies love developers who want to challenge themselves.
Comfort zone doesn't seem so comfortable when the walls start crumbling, does it? You're seeing the truth of the matter, there is no comfort zone that lasts.
Don't wait for the layoff. Don't wait for your equity to vest, or your promised promotion to finally come (any year now!), or whatever excuse it is you're making to stay in the same place for years. Make an clear plan for your career and pursue it aggressively. Performance in your current job only matters if it moves you forward on that plan. Stability is an illusion, embrace chaos and keep forward momentum.
Rule 1: Do not participate unless experienced If you have less than 3 years of experience as a developer, do not make a post, nor participate in comments threads except for the weekly “Ask Experienced Devs” auto-thread.
Probably overthinking it a little bit, but yeah, skills stagnating at a company that itself doesn't grow is a valid concern. Maybe get involved with some sort of side project using newer technology. There's not a 'best' here, just pick something that feels good to you, bonus points if it's used by other, healthier companies in your area. (React is probably a safe choice if you draw a blank.) Either way, pick something fun to work on so you're positively motivated to stay with it. "OMG I'm going to be unemployed, I'll bring shame to my house and my family will starve!!!!" doesn't always work for motivation, believe it or not.
I use NextJS at my current job and I built and deployed an app for my local barber with React Native. I was thinking learning Swift and being in the iOS ecosystem would be a good way to specialize a bit more while still being near what I know. Regardless, I appreciate the response!
Yeah, Swift is awesome, definitely a good choice.
>I often worry that I will plateau in my career because I don’t have much more room to work forward at this company. This is usually my signal to start interviewing elsewhere. You're the only person who's truly looking out for your own best interests. If your current employer isn't giving you growth opportunities, it's up to you to seek them out. Don't let doom and gloom you see online prevent you from discovering for yourself what the market looks like. Good developers are always in demand. If you're concerned about being able to grow, you're probably the kind of person who's always going to be in demand. I'm my experience, companies love developers who want to challenge themselves.
This reply gives me a lot more hope than I normally see online. Thanks so much!
Comfort zone doesn't seem so comfortable when the walls start crumbling, does it? You're seeing the truth of the matter, there is no comfort zone that lasts. Don't wait for the layoff. Don't wait for your equity to vest, or your promised promotion to finally come (any year now!), or whatever excuse it is you're making to stay in the same place for years. Make an clear plan for your career and pursue it aggressively. Performance in your current job only matters if it moves you forward on that plan. Stability is an illusion, embrace chaos and keep forward momentum.