Real Advice for Your First Dev Job (That Has Nothing to Do With Code)

Someone recently asked me what advice I’d give to someone starting their first job as a software developer.

My brain immediately jumped to frameworks, languages, git hygiene, and other tech-y stuff…
But then I realized: none of that mattered as much as I thought it would.

The real lessons?
They were about people, mindset, and learning how to exist in the chaos of a real dev team.

So here’s what I actually wish I knew when I started. No buzzwords. No gatekeeping. Just the stuff that matters.

🔁 1. Be Dependable (Yes, Even More Than “Smart”)

You can be the best coder in the building, but if people can’t rely on you—you’re not helping the team.

Say what you’re going to do. Then do it.
Show up. Follow through.
That’s the baseline for trust in this job.

Being dependable beats being brilliant every single time.

❓ 2. “I Don’t Know” Is a Power Move

You won’t know everything. No one does.

What matters is what you do next. Say:

“I don’t know right now—but I’ll figure it out.”

That’s confidence. That’s accountability. That’s what makes people want to work with you.

🧼 3. Be Honest, Always

Whether it’s progress on a task, a blocker, or a mistake you made—be honest.

Don’t wait until it’s too late. Don’t pretend.
Admitting what you don’t know or where you’re stuck builds trust—and it saves projects.

🤝 4. Make Connections Across Teams

Get to know people outside your immediate circle. QA, support, PMs, ops, marketing, whoever.

Why? Because:

They’ll help you get stuff done faster

You’ll learn things no tutorial ever teaches

And when you need a favor? You won’t be a stranger

Also: if someone comes to you for a favor, help them.
“Not my job” should never be part of your vocabulary.

🧍 5. Be Yourself (Even If You Don’t Think You Belong)

I didn’t start college until I was 29.
My first tech job? I was 31 or 32, surrounded by people 10 years younger with CS degrees.
I worked manual labor and low-paying jobs most of my life. I didn’t feel like I belonged.

But over time, I realized I was in the room for a reason.
And when I started leading? I thought I had to act like the other leaders.

Spoiler: I didn’t. And you don’t either.

The best thing you can bring to this job is yourself. Don’t hide it. Don’t fake it.

🛠 6. Never Stop Improving

There’s no “final form” of a developer.

You’ll never know it all. And if you think you do, you’ve already started falling behind.

The devs people look up to? They’re still learning every day—from logs, books, Stack Overflow, and the flaming chaos of production errors.

I’ve broken almost everything you can imagine.
I’ve also fixed it. That’s where the real growth lives.

🔥 7. Own Your Mistakes

You will mess up.
You’ll deploy the wrong thing. Forget an edge case. Push a null into prod. (Fun times.)

That’s not the problem.
How you respond is what defines you.

Own it. Fix it. Share what you learned.
People respect devs who take responsibility—not ones who vanish when the bugs show up.

🧠 Final Thought:

You’ll learn the tech. That’s the easy part.

The harder, more important stuff is how you:

Communicate

Collaborate

Stay grounded when things go sideways

That’s what turns you into a dev people trust—not just one who can code.

Now go be that dev.