In this episode, Dave and Jamison answer these questions:
I’m a junior software engineer who has been placed in charge of a handful of graduates and interns who have joined my team. The project is fairly technical.
For the first two weeks, the new starters were pair programming. That went well, and after talking to each new starter they were eager to start working individually.
We’re one month in and I’m concerned about the performance of one of the engineers, “Morgan” (fake name). Morgan has completed a degree from a good university we often hire from but appears to lack any knowledge of software development. As a result, Morgan seems to struggle with researching and working through problems beyond following tutorials. I got the impression that while pair programming Morgan didn’t contribute much.
Is there anything I could do to give Morgan the boost needed to start rolling? I’m sure I could spoon feed Morgan, but it would monopolize my time when I’m already spending time with the other new starters on top of my own tasks.
I want to give Morgan a shot, but I don’t know what to do. At what point do I tell my manager about my concerns?
Things I’ve encountered:
Even all these issues in aggregate would be fine with me, but the continual resemblance and behavior of a stunned mullet isn’t encouraging. After being told to research a concept, Morgan must be told the specific Google query to type in.
Thanks, and apologies for the essay!
Listener Confused Cat asks,
I spent just over four years on a team where technical growth was lacking. Recently, I transitioned to a new team within the same company, and I’m enjoying the atmosphere, the team dynamics, and the opportunity to engage in more challenging software development tasks. Fortunately, my motivation is beginning to resurface.
However, I’ve noticed that my technical skills have become somewhat rusty. While I can still deliver systems and features, I feel like I’m falling behind compared to some of my peers. This self-awareness is causing me to doubt myself, despite receiving no negative feedback from my current team or supervisor. It’s not just imposter syndrome; I genuinely feel the need to upskill.
How can I navigate this situation effectively? What strategies would you suggest for advancing my skills while holding a senior position and preventing feelings of inadequacy from affecting my performance?
Episode 216: One-on-ones and inter-team power struggles
Episode 215: Many jobs in one and junior git stickler
Episode 214: Jumping ship and saying "I can't"
Episode 213: Interviewing your future boss and screwed by private equity
Episode 212: Turnover and self-inflicted complexity
Episode 211: Biorhythm and coworker roommate
Episode 210: Study time and caring less
Episode 209: Glue and Covid ghost job
Episode 208: Toe-stepper-on-er and high leverage work
Episode 207: Unclear career goals and garbage code
Episode 206: Micromanaging WFH and vaguely tech lead
Episode 205: Old code outage and questions leaking
Episode 204: Remote work and ghosting your employer
Episode 203: Downturns and conflict
Episode 202: Can't stand up and new team, new me
Episode 201: Too soon for a raise and management, masters, maybe?
Episode 200: Crazy work work stories
Episode 199: Offshore team influence and time zone fun
Episode 198: Stinky manager and VP overhaul
Episode 197: Rambling co-worker and awkward resume leak
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