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Practical advice for stuck developers
Job search strategy, portfolio building, interview prep, and the truth about the entry-level market.
Job Search
Git Workflow on a Real Team: Branches, PRs, and Merge Conflicts
Working with git on a shared codebase exposes patterns that solo projects never require. Here's a practical guide to how the workflow actually runs on real engineering teams.
12 min read
Job Search
How to Handle Code Review Feedback Without Taking It Personally
Code review is the primary way senior engineers share their knowledge with junior ones. Whether you benefit from that process depends entirely on how you receive the feedback.
11 min read
Job Search
What 'Good Enough' Code Looks Like on a Real Team
There's no single standard for "good code." The right bar depends on the team, the change type, and the risk level. Here's how to read those signals and write code that fits.
11 min read
Job Search
How to Work Effectively with a Senior Engineer
Senior engineers can accelerate your career or leave you to figure things out alone. The difference is mostly in how you show up, communicate, and handle their feedback.
12 min read
Job Search
How to Ask Questions at Work Without Looking Incompetent
Most junior engineers either ask too many questions before trying themselves, or suffer in silence and fall behind. The right approach is in the middle, and the format matters.
11 min read
Job Search
How to Onboard Into a New Codebase Without Drowning
Most new engineers try to understand everything at once and get nowhere. Here's a systematic approach to onboarding into a new codebase that actually works.
12 min read
Job Search
How to Make the Most of an Unpaid Internship as a Developer
An unpaid internship only pays off if you leave with something concrete. Here's how to make sure you get a portfolio piece, a strong reference, and documented experience, not just busy work.
11 min read
Job Search
How to Get a Reference When You've Never Had a Tech Job
"Who can vouch for your technical work?" is one of the harder questions in an early career job search. Here's where references actually come from when you haven't worked as an engineer yet.
10 min read
Job Search
How to Work on a Real Codebase Before You Have a Job
Building your own projects teaches you to code. Working in someone else's codebase teaches you to be an engineer. Here's how to close that gap before you're hired.
12 min read