Here are a few ways I've found to help get me back to the state of mind in which I love what I do
I've worked full-time as a Software Developer for the last two and a half years. So far, it's been a joy to work in this industry, so much so that it doesn't always feel like a job. However, there are times when the 'honeymoon' phase of a new job wears off, and I've noticed I feel less motivated.
1. Learning new Concepts: Software development is an ever-growing field. I’ve found it very rewarding to go out of my comfort zone to pick up new concepts that I don’t get to use in my daily work, such as learning about microservices and databases.
I love the process of learning new things or things I’d previously found hard to grasp. There’s no better feeling than the ability to go into something new and grasp everything about that concept to the degree that I become a dependable resource on that concept for my colleagues.
2. Building with a new programming language: Software development is all about building things, whether that thing is a solution to a problem or an actual product. I’ve found it very helpful to actually build things with languages I’m not really familiar with.
You don’t have to focus on building a massive project to do this; it could be something very simple, like following a tutorial or just playing around. I'd advise you to stay small to avoid feeling overwhelmed.
I recently built a web server in kotlin for a pet project of mine. While it was difficult at first, putting myself in that position really helped with learning how to be comfortable in an uncomfortable situation. It feels super rewarding!
3. Learning about other areas of the Software industry: Over the last couple of months, I've taken the time to be exposed to other areas of the industry that I don't come across in my day-to-day role.
Recently, I've been taking a course on microservices and how they are used to develop applications. I also have a book on AWS (Amazon’s Cloud Service) and its use in companies.
I’ve also been intrigued by the technology of blockchain and how it actually works, not for the purpose of getting into cryptocurrencies but because of the other capabilities of the technology.
We recently had a team-building day focused on Clifton StrengthsFinder, which highlighted that my biggest strength is being a 'Learner'. You might have noticed that my methods of finding motivation have this as an underlying theme. Click here to read more about how we invest in training for all of our team at Brightec.
Staying motivated as a software developer isn’t easy unless you can pinpoint your reason for becoming one. What works for me might not necessarily work for you, but as long as you stay curious about what you can do to find motivation and confidence in your role, everything will fall into place.
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