Reflections on my first week as a software engineer
I'm now a bonafide software engineer!
After spending four years transitioning into this career, it feels surreal to say. Especially since, as a return hire that ended my internship six months ago, not a lot has changed. The job is more or less the same (minus the existential dread of getting hired, of course). Perhaps there's truth to that Godzilla vs. King Kong r/programming meme afterall.
And, on top of being a newly minted software engineer, I'm also a newly minted remote engineer.
While most of my team works from Sunnyvale HQ, I'm setting up shop right here in Portland, Oregon. A lot has been said about the infeasibility of remote work (hit pieces from a desperate real estate industry), but I'm determined to make it work. I hope my voice can help change the narrative around remote work, so workers can build lives around what matters to them - not some arbitrary management decision.
But, I'll save my stump speech on remote work for another time. For now, let's discuss what went well this week, and improvements I'd like to make moving forward:
Here's what went well this week
I signed a lease on a coworking space 1.6 miles from my home
I now get to bike to work everyday!
This has been a great way to add magic and exercise to my daily routine
My former internship team is now my day-to-day team
And my former internship mentor is now my onboarding buddy!
He provided guidance (and reassurance) on what to expect as a full-time software engineer
The work is very familiar, which is a big boost to my confidence
I attended happy hour with local company employees
This was a great moment for some good 'ol genuine human connection
I also have new restaurant and e-bike recommendations
Deep diving into gRPC - an open-source framework for creating services
My hope is this knowledge will allow me to be a solid resource to my team
Played team sports 2x this week
Playing sports on weekdays, especially team sports, helps me feel grounded as a human
Here's what I'd like to improve on
Deep work
I want to minimize distractions (like Slack) and engage in longer periods of deep work
Distractions also include the fairly loud "background" music at the coworking space
I'll need to bring this up with the office manager
Time management
Because I'm married (and want to remain so), working late is no longer an option
I want to maximize my productivity so I can leave work at work, and enjoy life outside of work
My intention for this blog is to regularly report "field notes" from my experience as a software engineer. Like a scientist publishing discoveries in a diary, I hope to learn from these notes, and share with other people who might find this content useful.