Feedback from a software engineer with 10 years of experience

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Started working in 2014

Industries

booking
- car rental
- flight ticket: selling ticket to travel agencies,
marketing
- content creation tool for marketers (think email, pdf, website)
education
- school management: classes, rooms, timetables, notes/public information, marks

Projects

Made how much ?

have data for the last 5 years only

Advices for myself

freelancing is not for everyone
- client will screw you
same goes for entrepreneurship
be humble but know your worth
- keep updating your resume, adding new skills
- keep showing up at interviews to stay sharp. Layoff happen more often you would think
working +10h a day will have a toll on you
- good to alternate between 10 to 6h a day based on need
- 6h a day is more sustainable for the long run
- this is a reminder to not abuse of 10h long work days
consistency and discipline will get you anything
young doesn't mean invisible
- no health no work
- take good care of your health: eating, exercising, sleeping
- same body for the next year
keep meeting people to keep learning and growing
- after some times you will know and be surrounded by the same group of people.
- you circle will grow smaller over time
- 1 new person every week has been my frequency. Adjust accordingly to your personality
time flies: have objectives
plan for retirement early in your very first years
- set amount needed to retire now
- would be good to know how many years you want to operate in your field
explore side projects
- one successful one can set you off for life
- learn adjacent skills: sales and marketing, photo/video editing/shooting, design
Pace yourself. Learn something every day.
- Stay curious
- otherwise get left behind
- 40min a day to learn something
- challenge your methods and ways of thinking
expect difficult problems no one have encounter on public forums or google
- those are for you and only you to solve
your 10years of experience means nothing
- younger folks, juniors may have better idea that you
- hear out everyone even when in disagreement. Allow divergent opinions to exist
too many tools, pick yours
- try to stick to a few in order to gain mastery over a few selected of them
- you cannot learn them all. Jack of all trades is litteraly not possible in tech. Higher paying jobs will always go to experts.
avoid "mine is better than yours" debate
- opinions don't matter, facts do. arguments constructed from tangible ev
- I know beats I think/feel
Be clear when expressing theories or assertions vs truths.
- the way to truth is by forming theories and testing them, either confirming them further or not.
- Still nuance when communicating as you can be proven wrong but be open to correction. Nobody is perfect, therefore no work is.
take finances seriously
- clear picture of where you want to be makes the road smoother
- tech pays well and usually comfortably when among the top 10%
- set goals
  - saving 1 year worth of expenses
  - 3 months salary on your checking
  - invest out of tech
    - home in 10 years
    - appartment complex in 10 years
rise early, finish early, enjoy the sun
- tried different time to start the day
- can feel as productive early in the morning at night
- better for your health
- enjoy evening with friends and family or hobbies

You are limited only by your imagination. Enjoy the ride.