Written by Gerin
self-learning
others
The more you learn, the more you realize how little you know.
When I first joined my current company, I felt like I knew almost everything. I thought I was the best among the other juniors in the company. But as time went by, and I faced numerous bugs, errors, features, and challenges, I realized that I needed to keep grinding and learning. I came to understand just how little I actually know about software engineering in general.
In this article, I will share my journey as a junior and the key lessons I’ve learned.
Adapting to new technologies was a major challenge when I transitioned into back-end development. Back in university, I aspired to become a UI/UX designer and even won 2nd place in a national competition. However, I quickly grew bored of that field and decided to explore front-end development through several internships. But when I encountered CSS, I realized I HATED it. Frustrated, I shifted my focus and took on a back-end role, even though most of my prior experience was in design and front-end work. This was when the real challenge began.
In my first job, I was introduced to Golang, a language I had never worked with before. The steep learning curve of adapting to a new technology made me realize just how much I still had to learn. Initially, I struggled to understand how to build a clean, modular architecture in Golang. I had no idea how to structure my code beyond creating basic CRUD APIs with the HTTP library. It felt overwhelming at first, but I was fortunate to have a supportive manager and senior colleagues who patiently guided me through the process. Their mentorship helped me navigate those early challenges and accelerated my learning, allowing me to gradually become more comfortable with Golang and its unique features.
Being surrounded by so many talented engineers in my team often made me feel like I wasn’t good enough. At first, it seemed like everyone was way ahead of me in terms of experience and skills. They were so quick in solving complex problems, and I struggled to keep up with the pace. This feeling of inadequacy became even more pronounced when I compared myself to them—especially when they were so comfortable using advanced tools and technologies that I was still learning.
The pressure to match their level of expertise made me question my own abilities. I started focusing more on what I didn’t know instead of recognizing how far I’d come. It felt like there was always someone else doing things better, and I feared I wouldn’t be able to contribute at the level I aspired to. This constant comparison drained my confidence and created a sense of imposter syndrome, making it hard to see my own progress.
Adapting to the work culture in a professional environment presented a significant challenge for me, especially since it was so different from the culture in University. In university, I was used to be more relaxed and flexible approach to tasks or classes, where deadlines could sometimes be more flexible, and I had more freedom in how I approached tasks. However, in the workplace, the expectations were higher, with strict deadlines, clear hierarchies, and a more structured approach to problem-solving. The pace was faster, and the level of accountability was much greater. It took some time to adjust, especially learning to collaborate efficiently with a team and managing the pressure of producing results consistently. The shift in mindset from academic projects to professional tasks was one of the most significant challenges I faced.
Adapting to new technologies, like Golang, showed me the importance of being open to learning. No matter how unfamiliar or overwhelming something may seem initially, the key is to stay patient, ask for help when needed, and consistently improve. The ability to adapt to new tools and concepts is critical in an ever-evolving tech landscape.
Remember, don’t feel dumb when you ask a question. It’s better to be stuck for 1 hour and ask a question than to be stuck for 1 day without asking any questions. But before you ask something to your seniors or manager, try to fix it yourself first, because this is the part where you’re actually learning something on your own.
And then, the shift from university culture to a professional work environment taught me the value of structure, discipline, and accountability. In the workplace, there’s a clear sense of responsibility and a higher level of expectations, which pushed me to develop better time-management skills, meet deadlines, and collaborate effectively with a team. Embracing this shift helped me become more organized and focused on delivering quality results.
Over time, I realized that these feelings were part of the learning process. Everyone has their own pace of growth, and it’s okay to feel challenged in the beginning. Gradually, I started to appreciate the progress I had made, recognizing that it was okay not to know everything immediately. With the support of my team, I learned to focus more on my personal growth rather than measuring myself against others. The key became accepting that it’s okay to be a work in progress, as long as I kept learning and pushing myself forward.
Everyone’s journey is unique, and the only comparison that matters is with my past self.
Being a junior, medior, senior, etc., is not a destination; it’s a journey you face day by day. Don’t be afraid to take the first step. Every legendary engineer had their first step in life too.
It’s better to make 0.1% progress each day than to make no progress at all.