来自Z世代的瓶中信
这是一条瓶中信。我不太确定它会传达到谁的手中，但我还是想写下来。
<p>你好！</p>
<p>我是一名刚毕业的大学生，获得了计算机科学学士学位，过去六个月一直在担任软件工程师。我在一家小公司工作，该公司开发了一款与支付处理相关的Windows桌面应用程序。代码库已有10年以上历史，全部基于.NET生态系统，因此大部分代码是C#，还有SQL Server后端。随着公司的发展，这款产品的“愿景”发生了变化，但从未进行过彻底的重建。因此，代码有些“鬼魂缠身”，伴随着“遗留代码”的所有痛苦（我知道情况可能更糟）。 </p>
<p>为了澄清，我喜欢我的工作。真的！我喜欢软件开发，喜欢这家公司，喜欢我的同事，喜欢我的薪水。</p>
<p>但是，我感到压力很大！</p>
<p>我担心失去工作。</p>
<p>我担心无法按时完成任务。</p>
<p>我担心自己在工作中没有进步。</p>
<p>我担心因为表现不佳而被解雇。</p>
<p>总之，我总是担心自己不够优秀。</p>
<p>我最近的绩效评估结果是积极的！</p>
<p>但是，我的焦虑并没有消失。</p>
<p>今天我很安全，但明天呢？</p>
<p>我的治疗师和我会一起解决焦虑，这不是我来这里的原因。</p>
<p>我来这里是因为我在寻找专业建议。</p>
<p>软件开发是一个以能力为基础的行业，我已经接受了这一点。</p>
<p>如果我想继续做软件工程师，我需要不断进步。</p>
<p>说实话，我不确定我是否想在这个世界上花我的闲暇时间来提高我的工作技能……</p>
<p>然而，我会忽视这种感觉，因为我需要钱，而这是我有过的最好的工作。</p>
<p>所以，我想在工作上变得更好，但我对如何做到这一点感到不知所措。</p>
<p>我在网上看到的简单答案是“变得优秀”。翻译过来就是，努力去做。</p>
<p>阅读每一本书，写一百万个程序，学习每一种语言，开设自己的技术博客。</p>
<p>这虽然是夸张，但这种“努力工作”的心态对我并没有帮助。</p>
<p>有人告诉我要专注于每天的练习（LeetCode / 面试准备）。</p>
<p>这些问题可以是有趣的难题，但它们并没有真正提供我在日常工作中的洞察。</p>
<p>而且，我并不生活在一个“科技中心”，在那儿每1-2年换一次工作是有利的。</p>
<p>我有一份长得像一英里一样的阅读清单，但我并没有在上面有所进展。</p>
<p>我尝试过很多次，但在阅读《设计模式：可重用面向对象软件的元素》（1994）这样的书籍一个小时后，我的眼睛就开始发呆。</p>
<p>我可以在这方面做得更好，只是感觉太慢太乏味……</p>
<p>我的经理让我关注来自https://learn.microsoft.com/的各种培训。</p>
<p>我不确定这些是否有帮助，还是仅仅是因为它们量化了职业发展而受到管理层的青睐。</p>
<p>哦！你完成了任务，还得到了一个徽章？打勾。也许我错了？</p>
<p>那么通过个人项目学习呢？</p>
<p>我知道我应该有一个个人网站，还有一个充满项目和开源贡献的GitHub，但我没有。</p>
<p>我在工作日没有太多空闲时间。周末来了，我更不想像一整周那样在桌子前编程。</p>
<p>诚然，我可以做得更好。帮助一个说“我不想”或“呃……这太无聊了，我无法集中注意力”的人是很困难的。</p>
<p>总得有所妥协，所以我先来。</p>
<p>抛开懒惰，我可以承诺每周花2-4小时学习。就从这里开始吧。</p>
<p>我并不是在寻求灵丹妙药。</p>
<p>没有人会有完美的零到英雄的编程课程能让我变成10倍开发者。我不想要那样。</p>
<p>我想知道你是如何应对的。</p>
<p>如果软件开发是你的朝九晚五，而不是你的热情。</p>
<p>你是如何不断进步的？</p>
<p>你的自信来自哪里？</p>
<p>当裁员来临时，你如何知道自己是安全的？</p>
<p>或者，你如何知道自己的技能是相关且受欢迎的？</p>
<p>谢谢你的阅读。</p>
查看原文
This is a message in a bottle. I'm not really sure who it will reach, but I want to write it anyway.<p>Hello!<p>I'm a recent college graduate with a B.S. in Computer Science, and I've been working as a software engineer for the last 6 months. I work for a small company that makes a windows desktop application loosely related to payment processing. The code base is 10+ years old. It's all built around the .NET ecosystem so the majority of the code is C#, but there's also SQL server backend. The "vision" for this product has changed as the company has grown, and there has never been a fresh rebuild. So, the code is a little haunted and it comes with all the aches and pains of "legacy code" (I know it could be worse).<p>To clarify, I like my job. Genuinely! I like software development. I like the company. I like my coworkers. I like the pay.<p>But, I'm stressed!
I'm stressed about losing my job.
I'm stressed about not completing my assignments on time.
I'm worried that I'm not getting any better at my job.
I'm worried about getting fired for underperformance.<p>In a nutshell, I'm always worried about not being skilled enough.
My recent performance review came back positive!
But, my anxiety doesn't sleep.
I'm safe today, but what about tomorrow?<p>My therapist and I will work through the anxiety, that's not why I'm here.
I'm here because I'm looking for professional advice.
Software development is a meritocracy, I've made peace with that.
If I want to stay a software engineer, I need to keep improving.<p>Speaking honestly, I'm not sure I want to spend my free time on this Earth getting better at my job...
However, I'm going ignore that feeling because I need money and this is the best job I've ever had.
So, I want to get better at my job, but I'm overwhelmed by the how.<p>The easy answer I've seen online is "get good". Translation, grind it out.
Read every book. Write a million programs. Learn every language. Start your own tech blog.
That's hyperbole, but still, this "grind set" ain't working for me.<p>I've been told to focus on practice on daily problems(LeetCode / Interview Prep).
These problems can be interesting puzzles, but they don't really provide insight in my daily work.
Also, I don't live in a "Tech Hub" where it's advantageous to switch jobs every 1-2 years.<p>I have a reading list a mile long, but I haven't put a dent in it.
I've made many attempts, but my eyes glaze over after an hour of reading something like, Design Patterns: Elements of Reusable Object-Oriented Software (1994)
I can do better here, it just feels so slow and tedious...<p>My manager has directed me toward the various trainings from https://learn.microsoft.com/.
I'm not sure if these are helpful, or just appealing to management because they quantify professional development.
Oh! You completed your task, and you got a badge to show for it? Checkbox. Maybe I'm wrong?<p>What about learning through personal projects?
I know that I should have a personal website, and a GitHub full of projects and open source contributions, but I don't.
I don't have much free time during the week. When the weekend comes around I'd rather not be programming at a desk like I have been all week.<p>Admittedly, I can be better. It's hard to help someone who says "I don't wanna", or "Ugh... this is so boring and I can't focus"
Something has to give, so I'll go first.
Laziness aside, I can commit to 2-4 hours a week of study. Let's start there.<p>I'm not asking for a silver bullet.
No one is going to have a perfect zero-2-hero programming course that will turn me in to a 10x developer. I don't want that.<p>I want to know how you handle it.<p>If software development is your 9-5, and not your passion.
How do you keep improving?<p>Where does your confidence come from?
When layoffs come around, how do you know that you are safe?
Or, how do you know that your skill set is relevant and desirable?<p>Thank you for reading.