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The early days of my developer journey predate the widespread use of coding in a solitary fashion. The image of a programmer during that time was of a person isolated in a room with their face buried in their work while they typed away at a computer with very little engagement with the outside world. But as the world has changed, so has the role of a developer. Today, it's no longer enough to just write code. The professional world requires developers to be socially active people who publicly demonstrate their work and engage with other specialists.
In today’s world, having a strong presence on professional networks such as LinkedIn, HackerNoon, Dev.to, and other platforms is just as important as the technical skills we develop. It isn’t enough to possess strong coding skills because you need to maintain an active presence and contribute your knowledge by creating tutorials, completing projects, or participating in discussions. This transformation in the industry made me understand that I must change my approach.
Last year, I decided to make my journey public and began opening up to my peers. I set up a TikTok account to document my development experience which was something I considered unlikely before. Find me here: @jsmentoring. This decision has completely rearranged my working life in ways beyond my wildest dreams.
On Saturdays and Sundays, I dedicate 5-6 hours to the preparation of content, recording videos, and then posting them on my accounts. I make videos, write blog posts, and I make sure that all the content is properly optimized with keywords to reach the right people. It is tiresome, especially with family responsibilities, but the comments I get are wonderful.
At the time of writing this, my TikTok account has been visited more than 110,000 times, and I have more than 400 videos. Some of these videos are now part of my npm package “Interview Questions” series which can help new developers prepare for their interviews. It has been wonderful to notice that the content I create is helpful to others. You can check it out here: Interview Questions on NPM.
I highly encourage every developer to build their personal brand and engage with other members of the community beyond just writing code. You should do something more - make tutorials, participate in discussions, or share your experience, and you will discover doors that you have never expected. It isn’t always easy, and it does take time and energy, but the effects on your career and on your personal development are huge. Don’t be scared to open up and give out information. It will transform your life in ways you can not even begin to think of.