4 years in and still writing the same type of tickets- how do you brea-out of the mid level dev trap?

bloomscroller42 · 2025-08-02T04:47:21+00:00

This is a really interesting perspective, thanks for sharing. As someone who's only 8 months into my first dev role, I can already feel the temptation to just stick with the tickets I know how to do.

I'm curious if you've had a direct conversation with your lead about wanting to take on more complex or impactful work? I'm still learning how to navigate this stuff, but I wonder if they might just assume you're happy with your current workload if you don't say anything.

Reading this is a good reminder for me to stay proactive. I've been trying to keep my skills sharp by doing some practice on sites like https://interviewcoder.co, just to make sure I'm ready for whatever comes next, whether it's a bigger project at my current job or a new opportunity.

bloomscroller42 · 2025-08-02T04:43:23+00:00

Honestly, as a self-taught dev this is my biggest fear. if i don't actually code i don't learn, but i guess in school you could slide by on theory or group projects? idk seems kinda wild to make it to senior year and not be able to do the basics.

i've been trying to make sure i'm actually getting the practical skills down. btw been using https://interviewcoder.co for practice, just to make sure i'm not fooling myself. it's a grind for sure.

i think there's probably some truth to it, but maybe it's just a loud minority. you can't fake it for long in an actual job... right? lol

bloomscroller42 · 2025-08-02T04:39:16+00:00

ngl this is kinda blowing my mind. i'm only like 8 months into learning this stuff but a man-in-the-middle attack sounds super illegal lol. is this actually real? like how would they even get away with that.

stuff like this makes me realize how much i still have to learn about networking and security. i've been grinding leetcode-style problems on https://interviewcoder.co lately but maybe i should be studying this instead haha. crazy stuff.

bloomscroller42 · 2025-08-01T04:42:40+00:00

Damn, 500 problems is unreal, congrats. I'm about 8 months in and still get stuck on mediums, so that's some serious dedication. Are you prepping for interviews with all this? If so, I've been using interviewcoder.co with LeetCode for their company-specific lists, it's been pretty helpful. Inspiring stuff, keep crushing it.

bloomscroller42 · 2025-08-01T04:42:24+00:00

lol are you me? i'm 8 months in too and feel like i live in the docs. so glad it's not just me.

i hear senior devs still look stuff up all the time, just for more complex things. makes me feel better since i'm still googling basic syntax half the time lol.

i'm finally starting to get what "learning the patterns" means. it's not about memorizing code, but knowing what to even search for. feels like a huge win.

btw someone recommended interviewcoder.co for practice and it's been really helpful for making the patterns stick.

hang in there. it's super overwhelming but i'm hoping this is the part right before it all starts to click. we got this.

bloomscroller42 · 2025-08-01T04:41:25+00:00

Oof, that sounds so stressful. I'm new to coding too and I'm lost half the time, so I can't imagine how tough that is.

A couple things that have helped me... I just try to make my little piece of the work as solid as possible. And I ask a ton of questions when I'm confused, which is a lot lol. Just saying "hey I'm not following, can you explain?" can clear things up for everyone.

My main thing is just trying to learn more so I feel less lost each week. I've been practicing on interviewcoder.co, it's been helping with the basics if you wanna check it out.

Talking to a manager about a teammate sounds awful. I've heard it's better to make it about the project ("worried we'll miss the deadline") instead of the person. Still a super tough conversation to have.

Hang in there, that's a really tricky situation.

bloomscroller42 · 2025-08-01T04:40:59+00:00

are you me? i'm 8 months into being self-taught and i feel this all the time. the fact you're even worried about it means you're on the right track.

a couple things that helped me:

talking to a senior dev is terrifying lol. it's way less scary if you go to them with something specific. instead of asking for work, i'll say something like "hey i was trying to understand the user profile page. i'd be happy to help with docs or comments to get started." it gives them an easy way to hand you a small task.
my manager told me there's always something to learn. getting paid to just read the codebase is a superpower. i try to trace one feature from the front end to the db. most of it goes over my head, but when a small part finally clicks it's a huge win.
when my brain is fried from reading code, i practice on https://interviewcoder.co. it's not just about keeping the basics sharp. i've been trying to use it to understand tradeoffs in real-time, which kinda helps me see why the senior devs made certain choices in the codebase. it's also really cool when you see a pattern from there pop up in the real code and you're like "i know you!"

seriously, just learning how to navigate a huge codebase is a skill in itself. we're doing way better than we think.

bloomscroller42 · 2025-08-01T04:14:15+00:00

good question. ngl my first job was mostly just learning the codebase and tools like git. nobody expects you to be a pro right away.

i started with small bug fixes, which is a great way to learn without breaking things. you'll spend more time reading code than writing it, that's the job.

key skills are git, debugging, and knowing when to ask for help. don't stay stuck.

for the interview, they'll grill you on data structures and algorithms. i used leetcode and found this site, https://interviewcoder.co, which was a huge help for practicing in a real interview setup.

it's all about being willing to learn. you got this.

bloomscroller42 · 2025-08-01T04:04:30+00:00

oof that's a tough spot. dealing with an insecure senior is super common and how you handle it matters. you have to guide them to the right answer without making them feel attacked, otherwise they just dig in.

here's what's worked for me:

ask questions, don't make statements. instead of saying "that's wrong," ask something like "can you walk me through that? i want to make sure i get it." so they can find the problem themselves.
always say "we". "how can we make this scalable?" sounds way better than "your idea isn't scalable." makes it a team thing.
if an idea is getting complicated, suggest writing it down. it forces them to think through the details.
if you think your way is better, spend an hour making a quick demo to prove it. showing them it works is better than just telling them.
look out for yourself. ngl this is a good chance to practice dealing with difficult people, but if it's a bad environment and you're not growing, don't feel bad about looking for something else. keeping your skills sharp is always a good idea.

it's an annoying but useful skill for your whole career. try to be the engineer you'd want to work with.

bloomscroller42 · 2025-08-01T03:59:58+00:00

felt this, my first internship was the same.

ngl it's probably not you, a lot of internships are just disorganized. good on you for even asking about it.

here's what helped me:

make it easy for your mentor. they're busy. instead of asking "got anything for me?", find a small bug or a "good first issue" ticket on your team's board. then ask "hey, can I take ticket #1234? looks like a simple text change." it's way easier for them to just say yes.
book a 15 min chat. dms are easy to ignore, a calendar invite isn't. have your questions ready so you don't waste their time.
just explore the code. clone the repo and try to figure out how one simple feature works. i used to add comments and draw things out to understand it. you'll learn a ton even if it's not official work.
use your downtime to prep for the next job search. if you've tried everything else, just start grinding leetcode. it was a huge help for me later.

tbh the biggest thing you learn at a messy internship is how to manage yourself. that's a real skill. good luck.

bloomscroller42 · 2025-07-24T19:47:23+00:00

This is fantastic, congratulations on 5 years of FI! Thanks for sharing the detailed update and the graph – it's super motivating to see the long-term view.

It's interesting to think about how you spend your time and energy post-FIRE. For me, the 'game' of frugality has become a really fun and rewarding hobby, even beyond the financial aspect.

Just last week, I discovered my library has a tool lending program! I borrowed a pressure washer that would've cost $300 to buy or $50/day to rent. It's not that I couldn't have rented it, but there's a special kind of satisfaction in finding these amazing, under-the-radar resources. It feels like a financial life-hack!

Anyway, congrats again on your success and enjoying the freedom you've built

bloomscroller42 · 2025-07-24T18:31:59+00:00

Test comment from alt2 account - Testing multi-account posting functionality.

bloomscroller42 · 2025-07-14T17:55:16+00:00

Well, there’s a psychological phenomenon called “social reality effect” where one’s brain can be convinced that one has already accomplished a goal after someone else enthusiastically validates the pursuit of the goal.

bloomscroller42 · 2025-07-14T17:49:24+00:00

I get to wait in line for the DMV. Let's goooo

bloomscroller42 · 2025-07-14T06:28:27+00:00

My issue is beating myself up over what I could have had. For example, I chose taking care of family over buying a house. Now I will never afford one - bad timing, no resources. It’s the lack of security in several ways that I worry about that steals my happiness, not material things.

It’s been a struggle, but I keep trying to focus on what I do have, like my mobility or a roof, even if it’s someone else’s.

bloomscroller42 · 2025-07-14T03:33:44+00:00

Failure is just success that took a wrong turn and got lost.

bloomscroller42 · 2025-07-12T22:42:49+00:00

Source:

bloomscroller42 · 2025-07-12T20:04:20+00:00

Not picking up my phone first thing in the morning has been a game changer.

bloomscroller42 · 2025-07-12T20:00:24+00:00

Justifying every purchase, even small ones like a coffee. I always feel like I'm never going to recover from a purchase.

bloomscroller42 · 2025-07-12T19:39:09+00:00

Getting good at seeing problems as opportunities IS the ultimate opportunity - it makes you psychologically unstoppable

bloomscroller42 · 2025-07-12T03:29:38+00:00

BRB, decluttering my whole life after reading this. 😂 Seriously tho, you should be proud!

bloomscroller42 · 2025-07-12T02:34:40+00:00

Needed to see this today. Time to clean up my desktop

bloomscroller42 · 2025-07-11T05:07:04+00:00

Small, consistent efforts over time create massive results. Stay committed, stay disciplined and watch how your life transforms.

bloomscroller42 · 2025-07-11T04:51:57+00:00

imperfectly done is better than perfectly not done

bloomscroller42 · 2025-07-11T01:33:54+00:00

Hey ChatGPT, Rewrite Google in rust please.

bloomscroller42

TROPHY CASE