25 Tips for New Developers: Advice from a (Mostly) Self-Taught Software Engineer

19. Get good at Problem-solving
Problem-solving is the basis behind programming! Getting better at this is critical. Solving riddles, writing code on paper, and breaking down problems can really help with problem-solving. Something I sometimes see with new developers is that they approach programming like a research problem instead of a problem-solving project -- if they Google something well enough, then they'll have a solution. Yes, Google and Stack Overflow are super helpful, but rely on yourself sometimes too. Try something out a few different ways before researching it. Or, research small parts of the problem instead of the problem itself -- i.e. "turn a String into an array JavaScript" instead of "reverse string JavaScript."
20. Get good at researching
One of the biggest things to learn is how to find good answers to your questions or to learn new features of your language or library. Using Google is important, so is joining communities and subscribing to resources. The Google template I normally use is "problem language/framework/library" in as few words as possible and without filler. So, "sort array JavaScript", "spin element CSS", or "create router Vue."
21. Build projects you love
When you're learning, you will be building various projects to practice (and show off) your skills. Pick project ideas that are interesting to you; you will be much more likely to finish them and want to put work into them. Related, complete those projects. A few really good finished projects is way more impressive than a bunch of half-finished ones!
22. Compare yourself to only yourself
There are a lot of people learning to code out there. Don't compare your progress to someone else's, instead compare yourself to previous you and focus on your own growth.
23. Do a bunch of code challenges
Doing quick code challenges can really help solidify the fundamentals. They are great for problem-solving and practicing for interviews. I post one on Twitter every day with the hashtag #CodingPuzzle if you want someone else to solve them with!