Learn Web Development
The most important thing a programmer can do to improve is to figure out their learning style,” says Thomas Jimenez, a developer advocate at Wix. “Some folks learn better from direct experience, so they prefer to follow along with tutorials, whereas others are more comfortable dissecting documentation.
So, how do you discover what your learning style is? It helps to have a goal in place to anchor your efforts. “If you say, ‘okay I want to build a Reddit clone, or I want to build a timer for my eCommerce website, then everything you learn can be geared towards that end-result,” says Cassidy Williams, CTO at Contenda. Plus, having a goal forces you to stick with a problem long enough to solve it.
As an example, a solid goal project for agency developers looks like committing to learning a new programming language or framework within a set period of time to expand your capabilities (and what you’re then able to offer your clients as a service).
A lot of today’s leadership expect you to know everything right off the bat, which is obviously impossible,” says Cao. She adds that one of the most important things a programmer can do is work where there’s psychological safety. Making mistakes (and fixing them) is an inherent part of being a programmer, so it’s critical to find projects, teams and organizations that reward trying new things as opposed to reprimanding failed attempts.
Every developer should find spaces where asking questions and getting constructive feedback is the norm,” she says. “If there isn’t an implicit sense of psychological safety, you won’t be able to stretch beyond your comfort zone because you’ll be afraid of messing up or losing your job.”
Of course, it takes two. The best way to create a sense of safety is to take ownership of mistakes and lead by example. When you do this, you set the tone for failing forward and overcoming errors together as a collective (which only serves to strengthen team chemistry and your own learnings as a result).
When clients are involved, there’s likely additional pressure to get things right. It’s always better to over communicate than assume you understand their needs and problems. Challenge your team’s assumptions by encouraging team members to frequently ask your clients clarifying questions.
Moreover, clue your clients into your work by sending out a weekly email of updates and takeaways. Clients appreciate transparency.
Joining communities should be an imperative for every programmer. Whether it’s going to college or joining a bootcamp or forum, learning is multiplied in social settings and struggling is multiplied when you go at it alone” says Jimenez.
Being part of a community can offer a behind-the-scenes look at how products are made and introduce you to unknowns you otherwise wouldn’t have been aware of. Most of all, though, communities provide feedback loops, which help you pick up new programming skills.
A quick refresher: Pair programming is a software development technique in which two programmers work together at a single workstation. One programmer is the driver, meaning they’re the one that writes the code, and the other programmer is the navigator, who reviews the code and offers feedback as it's being written. The two often swap places to give each developer a chance to code and reflect.
AI can also step in here. “I use Chat GPT all the time when I’m unsure if the code I’ve written is the best way to structure what I’m trying to do,” says Jimenez.
Pair programming is scary for people at first because there's literally someone watching what you're doing,” says Cao. “Getting over that fear of messing up and looking dumb is its own challenge, but it’s the closest you can get to stepping into someone's head.
Speaking of artificial intelligence, Wix Studio features an AI assistant that helps devs ship code faster and learn in the process. You can get custom tailored scripts and troubleshoot at lightning speeds to make sure your code works the way it was intended. And for those especially eager to learn how to be a better programmer, Wix Studio’s AI explains its code suggestions so you can put it to use in the future.