This week I decided to take a look at ‘The Deep End’ pattern, which covers the next step on your knowledge gaining journey. The main message of this pattern is to not be afraid and take that next big leap, whatever it may be. The pattern certainly doesn’t suggest taking a risk that jeopardizes your career, but rather taking on new challenges. Software apprentices can apply this pattern to scenarios such as taking on bigger projects, more complex tasks, working with larger teams, or in new places. While these opportunities may seem daunting, learning is all about stepping out of your comfort zone, even if it means failing at times. 

I am surprised that the pattern suggests diving straight into the deep end as opposed to starting shallow and gradually growing deeper. But I suppose if you were doing the same type of work day in and day out, your biggest break would come from a new challenge. Looking forward, when such an opportunity arises, I think the best way to face a new challenge would be to go into it prepared. This is certainly easier said than done. There is of course the mental hurdle of overcoming the fear of failure and the risk of actual failure. But again, as mentioned in this and previous patterns, you should be able to reach out to mentors and kindred spirits to help. I think that is one thing I should keep trying to recognize, that I should not be afraid to take on difficult projects if I know there is a network of people that can help guide me. 

This pattern is a good reminder to step outside of your comfort zone and it reassures you that it is okay to take risks in your professional career. Given that you have the preparation and a supportive work environment, taking on challenges will only help you gain more experience. I would think that currently, I am in the middle of one of these challenges. Up until now, I have only worked on smaller-scale projects with at most two other people. And for this capstone course, I am working with a team of 6, attempting to develop a fully functional inventory system from backend to frontend. So through this process, I have only been gaining experience and I look forward to what else I can learn.

From the blog CS@Worcester – Null Pointer by vrotimmy and used with permission of the author. All other rights reserved by the author.

This apprenticeship pattern discusses how software developers should read classic books regarding the craft of software development. Being an apprentice means that you are inexperienced and are still learning what means to be a successful software developer. You should expose your ignorance and ask about any concepts that seem unknown to you, and then try to find the books where these concepts came from. An apprentice should have a list of these books on their reading list.

However, you cannot read every book. There is just way too many and there is too little time. So instead of reading every book, you should invest your time reading the good books. The good books are ones that are useful regardless of time. If you find yourself asking if a book is outdated, then you are reading the wrong type of book. Good books hold timeless information and concepts. Being able to determine which book is good and which book is not a skill that you will be able to pick over time. By reading constantly and reflecting on your work, you will be able to distinguish the “long lived” books.

While reading the good books is certainly beneficial, there is such a thing as taking things too far. If you focus too much on the classics, you might end up abandoning or forgetting pragmatic knowledge and information. This is the knowledge and information that enables software developers to improve on their day to day craftsmanship. Therefore, it is important to strike a balance in your reading list between the classic “long lived” books with modern, pragmatic books.

I personally think reading the classics is one of the most important things that an apprentice can do. An apprentice’s job is to learn as many skills, techniques, and concepts as they can about their trade. As apprentices, our inexperience and ignorance means that we still lack core concepts and skills. Reading classic books could help us attain such concepts and skills. It is from these classic books that we can expand our list of concrete skills and build a foundation for our craft.

From the blog CS@Worcester – Fadi Akram by Fadi Akram and used with permission of the author. All other rights reserved by the author.

For this week’s post, I wanted to look at a topic that I see myself coming back to at a later date, which is the topic of walking away from software development. This may happen after their first job or 50 years down the line when they are a senior programmer. Regardless, the point is this can happen at any time during a person’s career. In this section, the author talks about some of the reasons why a person may suddenly have a change of heart about the field. Some of the reasons listed were that person may have found something else that had piqued their interest, or they found they did not enjoy the field as much as they initially thought. Another aspect that I noticed about this section was that the author really emphasized the importance of being open-minded and supportive of their colleagues. A person may leave the field now, but that does not mean they will be gone forever. In addition, the author also talks about how companies might not look at that person kindly because they left the field and may not be as forthcoming as they should be when/if that person returns. But as fellow programmers, the author implores us to welcome that person back with open arms and encourage them to try to do something different with their lives.

I found this section to be interesting to read because I have always viewed myself as a jack-of-all trades. I have always had many interests and that is why I took so many different classes not pertaining to my major in college. I wanted to explore as much as I could before I graduated because I have always thought of myself as the kind of people who would have many different careers over the course of my lifetime. This section really made me think because I knew I wanted to change careers at some point, but I did not put a lot of thought about what I wanted to do after I changed careers or what career I wanted to pursue after being a software developer. I think part of the reason why I did not give this topic a lot of thought is because I don’t really know when I might want to change careers or when I might get tired of programming.

From the blog CS@Worcester – Just a Guy Passing By by Eric Nguyen and used with permission of the author. All other rights reserved by the author.

The pattern I decided to read is titled “Familiar Tools” from chapter 6 of Apprenticeship Patterns: Guidance for the Aspiring Software Craftsman by Dave Hoover and Adewale Oshineye. The problem that this pattern presents asks the reader how they plan on completing a work project if there are so many new things to learn with each project (from the technical to non-technical aspects). The solution to this problem starts by informing the reader that they should have a reliable set of familiar tools to use for each project they start. However, the reading goes on to explain that readers should be weary about how they use these tools and how dependent they are on these tools. A larger message stresses the importance of how in the process of becoming a journeyman, we may need to painfully abandon some tools and learn new, better, more effective tools in their place. The text ends by encouraging readers to either build a toolbox they can bring to a project, or if they already have a toolbox, examine potential replacement tools.

Reading this pattern was surprisingly encouraging. I don’t think that was an intention of this reading but the reason it had this effect on me was because as someone who is in the beginning of their journey in software development, it can feel pretty intimidating to just be starting out when there are people who have been working in this field for years. And yet, that person and I may be in the process of learning some of the same things today. While the other person is likely to have much more experience in using tools than I am, it is comforting to know there are things we will be learning at the same time.

This pattern has changed the way I think about my work because it has gotten my wheels turning as to what five tools I would like to have in my toolbox and what tools I think I need to continue exploring.

Lastly, there isn’t anything significant in this pattern that I disagree with. This is another pattern I enjoyed reading.

From the blog Sensinci's Blog by Sensinci's Blog and used with permission of the author. All other rights reserved by the author.

Summary:

This apprenticeship pattern is concerned with a new developer’s entrance in a team that is both more experienced, and relatively unenthusiastic in comparison. As a newcomer, the new developer has much to learn from the industry and from his colleagues. But with every new iteration begins a chance at change. Depending on the team, enthusiasm can benefit a team that does not have low morale, and is accepting of new perspectives.

I view this apprenticeship pattern as particularly intriguing because I am genuinely enthusiastic about working on a team with other software developers. Someone who is inexperienced in a field may focus and develop skills in things that his future peers will not require. As such, it may offer a perspective that his peers do not have, such as various coding “tricks” or knowledge that may be used as a reference. For example, a new programmer may have to program an algorithm from scratch in school, which can give him ideas about a data structure that a team may either require, or benefit from. In the field, programming a data structure isn’t as important since the language would likely offer it. 

This pattern didn’t so much cause me to change my ways of thinking as it did bolster my perspective of the field. In my experience, it is natural for someone who is good at something in a field to gradually become uninterested in said field because of a sort of coexistence. There is some mental functionality or process in every person that occurs when someone becomes used to something, such as an environment or a smell, which causes him to become somewhat apathetic. In this case, a developer that is used to the field runs a genuine risk of being used to it, and therefore, not excited from it. I personally view unenthusiasm is a strong indication of decline, and any person who becomes unenthusiastic will, all else being equal, perform poorer than his peers.

I don’t disagree with anything in this pattern. As stated earlier, I strongly agree with the role that enthusiasm plays in relation with other team members, and its potential productive results that can benefit a team.

From the blog CS@Worcester – Chris's CS Blog by Chris and used with permission of the author. All other rights reserved by the author.

For my next post, I wanted to write about a problem later in chapter 3 titled Draw Your Own Map, which was referenced in the first problem of the chapter, The Long Road. This problem is about when you do not fit career paths given to you by an employer, and this problem could be applied to any possible employer. It can be a concern that your skillset may not match what your current or potential employer is asking for and you will either have trouble with the work, or have to move on to a different job. This problem stuck out to me because it is also a concern that I have for when I go into the workforce, that I may not be fit for some jobs that I thought I was. I feel comfortable with most of what I have worked on in computer science and think that I can handle it at an official job, but there are some things I am unsure about, or new things that I may have trouble with.

Going into the solution and action, I like the idea of making a roadmap for jobs that start with jobs that you’re first looking at, then jotting down branching jobs that can stem from it, and repeating a few more times until you want to stop and look at the jobs and how to get to that point. Considering other possibilities and keeping in mind that this is your path to choose will also be helpful. I also like the idea of starting with small steps in your planning and working your way to the bigger goals.

The constant idea to focus on this being your path is especially effective for this problem because the main thing to keep in mind is that this is your skillset and it not fitting some jobs is not a bad thing. I also agree that while you can get help or tips from others on how to decide on your path, it is your path to take and your future to decide on. It will also take time to make your map, and it is expected to be changed and updated over time as you continue on your journey.

From the blog Jeffery Neal's Blog by jneal44 and used with permission of the author. All other rights reserved by the author.

Christian Shadis

In the apprenticeship pattern Be the Worst, Hoover and Oshineye explore the dynamics of skill level on a team as a software apprentice. They assert that while it may seem counterintuitive, it is a better plan to not be the strongest developer on a team, for that situation yields less opportunity for growth and learning. However, if you are surrounded by accomplished developers who are more skilled, there is far more to learn from them, and far greater space to grow.

Be the Worst, like The White Belt, seems to go against the average worker’s intuition, and are somewhat related to each other. One might think that being the ‘big fish in a little pond’ is a surefire way to distinguish yourself from your colleagues and get promoted, or maybe compete for more prestigious jobs. However, being that big fish increases your chances of stagnation. If you are already at the top, there is nowhere to go, and you may find yourself plateauing as a developer. It is more beneficial to contribute to a big pond and be a little fish, because the little fish can learn and grow more, and eventually start to grow larger than the fish around it, and eventually may become the biggest fish. Combining this pattern with The White Belt by accepting new methods and techniques unfamiliar to you will maximize learning potential at any position.

This pattern is likely to be rather difficult to me, having gone to a small high school and university, and finding myself as one of the “big fish” in both. It would be very unnatural for me to be the worst member of a team, but it would catalyze the learning process and motivate me to become a better teammate (or even the best). In turn, that growth and learning will open opportunities for more interesting and lucrative positions in the future.

I hope to use this pattern throughout my career, but more specifically I plan to implement this pattern at my first development job. I plan to work at a large tech company, and that company likely would hire largely candidates from more prestigious computer science backgrounds, with more dense portfolios and extensive experience. I could perceive this as a disadvantage in the job market but utilizing this apprenticeship pattern instead would motivate me to improve my contributions and prove myself as a competent and evolving developer.

Reference:

Hoover, D. H., & Oshineye, A. (2010). Accurate Self-Assessment. In Apprenticeship patterns: Guidance for the aspiring software craftsman. O’Reilly.

From the blog CS@Worcester – Christian Shadis' Blog by ctshadis and used with permission of the author. All other rights reserved by the author.

Sometimes being the worst is not the worst thing to be recognized as. It can be a scalable thing. In sports for example, being the worst player on the Boston Celtics may seem like a bad position to be in. The reality is that your skills are far more impressive in comparison to the average person who watches basketball, and you should give yourself more credit for even making it into the league. The “Be the Worst” pattern is one that allows those who exercise it to never remain stagnant. While it is nice to admire yourself for all the progress you have made along your journey, you should not bask in these accomplishments for long periods of time.

There have been many times in my life where I’ve felt like I’ve done all that I needed to do and “now I can just chill”. That same attitude has also gotten me in a few binds during my academic career. These things occurred because I felt like I was doing my best at something and would always be the best even if I didn’t continue maintain a certain level of excellence. It seems like the view here is that being the worst is the best and being the best is the worst. In other words, you have nothing to lose if you’re the worst and have nothing but the potential to grow, but if you’re the best then you must maintain being the best and potentially face having to fall from grace.

While I understand the message this pattern was trying to get across, I feel the messaging could possibly be misleading. The author mentions being the worst person in your team that produces good work can “make you feel as if you are performing better” when you could not be performing at all. While I feel like this pattern is helpful for myself, the advice given here should be taken with a grain of salt. To me, the most important part about being the worst is making sure you have the will to become the best and repeat the process.

From the blog CS@Worcester – You have reached the upper bound by cloudtech360 and used with permission of the author. All other rights reserved by the author.