How do you learn new things at work when your job isn’t teaching you anything?

Micro Focus / Eng
ccowboi

Go to company page Micro Focus Eng

 ccowboi
Jan 29, 2019 15 Comments

I’m not learning anything new at work in terms of technologies or technical skills, and spend most of my day fixing bugs. This is really boring and killing my motivation because I want to code and not just fix broken shit. I’ve been leetcoding and interviewing at other companies, but the day to day routine of doing debugging/refactoring tasks is burning me out mentally. I’m also not brave to leetcode at work and I definitely won’t be working on personal projects on the work laptop. So what to do? Read blogs or technical articles? Listen to podcasts? Or say fuck it and just do leetcode anyway?

Eng
15

comments

Want to comment? LOG IN or SIGN UP
  1. TOP
  2. RECENT
  3. OLD
 TOP 15 Comments
  • New / Mktg
    digitalad

    New Mktg

     digitalad
    Learn over lunch break if you can. I take a 2 hour break to practice my skills in python/sql. (I’m in ppc)
    Jan 29, 2019 1
    • Micro Focus / Eng
      ccowboi

      Go to company page Micro Focus Eng

       ccowboi
      OP
      That’s a smart idea. I always go to my car during lunch breaks to eat and read books, and so far have worked through a lot of interesting nonfiction. Maybe I’ll bring my laptop and work on some code instead.
      Jan 29, 2019
  • New / Eng
    78kt

    New Eng

    PRE
    500 Startups
     78kt
    I was also at a no name company where I fixed only bugs before going to a FAANG. My routine looked like this: 1) Leet Code 7:30 to 12AM everyday and 6AM to 7:30AM 2) Study Grokking the System design during my commute in train 2 hours everyday 3) Mark courses in pluralsight to watch during weekends and commute ....I did this for 3 months
    Jan 29, 2019 4
    • PayPal / Eng
      naja

      Go to company page PayPal Eng

       naja
      @OP, don't have that thought. Developers rarely get to build something from the scratch in large companies. Doing refactoring the right way is a precious skill even in Tier1 companies.
      What's your YOE?
      Jan 30, 2019
    • Micro Focus / Eng
      ccowboi

      Go to company page Micro Focus Eng

       ccowboi
      OP
      @78kt thanks for the insight. I have exactly 3 YOE now.
      Jan 30, 2019
  • Veritas / Eng
    The_One_

    Go to company page Veritas Eng

     The_One_
    Know the feeling. Once a quarter I have to pick a side project, develop whitepaper, build sample reference architectures, hit the lab and learn something new on our code etc.... your company shouldn’t have a problem with it even beyond lunch breaks as long as it benefits them in some way, usually financial gains or streamlining the process to save $$. Why so many bugs? Maybe you should take a lead dev job if the lead team now is messing up so bad.
    Jan 30, 2019 2
    • Micro Focus / Eng
      ccowboi

      Go to company page Micro Focus Eng

       ccowboi
      OP
      It’s a legacy codebase that’s been around for like 20 years and tampered with by hundreds of developers. Seriously, making even a one line code change is risky. Also I think the product itself is on life support so the company is just trying to keep alive instead of innovating new features.
      Jan 30, 2019
    • Bloomberg / Eng
      *** DELETE

      Go to company page Bloomberg Eng

      PRE
      Bloomberg LP
       *** DELETE
      Then you should leave, and actually I’d recommend going to smaller companies early in your career, try to go somewhere where you can grow faster and *then* try to get into a FAANG/large company at a much more senior level ...
      Jan 30, 2019
  • Facebook / Eng
    intaview

    Go to company page Facebook Eng

     intaview
    Use new technology for projects at work
    Jan 30, 2019 1
  • Oracle / Eng
    abdc®️

    Go to company page Oracle Eng

     abdc®️
    Contribute to open project?
    Jan 30, 2019 0