From IT-student to developer - 4 common differences

Late nights with stress-inducing deadlines, early morning lectures, and lunch breaks that last a little bit too long are among some things you get used to as a student.

So when the study period begins to fade out and the time to start to prepare your life for a permanent job creeps in, the transition can seem unpredictable, maybe even a bit scary.

That’s why we are going to make you as prepared as possible for your new workday. We had a chat with our chief developer here in WA.works, and asked him what he experienced as the biggest differences between study and work.

Here he gives you a little insight into how it is to work as a newly graduate, he also has some advice that can be handy when you get your first developer job.

Andreas Hammerbeck studied information technology by HVL  

and now works as chief developer here in WA.works.

The Code

During my studies, I usually worked in small groups, so if I wondered about something, I could go directly and ask the person who wrote the code and get it explained

When you code in the workplace, one is often a part of a bigger team who also works on the same project. That’s why clean code is important. Your code will be read by others, and you will read code written by others.  

My best advice: The Book “Clean Code”. It is an amazing book on why and how writing important clean code is. Use the book for what it’s worth, and make habits and guidelines from it as soon as possible.

The people you work  with

When you start a new job as a new graduate, you probably aren’t the one who knows the most, but you have many people around you with long experience. You will work alongside them and learn much from them. I think the starting period in a new job is exciting since you learn so much in so little time, so your learning curve is very large.

In my studies, collaboration was a big focus, and the same thing goes for the workplace 

My advice: You can learn an incredible amount by being curious on how things work and asking the more experienced at work. Ask questions when you’re stuck and take advantage of collaboration with your colleagues. It's worth its weight in gold. 

Collaboration is even more relevant in the workplace than in the study period.

The learning curve

Å samarbeide med koden er enda mer relevant i arbeidslivet enn i studietiden

As I mentioned, the learning curve in the workplace is large. So when you are going to learn something new: Write it down, make your own little wiki or Git-repo while you are picking up and learning new things. 

I often meet the same problems, so then I can go back and see how I solved it previously. After studying, one has learned studying techniques, use it!

Your skills

I think most students can get the feeling that they aren’t quite ready for the work-life when they graduate, but it is important to remember one doesn't need to know it all!

If your employer employs a newly graduated developer it is because they think you are going to be a good developer in the long term, not because they expect you to produce a massive amount from day 1.

My advice: Don’t be scared of job advertisements that include technology you are not familiar with. Remember that you’ve learned a good amount of fundamental and important concepts. Least not all, you know how to solve it. And most likely, you know more than you think.

Recently graduated and looking for a job as a developer? WA.works have vacant developer positions at the largest IT-companies in Norway. Creating an account might just get you in touch with your dream-employer! Create your account here.