12 advices to 20 y.o. me

12 advices to 20 y.o. meIhor Pomaranskyy, Python Software developer @ SoftServe

About me

Graduated in 2003, Lviv Polytechnic State University

Runned own design/printing small business for 2 years

Worked as DJ for 5 years

Worked as DBA/sysadmin/developer in LUKOIL-Inform, Russia, 2005-2014

Softserve: 2014-nowCodeEval (HireVue) 2014-2015

Abiliton Dashboard (internal): 2015-now

Startup (NDA-protected): 2015-now

Lingualeo.com

Duolingo.com

Code.org

Git

Achievements

a family (2 kids)

a house

a car

a cat

2 jobs

happiness

The Cat

1. Rise the bar

Because the world will never give you more than you are ready to get.

2. Work for a big IT company *

Great people

Right processes

A lot of possibilities

* At least for some period of time.

3. Work on yours soft skills

don’t be an asshole

learn how to manage conflicts

teamwork rules!

4. Avoid “stability”

Or you’ll finish out of the market.

Comfort zone is a trap.

5. Avoid distractions

Somebody’s wrong on the Internet…

So what?

6. Be proactive

Take responsibility. Even if you’ll fail — you’ll achieve valuable experience.

If you can improve something — go for it.

7. Learn a lot

languages (especially English)

instruments (OS, office tools, IDEs)

ideas

Knowledge is only 50% of the story (max).

Run simple ‘pet projects’.

Try to finish something.

… but don’t stuck if you underestimated the complexity.

8. Practice

9. Don’t expect quick outcomes

You don’t have to be perfect* ** today. But you have to be better that you were yesterday.

Someday, the puzzles will match.

* Nobody’s perfect** Nothing is perfect

10. Be an engineer

Be curious

Solve the problems

Hack the system (whatever it is)

11. Travel

At least until you don’t have a family / kids.

Try to work abroad.

12. Have fun! :)