Coders are gonna code. Newbies are gonna noob.

We've all been there: Embracing our career journey as newly-minted specialists.

Thinking that we know it all—sometimes skipping the research and planning stages of a project due to excitement. Often afraid to raise questions to avoid looking silly.

Climbing up the company ladder is filled with embarrassing moments. Sadly, the nuanced mishaps of other people are seldom discussed in introductory seminars.

Which is why we created a guide from the experiences of the developers that we have heard about. Below are some of the most popular career mistakes that can slow your career growth.

There’s a fine line between establishing tenure to show that you’re not a job hopper and settling way too deep into your comfort zone.

Developers who have built their careers at one company may find themselves unmotivated to achieve more. The longer you stay a 'one-trick-pony,' the more your skills and pay may hibernate, potentially rendering your job experience bleak.

Having too Many Job Changes

If you have many non-contract, full-time jobs that last a few months, it's also a warning signal –regardless of why you left.

Although perceptions of job-hopping are shifting, employers still frown on developers who are constantly switching companies.

The reason for that is that it takes time to become more knowledgeable and acquainted with the business and the codebase. Apart from that, you need far more than a couple of months to dig deeper into the end-user needs that your software addresses.

Focusing on a Single Technology

Being a master of one stack may make you irreplaceable to your current employer. But should you remain permanently loyal until innovation renders your skills moot? Debatable.

We’re not implying that you should keep chasing newer technologies with no ROI.

The truth is that you won’t find any modern software development role which calls for only one technology for the length of your career.

However, pressing on with one stack can be limiting if you want to step into the corporate environment.

Underestimating the Role of Soft Skills

Being excellent at writing code is not enough to claim that great, high-paying job you desire.

Even though getting a hold of the latest technologies is of crucial value in this business, soft skills are equally important for a developer.

What’s the point in your excellent command of Java or Python if you lack communication abilities and struggle to showcase your value to the company? After all, you’ll have to gather requirements for the software you are creating.
 

The good news is that soft skills are not innate abilities. Therefore, you can whip your communication, leadership, or time management abilities into shape with due diligence.

On the Road to Success

The tech industry is forever crying out for talent and so it may seem that your dream employer is around every Internet corner.

But the talent shortage doesn’t mean there aren’t a great number of bright minds vying for their career. Therefore, living, eating, and breathing code is no longer your lucky break.

There is so much room for you to grow and hone up your skills when you’re a software engineer, so grab the chance and never stop learning.

Join us today to thank our newsletter sponsor, Stack Overflow. Stack Overflow knows developers. If you’ve ever learned to code, you have probably used SO’s public learning platform for sharing knowledge, collaboration, and career-building. Stack Overflow for Teams, Stack Overflow Advertising, Stack Overflow for Talent and Jobs all help to assist developers in their daily business and personal lives. The core SaaS collaboration product is helping thousands of companies around the world progress into a more digital sphere by embracing remote work, all while addressing continuity challenges.