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I'm a junior developer that is highly praised for my ability to deal with people and think big picture. I get good feedback on my coding, but that's not where I

I'm a junior developer that is highly praised for my ability to deal with people and think big picture. I get good feedback on my coding, but that's not where I shine. In the last few months I've been in more and more meetings with people way more experienced than me. It's great for growth in the company, but cuts into my development time. I feel that's it's weakening me as a developer and will cause problems if I try to move companies.

wayn3 10y ago
yea. the fact that people include you in meetings with more important people prevents you from career progression. studying minutiae of whatever pet project you want to nurse is probably way more important.
- jackyinger 10y ago
  I would make sure to balance this with the social aspect. Maintaining a strong network can open a lot of opportunities. Definitely step out of meetings where your presence is not necessary though. There is no substitute for getting things done.
- deleted 10y ago
  [deleted]
- hunterjrj 10y ago
  Cutting through wayn3's (unproductive) sarcasm, he has a point. The typical programmer is going to be better served by the network of contacts he/she develops over time than the code they develop. The people you are sitting at the table with may get promoted, leave the company etc., and can open the door to opportunity down the road.
  - nostrademons 10y ago
    The flip side is that the value of a network of senior people at your current employer is largely tied to your current employer. Senior people move around much less frequently than junior people (that's often how they got to be senior in the first place...), and when they do move, they frequently end up doing something fairly similar to what they were doing before (otherwise they'd lose their seniority). So your network will easily get you a job working on the stuff they find interesting - but if you want to work on the stuff you find interesting, your current employer better be pretty well-aligned with what you want to do.

wayn3 10y ago

yea. the fact that people include you in meetings with more important people prevents you from career progression. studying minutiae of whatever pet project you want to nurse is probably way more important.

jackyinger 10y ago
I would make sure to balance this with the social aspect. Maintaining a strong network can open a lot of opportunities. Definitely step out of meetings where your presence is not necessary though. There is no substitute for getting things done.
deleted 10y ago
[deleted]
hunterjrj 10y ago
Cutting through wayn3's (unproductive) sarcasm, he has a point. The typical programmer is going to be better served by the network of contacts he/she develops over time than the code they develop. The people you are sitting at the table with may get promoted, leave the company etc., and can open the door to opportunity down the road.
- nostrademons 10y ago
  The flip side is that the value of a network of senior people at your current employer is largely tied to your current employer. Senior people move around much less frequently than junior people (that's often how they got to be senior in the first place...), and when they do move, they frequently end up doing something fairly similar to what they were doing before (otherwise they'd lose their seniority). So your network will easily get you a job working on the stuff they find interesting - but if you want to work on the stuff you find interesting, your current employer better be pretty well-aligned with what you want to do.