1. I feel I handled this wrongly, and started with too much confidence. If I am the least knowledgeable person, and a co-worker ignores, despises and a

1. I feel I handled this wrongly, and started with too much confidence. If I am the least knowledgeable person, and a co-worker ignores, despises and almost makes fun of me for your lack of experience, how should I act in order to maintain my dignity but also be humble enough to acknowledge the co-worker's knowledge? There are two questions here. First of all confidence is not a bad thing. When too much confidence encounters reality then adjust but don't beat yourself up about it. Second, admit when you are wrong but don't feel ashamed. Realize there is dignity in admitting you don't know. If the work environment is toxic and your coworkers are a barrier to learning then you might want to think about finding a new place to work. If on the other hand approaching them with humility breaks down those barriers then it might be worth sticking around and learning some things. 2. Is it normal to be hired as a junior and just being thrown to the lions, with no help or time to ramp up? In my experience it's roughly half and half. There will undoubtedly be times when you join a company and they expect you to just hit the ground running. There will be other times where the company won't expect you to be productive for 6 months. It varies. 3. Do all star/ninja/rock-star software developers have rotten attitudes? Personally I don't think there is such a thing as ninja or rock star software developers. And if someone actually thinks of themselves as one then they probably have too high an opinion of themselves. And that can often lead to rotten attitudes. That said there is such a thing as experienced and wise developers. And when you find them then it's important to treat them as a valuable resource. Many times someone elses attitude is just as much about how you approach them as it is anything else. Being too cocky can lead to a little bit of teasing. Bottom line don't get discouraged when you are surrounded by lots of smart people. That's a fantastic position to be in for growth. But carefully consider if the environment will allow growth for you or not. Toxic environments it may be better to get out and find a better pond to be a small fish in.