Programmers have an exceptional mindset that allows them to think critically about problems and create new creative solutions when needed.

There’s hardly a better career choice than becoming a programmer. A career in programming can be very successful because there will always be a demand in the market. However, the #tech field is not an easy one. Being the best at what you do requires years of learning, building up, hard work, persistence and a lot of perseverance. Especially for a dynamic and innovative environment like the tech one, where every day a new innovation comes out on the market, which of course you need to know or a new trend to follow and adopt.

Some interesting fact
Did you know that the first computer programmer was Ada Lovelace? Back in the 1840s. Ada Lovelace became the first computer programmer, although the Analytical Engine (the computer for which she developed the programs) was never put into production.

Scale does not limit dreams
Today, the tech industry is one of the most developed, most successful and undoubtedly most lucrative industries that guarantee a bright future, of course if you’re hardworking enough and love what you do. And even to those of you who think that becoming the best and most sought-after programmer is too difficult a mission, we boldly say that there are no unattainable goals, no matter their scale.

Perfection is an illusion, but a successful career is not!
Yes, it’s great to be good at your profession, but what’s better than being the best? Perfection is an illusion, but a successful career despite all its imperfections is the most beautiful thing that can ever happen to us. Especially to those of us who love what we do and dream of a career in technology.

Today, on the occasion of Programmer’s Day, we have chosen to present to you 10 secret ingredients by Coding Dojo which suggest what it takes to become the best programmer without peer. Seriously. Because your place is at the top!

The Secret Ingredients of a Good Programmers

Be familiar with the technologies you work with
It’s great to know a technology in depth, but real world problems are never solved with just one technology. Even if you’re hired as a specialist, you still need to understand how your technology interacts with the other software, hardware, and network that make up the application ecosystem. Plus, you’ll be able to contribute to your project in multiple ways, helping wherever more help is needed.

Enjoy solving puzzles
Building apps is not a simple process. Figuring out why code doesn’t compile, what causes bugs, and how to solve production problems requires puzzle-solving skills, as well as a belief that there’s always a solution and not giving up until you find it. If you can solve puzzles under pressure, that’s even better – when the system doesn’t work, you can expect management to breathe down your neck until you figure out the problem.

Learning should be your passion
Technology is constantly changing. The tools and languages you work with today are not the tools you’ll be working with next year, let alone next decade. You should always be developing new skills so you can contribute to upcoming projects. Your employer may provide ongoing training, but the best developers take the time to learn on their own.

Good Communication Skills
Working as a developer isn’t just about technology. Developers need to talk with business users to understand what they need from the application. Developers also often need to generate technical documents, so being able to write clearly is also important—even if it’s just to produce a status report.

Confidence
There’s never just one way to build a system. No matter how good your ideas are, they won’t have value if you keep them to yourself. The best developers have confidence in their ideas and speak up in design discussions to help shape the application architecture. To boost your confidence, start with a small suggestion, rather than proposing an entire application redesign.

Be Interested in the Business
Businesses use technology to solve business problems. The more you understand about your company’s business, the better prepared you are to understand their problems and build solutions that help them grow. You should take advantage of opportunities to talk to the business users and ask them questions about the challenges they face in their work. If you get really interested in understanding the business, you can take courses or even work towards certifications in the business domain.

Be a Team Player
Movies often glorify a solo coder, and students usually work on assignments on their own, but real-world projects are team efforts. It’s important for developers to be able to get along with co-workers. You need to be able to deal with people with varying abilities and respond to differences of opinion respectfully. If you can, get to know your teammates as people, not just technical staff. Having conversations about other things than the project helps form relationships that make working together easier.

Understand the Importance of Deadlines
The best project managers will get their developers’ input when coming up with project deadlines, though sometimes external factors drive the schedule. In either case, once you’ve agreed to do a task, do your best to meet the deadline, even if it means a few late nights. You don’t have to give up your whole personal life for the organization, but demonstrating commitment to completing the project and understanding its value to the business make a positive impression at work.

Be Adaptable
Projects and priorities change for many reasons, and developers need to be able to context-switch to focus on what’s most important right now. The changes may be small and temporary or major and permanent. If they’re temporary, make sure you have good notes that will help you get back to your regular work when things settle down. If the changes are permanent, allow time to understand what the new situation is and how you fit into it. It may present new opportunities to help you achieve your goals. In any case, it’s important to respond professionally and not lash out in frustration.

Own Your Product
Technically, your job may be done once you’ve written code that compiles cleanly and passes its test cases. Stand out by following it through the rest of its lifecycle—be willing to help with testing, deployment, training users, and solving production problems. While this helps your business, it actually helps you more, because you see and understand the real-world effectiveness of the code you wrote. Then take that understanding and let it help you make your next application even better.

Happy Programmer’s Day!