Work Hard and Be Nice
People underestimate the power found in being nice to others, but it need not be forgotten. Being nice to others can open the door to opportunity, but of course, that’s not the reason to be nice. Being nice to others is just the right thing to do.
Work hard and be nice
I was working at my first job out of college as a frontend developer. I made sure that I was always nice to everyone and willing to help with any project even it that meant learning Drupal. I decided that I wanted to be a person that anyone would feel comfortable coming to with questions or requests. And all I did was work hard and smile. I never complained about any of my co-workers, or talked bad behind their backs, because I knew how rotten that feels. Let’s fast forward a year of being nice to everyone. A big client came in with a massive project that had a very short timeline. In my head I was dreaming of being put on that project but I knew I was the newest developer with the least amount of experience. BUT I got picked to be on that project. The project was building out Powerpuff Yourself site.
It was an 8 week project which lead me to New York City. My boss picked me to be the technical lead on the project for their pop up shop in the Big Apple.
When I asked him why he picked me to go, his response has stuck with me. He told me that the other developer was a bit of a hot head and he needed someone who was calm and level headed to be there to help.
That trip brought a new found sense of confidence in my ability to deal with people and code. I was having to make changes to the app on the fly as the shop is filled with 100s of people using the app. I had to learn to communicate on the spot to not convey stress or irritation. You see, the people running the pop up shop are just as stressed if not more than me. They were trying to make sure everything ran smoothly and the app functioned as it was supposed to, and that is where I came in. I was there to make their life easier. If they had questions or needed changes they needed someone they could approach and make those asks. I was there first thing in the morning to midnight every night, not taking breaks because I didn’t want them to think I didn’t have their back. I wanted them to succeed in their store opening and bring all their users excitement and joy.
It is our jobs as developers to make sure that when we give our hard work into the hands of our end user that we have the ut most faith that it works. We need to always make sure that we are communicating in kindness and not irritation. Remember half the people we talk to about programming have no clue what we are talking about but it is our job as humans to make them feel like they can understand and to never make someone feel less than.
