Forem: Krowser Web Services

Tips To Avoid Developer Burnout Like a Pro

Krowser Web Services — Fri, 09 Jul 2021 05:21:42 +0000

Are you properly handling the stress in your dev life right now?

Being stressed out because you have pending code to write or not being able to stare at your IDE for longer than 10 minutes without tabbing out and browsing the Web — are both symptoms of developer burnout. In other words, you’ve spent so much of your energy coding that you no longer can stand it.

This happens to all of us senior and junior devs alike. It’s the problem of having a job that sometimes is also a hobby. When that happens, you love coding so much that you spend nine hours working on it and then a few extra working on your personal projects.
Don’t worry though — at least not too much — because there are ways to avoid burnout. You just have to understand what you’re going through first.

What Causes Developer Burnout?

For you to understand how to avoid it, you first need to understand where it comes from. Burnout comes from spending too much energy on a single activity, which in turn affects every other aspect of your life. It’s that simple.

That can be seen in many ways, for instance, making coding the only activity you do your entire day. When you spend 12 to 18 hours a day coding, what else do you have time for? Other than eating and sleeping, I mean?
Or, perhaps only focusing on coding, even when you’re not writing code. Reading about coding, coding techniques, new frameworks, other languages. While you’re not actively writing code when doing any of these things, you’re still only focusing on a single task. Your mind is unable to break from the coding state of mind. Even if you’re not consciously thinking about them, your coding blockers (pending tasks on your daily job, future features you’re trying to implement on your pet project, new frameworks you’ve been dying to learn but haven’t had the time for) are adding to your stress and anxiety.

You can tell yourself you’re doing it for a reason but no matter how noble that reason might be, you’ll end up burning out. Even if your mind resists it, your body will yield. You’ll start seeing physical problems such as losing (or graying) hair, stomach issues, upper back or neck pains due to strained muscles. These are all symptoms burned out developers feel. I know because I’ve felt them myself.

What Can You Do To Avoid Burnout Then?

Stop coding. That’s the first step.
Not entirely of course, but give yourself a fixed time window in which you’re allowed to code. Then stop.
And by “stop” I mean it. Close your IDE, stop Googling for a solution, and making notes for tomorrow. It’s “you” time now.
I don’t care if you love coding. You are not a code-writing machine, you’re a person, and we humans need more than one thing in our lives. You need interaction with other people or activities that will keep your mind off of coding.

What can you do? Here are a few ideas:

Play a game

If you’re not a social person, playing games can also help.But, please don't play a game you developed, if not you will get disturbed is there are any bugs in the game play.

Find one that speaks to you and captures your attention, then dive right into it. Mind you, don’t change one burnout for the other, but try to balance your gaming time within your day. Maybe spend one or two hours after work as a way to help your mind make the context switch into not thinking about code anymore.
And if you are a social person, you can still implement gaming with friends (especially now that we’re all isolated) through online gaming. Use voice chat to pretend you’re all sitting together; that also adds a lot to the experience and allows you to have an actual conversation about other people’s interests. It’ll force you to stop thinking about your code and think about something completely different.

Read a book / Watch a movie

While they’re not the same type of activity, they both contribute in the same way: they take you out of your world and put you into a different one. If you’re more into “not thinking and letting others do the work for you,” then a movie is a great escape ( I personally love watching movies to forget about work problems).
If, on the other hand, you have the time to read a book, then it’ll have the same effect. It’ll take you out of your house and into a completely different world where your problems (and your context) don’t exist. You’ll spend a few hours completely unaware of whatever is causing the burnout. You’ll feel refreshed and re-invigorated once you’ve closed that book for the day.

Catch up with friends or family

If you can, leave your house. But if you can’t, a video call or even a phone call will do. Talk to other people and actively listen to them. Making a call “because you have to” and then going back to coding will not have any positive effect. Instead, spend some time having a conversation about life, about problems, or about anything that is not work-related. Something as simple as that will help you get your mind off whatever is causing your burnout.

Take a break

Funny story, I didn’t know how to finish this article, and I had been writing since 4 a.m., so I left for a walk right at this point. It was a beautiful day, so my wife and I went for a walk. We picked up my kids from school, spent some time with them, and in the end, it was too late for me to go back to writing. It’s the next day now, my mind is fresher, and I know how to move forward. I could’ve stressed out about the fact that I couldn’t finish this story yesterday, but instead, I gave myself time. That’s the whole point of taking a break.

Get off of social media

Look, I get it, I love using Twitter, Clubhouse & LinkedIn, and I’m sure you have your favorite social media platform, but you need to stop using them from time to time. Some people even recommend uninstalling these apps from your mobile devices, so you can remove the notifications-related anxiety from your life. This is great if you notice that your social media activity is 100% related to your burnout. If you’re getting burned out because you have an open source project that’s getting lots of activity online, then your phone is probably buzzing with updates. Stop it. You can’t unplug if you’re constantly reminded about it.

Remove work-related notifications from your mobile devices

In the same vein as the social media app removal, if it’s work that’s causing your burnout, unplug from it. That means turning off email and slack (or whatever combination you might have) notifications, or even if you have a dedicated work phone, turn it off if you can. If you’re not meant to be working, you should not be looking at work-related notifications. That’s the rule you need to live by.

It Can Wait

That’s the mantra you need to keep in the back of your mind. That problem you’ve been trying to solve for the past five days? It can wait a few more hours. Take a break. That new release of your framework? It can wait a little longer. Spend some time with your family. That email you started writing three times but got interrupted? It can wait; it’s “you” time. Go read a book.
Once you accept the fact that everything but your health can wait, then taking a break becomes slightly easier.

What are you doing to lower or avoid your own burnout? How are you handling stress during the pandemic? Share your experience with others in the comments.

How To Accelerate Your Career During Uncertain Times

Krowser Web Services — Thu, 24 Jun 2021 22:50:16 +0000

Does the current situation have you wondering whether your career has come grinding to a halt? According to experts, growing professionally during a pandemic can be challenging but not impossible.

View career paths as fluid
The steady climb isn’t the only way to accelerate your career. Think also in terms of the sidestep, backstep, and all-important slingshot. Suppose you find your career plateauing. Consider moving sideways into a position of equal rank and pay, in an organization or division that promises more advancement opportunities. Or you could take a backstep, working for less pay or a less prestigious title, at a more innovative startup that offers new hands-on learning opportunities. A slingshot entails doing both a sidestep and a backstep at the same time—making fewer instantly-gratifying moves, and more choices that help you advance towards your career goals. When you apply the knowledge, experience and skills gained through these moves, you increase your chances of leaping far ahead of where you started.

Focus on stretching yourself
Think you’re short on job security? Researchers at Boston University found that the most successful contract IT and filmmaking professionals—among those careers most lacking in stability—pursued "stretch work,” roles that emphasized learning new skills over increasing their income. Over time, they came out ahead of their peers. It pays not only to push yourself to learn new things but also to emphasize long-term personal growth over immediate financial returns. If a volunteer position helps you expand your work portfolio or make important contacts, don't be afraid to contribute. None of this time is wasted. You're building resilience and elastic skills that can be applied in any context.

Leverage your network
Successful people understand that if they want to overcome significant challenges and accelerate their careers, they need to surround themselves with a strong network of diverse individuals. And they are continually working to build those relationships. If you are one of the many people searching for a new job in the wake of Covid-19, don't be afraid to ask for help. The more you make others aware that you're looking for work, the better off you'll be. If you're shy about connecting with peers, find an excuse to be in their inbox, even if it's just to share an interesting article. You can also proactively network and make introductions between your connections, especially if they have similar interests or complementary skill sets.

Keep pushing forward
Continuous change is the new norm. To thrive in these fast-changing times, change with them. To future-proof yourself, become more flexible. Today, winning isn't about having more resources, but rather being more resourceful. Getting ahead isn’t about being a genius, but more ingenious. To succeed in unpredictable environments, find the courage to take chances. In unexpected times, everyone wants to be risk-free. Instead, create a competitive advantage by being risk-averse. Recognize that change is coming and make calculated bets that can help you gain the insights or talents today that will be in-demand tomorrow. Whatever your goal, pick a portfolio of promising growth activities to try—attend night school or take online computer programming courses. Just don't sit still while trends and competitors are evolving. Staying ahead of the curve is easier than it sounds, as long as you're staying in constant motion.

Self-isolation and social distancing can make professional advancement more difficult. Yet, despite these challenges, you can still accelerate your career. All it takes is a bit of creativity, initiative and the willingness to believe it’s possible. Focus on these strategies now, and you'll be ahead of the curve when things inevitably take a turn for the better.

Career Development Tips to Help You Keep Ahead of the Curve

Krowser Web Services — Wed, 23 Jun 2021 16:56:07 +0000

In the creative industry, everything can change in the blink of an eye – or the click of a mouse. So, how do you ensure your skills keep up with the latest technologies, trends and standards? That's the million-dollar question.

Figure out what you stink at
While this isn't groundbreaking career advice, it is important. If you have a professional weak point, fix it. Take it upon yourself to identify your skill gaps and work to fill them day in and day out. Once you correct one issue, move on to the next. As a creative professional, if you're not willing to constantly improve your skill set, you're in the wrong field. It takes passion to succeed in this industry and when you don't have it, your weaknesses become more apparent as the days wear on.

Learn something new every day
In addition to getting better at what you know, it's important to understand the things you don't. For instance, if you are a web content writer and aren't grasping why account services keeps pushing for more social content, ask them. Get the inside scoop on what the client is looking for. Not only will it help you deliver more targeted work in the next round, but it also can help you better understand the needs of future clients.

Become indispensable
Did you hear through the office grapevine that your boss is looking for a writer who is familiar with video game culture? Offer to take up the task. When you can do something that no one else on the team can, like coding or optimizing content for the Web, you have an undeniable advantage, which helps to keep your position in tact. The more of these "added benefits" you can master, the more valuable you become as an employee. The bottom line is if you want to get ahead in your career, you have to be willing to continually learn, adapt and improve.

Engage those around you
Are you a big fan of a fellow copywriter's work? Invite that person to lunch so you can pick her brain. Are you fascinated with the impressive output of a particular graphic designer? Shoot him an email and ask about his process. When you engage with other creative professionals, you open yourself up to new ways of thinking.

They could share a nugget of information that completely redefines your process or alters your method of delivery. Plus, you never know when the opportunity for collaboration may arise. That's how some of the world's most lucrative companies got their start – two people throwing their ideas at one another.

Read more
Whether it's bookmarking a few blogs or picking up a new novel from your favorite author, we can all benefit from reading more. Don't limit yourself to a specific field or specialty or you'll miss out on a (literal) world full of information. As a writer, I always benefit from keeping up with the industries I'm writing for – from finance and healthcare to consumer goods and advertising. You never know when a new piece of knowledge might click to help you create a million-dollar campaign.

Maintain a good work-life balance
This one is a little harder because it's not always in your control. However, a healthy work-life balance can make all the difference between a good career and a great one. Sure, you could stay an extra hour at the office and churn out work that isn't due until tomorrow night. Or you could spend it with your family, get plenty of sleep and produce even better work the next morning.

Too many of us have come to believe that "the brass" favor workaholics. However, I've come to find that many managers prefer individuals who keep work in check because employees who enjoy a life outside the office are often happier and more creative.

Be yourself, always
No matter what field you work in or what job title you have, you should always be yourself. The minute you start pretending to be something you're not is when your career development begins to descend. In most cases, a company hires you because they like your work and enjoy your personality. So don't feel pressure to be someone you're not. A strong work ethic and a good personality and eagerness to learn will often transcend any shortcomings you may have.

Tips for someone who wants to be a Developer

Krowser Web Services — Tue, 22 Jun 2021 21:23:30 +0000

Plenty of companies are on the hunt for software developers. So, what are the secrets to software developer success?

If you want to be a software developer, you won’t be stuck for company choices. Many of the biggest companies are looking for software developers.

So, how exactly can you map out a successful career as a software developer? What do you need to know when you’re just starting out?

We gleaned a number of tips for someone who wants to be a software developer from those who have walked the path before.

Practice makes perfect

Ronan O’Dulaing is the vice-president of engineering at Globoforce. He said a passion for problem-solving is critical to a successful career in software development. “You could start by practising coding simple programs every day,” he said.

“Pick problems to solve, perhaps related to your home or your other hobbies, and use your chosen language (Java, C++, C#, JavaScript, Ruby, Python or Scala) to figure them out. There are lots of tutorials online to get you started.”

He also suggested attending meet-ups if you want to pursue a career. “They’ll give you a broad understanding on a range of technology topics, give you a great opportunity to speak to people [and] help you determine where to best employ the skills you’ve acquired.”

Learn the language

William Ho is an innovation software engineer at EY. He said someone at the very beginning of their career should try out and learn about as many different languages as they can, as having a niche skillset can limit future career prospects.

“In terms of languages, it all depends on your field of interest. If you were looking at web development, you might look at perhaps a .NET language or PHP; if it’s native mobile, it would be Android or Swift; object-oriented programming, it could be anything from Java, Python, Ruby to C++ etc,” he said.

“In terms of career prospects, having an understanding of a mixture of some of the above would put you in a very strong position.”

Make it work, make it correct, make it fast

As with every job, there’s a learning curve. As you progress, you will improve your skills. When it comes to software development, Zendesk developer Jose Narvaez said your goal should be to make it work, make it correct and make it fast – in that order.

“In other words, start with simple solutions, adding the edge cases after you prove the simpler solution works. Once you have confirmed the results are correct for all of your inputs, proceed to measure performance and, only then, optimise accordingly.”

Focus on the user’s needs

Deloitte’s Alan Jue Liu believes it is important for someone who wants to be a software developer to understand what software is there for. “It is to make people’s job easier, to allow people to do more,” he said.

“When designing software, tackle complexity by distillation and tackle simplicity by thinking holistically. Design better software by always focusing on the needs of your users who will use, maintain, deploy and interact with your software.”

Be aggressive in your development

When it comes to software development, upskilling, self-learning and personal development are major parts of your career. According to Donal Byrne, a software developer at Jaguar Land Rover, you need to be aggressive about your own learning.

“Getting good grades in a relevant degree isn’t enough. Go out and start building real pieces of software. Take what you have learned and apply it,” he said.

“Being able to do your own independent study/research and then implement it in a real project is by far the best way to improve and display your skills.”

Become an adaptable problem-solver

Steven O’Kennedy, a technology architecture lead in Accenture, said it’s important for a software developer to know that it’s not their job to write code, it’s their job to find answers to problems.

“As a developer, understanding when to use technologies or techniques, knowing which are best for what, and knowing what the trade-offs are will make you a better developer, more valuable to your team and more confident in your decisions,” he said.

“Don’t be a technology fundamentalist who always tries to fit the problem to the tool they know. Just because your favourite technology/technique can fix a problem does not mean that it’s the right one to use!”

How to create a Mobile App for your Business with $0

Krowser Web Services — Sun, 20 Jun 2021 23:23:39 +0000

Let’s talk about the business owners who want to build an app as an extension of their current brand, business, or website.

What’s your budget?
The majority of businesses plan to budget between $250,000 and $500,000 over the next 12 to 18 months.

Does this sound too high to you?
It’s not.

Your location is relevant to how much it’s going to cost to develop your app.

If you’re located in North America, expect to pay roughly $150 per hour if you’re planning to hire someone to build your iOS mobile app.

So unless you’re planning to take a trip to Indonesia, it won’t be inexpensive. On average, an app will take about 7-9 months to build and cost you about $270,000. That’s an unrealistic number for some businesses.

Your company may not even be able to secure a $200,000 line of credit, never mind pay over $250,000 for an app.

So what’s the solution?
Follow my guide, and I’ll show you the most cost-effective ways to develop your app if you don’t have the funds to pay someone else to do it.

Option #1: Just learn how to code everything

There are some great resources online that teach you how to code for free. I’ll show you my favourite ones. Team Treehouse offers a free trial for a week to new users. So you can learn to code from your computer, anywhere with a Wi-Fi connection.

Here’s how their system works. They have thousands of videos to teach users the basics of coding. After you watch the videos, you’ll take quizzes to test your knowledge.

Then, Team Treehouse gives you the tools needed to practice coding with interactive challenges. The platform is super clean and easy to use, especially for beginners.

Code Academy is another one of my favourites.
Their platform also has interactive tools that will teach you the coding basics for your mobile application.

Option #2: Take advantage of App Development Support Programs

For small business who are just interested in converting their existing website to a mobile app, they can take advantage of the "Krowser Web Services App Development Support Program"

You just need to submit your business website link and an android app will be developed and published on the Google Play Store all for free.

The whole process typically takes 7 days.

Submit your website here: https://forms.gle/jExGTmyvv2hgFcfF7

Conclusion

Creating an android app for your business is much easier than it sounds.

Depending on your situation, you’ve got lots of options to choose from.

Reasons to Write as a Developer

Krowser Web Services — Thu, 17 Jun 2021 21:01:12 +0000

I get asked frequently by fellow programmers why I started writing online and if they should do the same. Let me tell you one thing right from the start: Yes, you should!

Writing as a programmer has a lot of benefits like additional income, personal development, increased reputation, and more. You don’t need to write 10,000 words every month. You don’t even have to write every day. And you definitely don’t need a background in writing or some hidden talent! You just need a reason for writing, and that’s what this article is about.

Reputation
A good reason for a lot of programmers to start writing is to build up some kind of reputation. Let’s say you are a programmer who is able to write JavaScript code and turn it into functioning applications, but nobody else knows you can do that.
By starting to write online about what you do, you give other people the chance to get to know you and what skills you possess. It’s an excellent way of self-marketing and constantly leads to new opportunities — especially job-wise.
You don’t even need your own blog for this. You can use social media like Twitter or LinkedIn or one of the awesome platforms like Dev.to to share your work.
Education
Another great reason to start writing as a programmer is with the intention of helping others. The demand for skilled developers is still high around the world, but access to learning material and money to buy it are definitely not.
By creating content in the form of blog posts, tutorials, or ebooks, you can help other people discover and learn new things and improve their skills.
It is totally up to you whether you want to charge for it or not, but especially in the beginning, I would recommend creating something for free. Not only is it going to help you become a better writer, but it’s a good way to build up a reputation, it’s fun, and helping others is always a great form of motivation.
Yourself
This is actually the reason why I started writing online. I wanted to do it for myself — to share my thoughts and get feedback on them. But oftentimes, writing has some sort of therapeutic effect on me. My mind is always full of ideas and thoughts, and writing them down really helps me in many situations.
Don’t be afraid to share failure and things you regret but learned from. Life is not always sunny and there will always be people trying to drag others down. Even more so online, but don’t let them discourage you because when you write, you write for yourself!
Publicity
Another valid reason for writing online is to gain public attention — whether for yourself, your product, or your company. A lot of people certainly write in the hope of becoming famous. And platforms like Twitter, Instagram, etc. support this with their clap and like systems. These small rewards can really be addictive and also dangerous.
I think it’s OK to write for the rush, but there are definitely better reasons for writing. I believe that if you start writing without looking at those likes too much, it will not only be less stressful to write, but it will pay off in the long term even more.
You also shouldn’t try to copy others too much. It’s fine to get inspiration, but in the end, you should find your own way of writing.
Money
Your writing can generate a substantial amount of (side) income. I’ve managed to generate several thousand dollars each month writing on Medium about programming and tech:
But writing for money is an art in itself, in my opinion. It needs a special focus. The focus on making money. If you want to maximize your ROI, you need to align everything you write towards that goal. Things like reputation or education are just side effects — not the main purpose.
When writing for money, you need to make sure that your articles are constantly read by a lot of people. And I mean lots and lots of them. At least on Medium, you need high exposure of your articles but also interesting content because the time each person spends reading your articles is an important factor for the algorithm that determines your payouts. Medium publications are a great way to increase the reach of your articles, so you should try to get accepted as an author for at least one major publication!
Another option to get paid as a writer is applying for paid writer programs offered by internet businesses. Those are going to pay you a fixed amount, often between $100-$500 for one article.
Focusing on money and ROI is not so important if you choose a paid writer program. Your focus should rather be on meeting the criteria of the program in question.

Final Thoughts
There are many good reasons to start writing online. Some require a special focus for you to be successful and almost all of them benefit from each other.

But the best advice I can give you is to just start writing. Just do it, for whatever reason. Not tomorrow but today!

How to Make Extra Money as a Programmer

Krowser Web Services — Wed, 16 Jun 2021 01:45:51 +0000

There are plenty of opportunities to expand your income beyond your day job.

Being a programmer is a great thing. Not only is work fun most of the time, but there are plenty of job openings around and most of them pay very well.

But there are times when a little extra money on the side is much appreciated. Be it because you are still in college or university, you want to start to work for yourself rather than for others, you have a child and want to spend more time with them, you still need to make some cash or you’re doing it just for the fun of it.

Here is the good thing: As a programmer, you have everything you need to increase the cash flow. Your brain, your laptop — that’s all you really need. Interested? Check out the following strategies and decide what fits best for you.

Start to Freelance

Let's start with the good news.

Freelancing can be a great thing. No (real) boss, a tremendous amount of projects to choose from, high daily rates for specialists, as many holidays as you want…the list goes on.

However, it requires a lot of discipline and effort to find clients and projects. The biggest advantage to me is that you can start freelancing next to your permanent job, be it in the evenings or on the weekends.

Platforms like Upwork or Fiverr seem to offer a lot of opportunities especially for doing things on the sidelines but be aware of the competition over there.

Additionally, rates are pretty low so I would only recommend this if you just want to dip your toes into the water for the first time or are satisfied with only a little bit of additional income.

A better strategy would be to work on your LinkedIn profile, contact recruiters and past clients from your network, go to conferences and meetups, and look out for platforms that match up remote workers with companies.

Participate in Coding Contests

Yes, this is a real thing. There are dedicated platforms that organize programming contests for real prize money.

One of the biggest is Topcoder with more than a million members and a lot of competitions. They have three main focus areas: design, data science, and development.

You would work on real projects initiated by more than 2000 companies or single matches against opponents. Fun is guaranteed, so is a fast learning curve.

If you like challenges, this might be something for you. However, there is competition and you cannot count on a steady flow of income so make this one a lower priority.

Start to Write

In my opinion, writing still is one of the best ways to reach a broad audience. There are plenty of opportunities for you to start writing and make money out of it:

You can start your own blog and monetize with ad revenue.
You can write books or ebooks and sell them online.
You can write on platforms such as Medium and participate in their Partnership Programs.
You can write guest posts for established sites like CSS-Tricks that will pay you a fixed amount if your article is accepted.

There is nothing wrong with trying things out and seeing how people react to what you write. I've been very successful on Medium.com and make several thousand dollars each month with my articles.

However, some things that you should consider are to choose a niche where you have a special interest in (keeps you motivated), to keep writing consistently (it takes time to get recognized), and to constantly improve your writing skills to deliver high-quality articles (people will thank you, there is more than enough low-quality stuff out there…).

Record and Sell Online Courses

Being able to teach people online is one of the best things that emerged over the last decade and will be around for at least another decade if not longer, in my opinion.

The benefits for both students and teachers are massive. Students can choose from a wide range of offerings and learn on their own schedule. Teachers reach 1000s or 100,000s of people with their content.

If you have experience with programming, ideally expert knowledge in a language like JavaScript or Python (or any other popular language or framework) or even in niche penetration testing and you are able to and have fun teaching others, creating online courses could be your thing.

There are many platforms available for your courses to be published on. Udemy, for example, has round about 75 million visitors a month and anyone can join them.

Other platforms like Frontend Masters or Pluralsight are invite-only but if you have a reputation or a good network — why not?

However, there are a few things to consider when recording your courses:

Invest in good gear: good microphone and webcam are a must! High-quality content is king.
Competition is increasing steadily so you need to convince people that you can teach them valuable things.
Practice speaking loud and clearly.
Always rework your recordings. Create additional material like a GitHub project, presentations, coding examples …

And even if it seems appealing that once a course has been recorded and people start buying it, it will create passive income for you, that is only true to some extent. The best teachers constantly update their courses because technology changes all the time!

Start a Podcast

Many people don’t like it to be in front of a camera but are still experts in a field and would love to share their knowledge with others.

Podcasts are undoubtedly a great medium to do so. While they have been around for some time now, they have gained massively in popularity in the last four to five years, reaching millions of people that commute to work every day or listen to them before they go to bed.

Now, most podcasts are free to listen to so money is more of a side-effect. A lot of podcasts have sponsors for their episodes that pay with services or money. Many podcasters are on Patreon, a platform where people can pay them a monthly amount to support their work and unlock exclusive content.

But in order to be successful with a podcast, you should be able to articulate yourself well, invest in some good gear (microphone), and most importantly, have the endurance to constantly record episodes.

It’s not uncommon that people have to create weekly episodes for one or two years before they really see progress in terms of listeners.

So, it would be good if you are really passionate about this before doing it.

Final Thoughts

There is one last thing I want to tell you that is relevant for each of the above options:

Consistency is king.

No matter what you start — pursue it, stick with it. Most things won’t work overnight. It is hard work, you have to invest time and energy. 99% give up too early. Be among the 1% that are successful!

How to stay productive as a developer

Krowser Web Services — Mon, 14 Jun 2021 23:43:45 +0000

Since I am not getting paid by the hour (except in some cases), staying productive and healthy as a developer is critical. Here are some things I've learned over the years that help me stay on top of things.

I am a software developer that loves to code. I am also a person that likes to spend time with family and friends, go out for a run, take in a good movie and enjoy the great outdoors. Unfortunately, my work responsibilities make it difficult to do all of these things because:

I have deadlines
I need to ensure the quality of my work
I have multiple projects that require constant attention

It's OK to say "no"
I have a problem with saying "yes" too often, especially when the person asking is a co-worker or someone I know socially. If I'm not careful, it will affect my productivity. Sometimes it's more efficient to take on less work than it is to rush through everything and start falling behind on deadlines due to fatigue. I'm still learning how to say no but in the meantime, I have found that being upfront about my schedule and priorities helps everyone be better organized and effective, myself included.
Don't forget about yourself
There are plenty of people out there who aren't afraid to make sacrifices for their families or careers but that doesn't mean you have to be one of them. Having good relationships with your family and friends is important; they help you make better decisions at work and can even protect you from burnout during stressful times. When you feel like you are in need of a break, take one. Whether it's lunchtime or the end of the day, just taking 15 minutes for yourself can do wonders for your productivity (and sanity) levels in the long run.
Prioritize tasks
When you have many different tasks on your schedule, prioritize them by importance and urgency, and put the most important ones first. Be realistic about how much time you can spend on each task without neglecting other responsibilities. If something is not a high priority but is taking away from something that is more important, see if there's a way to end or modify it for the good of your overall goals. This will keep things from getting out of control later on.
Make use of tools
There are many tools available online that provide great support for developers such as Google Docs/Drive (for collaboration), Slack (for communication), Buffer (for scheduling social media posts), Trello (for task management), and Github (to manage code revisions). These tools allow teams to stay connected without having constant meetings or phone calls all day long; using these types of tools has actually made me more productive by reducing some of the distractions in my life instead of adding more distractions via email messages/texts/phone calls/meetings etc... The key is training others on how these systems work so they also understand why certain functions don't exist within those tools - for example, slack has no direct way to post status updates via Twitter so another tool is needed, for example, Zapier or IFTTT.
Learn from mistakes
The best way to improve is to learn from your mistakes. If you find yourself working on something that's taking longer than expected, don't just say "well I'll get it done tomorrow," instead take the time to stop, reflect and think about where you went wrong. Maybe you didn't plan enough time for testing or maybe you didn't know what was required in the first place so took a "shot in the dark" approach. Either way, try not to repeat that mistake again and if possible, come up with some sort of documentation explaining exactly what needs to be done and how long it should take so others can pick up where you left off without needing a ton of hand-holding or supervision.
Find a good work/life balance
If you are constantly working late nights and weekends, it's going to affect your personal relationships and your health. If you don't have any free time to do things you enjoy, then you will burn out sooner or later. I've been burned out before and in some cases, it was due to personal reasons I could not control (such as the death of a family member) but for the most part, it was from not listening to my body's warning signs when I was overworked. To avoid this, make sure you get enough sleep (7 hours is recommended), eat healthy food, exercise regularly, and take breaks during the workday even if others don't seem to notice or care that you're gone - they just may appreciate it more than they realize!
Make time for fun activities
During hackathons or marathons where we work around the clock on a project for 24+ hours straight, drinking energy drinks and having snacks delivered can help keep us going but sometimes the best thing for productivity is taking a break! Taking 15-30 minutes here or there throughout the day for yourself can boost your overall morale which helps in other areas of life such as work, school, and home, etc... It also helps to deal with bad news better if something goes wrong during the day because at least I know there is some downtime coming up in my schedule that will allow me to recover mentally so I'm not carrying those feelings into future tasks.
Learn how to say "no"
This one goes hand-in-hand with #1 above. Saying "yes" too much can lead to burnout just as easily as saying "no" too often. Try cutting down what is asked of you by doing more research on what needs to be done before accepting any new responsibilities. This way if it turns out you cannot complete all requests in a timely manner then others won't be waiting around while you try and figure everything out at once. Be upfront about your workload so co-workers/clients understand what's going on instead of simply giving an excuse such as "I'll get it done tomorrow." In many cases, people will be respectful if you explain clearly why something isn't possible without going into details unless they ask for more detail first.

Final Thoughts
While it may not be possible to avoid burnout 100% of the time, it's important to recognize when you're starting to feel overwhelmed and take steps to mitigate the situation as soon as possible. If you don't, you could end up taking your work home with you, or worse yet, quitting your job altogether. By knowing the warning signs and how to prevent burnout before it happens, you'll be able to utilize your energy more effectively and enjoy your work more than ever before.

How to get a Developer Internship

Krowser Web Services — Mon, 14 Jun 2021 03:45:20 +0000

So you've decided that you want to do an internship. Congratulations! It's a big step and will give you valuable experience. Don't worry if you don't have any experience: there are many reasons why someone would hire an intern, even if they don't have previous experience (e.g., the startup is new, or the team wants to teach someone highly motivated).

The first thing is to decide what kind of company you want to work for. There are two main kinds of companies where interns work: well-established small startups and large established companies. The latter often have more money and resources, so they can be much more fun and exciting places to work, but they also require a more formal dress code and a lot more bureaucracy (even though this varies by department).

Find Companies That Offer Software Developer Internships
The next step is to find companies that are hiring. It seems like a no-brainer, but you'd be surprised how many developers apply to random companies without doing any research beforehand. Spend some time looking for potential employers and try to figure out if it's the kind of company you want to work for.

Once you've found some companies that fit your criteria, it's time to look at their job listings. Some of them will advertise an internship position, but many don't even though they are willing to hire new graduates. So how do you find out if a company is offering internships?

Here are a few ways:
Use LinkedIn (or another professional network) and look around at the profiles of people who work at the company. You can see what kind of work they do there and whether they mention working as an intern before getting hired full-time. If so, this means the company doesn't mind taking on interns and may be willing to offer you one too.

Another option would be to reach out directly to someone you know or have interacted with in the past who works for that company. They will most likely let you know about any openings there if they can because it's good PR for them!

Look for information on CrunchBase about each startup/company and read through every profile page carefully. Some startups might not advertise their internship opportunities directly, but they might have mentioned it somewhere in the business model's description or why they're raising funding. It's worth checking out!

Sometimes companies give away internships during hackathons, meetups, or conferences where developers get together to build cool stuff over a weekend. Keep an eye out for these events!

Twitter is another place where people often post about opportunities such as internships. If you find one that looks interesting, try reaching out directly to see if there are any openings there.

Check out job listing websites like The Muse or WeWorkRemotely. You can search by location, keywords (technology used by the company), compensation, etc.

Don't be afraid to apply even if they do not have any internships posted
It is often true that many software engineering internships get taken up before they are publicly announced. Google is especially notorious for this. However, many other organizations follow the same pattern. Even though these companies may not currently accept interns, there is no harm in applying anyway!

It also helps you build up your portfolio when you can show that you have applied to such prestigious organizations that may not accept interns.

Also, remember that small startups accept interns too! Sometimes, it's easier to land an internship at a small startup because of how much more flexible they are than larger corporations, which tend to adhere strictly to their application deadlines and process.

Don't look at the big companies only
There are other companies out there, and many offer software developers great opportunities. These little-known companies may not be as well known as Google or Facebook, but they can still provide a great place to work and will likely offer you more responsibility than an internship at a big company.

If you want to gain experience working on a product that has the potential to change the world, then applying for internships at these smaller companies may be your best bet.

Spend some time to identify the target companies and then create a list of relevant information about each one of them:

A solid piece of advice is to research and document each target company's information before sending applications. Many companies provide different types of information depending on what kind of position they are seeking (i.e., software engineer intern vs. software engineer full-time).

Once you found a company that seems interesting, make sure you understand what they do (you may even want to try using their product), research the team and founders, and prepare answers to common questions like "Why are you interested in working here?" or "What experience do you have with our product?"

Be creative with your application materials
Applying for an internship at a big tech company can be overwhelming because there is so much competition out there and so many people who want to work there. To stand out from the crowd, make sure that what you have in your application package is unique and exciting, not just from the technical perspective but also from a story perspective.

For example, suppose you're applying at Google or Facebook and tell them about how much research you did in school-related to a specific project they are working on now. In that case, they might find this intriguing and choose to give you an interview.

However, suppose all of your stories involve activities from when you were 12 years old (e.g., building websites for your parents' business). In that case, it is unlikely that any of these companies will take notice of your application – even if those experiences were technically impressive at the time.

Build something impressive
Another way to make yourself stand out from the crowd is by building a project or creating something extraordinary that shows your skills as a software developer.

Learning new technology is always good, but more importantly, having a passion and curiosity for technology will help separate yourself from other candidates when applying for jobs.

Ensure your GitHub profile is active and filled with projects that demonstrate your skills no matter what language(s) you use. Even if this isn't required by most employers yet, putting together some cool projects will set you apart from other applicants as well as show potential employers that you're interested in developing software more than just getting paid by 9-5 every day!

Join communities like Reddit (/r/webdev), Quora, Stack Overflow (developer tag), etc. and keep up-to-date with industry trends so that when interviewing with hiring managers, others may hear about your enthusiasm towards developing software products that could potentially convince them into making an offer!

If you have built an impressive project before arriving into college, don't forget to include it in your application package – this will also help differentiate yourself from other applicants trying to land an internship at one of these tech titans.

Be yourself
You want to make sure you embrace who you are throughout the interview process to leave a lasting impression on potential employers (and hopefully get them interested in talking to you).

Showing off your personality is something that can help set you apart from all of those other candidates who are competing for the same position. But also keep in mind that your interviewer has seen hundreds if not thousands of applications already, so try not to take it personally if they do not seem excited about your application at first.

Final Thoughts
Although it's quite challenging to get an internship as a software developer, you can certainly achieve this goal if you are passionate about programming and have good coding skills.

Keep in mind that persistence is key when searching for an internship. It may take several attempts before you find a suitable one. In addition to networking with people who work at potential companies, I also advise you to keep your resume up-to-date by regularly practising coding exercises or building apps on your own time.

Also, keep learning new technologies and frameworks so that you can demonstrate how much better prepared you are than other candidates when the time comes to apply for an internship position.

I recommend doing an internship at a big company after your first year of college because it will give you a good feel for how things work in the industry before jumping into the startup world, which has its own set of challenges and benefits.

How to become a Senior Developer

Krowser Web Services — Sun, 13 Jun 2021 00:52:42 +0000

The Road From Junior to Senior Developer.

Being a programmer is a great thing. For me, there’s nothing better than working in software engineering. It’s highly satisfying to write code that works, to develop products that potentially billions of people are using every day (think Facebook), to have the opportunity to work with the smartest minds on this planet, and to get paid (well) for what I love to do.

A career in software engineering is often divided into phases. Most people start as junior developers, then later become mid-level and senior devs. But is it wise to follow this path? And what’s expected of you at each career step? How do you progress?

I have been down that road and beyond and I want to share my experiences, thoughts, and opinions with you — providing some guidance for your own careers.

Getting Your First Job
Let’s start with the good news.

Everyone has to start somewhere. No one is born an expert developer.

It’s a misconception — often fueled by job listings that search for junior developers with ten years experience in four different JavaScript frameworks like React (which isn’t even that old!) and three database technologies — that junior developers should already be expert programmers. That’s absolute garbage — don’t let it affect you or your self-confidence.

Of course, getting your first job as a developer is far from an easy task. But you can do things that will work in your favor.

Apply for internships
Internships are a great way to gain work experience. For many people, they’re the launchpad for their first permanent role. Don’t just look for money. Yes, corporations like Google, Facebook or Palantir pay their interns five-figure salaries. But the competition is extremely strong and smaller companies can teach you valuable things as well. That being said, don’t sell yourself short!

Have a part-time job
A part-time job during college, where you can practice your coding skills is also great. Look for job postings on and offline.

Create a portfolio
A portfolio consists of projects, for example javascript projects that you’ve worked on that you can show to potential employers. It’s a good thing if you have one but not as important as many people want to make you believe. Portfolios don’t get jobs — it’s the people behind them. Don’t expect to land a job because you have one. However, it can help you to get a job interview.

Contribute to open-source projects
Many people think that in order to contribute to open source projects they already have to be expert developers.

Go to a boot camp
Bootcamps have evolved over the last decade. They provide a compact way to teach you the basics of software development. They’re especially aimed at people without a background in computer science. They range from three months to a year and are not generally cheap.

Junior Developer — Observe and Learn
If things played out well for you and you landed your first job — great! If it takes longer than you have expected — don’t worry, hang in there, good things take time.

Beginners tend to think that writing code that works is the same as writing good code. They can also think that everything needs to be fancy and overly complicated because that’s how the pros do it. I encourage you to make mistakes but also to learn from them!

Here’s some important advice for the early phase of your career.

Ask questions
I cannot stress this too much: Most junior devs simply don’t ask enough questions.

This is the time to learn, to observe, to suck everything in. If you don’t ask questions you will not only miss great opportunities to becoming a better programmer but people might also think that you’re not interested in them or their work. Or even worse, that you think you know everything better. You don’t! Even if you do — don’t show it. Show them respect and be smart about it. This is your chance to lay the foundations for your future!

Observe how teams function
The chances are you joined an existing team in your first role as a junior developer. It’s highly uncommon that you work on your own right away so don’t waste the opportunity to observe your team members and how they interact with each other. Are there other junior devs? Senior devs that could potentially mentor you? Who seems willing to help others out and who doesn’t? When are the important meetings like dailies, retrospectives or plannings and what is expected from you and the team?

Get familiar with an IDE
Maybe you already have experience with one or another IDE when you are starting your first job. However, teams and projects have their own setups when it comes to development activities. Maybe they use VS Code, maybe PHPStorm, maybe something else. You want to get familiar with the tools as soon as possible. Ask what linting-rules the team uses and practice shortcuts to becoming more efficient when coding.

Learn how to write maintainable, clean code
When you start writing code no one will expect it to be perfect right from the start (what’s perfect code anyway?). What you want is to write code in a way that others find easy to understand and that speaks for itself. You want variable names that speak for themselves and you want to keep functions short. Don’t do fancy things to impress others and always keep in mind that you’re not the only one working on the codebase!

Learn how version control software works
Most companies work with Git as their primary version control system. You want to learn the basic concepts right from the beginning because this is a vital skill for the rest of your career. And a potentially contentious point if you work on a wrong branch or push untested code to production (never do this!).

Search for a mentor
Many companies have established mentorship programs that pair junior devs with more experienced developers. But if that’s not present in your company you should try to find someone on your own, preferably from within the team or company. If that’s not possible have a look on platforms like Codementor.io or check the listing board here on dev.to

Embrace the power of code reviews
Code reviews are mandatory in many organizations, to reduce errors and prevent bugs. For you, the starting developer, they’re a great opportunity to become better.

Approach them from two sides: On the one hand, you want to review the code of others as much as possible and ask for what you don’t understand. On the other hand, others review your code and don’t take their potential criticism personally but as a chance to improve your coding skills.

Pair program if possible
Pair programming is also a vital method of transferring knowledge. While it might be a bit frightening to directly work with someone else on the same machine, I can only recommend to do it. Don’t be afraid to take over the keyboard and make mistakes — you learn from them!

Some people recommend taking on side projects to practice skills and learn new things. But I would advise you to do that later in your career. If you are just starting, believe me, there’s so much to learn that you don’t need anything else.

(Mid-Level) Developer — It’s Not All About Code
After your first two years in software engineering, you should call yourself a developer. This is the position where many people stay throughout their careers. And there’s nothing wrong with that.

Attention: This is not just about the code you write but the ability to work in and contribute to a team and to understand software development workflows and processes. You should also understand common design patterns and understand the KISS (Keep It Stupid Simple), DRY (Don’t Repeat Yourself) and SOLID principles.

You should be familiar with IDEs and version control software. You should be able to write good code on your own and to tackle more challenging tasks. There’s nothing wrong with being a developer that works on routine tasks, fixes bugs, and contributes to the codebase. In fact, this is what the majority of people are doing every day. There are a lot of developers out there that love their jobs and are getting paid well.

Now would be a good time to try out other languages or frameworks. You could start a side project on your own or have a look at open-source projects.

Senior Developer — Time for Mentoring
Many people think that a senior developer is someone who writes perfect code in a fraction of time without any errors. A one-person army, building entire web applications on their own, producing deliverable pieces of software every day. Sadly, many companies are still looking for this fairy creature. They should look for something else.

As an experienced developer, you should be able to see the big picture. You constantly have to ask “why.”

Why are we using a particular language? Data storage? A specific architecture?

Senior developers won’t say that language x is better than language y. Instead, they understand that for a particular problem it would be more appropriate to use language x. They care for performance. They write code that’s maintainable and leaves no technical debt for others. They also know when it makes sense to write code that seems amateurish and that violates the DRY principle but helps others to understand it or leads to better performance.

The most important deliverable for a senior developer is more senior developers!

One of the most important attributes of a senior developer, if not the most important attribute, is strong social skills. In the end, most projects fail because of a lack of communication. It’s your responsibility to take care of less-experienced devs — to mentor them. But you should also be able to talk to stakeholders and executives and explain things in a way people with less knowledge can understand. To be a team player who strives for long term success.

Senior developers understand that working in software engineering is not solely about instructing computers to execute bits and bytes. It’s also about communicating with humans.

Final Thoughts
There’s no objective way to determine if one is a junior, mid-level, or senior developer. After all, titles are often used as a guideline to salaries — they depend on the company you work for. Real experience won’t come from a title but from what you’ve learned from mistakes and failures.

At the beginning of your careers be patient. Learn the basic patterns of software engineering and work on your technical skills. And understand the difference between Java and JavaScript!

When you gain experience, try to understand the bigger picture. Improve your soft skills, help others out. Be bold and open-minded. Don’t base decisions on personal opinions but on what works best to solve complex problems.

Finally, don’t hang onto those titles too much. A real senior developer doesn’t care about the title — they care about the impact they have on people, products and companies, and their legacy. In the end, we’re just people with strengths and weaknesses. We struggle, we fail, we get knocked to the ground. But we get back on our feet to continue doing what we love — developing software!

8 Things I wish I knew as a Junior Developer

Krowser Web Services — Sat, 12 Jun 2021 03:30:39 +0000

Being a junior developer is not easy. You have a lot of work to do, and you're expected to know everything that's going on in your company. These tips will help you get started on the right foot.

Don't be afraid to ask questions
Asking questions is probably one of the most critical skills for any programmer. You should always try to learn something new when working on a problem or feature, even if it's just some new concept that might come in handy later.

Besides, there are times when you will encounter issues that have already been solved by someone else (such as Stack Overflow). In these cases, don't be afraid to ask for help! It's better to spend 10 minutes googling and asking questions than spending 2 hours debugging an issue that someone else has already solved.

I think this is true for senior developers. You never know what obscure problem someone else might run into that will save them time down the road (or even give them ideas for features they could implement). Even if it doesn't help anyone directly, every question asked and answered helps everyone indirectly by increasing our collective knowledge base.

If your company has a mentorship program or internal forums where you can ask questions, take advantage of them! Even if they aren't related to your specific project or team, asking about general issues will likely still help you out in the long run.

Don't worry about seniority
This is probably the most critical point on this list. It's straightforward to get caught up in the idea of seniority and worry about whether or not you are "senior enough" to do a particular task. There is no such thing as being "senior enough" for anything in my experience. If you think you are ready, then go ahead and try it!

Even if you fail at first, learn from your mistakes and move on. You can always ask for help if you need it. Just remember that seniority is all relative. There will always be someone who has more experience than you, so don't let that hold you back from doing something because of how it will look on your resume or portfolio.

Be proactive
To be successful in software development, immensely as a junior developer, it helps to take the initiative when solving problems or implementing features. This means going above and beyond what was asked of you and making sure that things are done the first time correctly (it also makes it easier for other developers to review your code).

I personally find this approach useful because it allows me to learn more about the problem domain I am working in (which is often a requirement when working with larger projects). Asking questions during these times can be helpful, too, since they often lead to discussions about why individual decisions were made or why certain approaches were taken (this may help guide future decision-making).

Even if your ideas aren't implemented right away, they might inspire others or even make their way into future versions of the product (I have seen this happen many times before).

This also helps build trust with your team members since they know that you will do what needs to be done without continually asking them for guidance.

Write good code
This may seem obvious, but it's straightforward to get caught up in the idea of shipping features and not worrying about how they are implemented. This is especially true when working on a team with many developers (or even working alone).

However, writing good code makes it easier for other developers to read and review your work (which saves time in the long run). It also makes it easier for you to understand your own code later on (saving time in the short run).

If you have never written tests before, this is another area where you can take the initiative and learn more about your language or framework by reading about testing strategies or writing some simple tests yourself. If you write tests, they will help you catch bugs early on instead of debugging them after a feature has been shipped.

Read code
This one is pretty obvious, but it's still essential. Reading code is a great way to learn how things are done in other projects and languages. It also allows you to see what kinds of problems developers face when writing software, which will help you with problem-solving later on in your career.

If you ever get stuck on something and need help from someone else, being able to explain the problem is extremely important. This helps with communication between developers as well as collaboration on projects (which should be the primary goal of any developer). Also, reading code may just give you some ideas for your own project!

Learn from others
This point should be obvious too, but I think it's important enough that I wanted to mention it anyway. Take advantage of opportunities to learn from others! For example, if someone asks a question on Stack Overflow that you know the answer, go ahead and answer it! You might also consider sharing your knowledge by blogging or speaking at meetups/conferences. Even if your answer isn't directly related to your job duties, there is still value in answering questions since you are likely learning something new while doing so (this might help solve future problems that come up as well).

Also, keep an eye out for articles/videos/podcasts/books that might be relevant to what you are working on. These can often explain why certain decisions were made and how they could be improved upon.

Finally, don't forget about books! Books are probably one of the best ways to learn new things because they allow you to read at your own pace without being interrupted by meetings or interruptions from coworkers.

There are so many great books out there that cover a wide range of topics. Ensure that whatever book(s) you choose covers topics relevant to what you do day-to-day!

Practice what you learn
This is a great way to solidify your knowledge of a topic, and it's also an easy way to show off what you have learned to others (such as interviewers or potential employers). You could start doing some JavaScript practice projects, for example.

It might be a little more difficult if you are working on a large project, but there are still opportunities to practice what you learn. For example, maybe you can implement some features using the latest technology that your company just started using. If not, you can try implementing some small feature using this new technology and sharing it with your team members.

The point is that even if you aren't able to use the new stuff at work, there are plenty of opportunities outside of work where you can show off what you have learned (such as meetups/conferences or hackathons). You might even consider writing blog posts about the technologies/frameworks that interest you. I have found many useful articles/videos on blogs before!

Don't worry about experience
I think this one applies more to junior developers who have recently graduated from college or Bootcamp. It's very easy for junior developers who just graduated to focus too much on building up their resume and acquiring "senior level" experience instead of focusing on learning new things and developing their skillset.

However, this approach doesn't always work out well in the long run because it leads to junior developers trying to do things they aren't ready for yet (and then getting frustrated when they fail).

Instead, I would recommend focusing on learning new things regardless of whether or not they will help your resume in the short term. If anything, take advantage of opportunities to build your skillset and give yourself an edge over other candidates during interviews (even if they don't lead directly to a job offer).

Also, don't worry about whether or not something counts as "senior-level experience". Only worry about whether or not something will help you become a better developer!

Final Thoughts
Junior developers should really focus on the fundamentals of programming and building projects while also improving their problem-solving skills. This will help you develop into a better developer over time.

Tips to build an awesome portfolio

Krowser Web Services — Fri, 11 Jun 2021 13:52:28 +0000

I've often heard students pursuing their degrees saying, "I wish I could have learned this". When applying for a job, companies have a brief look at your portfolio. Not only companies but also universities providing courses post-graduation have look at an individual's portfolio. Hence, it is essential to focus on your portfolio and build one which will stand out from the rest.

Learn new skills and build projects
Continuous learning is the minimum requirement for success in any field. Keep learning new skills at regular intervals. Suppose you're interested in web development or app development then start with its basics, build some basic projects and go for advanced learning and build advanced projects. As you see yourself progressing, start building projects which are based on real-life problem-solving. If you're stuck somewhere never hesitate to ask for help. You'll grow as you keep learning by making mistakes and improving. For learning new tech skills you can refer Udemy, Coursera, Udacity.

Apply for internships
Experience matters a lot
After learning some skills and building personal projects it's time for working on some ongoing projects. You can start applying for internships in companies. Internships are the best way to gain industry experience. You might have to appear for an interview and some test rounds. Internships can be paid and unpaid depending upon the companies.

Start Freelancing
As a developer, you can start freelancing. As a student, it will help to generate extra revenue and help you to enhance your skills. Start with small projects, build them properly. Once you're confident enough then go for building medium and advanced-level projects. Freelancing will definitely add value to the portfolio. Projects built as a freelancer shows your confidence and proficiency in that skill.

Write blogs
Along with outstanding coding skills a developer must have good writing skills. Being a content write gives you an additional advantage over other candidates. Writing blogs is really good practice. Content writing is an amazing mind exercise.
Writing content is a test of your creativity. Writing a weekly blog will enhance your writing skills and help you to maintain a blog page. Maintaining a blog page is a really helpful and add-on for a portfolio.

Publish research paper
If you're in college and doing some kind of research on some project or topic you should publish your own research paper. If you're applying for further studies in some top universities then this is really helpful. This is an extra point which will attract universities and companies. Your portfolio will look diverse and will stand out from the rest.

Join a social service committee
Joining a social service committee shows your concern towards society. You're not secluded in your own world, instead, it shows that you're also bothered about your society. This becomes helpful for future studies when you're applying to some top universities. If they have a look at your portfolio then the social service factor is advantageous.

Hence, I would end this post by saying there are a lot of other factors, but these are the ones that I found to be prominent. If you some other factors then please do share them. Please do put down your thoughts in the comment section below.