Part 1 of this post was all about what companies need to consider and think about when hiring a remote developer. It's just as important for folks considering being a remote developer to think about a few critical pieces as well. Real talk time... Not everyone is cut out to be a remote worker regardless of your level of expertise. Some days are great and some are really challenging. If you're a non-senior considering remote work you need to be BRUTALLY honest with yourself because if you're not and you actually wouldn't be a great remote developer then it'll actually be you who suffers the most. So what are those things you should think about?
- Are you a self-sufficient worker? As a remote worker you need to set up a schedule for yourself and get into a routine. You need to push yourself through the days where you're tired and a little checked out. And you need to be filling in the gaps. Working on an issue and stuck but no one is free to pair? If you twiddle or thumbs or go watch tv, remote work is not for you but if you say to yourself, "ok, I can't figure out this problem but it has to do with ______. I'm going to read the docs, find some blog posts, or find a conference talk to watch until someone is available to pair" then you're on the right track.
- Can you boldly, bravely, and shamelessly ask question? This is the most difficult part. You can't be fearful and let imposter syndrome take over because you'll never get anything done. When you're stuck, no one can see that you're stuck or maybe frustrated. You can lean over and say "hey, can you check this out real quick?" You've gotta announce it in a slack channel. And sometimes that sucks but it's important! When I began, I made it a goal to ask 100 questions a week so that I could frame asking questions as a positive thing. It wasn't something I needed to do because I didn't know anything, it was something I had to do to learn and accomplish my goals.
And finally, what structural pieces can you put in place to help you be successful.
- Coworkers to work with. But you're remote you say? How would this happen? Well, there are lots of other remote workers as well! I generally try to cowork at least once a week preferably with a group of ruby developers. There's no doubt in my mind that you do miss some learning when you're not in an office. You miss overhearing snippets of technical conversations or jumping into a conversation because it sounds interesting so try to creat that for yourself.
- Regularly scheduled pairing sessions. As I got more experienced and started working on more challenging tickets, I would get stuck (as everyone does). Additionally I try to take a "challenge ticket" every week. Challenge tickets are tickets that are just above my skill level. I know they're within reach but I can't quite wrap my head around how to start them or what an effective plan of action would be. They're tickets I have to pair on. We have a pretty small team so sometimes there wasn't anyone free to help. I decided to set up scheduled pairing times. I have one hour a week with two coworkers that is in the calendar to ensure the time is blocked. The time can be used to ask some quick questions and get a few tickets out the door, work on a challenge ticket, or pair on something they are working on. And sometimes we cancel it if it's not needed but the point is that it's there, blocked off.
- A regular way to evaluate yourself. I try to do weekly personal retros which is something I noticed a coworker doing. He just reviews 3 things; liked, learned, lacked. I keep these documented in Evernote and they're a great way to looks back and see all the things that have been going on.
I hope you've enjoyed this short series and it's given you some good information to consider. Again, here are the slides from the original talk.
