From Day One to Month Eight: Looking Back at My First Week as a Dev

Eight months ago, I started my very first dev job.

I was full of excitement, nerves, imposter syndrome, and coffee. So much coffee.

I actually wrote this blog post during my first week – wide-eyed and overwhelmed, trying to take in every single detail. But I never hit publish (classic me). So, 8 months later, here it is: a throwback to my very first impressions as a junior developer, with a few “what I know now” thoughts sprinkled in along the way.

The First Day: A Whirlwind of Emotions

The first day is always a bit of a blur. You’re eager to make a good impression, trying to absorb every bit of information while pretending you know where the toilets are.

I believe I was incredibly lucky with the team I was hired by—it was a seamless first day. I was greeted by a friendly face and given a quick tour of the office. And honestly? I was impressed.

A bright, open layout. Mini canteens on every floor. A pool table in the café area. Cosy little breakout spaces, a puzzle on every floor, an arts and crafts room, and even a small gym.

8-month reflection: I still love this office. And yes, I did attempt the puzzle (it’s still not finished).

First-Day Expectations vs. Reality

After the tour, I expected to be thrown in at the deep end – but it was nothing like that.

I was reintroduced to one of the women who’d interviewed me (such a comforting touch) and met another new starter, who turned out to be my onboarding buddy. Together, we spent the day setting up laptops, completing fire safety modules, and doing the usual corporate admin.

The hours flew by in a blur of intros, setting up software, and sipping several very appreciated coffees.

I quickly learned that my team was amazing. Friendly, relaxed, collaborative – and totally up for helping. When my manager said, “Let me know if there’s an area that interests you and I’ll see what I can do,” I could have cried. That’s exactly what every eager new dev wants to hear.

8-month reflection: That same encouragement shaped my journey more than I realised. I’ve been supported to explore areas I never thought I’d understand (hello, backend!).

Working From Home? A Slight Flop.

After a smooth first day in the office, I was determined to make my WFH setup just as perfect.

New chair. New desk. New keyboard.

All dressed up… and my laptop refused to connect. No permissions. No access. No progress.

I spent most of the day waiting for IT to save me. Yes—even developers have tech issues. The irony.

8-month reflection: I’ve since become very familiar with our VPN, firewalls, and who reach out to in a moment of need, for quicker IT responses. It’s all part of the learning curve.

Excelling in Code (Kind of)

By the end of the first week, mandatory training was complete, and I was starting to find my way around the systems.

Then our manager approached us with our very first task.

What could it be? Designing a new feature? Working on the website? Fixing a button?

Nope.

“You’ll be working on the backend and helping us write tests.”

Cue: internal screaming.

But guess what? I actually loved it.

8-month reflection: I’m still in backend – and it’s become my unexpected happy place. APIs, test-driven development, and problem-solving? Weirdly satisfying.

😬 Early Challenges and How I Handled Them

What felt overwhelming?
Honestly? Everything. Trying to remember names, acronyms, tools, login details, Slack channels. At one point, I was worried I’d accidentally commit to main and take down production. (Spoiler: I didn’t. And still haven’t touched production code!)

How did I approach problems?
First: panic.
Second: Google.
Third: Actually try it.
Fourth: Ask the team.

I quickly realised it’s okay to not know everything – and that asking for help doesn’t make you a bad developer. It makes you a smart one.

Managing imposter syndrome?
Still a work in progress. But celebrating small wins, reminding myself how far I’ve come, and leaning on the amazing women in tech community has helped so much.

🎉 Small Wins Worth Celebrating

I made my first pull request (and didn’t break anything).
I fixed my first bug (after two hours, three tears, and a very kind senior dev).
I navigated a new codebase without getting completely lost.
I remembered what “rebase” means. (Well… sort of.)

8-month reflection: Those early wins mattered. They built confidence, one baby step at a time.

🔍 What’s Next?

At the time I wrote this, I was excited and nervous about literally everything.

Now, 8 months on? I’ve grown so much. I’m more comfortable with Git, testing, APIs, debugging, and just… being a dev.

My current goals?

Keep building my confidence with backend.
Potentially reach out and see what android development looks like..
Start mentoring someone else, just a little.
And finally post this blog update (✔️).

💛 Looking Back Now…

That first week was a blur of faces, fire safety modules, broken VPNs, and caffeine.

But it was also full of kindness, opportunity, and the beginning of a brand new chapter I’m so proud of.

So here’s to week one me – the ditzy developer who had no idea what she was doing, but showed up anyway.

And here’s to the journey that’s still unfolding.

Until next time,
The Ditzy Developer