Use AGILE as bootcamp for junior engineers
As a junior programmer, I have an immature opinion on how lines of code should go together. My primitive method of development knows no source control, no collaboration, and certainly no project management. I simply sit down and put fingers to keys, and when version x.0 is ready to go, I ship it.
I’ve been working in an AGILE shop for seven months now, and I can see myself maturing and detaching quickly from those perspectives. I used to believe that, as a programmer, I would spent most of my time writing code. I’ve since learned that a programmer’s job is to exercise logic to meet business needs, and sometimes that has nothing to do with writing code.
I do not think that I have enough experience with AGILE development to vouch for its effectiveness in terms of shipping software, but I can certainly vouch for its effectiveness in terms of shaping and developing junior engineers. I’m better at whiteboarding ideas, collaborating on projects, using source control, and estimating the amount of work I can complete because of this short experience.
If you’re a junior developer and you want a “sink or swim” opportunity that will really whip you into shape, find an AGILE shop and an open mind. You’ll be surprised to learn the different ways in which your technical-analytical skill set can add value to an organization.