I'm about to finish my computer science degree, and a former boss from an IT job offered me a junior developer position. I would be the company's only software developer, and they have traditionally relied on non-development tools and processes. I was told to learn JavaScript and React, which I've started doing, but the role will also involve using AI to learn and build a variety of different applications. With only three days to prepare, what practical topics should I prioritize? Should I focus on software architecture, development workflow, debugging, or something else?
5 Answers
Since AI will be part of the job, practice using it as a development assistant rather than an unquestioned author. Give it the project context, ask it to explain tradeoffs and possible failure cases, and request small changes that you can test. You still need enough JavaScript, React, HTTP, and application-structure knowledge to recognize a bad answer. Also be honest about your limits; if the company needs an experienced independent engineer immediately, it’s better to clarify that expectation now than discover a serious mismatch later.
Don’t try to learn all of software architecture in three days. Focus on the fundamentals that keep a small application understandable: clear separation between UI, business logic, and data access; basic error handling; input validation; version control; testing a few important behaviors; and writing down assumptions. Also learn how to debug systematically. In a solo role, regularly reviewing your own decisions and checking for maintainability matters more than memorizing syntax.
The most useful preparation is probably a small React application using the same tools as the company’s project. Practice components, state, forms, API calls, loading and error states, browser developer tools, and Git. That gives you something concrete to reason about and is more valuable right now than trying to absorb advanced theory.
With only three days, ask your future boss exactly which versions and libraries the company uses. Find out the React version, whether the project uses plain JavaScript or TypeScript, what build tools are involved, and whether there is an existing application you can inspect. Then build a small practice project with the same stack and versions. It won’t teach you the whole job, but it will make the environment less unfamiliar.
If you take the role, remember that being the only developer right out of school can be risky. You may miss out on code reviews, shared design discussions, and the day-to-day learning that comes from working with more experienced developers. If you accept it, deliberately compensate by studying well-maintained open-source projects, getting feedback whenever possible, and making sure you understand AI-generated code instead of blindly copying it.
That’s a good point. I’ll try to build in some way to get outside feedback and avoid treating AI output as automatically correct.
They haven’t told me the versions yet, so I’ll ask before spending more time on preparation.