I'm a freshman who had my first performance review about 6 months into my job, and I got feedback that I was slow—I often took longer to complete tasks than my colleagues, sometimes missing deadlines. Fast forward a year and six months later, I received a solid performance review and was even up for promotion, with no mention of being slow. However, just three months after that review, I've been hearing again that I'm slow. This time, it's related to simple tasks that I take longer to complete. I was asked why it took me so long to finish something that others did quicker. Even though I hit my deadlines, I experienced some hiccups along the way, which seemed straightforward to fix, but they still slowed me down. I'm starting to doubt my ability as a programmer—does this mean I'm just not cut out for it? I really want to be recognized and respected in my field.
1 Answer
It's all about balancing speed with quality. If you take your time to find the best solutions, that can be more important than just getting things done quickly. But it really depends on your company's culture. In startups, speed might be prioritized, while in larger companies, quality could be key. You might need to adapt to your environment or consider finding a place that values quality, which seems like your strength.
I try to follow the existing coding patterns and find solutions in similar logic. It helps me stick to coding practices while ensuring the work is functional. My real challenge is understanding the problem before diving into coding.