I recently graduated with a computer science degree and received a remote junior software engineering offer about two weeks afterward. I had no professional experience and was unfamiliar with JavaScript, TypeScript, D3.js, Power BI custom visuals, and the rest of the company's stack, but they hired me anyway.
I've now been there for about three weeks. So far, I've been studying the technologies, exploring the codebase, figuring out what different functions do, and building small interactive charts and dashboards for practice. I've finished the fundamentals and sent my team lead a progress update, but they saw it and haven't replied. We're now entering the fourth week, and I still haven't received a real task.
The first couple of weeks included weekly check-ins and suggestions for documentation and learning resources, and I've been given access to the relevant code repository. However, I'm wondering whether it's normal for a new junior developer to spend this long learning before receiving small tasks such as debugging, formatting visuals, or making minor frontend changes. Since the job is remote, I'm anxious that I'm not doing enough. Should I follow up again, ask teammates for help or small tasks, or simply continue studying?
3 Answers
A few weeks of training isn’t automatically a problem, particularly at a small company or with a specialized product. What would concern me is having no clear plan or regular communication. A good onboarding process usually includes a mentor, regular check-ins, and gradually more realistic tasks. Ask your lead what success looks like for your first month and whether you can sit in on team discussions or pair with another developer.
You’re probably doing fine, especially since they hired you knowing you were new to the stack. Team leads can get busy, so send a polite follow-up and ask what you should prioritize for the next week. You could also ask teammates whether they have a small bug, documentation task, or cleanup item you can take on. That shows initiative without suggesting that you’re criticizing the onboarding process.
That makes sense. I’m going to send another progress update and ask directly whether there are any small tasks I can start with.
Don’t measure your productivity only by how many tickets you have completed. Learning an unfamiliar codebase and building small practice projects are useful work. At the same time, the fastest way to learn is usually to work on a small real change, even if it’s just fixing a minor bug or improving a visual. Keep notes, document what you’ve learned, and ask questions when blocked. You’re not expected to work independently immediately, and asking the same question more than once is normal early in your career.
The first two weeks had weekly meetings, but it has now been about a week without contact. I’ll ask for a clearer onboarding plan and see whether I can pair with someone on the team.