I started at a tech company as a computer science graduate intern and became a permanent junior developer after three months. During my internship, a senior developer helped me learn React, Node.js, and NestJS, and I made steady progress despite having no previous professional experience.
After becoming a junior developer, I was assigned to an existing social-media-style application built with microservices, an API gateway, Redis, real-time sockets, offline storage and syncing, video processing, and other complex systems. The project was already in production, and much of the code appears to have been produced or understood through heavy use of AI tools.
My current senior developer gives me requirements but rarely explains the architecture or provides guidance. The requirements are sometimes vague, and after I finish a task, he may say he wanted it implemented differently. When I take too long, the work is assigned to someone else, which has left me feeling sidelined and unable to grow. I can ask other junior developers for help, but they are busy, and I am worried about relying on AI to write code I do not fully understand.
I also earn less than the other juniors because I originally joined as an intern. The situation is affecting my mental health, and I am considering quitting, taking time to build a portfolio, and then applying elsewhere. Would it be wiser to stay until I find another job, try to change teams, or leave and focus on improving my skills?
4 Answers
The lack of support is a legitimate concern, especially for someone who has only recently become a junior developer. Before resigning, document unclear requirements, changed expectations, missed guidance, and any inappropriate behavior. Then raise the issue professionally with your manager, project manager, or HR and ask whether you can receive clearer requirements or transfer to another team. In most cases, it is safer to search for another job while keeping your current income.
A job should not be your only source of learning, but a junior developer also should not be left without a reasonable way to understand a production system. Ask for access to documentation, architecture diagrams, code reviews, and clearly defined tasks. If the company cannot provide that, a team transfer may be a better first step than resigning. You can also treat the work you are already doing as portfolio material by recording the technologies, design decisions, debugging process, and improvements without exposing confidential code.
You do not need to stay indefinitely in a workplace that is damaging your health, but quitting without a plan can create additional pressure. Set a short time limit for trying internal escalation and job searching. During that period, update your résumé, apply for roles, and build one or two small projects that demonstrate fundamentals rather than attempting another enormous social network. If your mental health is deteriorating severely, prioritize your wellbeing and seek appropriate personal or professional support while making the transition.
Try not to make the decision based only on how much your senior developer mentors you. Many junior roles involve a lot of independent investigation, and being slow on a task can lead to work being reassigned without that automatically meaning you are being bullied. Focus on becoming more effective: write down assumptions, ask specific questions, confirm acceptance criteria before coding, and break large tasks into smaller pieces. Use AI as a review and learning tool, but make sure you can explain and test anything you commit.
I agree that I need to take more responsibility, but this project combines several advanced systems and is already in production. I am currently being asked to refactor parts of an AI-heavy codebase that I do not fully understand, so I am concerned about introducing serious problems rather than simply learning through trial and error.
I understand the practical advice, but the situation is becoming difficult for my mental health. Because I have almost no free time outside work, I was considering taking a break to build a stronger portfolio before applying elsewhere.