On the first day of my first tech job, I was terrified. I tried hard to learn everything at once and do it all perfectly, but by the end of my first week I was certain I was going to be fired anyway. That didn't happen, though, and things got steadily better and less terrifying. Looking back, I can see there were things that helped me get through the early days. Here are the tips that helped me survive -- and how you can too if you’ve just landed your first tech job!

Everyone deals with imposter syndrome. It doesn’t matter if you are a complete beginner, a junior developer or senior developer with advanced skills. Everyone experiences those negative thoughts and doubts, secretly wondering if their work is as good as what everyone else around them seems to accomplish effortlessly. This is the story of how I dealt with imposter syndrome as a musician and how that experience helps me now as an emerging programmer.

My passion has always been writing code. I also love fusing clean code with great design. Unfortunately, it took me years to fully access the right way to grow and channel those twin passions into a unified and rewarding career path. A lifelong love of learning led the way.

Studies show that Generation X-ers get hired 33% less often than younger candidates with comparable skills and experience. Even once we do land an interview, there can often be a queasy sense of not quite fitting in -- culturally, if not skills-wise. But we all need to get past the discomfort when encountering someone who is different, whether due to age or any other factor, because studies also show that that a diverse organization is a stronger, more creative organization.

Hello, my name is Sergio and I have Obsessive Compulsive Disorder. This makes me spend a lot of time performing ritualized behaviors, driven to execute every task and solve every problem perfectly. It also makes me a very effective hacker.