2025 Reflection: Software Engineer at a Consulting Agency

2025 was my first year working full-time as a software engineer (worked at start-ups and contract roles), and it turned out to be one of the most formative years of my career so far. I worked through a consulting agency, which gave me exposure to a wide range of projects, teams, and technical challenges. Looking back, the variety and mentorship I experienced shaped how I think about software development more than anything else this year.

Working as a Software Developer in a Consulting Agency

One thing I genuinely enjoyed about working through a consulting agency was the diversity of work. Instead of being focused on a single product, I rotated across projects with different scopes, tech stacks, and expectations.

On some projects, I acted as a full-stack developer, owning features end to end. On others, my role was primarily front-end, while still occasionally touching the back end or handling light DevOps work. This environment forced me to adapt quickly and helped me understand how modern software systems fit together—from UI to APIs to infrastructure.

Technical Growth as a Full-Stack Developer

Throughout the year, I gained hands-on experience across multiple roles:

• Full-stack development on smaller projects
• Front-end–focused work on larger applications
• Back-end development and limited DevOps responsibilities

This exposure significantly improved my understanding of how software works “under the hood,” especially how front-end decisions affect back-end systems and vice versa.

Discovering My Preferred Tech Stack: JavaScript and TypeScript

Outside of client work, I built personal projects using different technologies to explore what I enjoyed most. Through this process, I discovered a strong preference for the JavaScript and TypeScript ecosystem.

I enjoy full-stack development overall, but front-end work is where I feel the most engaged. That said, this year also showed me the value of being comfortable on the back end, and I plan to continue strengthening those skills rather than specializing too narrowly too early.

Lessons Learned in My First Year as a Developer

One of the most important lessons this year was learning when not to move fast.

In startup and consulting environments, there’s constant pressure to deliver quickly. I learned that speed without proper verification can introduce real risk, especially when changes affect users or business-critical workflows.

Key lessons from this year include:

• The importance of patience and slowing down
• Double-checking work instead of over-relying on AI
• Writing tests and thoroughly verifying changes
• Understanding how code changes impact users and stakeholders
• Asking clearer, more detailed questions before implementing solutions

A Production Incident That Changed How I Work

One incident stood out as a turning point. I made a change that affected a large number of users, but I didn’t test it thoroughly enough before it went live. The result was frustration from both the client and my manager, followed by urgent fixes.

While uncomfortable, this experience reinforced several core principles:

• Every change has consequences beyond the code itself
• Testing saves time in the long run
• Shallow understanding leads to fragile solutions

It was a difficult but necessary lesson that permanently changed how I approach shipping code.

Balancing Speed and Code Quality in Startup Environments

This year highlighted a real tension in consulting and startup work: the pressure to deliver quickly versus the need for thoroughness. I’ve learned that moving slightly slower—while asking better questions and validating assumptions—often leads to better outcomes for everyone involved.

AI has become a powerful productivity tool for me, but this year made it clear that it can’t replace foundational knowledge. If I don’t understand the logic behind a solution, I can’t confidently stand behind it.

Goals for Improving as a Software Engineer in 2026

Looking ahead, my focus is on building stronger fundamentals to move toward a senior engineer role over time. My goals include:

• Strengthening back-end development skills
• Improving understanding of algorithms, logic, and efficiency
• Practicing data structures and algorithms more consistently
• Continuing to build projects that challenge my understanding
• Being more intentional and patient when shipping changes

The goal isn’t just to write more code—it’s to write better, safer, and more thoughtful code.

Final Thoughts on My 2025 Developer Journey

Overall, 2025 was a strong learning year. I made mistakes, learned from them, and grew faster than I expected. While it wasn’t always comfortable, it was deeply valuable.

This year taught me that growth as a software developer comes from depth, not just speed. That lesson will guide how I approach my work moving forward.