10 Habits of Great Software Engineers: Simple Tips to Stand Out
Whether you’re just starting or have been in the industry for years, becoming a great software engineer is about more than just writing code. It’s the little habits that set-top developers apart, making them reliable, efficient, and enjoyable to work with. Here are 10 habits that can help you stand out in any software engineering team.
Habit 1: Write Ready-to-Work Tickets
Even when you have a dedicated product manager, engineers often need to write up tickets for bugs or new features. It’s tempting to write a brief one-liner and move on, but the best engineers include details like acceptance criteria — a clear definition of what “done” means.
Great tickets often include a user story (the “why” behind the task) and testing instructions. This helps ensure that both developers and testers know exactly what to do, saving time and avoiding confusion.
Habit 2: Submit Ready-to-Review Pull Requests
When you submit your work through a pull request (PR), the goal is to get your code reviewed and merged as quickly as possible. You can speed up this process by making sure your PRs are clear and easy to review.
