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coconut_sorbet t1_itlkh0c wrote

Reply to comment by darockerj in Mondaily, anyone? by OopsImACrow

Tech worker for 2 decades here - everyone asks for help all the time no matter how senior they are! Just avoid asking the same question multiple times because that shows that you're not keeping good notes.

It's also strongly encouraged to ask people for recommendations of people to ask - if you only know two people to ask and aren't getting help from them, ask around to find a third person!

Being silently stuck and beating your head against the wall without letting anyone know is a very bad sign and that kind of shit will not reflect well on you. It's so much better to feel like an idiot and ask for help. Plus it's a skill that you will need to improve over your career.

Also, remember that people like feeling smart and important and helpful - you're actually giving them a gift if you ask them for help and they can help you!

Good luck!!!!

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darockerj t1_itlmb6x wrote

Thanks! Great advice, I appreciate it.

Only thing is that I feel like I'm better at asking for help in an office, where I can see who's busy and actually see how they react when I ask them for help. Being fully remote has been a tough shift for me, but I need to just get over that I guess, lol.

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coconut_sorbet t1_itln8f7 wrote

Yup, getting better at this stuff is hard but super important. Being remote adds an extra level of discomfort. Cut yourself some slack (no pun intended) for feeling uneasy, take a deep breath, and take the first step.

Also, it helps if you have your presentation kinda streamlined. "Here's a synopsis of the problem, here's short bullet points about what I've already tried and where I've made progress. I need help figuring out Obstacles X and Y, and don't have login access to Z."

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darockerj t1_itlqhx1 wrote

Great advice, thanks!

I think my initial impressions were off by starting on a team that wasn't always receptive to questions (really kinda toxic), so I got that drilled in my head. Gonna need to get over that at some point, haha.

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