Last month I celebrated 10 years as a professional software developer. When I think about this accomplishment I can reflect back on the good, bad and the ugly throughout my career. Overall, I can say that I’m just happy to survive those 10 years and also evolve into the developer I am today.

So how am I celebrating this accomplishment? I’m celebrating by reflecting no how I got here more than anything else. As we all know a lot changes in a year yet alone 10. I’ve seen people and technologies come and go. I’ve switched from Microsoft to open source. I’ve also moved from the East Coast out to Denver, Colorado.

I’m sure some of you may be asking how did I get here. The answer is simple a lot of hard work and some luck. Everyone knows hard work pays off, but do they know why? I can only speak for myself, but I’m sure there is a plethora of examples of how hard work provides more opportunities (e.g. luck). I’ll explain a few.

My first gig was with CIBER in Pittsburgh. My team was responsible for maintaining GSK’s U.S. consumer facing websites. For the first few years I knew more about acid erosion, heartburn, sensitive teeth than I will ever care to know.

It was during this time I happened to sit near the architects of all the websites. At first, I was just trying to complete the tasks that were assigned to me, but as I grew in knowledge and in confidence I could form relationships with these men. Some of them became friends where we went to happy hour and some also became a mentors of mine. Whenever I visit town, I try and meet up with them for a drink or two and we reminisce about the good old days.

I will admit sitting next to the architects was an advantage I had over most people on my team. When you are a junior developer you want to surround yourself with as many experienced people as possible. For me, it was just a cubicle away. For others you may have to introduce yourself and ask questions. The point in getting better is to show people that you want to learn and that you are willing to learn.

In this game of life there are two main types of people. There are people who will make excuses and those who actually go out and do stuff. As a young developer I made sure I was doing everything in my power to learn more and do more. I’m still that way today and that has propelled me to where I am today.