5 Steps To Effectively Ask For Help

Make it easy and worthwhile for others to help you.

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Tip of The Week: How To Effectively Ask For Help

Software development is a team activity. We work not just with other software engineers, but product, marketing, design, platform, customer support, external suppliers and even sales teams in the process of delivering modern software solutions.

Asa result, we often encounter complex challenges that require collaboration and shared expertise. To get that we need to ask for help, but we’re not always good at doing so.

Here are some tips on effectively asking for help:

1. Have a clear, specific ask - provide detailed information about the problem you're facing. Share relevant code, error messages, and a clear description of your goal. The more precise your ask, the easier it is for others to understand and offer targeted help.

2. Show your work - show that you've made an effort to solve the problem yourself. Share the steps you've taken, what you've researched, and any potential solutions you've tried or considered. This shows initiative, helps others understand your thought process and allows them to skip advising things you’ve already done/tried.

3. Ask in the right place - Sometimes it’ll be appropriate to ask a colleague asynchronously, sometimes a call or in person will be best. For some questions you might be asking on a forum or social media. Each will require a different approach and each community might have it’s own etiquette, rules and norms. Pick the place that’s most appropriate and comply with it’s norms.

4. Be gracious and thank people for their help - Remember that most people have other demands on their time. By taking the time to help you are putting off something else they might need to do. Acknowledge their help, express gratitude, and consider ways to give back.

5. Learn and share what you’ve learned - When you get help, take the opportunity to learn from the it. Understand the help provided. Where possible, ask questions to deepen your understanding, and share your newfound knowledge with others. Doing so will re-enforce your learning and help level up those around you.

Three Ways I Can Help You Level Up As A Software Engineer:

1. I write another newsletter, Coding Challenges that helps you become a better software engineer through coding challenges that build real applications.

2. I have some courses available:

   1. Become a Better Software Developer by Building Your Own Redis Server (Python Edition) which guides you through solving the Redis Coding Challenge in Python.

   2. Build Your Own Shell (Go Edition) which guides you through solving the Shell Coding Challenge in Go.

3. I am available for 121 coaching and mentoring.