> The problem is at this point I have been on the team too long to ask any basic questions,
I believe very much that there are no basic questions that are too basic to ask if you don’t know the answer. As an experienced engineer, I go out of my way to ask basic questions constantly so everyone else knows it’s OK, and you wouldn’t believe the number of times doing so has shown that the basic thing isn’t basic at all.
> one of the senior engineers even pointed out they shouldn't be helping me with certain processes at this point.
Just be honest and own that: “I realize that, but when I was learning this the first time I didn’t realize… so now I’m trying to…”
If you’re worried about asking too many questions, one thing I do, which is a variant of rubber duck programming, is just opening a text document and start writing the question with as many details as I know or can find in my iwn already included. This process will certainly involve doing research, but since you’re writing a question and not “coding” other parts of your brain are active and you end up with that new perspective that answers the question for you. If not, you’ll still have a useful question thats well crafted.
I don’t know about anyone else, but I’ll take a junior dev who is curious over one that is cautious any day, but they also need to know when to say they need a second pair of eyes if exploration in some area is or could be dangerous.
One last thing I’ll say, which may not apply to you at all (but it certainly did for me): the more I hid my actual status from people when I was junior the more stress I made for myself and the more stress I made for my manager. Managers want their ram happy and to hit deadlines, and they can’t bring in extra help if they don’t know there’s a problem. Being late with something is, every now and then, just a part of the job, and the sooner that is communicated the better for everyone.
I believe very much that there are no basic questions that are too basic to ask if you don’t know the answer. As an experienced engineer, I go out of my way to ask basic questions constantly so everyone else knows it’s OK, and you wouldn’t believe the number of times doing so has shown that the basic thing isn’t basic at all.
> one of the senior engineers even pointed out they shouldn't be helping me with certain processes at this point.
Just be honest and own that: “I realize that, but when I was learning this the first time I didn’t realize… so now I’m trying to…”
If you’re worried about asking too many questions, one thing I do, which is a variant of rubber duck programming, is just opening a text document and start writing the question with as many details as I know or can find in my iwn already included. This process will certainly involve doing research, but since you’re writing a question and not “coding” other parts of your brain are active and you end up with that new perspective that answers the question for you. If not, you’ll still have a useful question thats well crafted.
I don’t know about anyone else, but I’ll take a junior dev who is curious over one that is cautious any day, but they also need to know when to say they need a second pair of eyes if exploration in some area is or could be dangerous.
One last thing I’ll say, which may not apply to you at all (but it certainly did for me): the more I hid my actual status from people when I was junior the more stress I made for myself and the more stress I made for my manager. Managers want their ram happy and to hit deadlines, and they can’t bring in extra help if they don’t know there’s a problem. Being late with something is, every now and then, just a part of the job, and the sooner that is communicated the better for everyone.