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# I just published my first Medium article. It's about the invisible pressure of getting a job through a friend's referral — and how that guilt turned me into a team lead. Link in bio.

**[Kelvin Kwong](https://daily.dev/sources/xvypshj2bwbxqifouvouk)** · [@tszhim_tech](https://daily.dev/tszhim_tech) · 1 min read · 0 upvotes · 0 comments

## Summary

A developer shares their personal journey of landing their first dev job through a friend's referral and how the pressure to prove themselves worthy of that recommendation drove them to excel and eventually become a team lead. The story explores the psychological weight of referral-based hiring and how it can be channeled into professional growth.

## Content

[https://medium.com/@tszhim_tech/a-friend-got-me-my-first-dev-job-i-wasnt-going-to-be-the-reason-he-regretted-it-da8debe5e911](https://medium.com/@tszhim_tech/a-friend-got-me-my-first-dev-job-i-wasnt-going-to-be-the-reason-he-regretted-it-da8debe5e911)

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---

Tags: [#career](https://daily.dev/tags/career), [#leadership](https://daily.dev/tags/leadership)

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