When do you ask for help vs keep banging your head on it? Terrified of being "that person" who asks too much.
Three months in. If I ask a question I feel like I'm proving I don't belong. If I don't ask, I burn half a day and someone eventually goes "oh yeah that's a known gotcha, should've asked."
Is there a rule people use? I've heard "15 minutes then ask" and also "timebox an hour first." What's the actual norm on a healthy team? And how do you ask in a way that shows you tried instead of just "it doesn't work, help"?
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AnonymousAnon The rule that stuck for me: timebox it. 30-45 minutes of genuine effort, write down what you tried, then ask — and lead with what you've already ruled out. That framing makes you look thorough, not helpless, and honestly seniors would much rather unblock you at 45 minutes than discover on day three you've been stuck the whole time.
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AnonymousAnon The framing that fixed this for me: asking well is a senior skill, not a junior weakness. "That person" is the one who asks with zero context, not the one who asks a lot. Timebox ~30 min, and when you ask, say what you tried and your best guess — "I think it's X because Y, but Z is confusing me." That turns it from "do my job" into "sanity-check my thinking," and good seniors love answering those.