Mid-Level Backend Engineer Cuts AI Reliance to Rebuild Core Skills

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A software engineer with a CS degree and roughly three years of experience shared on DEV Community that they recently recognized stagnation in their backend development skills. The engineer, who has worked across financial, tourism, and client-based companies since 2022, realized during a job search that over-reliance on AI tools had hindered genuine skill growth. In response, they decided to reduce AI assistance on daily tasks and instead challenge themselves through hands-on personal projects. They plan to build a stock exchange engine and a collaborative music production system, documenting progress and mistakes along the way.

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