self.improve() - Building a Technical Career
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Erika Carlson, a software developer, outlines key steps for building a successful technical career, emphasizing the importance of setting clear goals, continuous learning, and community engagement. She highlights techniques for effective learning and teaching, the value of feedback, and the necessity of self-care to maintain career growth. Carlson encourages facing fears as opportunities for growth and stresses the significance of understanding the business aspect of software development.
self.improve() - Building a Technical Career
- 1. SELF.IMPROVE() BUILDING A TECHNICAL CAREER NDC LONDON 2017
- 2. WHO AM I? Hi! I’m Erika (I’m @eacarlson, too.) I’m a software developer. I work at Detroit Labs in Detroit, Michigan. I train and coach software developers.
- 4. STEP 1: JUNIOR DEVELOPER
- 5. STEP 2: WEIRD MIDDLE AREA
- 6. STEP 3: SENIOR DEVELOPER image by sarahcandersen.com
- 7. 1. BEGIN WITH THE END ‣ Build your career around 2 questions: ‣ Where are you going? ‣ How are you getting there? ‣ Ask yourself the following questions every 6-12 months: ‣ What do I want my career to support? ‣ What are my tangible & intangible career goals? ‣ What obstacles are preventing me from reaching my goals? ‣ What am I doing to work toward my goals? @eacarlson
- 8. 2. LEARN TO LEARN ‣ Learning is one of the most essential pieces of being a developer ‣ Learning is a skill in and of itself ‣ Components of effective learning: ‣ Ask good questions ‣ Identify appropriate resources ‣ Recognize & apply general principles ‣ Filter out noise @eacarlson
- 9. 2. LEARN TO LEARN ‣ Rapid, effective learning is a key business & interpersonal skill as well as a technical skill ‣ Know your learning style ‣ Opportunities for learning: ‣ Group: Conferences, classes, workshops, meetups, user groups ‣ Solo: Mentoring, coaching ‣ Self: Books, tutorials, projects @eacarlson
- 10. 3. LEARN TO TEACH ‣ Levels of Knowledge ‣ Understanding ‣ Applying ‣ Teaching ‣ Components of effective teaching: ‣ Seek feedback & make real-time adjustments ‣ Offer constant opportunities for practice ‣ Allow students to fail @eacarlson
- 11. 3. LEARN TO TEACH ‣ Benefits of teaching: ‣ Deepen knowledge of teaching topics ‣ Learn to build rapport with a room ‣ Practice breaking down complex concepts ‣ Develop communication skills ‣ Learn to give & receive effective feedback ‣ Practice public speaking @eacarlson
- 12. 4. JOIN A COMMUNITY ‣ The software community is an incredible source of learning, growth, and professional & personal support ‣ Tap into your local community at events, and more broadly through Slack, Twitter, and other networks ‣ Professional contacts are among your most valuable career resources ‣ Emphasize quality over quantity & giving over getting ‣ If you don’t have a community, create one! @eacarlson
- 13. 5. KNOW THE BUSINESS ‣ Most of us are writing code to make money, whether for ourselves and/or someone else ‣ If you’re working for a client, learn everything you can about their business model ‣ If you’re working on a product, learn that product inside out, upside down and backwards ‣ Business knowledge facilitates communication with stakeholders, and builds trust by allowing you to make educated recommendations about the product @eacarlson
- 14. 6. ENGAGE IN GROWTH WORK ‣ Growth work means intentional growth, over and beyond learning through daily experience ‣ Examples of growth work include: ‣ Setting & working toward professional goals ‣ Developing new skills ‣ Asking others for feedback ‣ Actively working to identify & overcome weaknesses ‣ Working with a mentor or professional coach @eacarlson
- 15. 7. GIVE & RECEIVE FEEDBACK ‣ Feedback is one of the most effective ways to improve individual and team performance ‣ Positive feedback helps you recognize and cultivate your strengths ‣ Constructive feedback is invaluable in helping you determine where you need to improve and grow ‣ Seek feedback from a mix of colleagues ‣ Giving and receiving feedback are both valuable skills worth developing @eacarlson
- 16. 7. GIVE & RECEIVE FEEDBACK ‣ 5 quick strategies for doing feedback better: ‣ Accept positive feedback graciously; don’t deny or minimize; simply say “thank you” ‣ Accept constructive feedback without arguing, pushing back, or getting emotional; simply say “thank you for the feedback” ‣ Allow yourself to “sit” with constructive feedback until you feel less emotional about it; then decide if and how to act ‣ When giving feedback, be specific, thoughtful, and direct; ask before giving unsolicited feedback ‣ Always assume positive intent @eacarlson
- 17. 8. BUILD AN ESCAPE HATCH ‣ The ability to build your career hinges on the ability to leave situations that are toxic, damaging, or causing your growth to stagnate ‣ Develop career security by: ‣ Building your professional network ‣ Keeping your skills current through continuous learning ‣ Making your work visible and searchable @eacarlson
- 18. 9. CARE FOR YOURSELF ‣ Caring for your body, mind, and heart are essential to healthy career growth ‣ Software development is physically sedentary and has the potential to be psychologically stressful ‣ The ability to “work from anywhere” can be a significant perk, but it leaves software developers prone to overworking ‣ Even if you do everything else right, poor physical or mental health can destroy your career @eacarlson
- 19. 9. CARE FOR YOURSELF ‣ Take a “self-care inventory”: ‣ Am I physically healthy enough to participate in the activities and relationships I want to? ‣ Am I emotionally healthy enough to enjoy the activities and relationships I want to? ‣ Am I suffering from any illnesses that are or could be stress- related? ‣ Does my work contribute more positively or more negatively to my physical and emotional health? ‣ Are physical or mental health challenges interfering with my ability to do my job to the best of my ability? @eacarlson
- 20. 10. LOVE YOUR DRAGONS image by dharmacomics.com
- 21. 10. LOVE YOUR DRAGONS ‣ Fears represent your greatest opportunities for growth ‣ Your fears are not an irrevocable part of who you are ‣ Take a “fear inventory”: ‣ What am I afraid of? ‣ What’s the underlying fear? ‣ What steps could I take to overcome this fear? ‣ What could I gain by moving beyond this fear? @eacarlson