Book Image

Developer Career Masterplan

By : Heather VanCura, Bruno Souza
5 (1)
Book Image

Developer Career Masterplan

5 (1)
By: Heather VanCura, Bruno Souza

Overview of this book

Written by industry experts that have spent the last 20+ years helping developers grow their careers, this book offers invaluable insights and guidance tailored to the specific needs of technical professionals. By discovering the secret of continuous learning and adapting in the ever-evolving field of software development, you’ll explore various learning paths with formal and informal methods, as well as gain an understanding of the value of certifications to validate your skills. This book will teach you the significance of building a strong support network, holding crucial conversations, and taking ownership of your career growth. You'll delve into acquiring both soft and hard skills, becoming a well-rounded and sought-after developer. Packed with practical examples, stories of successful developers, and real-world applications, the chapters will equip you with actionable advice on how to push beyond your comfort zone and embracing communities to enhance your teamwork abilities. Additionally, you’ll uncover the benefits of joining open-source projects, speaking at conferences, and building a personal brand to amplify your visibility and reputation. By the end of this book, you'll have a well-laid-out long-term and short-term plan for your career progression, equipping you with advanced technical skills, strategic thinking, and the ability to effectively manage relationships within your organization.
Table of Contents (21 chapters)
1
Part 1 The Basics: Learn and Practice the Technical Skills
7
Part 2 Get Involved: Participate in the Community
13
Part 3 Create Impact: Share and Lead

Starting your own user group community

Sometimes, you may be located somewhere where there is no existing user group covering your area of expertise. The following are some steps you can take as best practices to start your own user group when this is the case. Consider partnering with an existing user group before you decide to undertake this initiative, but there are times when a new user group is warranted, depending on your area.

Here’s how to go about it:

  • Register a domain name with your user group initials.
  • Set up a collaborative website, preferably a wiki. Available options to consider include Confluence, GitHub, Eventbrite, Meetup, XWiki, or Drupal, among others.
  • Set up a newsletter that people can easily subscribe to.
  • Make sure to send out the newsletter on a regular basis.
  • Reach out to potential sponsors in your area, making sure to include the visitor stats of your website to encourage them to sponsor your site.
  • Run events on a regular...