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

Interview

Jim Weaver

Jim Weaver now works for IBM. He’s been a Java Champion, developer, and evangelist for many companies over many years. He has travelled around the world and gone to many places. But right now, Jim is the quantum computing man.

Q: Can you tell us where your career started?

A: In the early days, I went to school for computer technology but then dropped out due to the pressures of life: wanting to get married and start a family, and I thought I could make more money in the restaurant industry. I put the dream of being a computer scientist on hold and went eight years in the restaurant industry, but became increasingly unhappy. This was in the 1970s, a long time ago.

But as I was in that industry then and I had a TRS-80 level 1, so I decided to go ahead and create the first ever restaurant drive-through ordering point-of-sale system, because I wanted to sell that and buy a model 3.

I created an assembly language in Z80 – dialogue 80. If...