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

Be selective and intentional

Although mentoring is a great tool for improvement and growth, it is not only a “feel-good” activity where you do it because it is fun and you will feel great about it (although it can be a lot of fun at times). Mentoring is challenging work for both sides, and it requires a big effort in time and commitment. You should use it to improve in specific areas.

It is easy to consider mentoring as just a conversation or to build a relationship with your mentor and confuse it with friendship, but being mentored is hard. A good mentor will push your limits so you can succeed faster and grow further. That is stressful, and often, your mentor will possibly end up annoying you with tough questions and criticism, making you see the truth that you are trying to ignore (or hide even from yourself).

A good mentor will push you to do things you are not comfortable with – things that are outside of your comfort zone. One of the hardest parts of...