On Bad Advice - part. 1

Whether you're just starting out, or changing tracks, you have many questions about your tech career.

• Should I pursue Development? Design? Project management? IT? QA? 
• Should I learn to code?
• What programming language(s) should I learn? 
• Should I do a coding bootcamp? Which one?
• Should I get a certification? Advanced degree?
• How do I land a job? How about at [super-hot tech company]?

There's no lack of people with answers to your questions, but if I may be honest - much of the career advice you'll get is bad (or at least misplaced).

And following it can set you back through lost time and money. Sort of like buying a used car quickly, only to find it's a lemon.

So here are some not-so-easy steps for telling good advice from bad.

Part 1 - Know Yourself

Any advice, career or otherwise, is worthless without context - consideration of your goals, strengths, and weaknesses. Would you accept dating advice from someone who knows nothing about you?

Consider possible answers to the question - Should I learn to code?

• Yes - if you want to be a software developer,
• No - (at least not as a first step) if you're an aspiring creative designer, project manager, entrepreneur, etc.

So before seeking advice, answer key questions about yourself with brutal honesty. The questions below are just a sampling - feel free to expand on them.

• What's your personality?

Some tech roles require strong social skills and frequent context switching (project/product management, creative design), while others are more contemplative (development). Some require high degree of structure and organization (project management, IT, QA), while others require creativity and experimentation (design, development).

• What sort of work do you most enjoy?

You'll perform best at work you enjoy and probably suck at work you hate, even if it pays well. Do you like gaming, art, news, sports, solving problems, organizing, directing, data crunching?

Are you jazzed by making something beautiful? Making lots of money? Solving really hard problems? Working with really smart people?

[note - these don't have to be exclusive, but you may have to prioritize]

• What are you good at? - Let's hope the answers are the same as previous question.

• Where do you want to work? 

As above, you'll do best in a workplace culture that matches your interests. This can vary quite a lot according to factors such as:

• org. size (large, medium, small, startup)
• domain (e.g. entertainment, tech, finance, healthcare, manufacturing, etc.)
• team distribution
• profit -v- non-profit -v- government

Consider what preferences you have, if any.

• What's your education?

Sure, you can break cleanly from your previous education or career. But choosing a complementary path can save you considerable time, money, and heartache.

For example - a natural sciences degree can lead naturally into a high-paying data-science role that involves math, statistics, and domain-specific knowledge. That same degree offers little advantage in creative design. 

• What's your runway?

How soon do you need work? Retraining can be very useful, if you have time. If you need to land a job asap advice on certifications, bootcamps, or building a portfolio may be pointless.

• What's your money situation?

Related to runway. Degrees, certifications, and bootcamps aren't an option if you can't afford the tuition and lost income (in case of full-time study).

That's a lot to consider for now.

In Part 2 we'll review how to vet all that generous career advice against your well-defined preferences.

Stop with the humble brag

A recent LinkedIn thread prompted me to chime in.

I get that you're a senior dev and recruiters contact you ALL.THE.TIME. with clearly inappropriate job opportunities. I get the snarky comments about how they:

• don't know the difference between Java & Javascript,
• don't understand there's no way you'll move across the country for a 3 month contract in flyover country,
• expect a Hadoop developer to also do UX design & front-end web UI development
• expect a 'junior developer' to have 3-5 years professional experience,

But I have no sympathy for your humble brag.

First, recruiters are doing a job like everyone else, and acting on the req's a client gave them. If they knew what Hadoop developers do, they wouldn't be cold-calling developers anywhere in the country. If they second-guessed the client, they'd be out of work. 

Be polite and grateful they called because some day they won't.

Second, there are lots of smart, hard-working people who need that job you're laughing at. They don't have job security, a 4-yr CS degree, and 3-5 years professional experience. But for some of those jobs they know enough to do the work if given a chance. Instead of late-night comedy 'Aren't they stupid' comments, how about helping someone in need to land that job? Readers in the Seattle area can donate that recruiter contact here - https://www.meetup.com/Seattle-Tech-Mentors/messages/boards/forum/20075740

And while we're at it, stop complaining about the free food! Seriously, as someone who's lived on food stamps, it's offensive to hear folks complaining the free food at tech hiring events is 'just pizza' (and gourmet at that). That too will end some day.