Since starting to teach Computer Science at Pasadena Community College, I've often wondered what advice I would give to my previous self 15 years ago when I first embarked on this journey to become a software engineer.
####Best career advice I ever got
- Find what you Love...that you can be Great at...for which others will Pay you!
- Love it or leave it
####Be a Craftsman
- Practice, Practice, Practice
- Dedicate time to learning software engineering best practices
- Take ownership of your responsibilities and keep your promises
- Find a mentor & follow thought leaders
- Dedicate atleast 15 hours / week outside of work to sharpen your skills
- Learning is a life long activity
####Coding is not enough
- If you can't justify how your development effort ties to a business objective, chances are you won't be doing it for long!
- Understand the business model
- Learn what & how each team member contributes to the overall success
####Be Nice & have fun
- No one likes to work with an a jerk. Most people make decisions emotionally and justify them rationally.
####The letter T
- Be a generalist (horizontal top of T)
- Be a specialist (vertical part of T)
- What ratio of generalist vs specialist make sense for you?
####Be the Worst
- Try to be part of a team where you were the least knowledgable engineer. This environment will push you to face new challenges & you will rise to a higher level of understanding.
- Like MJ said, "You miss 100% of the shots you never take." I can't emphasize how important it is not to give us.