Manage your career

Dear new developer,

You have to manage your career. If you don’t, no one else will.

This means three things.

1. Know what you want.
2. Communicate that.
3. Make moves toward it.

Let’s talk about each of these in turn.

“Know what you want” is the hardest part. Because we are lucky to live in a world with lots and lots of options and opportunities. You can focus on one of a 100 different kinds of software development. And that is to say nothing about other related opportunities (product management, teaching, engineering management, etc) where your developer skillset will help set you apart.

My advice here is that you should pick one and follow it while it is interesting. If you have fundamental skills (problem solving, learning, listening, typing), you’ll be able to transition between areas. It may not be an easy transition and you may pay a price in terms of compensation or status or ego. You may have to spend precious time outside of work getting up to speed. But no decision is permanent. So pick what is interesting. Commit to it for a period of time (six months, a year). Realize that you can change (though, as mentioned above, that may have a cost), so commit.

“Communicate that” because if you don’t talk about what you want, you will have a hard time getting it. This is because people generally want to help, but need to know how to help. So, communicate your desires to your manager, to your communities, to your friends, to your co-workers. You don’t need to mention it every day, and you should tune your communication to your audience.

For example, if you are a web developer and want to be database focused, then volunteer to work on database projects. Mention it to your manager at your 1:1s. If there are people that are doing database work at your company, ask if you can meet them regularly.

This doesn’t mean you can avoid the web development work for which you are paid. What it means is that you can tune your work environment toward your interests. Not immediately and not at all companies, but often.

“Make moves toward it” means you aren’t just talking about your desired direction, but you are actually taking steps toward acquiring skills and doing that work. To expand ont the web developer -> databases example, take action. Present on databases at a meetup. Do a brown bag on databases at your company. Read a book about databases. See what you can apply to your current work.

However, sometimes you can’t make a move internally. Maybe the opportunity just isn’t there. Maybe the company needs you in your current spot. You may have to switch jobs. That’s OK.

Don’t burn any bridges, but when it is time to move on, move on. Find a new job with your new skills and knowledge, hopefully from the community you’ve found. Give notice and head off to a new adventure. (Don’t forget to connect to colleagues on LinkedIn.)

What’s the alternative? Floating through your career, buffeted from opportunity to opportunity, or worse, from job you’re afraid to lose to another job you’re afraid to lose.

That doesn’t sound like much fun.

Sincerely,

Dan