Latest Posts - Page 89 of 192

April 22, 2020April 12, 2020 Mastering Your Career

One Offs, Side Projects, and Veering From Standards

Rules are meant to be broken, and sometimes there is a reason for veering from standards. We often do this to build a one-off or maybe a proof-of-concept. These are situations where we have a form of excuse to try out a new language or create something quickly instead of “correctly.” The rules are different for these projects, so what should we include in our planning? Avoiding POC Problems A critical flaw in some proof-of-concepts projects is that it is too good. There are times where the powers that be want to move forward quickly and build on that POC. While that may be feasible, it is often a wrong decision. There are short cuts taken for a POC that... Read more

April 20, 2020April 12, 2020 Mastering Your Career

When To Search For a New Job

Sooner or later, most of us have a desire to search for a new job. This situation can arise from negative things like personal conflicts and lack of challenge or can be looking for a better position. In any case, there are good and bad reasons and timing for a job search. The Obvious Timing We will quickly get the most apparent situation out of the way. There are times the market is perfect for getting a job, and times when it is not. These tend to be highly visible (a lot of people looking for the same type of job, or a lot of unfilled positions) and not under our control. The market is what it is. However, we... Read more

April 17, 2020April 5, 2020 Mastering Your Career

Marketing or Narcissism – How Much Is Too Much

When we build a personal brand, there is a certain amount of “bragging” we need to do. This form of marketing can be seen as pure narcissism at times. While that is not a concern as much as we may think so, it is still an area worth considering. Sometimes you can go too far, and then is it marketing or narcissism? Donald Trump and Oprah Winfrey Two perfect examples of over-the-top marketing are Donald Trump and Oprah Winfrey. The political nature of Trump has brought out those that accuse him of narcissism, but that is more recent. There is a difference between these two personal brands. However, both trumpet their features and successes steadily and often. I think it... Read more

April 15, 2020April 5, 2020 Mastering Your Career

Addressing Old and Rusty Skills In An Interview

Technology moves fast and is not likely to slow down. Therefore, cutting-edge knowledge we have today can quickly lose its value. Nevertheless, just as a car that loses a lot, but not all, of its value when you drive off the lot. We also still have value in those old and rusty skills from our past. There are modern needs and baseline knowledge that can be assumed from those past projects. Do not ignore them in an interview or resume. Migration Is Forever An essential part of technology moving forward is that we always have migration projects available. There is a steady stream of new and start-up companies that can dive into new technology from scratch. However, there is also... Read more

April 13, 2020April 4, 2020 Software Architecture From Scratch

Research and Preparation For An Interview

We spend a lot of time doing the work that makes us a better developer. Nevertheless, there is still some work we need to do as part of selling those skills. Research and preparation for a job or interview are highly valuable tasks for us to take on. These steps can help us feel comfortable and impress in an interview or as part of our brand site. Answering Questions – Solving Problems You will not spend much time looking at marketing heavy sites without seeing answers to unasked questions. That is a technique that is highly effective in drawing in prospects. Think about it. When you are looking for an answer to a question, and someone starts a conversation implying... Read more

April 10, 2020April 4, 2020 Mastering Your Career

Non-Professional Work On Your Resume – It Is Valid Experience

We often overlook the non-professional work we do in our life. It is easy to throw work experience on our resume when we got paid. However, what about volunteer work or maybe even side-effects of living our life? There is life experience we can lean on at times that will even put us ahead of the competition for a job or project. Scheduling and Managing There are a lot of people in the technical world that are either not good, or they do not like management tasks. That means the experience you have managing people and projects can be a way to separate from the pack. These skills can come from running a large family, scheduling reunions, or managing a... Read more