All resumes are not created equal. There are impressive achievements we can list that will make us stand out from the crowd. While these are goals that take some time and effort, many are not out of reach for anyone in the modern world. Here are three such goals you can achieve to become a better developer and “wow” your colleagues.
Write a Book
There is still enough mystique around the title of “author” to impress many in the professional world. That makes writing a book an option worth looking into. One of the barriers to this goal is the perception that it is a huge undertaking. While I do not want to downplay the work and self-discipline that is required to create a book, it is not near what many fear. I would argue that anyone that has gotten a degree or professional certification can write a book as well.
There are many tools available to help you write, edit, design a cover, and publish your book. These are all activities that are worth learning and often a matter of following well-defined steps. In fact, the hardest step in writing a book may be selecting the topic and creating an outline. The rest will flow more naturally than you think.
Create a Tutorial
The tutorial and training industry has become flooded with authors. These topics range from simple things like setting up your latest home device to classic history studies, to learning a language. A brief search and review of these tutorials will confirm that there is a broad range of professional look-and-feel among these examples. That is where you can make a difference and impress your co-workers. The topics are plentiful. Therefore, I find this to be the easiest of the three items in this episode to check off your list. You can even knock out a professional-looking tutorial over a weekend. So why wait?
One of Many Presentation Template Site
Create a Podcast
This suggestion may seem to be evident from a podcast. However, it is still one of the best of impressive achievements right next to writing a book. The challenge for a podcast is to have regular content to present. A book is a long talk about a single topic while a podcast requires multiple such presentations. However, there is an ease in talking through a topic that does not exist when most of us write on the same thing.
The good news is the number of active topics available that are excellent fodder for a podcast. You can cover sports, technology, or even your favorite TV show. All of these are worthy of a podcast and provide a steady stream of material. It all comes down to discipline and setting a schedule then sticking to it. While this is more difficult for some of us than others, these are all things that can significantly enhance your resume, and you might have some fun along the way.
