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Are you a developer who wants to be even better at your job? Or, just wondering what it takes to have a great career in the software engineering world? Look no further. The Muse asked some of the best engineering professionals out their for their secrets to success, and brought it all together in one place. Flip through for their practical tips and resources for upping your career game. For exciting job opportunities, expert advice, and a peek behind the scenes into fantastic companies and career path check out the http://www.themuse.com. Everything you need to find a job and kick ass in your career.
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Professional Development Guides
How to Be a Better
ENgiNEEr
from
We know you want to
BE AWESOMEat your job!
So, we picked the brains of a team of engineering experts to find out how they've gotten so good.
Yusuf SimonsonVP of Engineering at The Muse
Vanessa HurstTechnical Founder &
CEO of CodeMontage
Zain MemonCTO of Braid
Ana EndersSenior Front-End Engineer at The Muse
And compiled it all into the
ULTiMATE gUiDE TO PrOFESSiONAL DEVELOPMENT FOR ENGINEERS.
Are you ready for it?
it'll be a HUgE help to your career.(And only take a little time to flip through.)
Whether you’re just getting started or you’re ready to move to the top,
First, we’ll talk about the skills you need.
And then we’ll give you the resources to make it happen.
LET'S gET STArTED.
So what skills does one need to develop to be a superstar engineer?
Well, there are
THE OBViOUS ONES.
You should know as many
HArD TEcH SkiLLS as possible—and continue
learning them.
If you're interested in becoming a developer (front-end or back-end), you might spend years learning the
fundamentals, but you will never stop having to learn new
technologies. All developers are expected to keep up with the latest
in the tech world.
You should also have plenty of practice
in the art of
PrOBLEM SOLViNg.
Probably the most useful skill I've learned has been to debug. As a front-end developer (as opposed to a seasoned
programmer), I've faced many hurdles with back-end technologies. Instead of despairing or pestering my fellow engineers, I take the time to look things up or dig around, and (often) I will figure it out. It can be painful and time-
consuming, but when you solve a problem on your own, it's the most empowering and satisfying feeling.
But there are other skills that people tend to
OVErLOOk.
It’s important to be able to cOMMUNicATE EFFEcTiVELY in the engineering world.
You must be able to:
Give feedback and instructions to others
on your team
Explain your vision or your work to
non-technical team members
Learning when to provide detail and when to paint a general picture has
been crucial for me. I'm an engineer by training, so I think in extreme detail,
but sometimes too many specifics can hamper an otherwise strong message. You don't have to say everything you
know every time you speak.
You also must be able to
c O L L A B O r A T E with all sorts of people.
After all, you don’t build things in a vacuum—
you build them for and with other people!
The most useful skill I've learned is an appreciation for working with the non-technical staff members at a
company. They're often the ones who know the problems that the company
faces first-hand, and they're also the ones most appreciative when you fix those
problems.
Later on in your career, having good
MANAgEMENT SkiLLS can really help you out.
There’s a good chance you’ll be put in charge of a team of engineers, and you’ll need to be able to keep your people as organized as your code.
The most useful skills for me have been softer skills, especially with respect to management and leadership. I'm not a
natural manager, so this has been really useful for my professional
development.
Similarly, good
PUBLic SPEAkiNg abilities become more
important as your career moves forward.
By presenting your work to others, you can get your name out and become a
THOUgHT LEADEr in your field.
I've spoken at several conferences, which helps me articulate what I believe in and improve how I engage other people in what
I'm building.
But when it comes down to it, the most important thing you can do is continue
growing your
TEcHNicAL AB iL iT iES .
For software development, I think learning functional programming is a great way to improve. Even if you don't end up using it
professionally, it gives you a new perspective. And as an interviewer, seeing functional programming experience in a
resume is a big indicator that the person is passionate about his or her craft.
Now that we're on the same page about what skills you need, let's talk about
HOw TO gET THErE.
We asked our experts what resources have been helpful along the way,
and pulled together an
OFFiciAL rESOUrcE gUiDE for your engineering development.
BOOkS TO rEAD
BLOgS & MAgAZiNES TO rEAD
For organizational setup, GitHub and Valve are both very
inspirational companies.
cONFErENcES TO ATTEND
I'm inspired by Grace Hopper Celebration for Women in Computing and local conferences
focused on specific technologies (mostly PostgreSQL and Ruby for me). I also
recently organized a conference, WriteSpeakCode, and learned a lot from the
experience and the workshop content.
cLASSES TO TAkE
There are a billion tutorials online. It's probably best to consult developers you respect for guidance on what they find to be the most
helpful. I'm a big fan of doing things yourself, so if you're motivated, you should not require
expensive workshops or classes.
Practice on real projects! Talk to people with real technical needs instead of making up a project. Software engineering is not just about building, it's about solving
people's problems.
EXPErTS TO FOLLOw
Now—it's time to go out into the world and get better at rOckiNg YOUr cArEEr!
(We know you can do it.)
And, if you want a little more help along the way?
Keep up with for the advice you need to build the career you've
always dreamed of.
Get Career Advice
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