I am a Senior Developer, so now what?

I am a Senior Developer,

so now what?Ionel Condor

@ionel_condorNovember 2012

Why a talk about Seniors ?

Sr Mid Jr0

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Candidates failing to code a simple algorithm

Statistical data collected by Ionel during the last 7 years of interviewing Developers



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Candidates failing to present cutting-edge alternatives to a so-

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Candidates hiding the fact that they simply do not have an im-

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Candidates failing to identify non-functional requirements

of Senior Developer

s ?

Not spending time with yourself

A Solution

Personalities Realistic Investigative Artistic Social Enterprising Conventional

SWOT

DISC profiles Dominant: Direct/Decisive Influent: Optimist/Outgoing Steadiness: Cooperative Compliant: Concerned & Correct Conventional

Missing the Big Picture of your professional life

Mission

Blah blah blah blah …. Vision

Goals

Blah blah

Objective

TacticsStrategy

Blah blah…. Blah with deadlines by December 2012I will …with …about …by … as measured by …. • Inspect & Adapt

• Lean Mentality • Non prescribed

processes• Scalability in

everything• Welcome

change

• pair programming when needed • revisit the metrics • check engineering practices • restructure the teams

ACTIONS

Mission

I bring value by developing people, applying what I know and continuously learning things and questioning my practices

Vision

Goals

I dream to bring value to every

place where I work in such a way that I

also benefit from the value

Objective

TacticsStrategy

“put a deadline to your vision, and it becomes a goal”

by December 2012I will …with …about …by … as measured by …. • Inspect & Adapt

• Lean Mentality • Non prescribed

processes• Scalability in

everything• Welcome

change

• pair programming when needed • revisit the metrics • check engineering practices • restructure the teams

A Solution

ACTIONS

Not questioning your journey

NoviceNeeds recipes, monitoring and first successes

Advanced BeginnerNeeds simple, controlled simulations

Competent Needs real world exposure, Process Oriented

Proficient Needs unhindered practice and the big general picture, System Oriented

ExpertNeeds to be put in a context that favors his intuition and creativity

Apprentice Learns from a master

JourneymanFully educated in a craft

MasterActs as a mentor

A Solution

“Teach Yourself Programming in Ten Years”(Peter Norvig)

Competency MatrixArea Category N

Lev.

General Computer Science

Data structures, Algorithms, System Programming, …

Software Engineering

VC, Automations, CI, SDLC as a whole, Processes, Requirements Engineering, …

Programming Decompositions (problems & systems), Clean Code, IDE, Languages, Refactoring, API, Frameworks, …

Experience Various Languages and in-depth for each, Platforms,Domain Knowledge, …

Knowledge Current technologies, Upcoming technologies, Platform internals, Sources of knowledge(books, …)

Source: http://www.indiangeek.net/wp-content/uploads/Programmer%20competency%20matrix.htm

Not understanding Generations

X Y Z

A Solution

Jr Dev Mid/Sr Dev

Dev Lead

Jr PM PM PM

Jr Dev Manager

Dev Man

Dev Man

Jr Husband and Father

Work

Life

Dev Dev Dev

Career Switches

A SolutionNow 10 years Continue as a … Sr Developer & Architect (passion for

code!!!)

Specialist in a niche ($$$)

Generalist (low risks)

Project Manager (processes)

A Product Area: PO, Product/Program Manager (products & vision)

Engineering Manager (people & technology)

Upper management (politics & vision)

Consultant / coach in one of the above (freedom)

Comfort zone

Face your fear

Take risks

Make a fool of yourself

Explore new worlds

Remember your personality traits

A Solution

ProcrastinationI was going to do something today but I haven’t finished doing nothing from yesterday

Kill Distractions

Get Organize(GTD, Pomodoro, …)

Change the Environment

Break it down

A Solution

Lack of Creativity & Innovation

Ask “what if? “

Imagine

Try new things

Defocus to focus

Behave like a child

Be curious

Question all you know

Question your “best practices”

A Solution

Saying Yesall the time

Dare to question the value

Think business

Know your domain

Keep quality in mind

A Solution

Not knowing how to lead people that are smarter than you

A Solution Delegate authority , not tasks (develop leaders,

not followers)

Help them grow or watch them go

Develop the constraints, but let them create their rules

Let them fail fast

Ask them to anticipate things, not to react to things

Discipline + Creativity + Productive paranoia = Great by Choice

Clearly communicate what you expect from them

Giving up

A Solution

“The important thing is not to stop questioning.

Curiosity has its own reason for existing”

(Albert Einstein )

Your checklist

Embrace Change. Adaptability creates Stability

Spend time for Important activities

Never stop questioning “why this way?“

Think business

Mentor & Coach & Train others

Never give up

Know yourself better

Have a Vision for your professional life and drive you in that direction

Question your journey

Be an Expert in something

Understand Generations

Take care of your Career, it is your responsibility

Blog: http://ionelcondor.wordpress.com

Email: [email protected]

Twitter: @ionel_condor

THANK YOU FOR YOUR PATIENCE !

MAY THE LORD BLESS YOUAND KEEP YOU !

http://ionelcondor.wordpress.com/

http://ionelcondor.wordpress.com/

mailto:[email protected]

Credits Public images taken from internet

“Lean Startup” by Eric Ries

“Great by Choice: Uncertainty, Chaos, and LuckWhy Some Thrive Despite Them All” by Jim Collins

“Pragmatic Thinking and Learning: Refactor Your Wetware” by Andy Hunt

“Next Generation Leader: 5 Essentials for Those Who Will Shape the Future “ by Andy Stanley