Soft Skills Engineering

In this episode, Dave and Jamison answer these questions: What do you think of unlimited vacation policies? How do I enforce coding best practices? Show notes, because Jamison is feeling ambitious: The Netflix culture slides we mentioned pylint, the linter Dave talked about

In this episode, Dave and Jamison answer these questions: How can I attract talent? How do I quit without burning bridges?

Delve into the hotly debated role of certifications in the software engineering field. The hosts share skeptical insights on their impact on job searches and skill validation. With humor, they compare the value of certifications versus hands-on experience. Shifting gears, they tackle avoidance and procrastination, offering practical strategies to boost productivity. Discover personal anecdotes and tips for an improved work environment while navigating the challenges of tech career advancement.

In this episode, Dave and Jamison answer these questions: How can a developer damage their credibility online? How can I meet potential employers while I’m still in school?

In this episode, Dave and Jamison answer this question: Why would a developer leave a full time job to do consulting or contracting? It just so happens that Jamison did this a few months ago, and he shares his experience in making the transition.

In this episode, Dave and Jamison answer these questions: Should I go in to management? How do you know if a job is worth applying to?

In this episode, Dave and Jamison answer these questions: How should you reach consensus on a team? Should you always have consensus? What is the etiquette around editing code in a shared repository?

Literally the only episode that the advice “quit your job and get a better one” doesn’t apply. Dave and Jamison answer the question: What should I do when starting a new job?

In episode 28, Jamison and Dave answer these questions: How long should I stay before I quit my job? Two to three years seems fairly normal. Dave sees people with less than 12 months regularly. Staying at a job means you experience things you wouldn’t if you hopped around a lot. It is much easier to see the hype cycle play out if you stick around. You get to see the outcome of your own decisions. Quitting usually == raise. Chronic job hopping might result in a reputation of not sticking with things. Dave thinks you should quit your first job after 18 months because of the Monty Hall problem How do you encourage junior developers to improve? We assume that these junior developers really want to improve. Make it clear that people get stuck and struggle, and that is normal. Make it clear that you don’t want them to get too stuck. Make it OK to ask questions. People generally live up or down to your expectations, so help them feel trusted and that you expect they will be great. Make the outcome of their work clear.

In episode 27, Jamison and Dave answer these questions: How do I write a great resume? Do you really need a resume these days? How important is formatting and good design? What content should be on your resume? Should I push back on non-engineering tasks like PowerPoint presentations? From listener samspot: I am a Sr. Developer and I am often asked to spend time on PowerPoint presentations for funding and other business stuff. I want to ask why the managers, analysts, etc can’t handle these tasks. I find them to be a frequent distraction from my actual responsibilities, especially because these are so frequently “emergency” requests. Should I push back on this work, or is it better to be a team player?