Learn the key strategies for becoming a go-to person in your team as a software engineer and how it can lead to career advancement. Unlock the secrets to getting promoted in tech.
Just sharing some of the things that worked for me:
About deciding what work is important, a mentor of mine talked to me about finding the critical path of the org. If there are layoffs, if the work is re-prioritized... which parts are more likely to stay as they are? They are usually profitable parts that still have a big potential. The parts that enable many other people to function properly.
About doing stuff to increase your value, I love engineering groups. There are some roles you can have outside your team (I guess in all companies there's something like this). I started being part of a design review group in my org. Around me, I find roles like this for operations, infrastructure, postmortems, and even document reviewers. Whenever the topic arises, people will ask the closest person to them who is part of these groups. They have a magnet effect, you can become the go-to person for design reviews :)
Thanks for writing this, Jordan. I will be sharing this.
I prioritize web accessibility in the applications I build but have never thought to be the go-to guy for that. I am going to improve on that while being visible. The goal is to ensure that, if someone thinks of web accessibility, I should be the go to guy.
Very true. It changes the way how people think of you. If you are the go-to person of a certain area -> You automatically build a reputation of a responsible person who can get things done and at the same time help others.
Good points and like in everything in modern life, engineering is no exception. If you want to climb the ladder it is all about Marketing, self Marketing - manipulation of the mind of the audience. It's 80% Marketing 20% actual talent/knowledge/contributions/etc. By Marketing I also mean networking as well.
I've met so many mid avg devs marketing their way up to upper positions meanwhile highly talented quiet engineers would go unnoticed.
Great article, Jordan! I particularly enjoyed the mini-framework for identifying one's area of expertise. Also, thank you for mentioning my latest newsletter article, I appreciate it!
Amazing visuals! Especially the table, I will borrow it to use with my team :)
A very good point about visibility. A few months ago, one of my developers was frustrated by a bad performance review. She felt she was doing much more than we gave her credit for.
She said she hates bragging, and that she feel she doesn’t need to promote herself to be appreciated. There is some truth in that, but there is no way to be appreciated for things nobody knows you do!
Great article, Jordan.
Just sharing some of the things that worked for me:
About deciding what work is important, a mentor of mine talked to me about finding the critical path of the org. If there are layoffs, if the work is re-prioritized... which parts are more likely to stay as they are? They are usually profitable parts that still have a big potential. The parts that enable many other people to function properly.
About doing stuff to increase your value, I love engineering groups. There are some roles you can have outside your team (I guess in all companies there's something like this). I started being part of a design review group in my org. Around me, I find roles like this for operations, infrastructure, postmortems, and even document reviewers. Whenever the topic arises, people will ask the closest person to them who is part of these groups. They have a magnet effect, you can become the go-to person for design reviews :)
Or, it will permanently solidify in your current positions, because that is where you are needed. 😅
Thanks for writing this, Jordan. I will be sharing this.
I prioritize web accessibility in the applications I build but have never thought to be the go-to guy for that. I am going to improve on that while being visible. The goal is to ensure that, if someone thinks of web accessibility, I should be the go to guy.
Very true. It changes the way how people think of you. If you are the go-to person of a certain area -> You automatically build a reputation of a responsible person who can get things done and at the same time help others.
Great article Jordan!
Good points and like in everything in modern life, engineering is no exception. If you want to climb the ladder it is all about Marketing, self Marketing - manipulation of the mind of the audience. It's 80% Marketing 20% actual talent/knowledge/contributions/etc. By Marketing I also mean networking as well.
I've met so many mid avg devs marketing their way up to upper positions meanwhile highly talented quiet engineers would go unnoticed.
Great article, Jordan! I particularly enjoyed the mini-framework for identifying one's area of expertise. Also, thank you for mentioning my latest newsletter article, I appreciate it!
Amazing visuals! Especially the table, I will borrow it to use with my team :)
A very good point about visibility. A few months ago, one of my developers was frustrated by a bad performance review. She felt she was doing much more than we gave her credit for.
She said she hates bragging, and that she feel she doesn’t need to promote herself to be appreciated. There is some truth in that, but there is no way to be appreciated for things nobody knows you do!
Straight to the point advice with good examples. I like it.