200 Software Developers Told Me What They REALLY Want

Thriving Technologist

I thought I knew what developers needed, but then I met over 200 people online to learn what unlocks their career. The results were surprising in some ways, and not in others.

The first thing I learned was that having a plan for your career in software development is something programmers aren't getting enough help with. When I would need a new job, I often took the first reasonable offer instead of having more purpose. It seems other developers are treating their career the same way.

The second thing I learned was that developers need more help getting a new job. They treat LinkedIn like an online resume when it's not. LinkedIn is a social profile for your career in software! Software engineers, programmers, data scientists, and other types of developers often have too many languages and technologies on their resume over time - and this bleeds into LinkedIn. I like to help them redo their profile to be more focused on their human side - and learn better techniques for networking to find the best job.

The third thing I learned was that developers are suffering from burnout in their career in droves. I've actually had a company pay me to help their lead developer recover from burnout! Recovering from burnout is more than a better diet, exercise, or having a therapist - though people who come to me for help with burnout often already have one. You need help with setting healthy boundaries with your employer so you can be a healthy software developer!

The fourth thing I learned unlocks the career of IT professionals in software development and engineering jobs is earning respect and getting recognition from their colleagues. Sometimes there's a difficult person they're dealing with who's a narcissist or just has unrealistic expectations. I use some of the techniques I've learned in IT consulting to help them appeal to the desires of the person they're frustrated with. Once they start earning trust and resetting expectations - rewards and promotions should follow!

The fifth thing I learned developers really need to unlock their career is becoming more common. Most of the over 200 I met online were at least considering going into freelancing or IT consulting as a way to work for themselves. Showing developers that the paperwork and administrative tasks needed aren't as bad as they think is something I love to do. I would never go back to being an employee unless I had to at this point. I love being able to pick my own IT consulting clients.

The sixth and final thing I learned developers really need in their career is to start using a new tech stack, cloud or data science platform, devops technologies, or maybe switching from a business analyst or product management gig into being a scrum master. Don't hit the books, and waste time on algorithm crunching sites like Hackerrank and Leetcode. Build confidence through having a better relationship with people who might interview you, and have great examples of work. Are there things you're struggling with in your software development career that don't fit into these 6? Leave me a comment! My career purpose is to help more people be healthy software developers.

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You can also watch this episode on YouTube.

Episode timelinks: (0:00) Introduction (0:37) Have a Career Plan (2:09) Get a Better Job (5:31) Stop Burning Out (5:55) Earn Respect and Recognition (8:45) Work for Myself (11:17) Use New Skills or Technology

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