Brief Summary
This Q&A episode covers a range of topics relevant to software developers, from handling difficult colleagues and leveraging AI tools to career growth, salary negotiation, and interview strategies. It emphasizes the importance of continuous learning, adapting to evolving industry trends, and developing both technical and soft skills.
- Handling "brilliant jerks" requires patience and guidance, with the goal of steering their behavior towards collaboration.
- Juniors can leverage AI tools to gain an edge, especially since seniors may lack experience with these new technologies.
- Coding interviews are evolving to focus more on system design and orchestration skills.
- Mid-level developers should overcome the fear of asking questions to facilitate learning and growth.
- Salary negotiation involves thorough research, knowing your worth, and being prepared to discuss future growth opportunities.
- Asking insightful questions during interviews demonstrates engagement and a genuine interest in the role.
- Side projects are valuable for showcasing skills, especially for those with limited professional experience.
- Networking through LinkedIn and meetups is more effective than relying solely on job boards.
- Frontend developers can benefit from learning backend skills to gain a broader understanding of system architecture.
- Soft skills are best developed through a combination of training and real-world experience.
Intro
The host introduces a Q&A episode addressing numerous questions received. The episode promises insights for developers of all levels, covering topics from handling difficult colleagues to leveraging AI and negotiating salaries. The host mentions the volume of questions might lead to another episode the following week.
Handling Brilliant Jerks: Toxic Culture vs. High Performance
The discussion centers on "brilliant jerks," individuals who are highly skilled but exhibit toxic behavior. While some companies, like Netflix, avoid hiring such individuals due to their negative impact on team and organizational culture, the host expresses a belief in the potential for behavior modification through guidance and patience. The key is to make them aware of the effects of their behavior. The host would work with them to change their behavior and values the opportunity to learn from brilliant people, provided they are willing to share their knowledge respectfully.
How Juniors Can Use AI to Outperform Seniors
Juniors should embrace AI tools to excel, as seniors may lack experience with them. Juniors can educate seniors on these tools, providing value. These tools are evolving and here to stay. AI tooling can accelerate learning by providing quick answers and facilitating exploration. Interviews are evolving to assess system design and orchestration skills, where AI can assist in exploring codebases and generating solutions. The ability to effectively use AI tooling will be a key differentiator.
The Future of Coding Interviews: System Design and AI
Coding interviews are shifting towards evaluating system design and orchestration skills. Interview assignments may involve working with existing codebases, where the ability to use AI tooling for exploration and modification will be assessed. Interviewers will observe how candidates interact with AI, explore different aspects of the code, and communicate their findings. Familiarity with unknown codebases and the ability to leverage AI for efficient problem-solving will be key.
The Real Difference Between Good and Great Developers
Good developers can execute tasks on a smaller scale, while great developers, often holding staff engineer roles, can navigate and orchestrate initiatives across multiple teams. They possess systems thinking skills, quickly understanding architecture patterns, code functionality, and inter-team dependencies. These engineers drive initiatives that span multiple teams, requiring them to see the bigger picture, dive deep into specific areas, and maintain an overview of the entire system.
One Mistake Mid-Level Developers Make That Stalls Growth
Mid-level developers often hinder their growth by not asking questions or expressing disagreements in meetings due to fear of appearing unintelligent. Overcoming this fear is crucial for learning and gaining new perspectives. Seeking feedback from trusted colleagues after such sessions can provide valuable insights. Asking questions and voicing opinions, even when intimidated, is essential for personal and professional development.
Salary Negotiation Tactics: How I Got Two Raises in One Year
Salary negotiation is challenging and requires preparation. Research salary ranges for similar roles within the company and industry. Networking with current employees can provide valuable insights into compensation expectations. Have a target number in mind and be prepared to justify it based on your skills and experience. If the initial offer is below your minimum, negotiate by highlighting your value and requesting a reevaluation in the near future. The host shares a personal anecdote of negotiating two raises in one year by demonstrating value and proactively discussing salary expectations with their manager.
Questions You Should Ask to Crush Your Tech Interview
Always ask questions during interviews to demonstrate engagement and curiosity. Prepare a list of questions beforehand or formulate them based on the conversation. Ask personal questions to build rapport with the interviewer, such as their favorite aspects of working at the company or their career growth within the organization. Inquire about the information needed to excel in the role, demonstrating initiative and a proactive approach.
What Actually Moves the Needle: Side Projects vs. Experience
Side projects are valuable for showcasing skills, especially for those with limited professional experience. While experience and internships are important, side projects demonstrate initiative and the ability to build and deploy software. Focus on creating end-to-end solutions with operational aspects and a continuous development pipeline. Building relationships with people at the company you want to work for is also important.
Don't Wait for a Perfect Portfolio to Start Applying
Don't wait for a perfect portfolio before applying for jobs. Showcase ongoing projects in your applications. Balancing job applications with portfolio building is essential, even with limited time. The host acknowledges the challenges of balancing work, family, and career development, and encourages applicants to start applying early.
Finding Jobs: Why LinkedIn and Meetups Beat Job Boards
LinkedIn is the most trustworthy platform for finding tech roles, both for building relationships and staying updated on company openings. Company career pages are also valuable. Attending meetups organized by target companies or within specific domains is highly effective for networking and building relationships with industry professionals. Networking requires effort and practice, but can lead to valuable connections and opportunities.
Should Frontend Developers Worry About Learning Backend Skills?
Frontend developers can benefit from learning backend skills to gain a broader understanding of system architecture and API design. General knowledge of backend concepts is valuable for communication and collaboration with backend developers. Curiosity should drive the learning process, and AI tooling can enable developers to be responsible for more aspects of the stack. Experiencing both frontend and backend development provides a more powerful perspective.
Do Tech Certifications Actually Help You Get Hired?
Certifications are less important than demonstrating skills through building and communicating projects. A skills-based economy values practical experience and the ability to show results. While certifications have some value, they are less impactful than a portfolio of projects that showcase your abilities. Focus on building and communicating what you've built and why.
Mastering Soft Skills: Training Budgets vs. Real Experience
Soft skills are best developed through a combination of training and real-world experience. While soft skills trainings can be valuable, experience gained through difficult conversations, presentations, and interactions with colleagues is essential. Seek guidance on recommended trainings and actively apply the learnings on the job. Both training and experience are valuable for improving soft skills.
