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The Coding Career Handbook

Gain insights into landing and excelling at coding jobs through essential principles, strategies, and tactics. Explore unconventional career advice tailored for early-career software engineers.

Beginner

240 Lessons

10h 30min

Certificate of Completion

Gain insights into landing and excelling at coding jobs through essential principles, strategies, and tactics. Explore unconventional career advice tailored for early-career software engineers.

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This course includes

28 Quizzes

Course Overview

Course Content

Course Overview

The non-coding part of being a successful software engineer is very important, but also happens to be very under-discussed. This is a course about getting great coding jobs and doing well at coding jobs. Especially if you're earlier in your career, there's a lot here that you might otherwise take years to learn, and your manager will never tell you. This is NOT going to be a conventional career advice course. There is a linear discussion of Career Guides, followed by a nonlinear collection of Principles, ...Show More

Course Content

Getting Started

1 Lessons

Get familiar with the essentials and realities of navigating a coding career.

Preface: Real Talk

Part I: Your Coding Career

7 Lessons

Look at the stages, principles, company types, career layers, and diversity in your coding career.

Introduction: Your Coding Career

Principles Over Titles

Company Types

Career Layers

Diversity

The Five Career Stages

Quiz Yourself on Your Coding Career

Code Newbies

4 Lessons

Break apart the journey from coding newbie to proficient developer, leveraging resources, community, and practice.

Introduction: Code Newbies

Explore Podcasts and Content

Build Community

Gain Team Experience

The (First) Job Hunt

8 Lessons

Apply your skills to navigate the job hunt, leveraging networking, strategies, and interview practice.

Introduction: The (First) Job Hunt

Do the Math

Do the Work

Staying Motivated While You Search

Getting the Interview

Types of Interviews

Outside the Interview

Quiz Yourself on the (First) Job Hunt

Junior Developer

6 Lessons

Take a closer look at thriving as a junior developer through support, learning, and value addition.

Introduction: Junior Developer

Finding Your Groove

Making Mistakes

Adding Value

Growing Your Knowledge

Quiz Yourself on Junior Developer

From Junior to Senior

6 Lessons

Follow the process of transitioning from a junior to a senior developer role.

Introduction: From Junior to Senior

Acting for the Job You Want

Marketing Yourself as a Senior Engineer

Junior Engineer, Senior Engineer

To Stay or to Go

Quiz Yourself on From Junior to Senior

Senior Developer

9 Lessons

Master the steps to navigate senior developer roles, balancing leadership, technical debt, and business impact.

Introduction: Senior Developer

Solutions vs. Patterns

Velocity vs. Maintainability

Technical Debt

Prudent Debt

Reckless Debt

Mentorship, Allyship, and Sponsorship

Business Impact

Quiz Yourself on Senior Developer

Beyond your Coding Career

7 Lessons

Learn how to use diverse non-coding career paths to enrich your professional life.

Introduction: Beyond your Coding Career

Engineering Management

Quiz Yourself on Beyond your Coding Career

Part II: Principles

1 Lessons

Look at effective strategies for personal and professional growth in coding careers.

Principles

10.

Learn in Public

7 Lessons

Work your way through learning in public to foster growth, build networks, and enhance careers.

Mentors, Mentees, and Becoming an Expert

Why it Works

Quiz Yourself on Learn in Public

11.

Clone Open Source Apps

2 Lessons

Explore coding skills by cloning and enhancing open-source apps, focusing on execution and iteration.

Why Clone Open-Source Apps?

Make it Better

12.

Know your Tools

4 Lessons

Map out the steps for mastering tools, avoiding FOMO, and understanding design patterns.

Introduction: Know your Tools

Avoid Fear of Missing Out (FOMO)

Beyond the Tool

Quiz Yourself on Know your Tools

13.

Specialize in the New

4 Lessons

Investigate the benefits of specializing in emerging technologies for career advancement.

Introduction: Specialize in the New

Technology Complements

Lindy Compounding

Quiz Yourself on Specialize in the New

14.

Open Source Your Knowledge

7 Lessons

Practice using open-source knowledge to accelerate growth, share expertise, and foster collaboration.

Introduction: Open Source your Knowledge

Open Knowledge

Open-Source Knowledge

Personal Anecdote

Why Open Source YOUR Knowledge

Tips

Quiz Yourself on Open Source your Knowledge

15.

Spark Joy

8 Lessons

Explore how to spark joy in coding through thoughtful practices and collaborative actions.

Introduction: Spark Joy

Why it Works

Sparking Joy in Code

Sparking Joy in PRs and Issues

Sparking Joy in Docs

Sparking Joy in Demos and Products

The Extra Mile

Quiz Yourself on Spark Joy

16.

The Platinum and Silver Rules

3 Lessons

Discover the logic behind treating others and oneself with respect and consideration.

The Platinum Rule

The Silver Rule

Quiz Yourself on the Platinum and Silver Rule

17.

Good Enough is Better than Best

4 Lessons

Examine the benefits of embracing "good enough" over the unachievable pursuit of perfection.

Introduction: Good Enough is Better than Best

The Problem with Seeking “The Best”

The Dangers of False Confidence

Quiz Yourself on Good Enough is Better than Best

18.

First Principles Thinking

5 Lessons

Enhance your skills in understanding and applying First Principles Thinking for effective problem-solving.

Introduction: First Principles Thinking

Logic

Epistemology

Applications

Quiz Yourself on First Principles Thinking

19.

Write, A Lot

10 Lessons

Develop a strong writing habit to enhance your impact, communicate effectively, and grow professionally.

Introduction: Write, A Lot

Why Developers Write

Documentation

Career Capital

What Writing Does for You

How to Become a Good Public Writer

Going Public

The DIY Ph.D

Committing to Writing

Quiz Yourself on Write, A Lot

20.

Pick Up What They Put Down

5 Lessons

Investigate how engaging with content creators can enhance learning and build connections.

Introduction: Pick Up What They Put Down

What happens when you do this?

Why does this work on them?

Why does this work on you?

Quiz Yourself on Pick Up What They Put Down

21.

Part III: Strategies

1 Lessons

Build on strategic decision-making in coding careers, from learning strategies to industry trends.

Strategies

22.

Intro to Strategy

4 Lessons

Get familiar with strategy's role in career success, vital decision-making, and effective planning.

Strategy in Your Coding Career

What is Strategy?

How Do I Use Strategy?

Quiz Yourself on Intro to Strategy

23.

Learning Gears

6 Lessons

Discover the logic behind adaptive learning gears to navigate diverse knowledge and growth paths.

Quiz Yourself on Learning Gears

24.

Specialist vs. Generalist

7 Lessons

Examine the balance between specialization and generalization to tailor your coding career path.

Introduction: Specialist vs. Generalist

Leverage vs. Self Sufficiency

The “Full-Stack” Developer

“T Shaped” and “Pi Shaped”

Look Inside, Not Out

When in Doubt, Specialize

Quiz Yourself on Specialist vs. Generalist

25.

Betting on Technologies

5 Lessons

Find out about strategic technology choices for career growth and mitigating risks.

Introduction: Betting on Technologies

Data-Driven Investing

How to be Early

The Value of Values

Quiz Yourself on Betting on Technologies

26.

Profit Center vs Cost Center

6 Lessons

Dig deeper into the roles, dynamics, and perceptions of profit, cost, and investment centers.

Introduction: Profit Center vs Cost Center

Definitions: Profit, Cost, and Investment Center

“Close to the money”

Profit Center, Cost Center

The Developer’s Choice

Quiz Yourself on Profit Center vs. Cost Center

27.

Engineering Career Ladders

5 Lessons

Follow the process of career progression, role expectations, and company-specific ladders for engineers.

Introduction: Engineering Career Ladders

When and Why to Ladder

What Companies Want

Individual Company Ladders

Quiz Yourself on Engineering Career Ladders

28.

Intro to Tech Strategy

7 Lessons

Approach tech strategy by integrating technical skills with business needs for impactful development.

Introduction: Intro to Tech Strategy

Software is Eating the World

Horizontal vs. Vertical

Business Models

Platforms and Aggregators

Other Strategic Perspectives

Quiz Yourself on Intro to Tech Strategy

29.

Strategic Awareness

9 Lessons

Learn how to use strategic awareness to navigate technology, prioritize goals, and build knowledge.

Introduction: Strategic Awareness

Concern vs. Influence

Levels of Concern

Bias to Action

Understanding Technology Adoption

Technology Value Chain

Systems Thinking

Other Strategies for Strategic Awareness

Quiz Yourself on Strategic Awareness

30.

Megatrends

5 Lessons

Get started with leveraging megatrends in technology to drive innovation and disruption.

Introduction: Megatrends

Definitions

Examples of Megatrends

Building Your List of Megatrends

Quiz Yourself on Megatrends

31.

Part IV: Tactics

1 Lessons

Go hands-on with key tactical skills for career growth, including negotiation, design, and time efficiency.

Tactics

32.

Negotiating

5 Lessons

Break down complex ideas in negotiation to increase earnings, advocate value, and secure offers.

Introduction: Negotiating

General Advice

Patrick McKenzie on Salary Negotiation

Haseeb Qureshi on Ten Rules for Negotiating

Josh Doody on Fearless Salary Negotiation

33.

How to Learn in Private

5 Lessons

Map out the steps for optimizing private learning and enhancing coding skills.

Introduction: How to Learn in Private

Improving What You Consume

Getting More Out of What You Consume

Go Meta

Quiz Yourself on How to Learn in Private

34.

Design for Developers in a Hurry

7 Lessons

Discover methods to enhance user engagement with appealing designs, easy-to-use tools, and practical design principles.

Design for Developers in a Hurry

Spark Joy Repo

Layout

Typography

Color Palette and Backgrounds

Icons and Illustrations

Easter Eggs

35.

Lampshading

6 Lessons

Learn how to improve using lampshading strategically to foster collaboration and embrace vulnerability.

Introduction: Lampshading

When You’re Very Senior

When You’re New

Storytime!

Lampshading

The Stupid Question Safe Harbor

36.

Conference CFPs

9 Lessons

Step through the process of crafting and submitting effective conference CFPs to enhance your speaking career.

Introduction: Conference CFPs

Building a CFP Process

Example CFPs and Peer Review

37.

Mise en Place Writing

7 Lessons

Unpack the core of pre-writing, ideation, research, and flexible improvisation for effective writing.

Mise en Place Writing

Writing isn’t Just Writing

Components of Pre-Writing

The Pre-Writing Workflow

The Infinite Kitchen

Improvisation is Okay

Quiz Yourself on Mise en Place Writing

38.

Side Projects

5 Lessons

Break apart the importance of side projects, balance, project ideas, practical advice, and inspirational examples.

Introduction: Side Projects

39.

Developer’s Guide to Twitter

11 Lessons

Build meaningful connections on Twitter to enhance professional growth and community engagement.

Introduction: Developer’s Guide to Twitter

Getting Started

What Do YOU Want?

What I Want from Twitter

Your Twitter Feed

Join the Conversation

Being Helpful on the Internet

Twitter as a Second Brain

Dealing with Haters

Definitely Bad Ideas

Final Thoughts

40.

Marketing Yourself (without Being a Celebrity)

14 Lessons

Deepen your knowledge of personal branding and effective career marketing strategies.

Introduction: Marketing Yourself

You Already Know What Good Personal Marketing Is

Personal Branding

Personal Anecdote Time!

Marketing Your Business Value vs. Your Coding Skills

Marketing Yourself in Public

Marketing Yourself at Work

Things That Do Not Matter

Appendix: Marketing Hacks

41.

The Operating System of You

6 Lessons

Enhance performance by upgrading mental frameworks, habits, health, productivity tools, scheduling, and intrinsic drive.

Introduction: The Operating System of You

Coding Career Habits

Your “Hardware”

Your “External Devices”

Your "Scheduler"

Your “Kernel”

42.

Conclusion

1 Lessons

Build on the importance of emotional well-being, mental health, and personal growth in coding careers.

The Emotional Journey of Your Coding Career

Course Author

Shawn Swyx Wang

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