Ask HN: Soft Skills for Software Engineers
6 comments
I'd actually recommend the book "The Unspoken Truths for Career Success: Navigating Pay, Promotions, and Power at Work". It sounds a bit Type A or whatever, but I picked it up when I was laid off in April, feeling like I needed to try and see things from a PoV outside my own, and while it hasn't helped me find a new job, I'm keeping it around and will probably re-read sections of it from time to time.
It's not the best piece of writing necessarily, but it is easy enough to follow, and the author does a great job describing some dynamics that take place at various points in a given career, and what you can do to optimize your relationship with those dynamics.
It's not the best piece of writing necessarily, but it is easy enough to follow, and the author does a great job describing some dynamics that take place at various points in a given career, and what you can do to optimize your relationship with those dynamics.
Amazon leadership principals is a good place to reflect upon:
https://www.amazon.jobs/content/en/our-workplace/leadership-...
https://www.amazon.jobs/content/en/our-workplace/leadership-...
Once you reach a baseline competency, there are a couple of career paths. Some people want to go super deep - think about the core React dev team, or the folks working on PyTorch.
For most of the rest of us "average" types, the best way to differentiate is with soft skills. There are MANY, MANY resources - pick one that leads with empathy, the specifics probably don't matter as long as you are ingesting new content and applying it to your day-to-day (don't forget to get a feedback loop to ask others how it comes across to others!)
Ultimately, to paraphrase Maya Angelou, people won't remember what you said but they will remember how you made them feel. Clarity, kindness, and pulling in the same direction as your teammates -- I think these are the goals of developing soft skills.
Also, don't forget non-programming hard skills like project management and written communication. Not sure that's really a soft skill - but it does matter in how competent you appear.
For most of the rest of us "average" types, the best way to differentiate is with soft skills. There are MANY, MANY resources - pick one that leads with empathy, the specifics probably don't matter as long as you are ingesting new content and applying it to your day-to-day (don't forget to get a feedback loop to ask others how it comes across to others!)
Ultimately, to paraphrase Maya Angelou, people won't remember what you said but they will remember how you made them feel. Clarity, kindness, and pulling in the same direction as your teammates -- I think these are the goals of developing soft skills.
Also, don't forget non-programming hard skills like project management and written communication. Not sure that's really a soft skill - but it does matter in how competent you appear.
Toastmasters for general speaking and presenting.
Creative writing and social skills
Recently, I noticed more and more colleagues and friends are getting promotions and raises with their tech skills being on pair with the rest of the team, so I assume (hopefully right) that those soft skills make a difference.