DEV Community: Aditi Sharma

From junior to senior, 7 books every developer should read

Aditi Sharma — Sat, 04 Feb 2023 06:03:00 +0000

As a programmer with experience, you are likely to be an expert at solving bugs - solving bugs has become a primary part of your job. But as you go on the journey of becoming an expert at what you do, it becomes less about coding and more about how you handle other factors that make you an expert.

Other factors like problem-solving, team management, product development, product management, product strategies, and software systems and designs.

It's essential to continue learning and growing to stay current and competitive. One way to do this is by reading books that offer new insights, techniques, and perspectives on programming.

Here are 7 books that experts recommend for programmers with experience:

Books that you must read -

The Goal:

A business novel by Eliyahu M. Goldratt uses a manufacturing plant as a metaphor for business processes.

It provides a unique perspective on problem-solving, using the metaphor of a manufacturing plant to examine how to identify and address obstacles in business processes.
It offers insights into improving efficiency: It focuses on the concept of "throughput," which is the rate at which a system produces output.
It helps to identify areas for improvement: It encourages readers to think about their business processes and identify areas where they can be improved.

The Principles of Product Development Flow:

It is a book by Donald G. Reinertsen that focuses on optimizing product development processes.

It provides a framework for optimizing product development processes by focusing on flow, batch size, and queue management.
The book provides specific techniques and strategies for improving product development, including how to prioritize work, how to structure teams, and how to measure progress.

The 5 Dysfunctions of a Team:

It is a book written by Patrick Lencioni that focuses on common issues that can become obstacles to effective team management. It's a popular book among programmers because it offers insights into overcoming common team challenges and improving team performance.

It identifies common issues that can hinder team effectiveness: the absence of trust, fear of conflict, lack of commitment, avoidance of accountability, and avoidance of results.
It offers practical guidance on how to improve team performance: with strategies including how to build trust, how to manage conflict, and how to nurture commitment and accountability.

Influence: Science and Practice:

It is a book by Robert Cialdini that focuses on the psychological principles that underlie persuasion and influence.

It provides a framework for understanding the psychological principles of influence, including reciprocity, authority, scarcity, commitment and consistency, and liking.
It offers practical guidance on how to use these principles. The book provides specific strategies and techniques for applying these principles in various contexts, including how to use them in negotiations and how to use them to persuade others to adopt new ideas or change their behavior.
It helps to improve communication skills. In addition, it encourages them to think critically about their communication and persuasion strategies and identify areas where they can be improved.

The Effective Engineer:

It is a book written by Edmond Lau that focuses on how to be more effective and efficient as a software engineer.

It provides a framework for optimizing one's work as an engineer by focusing on four key areas: technical skills, leadership skills, communication skills, and productivity skills.
It offers practical guidance on improving and developing technical skills, leading and influencing others, communicating effectively, and optimizing productivity.

Rapid Development:

It is a book by Steve McConnell that focuses on optimizing software development processes and improving the efficiency and effectiveness of software development teams.

It provides a framework for optimizing software development processes by focusing on four key areas: project management, requirements, design, and testing.
It offers practical guidance on how to improve strategies and techniques for managing projects effectively, how to gather and prioritize requirements, how to design software effectively, and how to test software effectively.

The Design of Design:

It is a book written by Frederick P. Brooks Jr., a computer scientist and software engineer best known for his work on developing the IBM System/360 and operating system design.

It covers a wide range of topics, including design principles, patterns, and methods, and illustrates these concepts with examples from Brooks' experience as a software engineer.
It will help you approach design from a holistic perspective, considering not just the technical aspects of a system but also its social, economic, and organizational context.
It is widely considered one of the most essential books on software design, and its insights and lessons are still relevant and applicable to modern software development.

There are various books that can help you with how to manage project scope, be a better team member, convert asks to deliverables, etc. If you know some books that should be on this list, share them with us on the Peerlist Scroll.

How to ask for a raise during a recession?

Aditi Sharma — Fri, 03 Feb 2023 11:43:00 +0000

Asking for a raise can be a nerve-wracking experience, even in the best of economic times. However, the fear of being turned down or even risking your job can be overwhelming during a recession.

However, it's possible to ask for a raise during a recession. In fact, it's important to advocate for yourself and your worth, even in tough economic times.

Before we go through some tips on how to ask for a raise during a recession, let’s understand what a recession is.

A recession is a period of economic downturn, typically characterized by reduced economic activity, increased unemployment, and falling prices. During a recession, companies may be forced to tighten their belts and reduce costs, making it more difficult to secure a pay increase.

How to ask for a raise during a recession?

First and foremost, it’s important to recognize that timing is everything. Before you approach your employer, make sure that the company is in a stable financial position and that they are not currently undergoing layoffs or other cost-cutting measures.

If the company is struggling, it may not be the best time to ask for a raise.

But once you are sure that the company is capable of giving a raise, and is in a healthy financial position, then go for it.

Start by gathering evidence to support your case for a raise. This could include things like your job performance, any achievements or accomplishments, and any additional responsibilities you have taken on.

Asking for raise is like negotiating your salary all over again.

Tackle pay to raise requests with similar steps of the negotiation process.

Remember to be strategic in your approach while asking for a raise. This means timing your request carefully and considering the best way to present your case.

For example, you might want to schedule a meeting with your boss or HR representative during a time when they are not under a lot of stress or pressure, such as after a big project.

Steps to asking for a raise -

Research the market and your worth

Before asking for a pay raise, it's important to have a clear understanding of the market and your worth.
Research the average salary for your position in your industry and location, and compare it to your current salary.
You can research job listings in your field and see what other companies are offering for similar positions to their employees.
This will help you determine if you are being paid fairly and if there is room for negotiation.
It’s also a good idea to have a specific number in mind when asking for a raise.

Prepare a strong case

Once you have determined that you are worth more than your current salary, it's time to prepare a strong case for the pay raise.
Start by compiling a list of your achievements and contributions to the company. This could include increased sales, improved processes, or any other positive impact you have made on the business.
Be specific and use numbers to illustrate your points - remember statistics like “X times” growth, etc, gives more value than plain numbers.

Be prepared to justify your request

When you ask for a raise, your employer will want to know why you deserve one.
You need to be prepared to provide evidence of your value to the company.
This can include things like your performance reviews, any awards or recognition you have received, and any additional responsibilities you have taken on.

When presenting your case, be sure to focus on the value you bring to the company. Explain how your work has helped the company to achieve its goals and how a raise would enable you to continue to contribute to the company’s success.

Schedule a meeting with your manager

Once you have prepared your case, schedule a meeting with your hiring manager or reporting manager to discuss a raise.
Choose a time that is convenient for both parties, and make sure to give your manager advanced notice so they can prepare for the meeting as well.

Communicate your value

During the meeting, make sure to communicate your value to the company.
Be clear and concise, and focus on the specific achievements and contributions you have made.
Avoid making it about your personal financial situation, and instead, focus on the value you bring to the company.

Be prepared to negotiate

It's important to be prepared to negotiate during the meeting. Be open to discussing different options, such as a pay increase, additional vacation days, or other perks.
One of the other options could be asking for a smaller raise now with the promise of a larger raise in the future, or you could ask for other benefits instead of a higher salary.
Be willing to compromise with pay raise, but also be firm in your stance, and don't be afraid to walk away if necessary.

Many organizations hire during the recession as well.

It’s also important to be prepared for any objections your employer may have. For example, they may point out that the company is facing financial challenges and may not be able to afford a raise. In this case, you could suggest alternative forms of compensation, such as additional vacation time or professional development opportunities.

Follow up

After the meeting, be sure to follow up with your manager to confirm any agreements made. This will ensure that everything is clear and that there is no confusion moving forward.

Bonus -

Lead the conversation gracefully

Your choices might not align but always keep your professionalism and your attitude in check.
Be respectful and thankful for the opportunity.

In conclusion, asking for a raise during a recession can be challenging, but it is not impossible. By researching the job market, being prepared to justify your request, considering the timing, being flexible and open to negotiation, and being professional and polite, you can increase your chances of successfully negotiating a higher salary.

Cold DM templates you can use to get an internship

Aditi Sharma — Fri, 03 Feb 2023 07:54:11 +0000

The art of writing an excellent cold dm/email has much more to do with the receiver than with the sender. A cold dm is never about you. It is about the prospective organizations, the recruiter, or the hiring manager you want to work with and how your services can make their work easier.

You already know various hacks for writing one good DM. So, let’s find one of many templates that have worked for many. Send cold DMs using these techniques.

What should your cold dm look like?

To craft the art of DMing, you must be careful about the following.

🦄 Be genuine

Don’t write something you can’t explain if it comes back in the conversation. Research the position/organization to write better. Build a relationship with the receiver.

🤏 Be specific

They know they are doing great work. Talk about the part that caught your eye. Mention what you like about their organization, work, and experience. Remember, no one likes a generic message.

🎯 Be precise

They don’t have the whole day to read your message. Don't use jargon.

🧁 Be sweet

Nobody wants to read a text saying, “your product sucks for whatever reason, and hire me” —when you probably haven’t built anything and writing the DM to offer your services.

Let’s apply all three and see where it can lead us —

This will be helpful when the organization's career page is not showing any openings for the position you want to apply for.

For example, if you are a final-year student doing an engineering degree in CS and want an internship, then this is how your DM should look like —

Hello _________,

Hope you are doing well. I enjoy ____(something you liked about the organization), especially this ______(go in specifics — make sure it is something that you want to work on/with).

I am reaching out to know if there is an internship position that might open soon as I would love to learn from the team of ________ and contribute to the organization to the best of my knowledge.

I am an engineer specializing in CS, currently in my final year. Here is my work profile containing all the contributions, similar projects, and internships I have done for the last four years.

Thanks,

You can change this template according to your need. For instance, if you notice a button missing from the organization's website that could help the user experience better — mention precisely how that will work in the DM.

You will often find someone from the organization who is easily approachable to increase the chances of getting the response. Here is the template to write a cold DM —

Hello ________,

Hope you are doing well. I enjoy ____(something you liked about the organization), especially this ______(go in specifics — make sure it is something that you want to work on/with).

I would love to learn from the team of ________ and contribute to the organization to the best of my knowledge.

I am an engineer specializing in CS, currently in my final year. Here is my work profile containing all the contributions, projects, and internships I have done over the last four years.

I was wondering if you could connect me with the hiring person.

Thanks,

Twitter is one of the platforms that has become a good source for getting hired. So if you want to leverage it, then the following template can help you.

Remember these before sending cold outreach messages on Twitter —

Don’t forget to research the person. Find mutual connections.

Your profile should represent you.

There should be a display picture and a bio mentioning something that you do/like.

You must have interacted with the person through comments, likes, and retweets you are DMing in the past — the goal is to be a part of their notification tab now and then.

Don’t spam. Most people come over to Twitter to have fun.

Hey ______,

Hope you are doing well. I enjoy your tweets (mention the tweet/thread that you liked) as much as I enjoy _______(mention something they might share on other platforms - their articles, podcasts, books they read).

I am reaching out to you to see if there is an internship position that could fit my profile.

I am an engineer specializing in CS, currently in my final year.

Thanks,

The last two are the versions of the first one mentioned to show you a clear picture of how you can leverage them for different platforms.

Follow-up DM/Email

Many of you send DMs/emails but don’t follow up for some reason. That’s the practice that needs to change.

A follow-up email/dm template that can use mostly every time —

Hello _______,

I am sure you are very busy, but I never heard back from you - I completely understand if you do not have time, but if you do, I look forward to hearing from you!

Thanks,

To understand in detail the points mentioned above, check out this —
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Who are indie hackers, and what do they do?

Aditi Sharma — Mon, 19 Dec 2022 11:47:00 +0000

When you are writing code, you are bound to hit a roadblock. Regardless of the years, you have been coding/programming, roadblocks come with the process. These continuous roadblocks become one of the reasons why it is a bit easier for coders to transition into indie hackers.

Before discussing this further, let’s understand who is an indie hacker.

Indie hackers generate income independently. They build their businesses online.

Rationally, you own 100% of your business, which means there is no involvement of Venture Capital and investors. You bootstrap your way forward by reinvesting your profits.

As an indie hacker, you play all the roles - marketing, software engineering, design, etc.

And no, you don’t have to be a software developer/coder per se. However, being a coder helps for two simple reasons -

You can try building a SaaS, PaaS, etc., meaning you need to know code to code that project yourself.

You know the process of facing roadblocks and finding your way to solve your problem.

That’s not it. As developers, you build side projects, and any of your side projects can turn you into an indie hacker.

Remember being a coder/developer is an advantage, not a necessity.

What’s indie hacking?

Indie hacking consists of being a software engineer, designer, marketer, digital creator, or community manager. You might be an expert in a few of them initially, but you will see yourself getting good at all of them a few months into it.

This is what indie hacking is about. Doing everything on your own. Finding ways to get your work done.

Most people start because they want complete freedom over whatever they do. But freedom is expensive - you work on weekends or holidays when your business needs you. That’s the harsh truth. There is little to no boundary between work and personal life.

From hating your product to loving it - it all can happen in a day.

There is a myth that indie hackers don't have day jobs, but most do. Most indie hackers start indie hacking as a side hustle and turn it into full-time after a few months into it.

Now, let’s see how you can become an indie hacker.

Depending on the domain, there are different ways to become an indie hacker. However, a few things are every day in all of those ways. Let’s learn how you can become one.

How can you become an indie hacker?

Decide on the project

You should commit to what you are building. To be honest, you should at least have a rough idea of what you will build. Make sure to collect as much information as you can get.

Most good projects start as a side project and have the potential to become the main project. Be it Facebook, Apple, or Peerlist. These are some ways to find side project ideas.

The digital annoyance you face - Solving your itch makes up for the best side project. You are the user of the product. You deliver the best result.
Solve others’ problems - Talk about the problems others deal with. Go into researching and find the origin of the problem. Ask them about the real issue a few times to understand it.
Find inspirations - Go to the Product Hunt and go through the products. Check Gumroad and see what services people are selling and if there is any way you can make it easy for them.
Twitter - Use Twitter's advanced search to find the ideas people are ready to pay for. Build and sell.

Finding a co-founder

It depends on individual choice. However, working with a co-founder makes your product or service better. Your work becomes fun even on difficult days. The journey of being an indie hacker can become lonely, so having a co-founder also helps there.

Hard times will come because starting a business is difficult, but maintaining it takes 100x more effort. So, when money is at stake and relationships suffer, remember to choose a co-founder who can deal with you, not against you.

Now that you have an idea, a co-founder (or not), let’s discuss the next step.

Create MVP

Regardless of what you are creating, you need to find an MVP (minimum viable product) as soon as possible. MVP helps you to validate your idea. It also allows you to test your product or service on real customers. You find the people who will choose your product or service in the future.

Your MVP shows how serious you are and becomes a first step in building your business - you see the real world of startups, communities, and how things work.

Build-in Public

Indie hacking becomes more fun when you talk to many community members. You get support from your peers. They provide you with feedback. You find your cheerleaders, mentors, and potential co-founders when you build in public.

Indie hacking feels a little less lonely when people check your progress. You become more accountable for your work.

One common difference between a businessman and an indie hacker is that indie hackers are open to sharing their business ideas even when they have only started.

Build. Show. Do Tell.

You can excite people by letting them know the news that not everyone knows. It’s a good marketing strategy as well.

And this takes us to the next important point - finding your first customer.

Find your first customer

Building in public helps more than anything. You have connections because of your online presence. Networking is your lifeline, and you should know how to take advantage. Make good use of social media and find your first customers.

Start marketing the moment you get the idea. Get connected to the people who are even remotely close to the problem you are solving. They are the ones who will connect you to your first customer.

Side Projects - How to find the Coolest Ideas?

Aditi Sharma — Tue, 29 Nov 2022 12:29:00 +0000

We have talked about how important building side projects are. Here is a recap of why side projects are important for the overall development of the skillsets of an individual.

When you decide to dedicate your energy toward a side project, you sharpen your three kinds of skillset - Soft skills, technical skills/project specific, and emotional skills.

What kind of Soft Skills?

Critical thinking
Teamwork
Communication skills
Work/Team Management
Time Management
Initiative
Commitment
Problem Solving
Flexibility
Accepting Feedback

Technical Skills -

These soft skills help anyone wanting to start a side project, but why do software developers need to build a side project?

Some of you (software developers) get motivated enough to work outside your usual hours only if the project has the potential to impact something you care about. But others, work on something completely dumb and useless (a funny project) that they couldn't do during any existing job.

A few advantages to working on side projects are -

The best way of learning - When you work on your side project, you implement something from scratch, and every iteration of this implementation will make you learn something new.
Proof of work - You claim to know certain technology and you showing off a project built in that technology all by yourself, which one you will prefer?
End-to-end understanding of working on an idea - The complete product development life-cycle will make you more aware of all the side effects of small decisions we take and will improve your workflows.
Networking - Build. Show. Do Tell. Side projects will help you talk about code in a more real-world sense.
During Interviews - The side project gives you some hands-on time with tools, which means you remember the time you spent, say, 40 hours building something and talk about it with ease.
Be relevant with tech - Side projects can also be a fun and practical way to stay up-to-date on your tech skills & knowledge.

Emotional Skills -

How you can focus your energy?

Passion for a 9-5 job
Helps in reducing your stress
Helps in avoiding burnout
Knowing yourself
Fun quotient
Contribution to the open-source community

We have already established side projects are important and how they can kick-start your journey of becoming extremely good in the programming language you work with.

Let’s see how you can find the ideas to build as a side project while solving an issue targeting an audience.

The world is huge. The population is diverse. Anything you build has its user base. You need to discover it and you will know how you can iterate to make it better.

Ways to find the side project ideas-

Digital annoyances you face -

This is the way most IT products come into existence. Be it Facebook, Apple, or Peerlist. Solving your itch makes up for the best side project.

You are the user of the product. You deliver the best result.

You have some expectations that have not been met with some old products, which leads to building something better.

Find a problem that you deal with on daily basis. Write down all of your ideas. Organize them. Find if something similar exists. Research the whys, hows, and whats.

Solve others’ problems

Talk about the problems others deal with. Understand why they deal with that problems. But remember not to fall into the cycle of finding the solution right away.

Go into researching and find the origin of the problem. Ask them about the real issue a few times to understand it.

Be around the people who are building new projects - they are always talking about one or another kind of new thing a world should have.

Find inspirations

Go to the Product Hunt and go through the products. Check Gumroad and see what services people are selling and if there is any way you can make it easy for them. Creativity is not original per se. You see the products, go through the discussion and you can get the idea.

You can build a better version of the existing tools by inspecting them. Find one bug and fix it to the core and you have the best kind of side project.

Google

Use the keywords with inverted commas - “side project ideas” and see if you can find anything related to it. Research like you want to impress your manager or mom.

Twitter

Twitter is one of the easiest ways to find ideas. Use twitter's advanced search and find the ideas that people are ready to pay for. An example of that kind of idea could be -

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Here Ajey mentioned the problem and you can build a productivity tool for the same. Start small and dissect the problem. Add the features along the way. A side project can become the main project once it has a good user base and you invest the needed time.

Here are some cool ideas you can build as a side project -

A Spotify wrapped but for games -

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I found it pretty interesting. A fun way to see which games you played at the beginning of the year and how your year ended.

A version to automatically filters search -

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Animated hand-drawn marks for data visualizations -

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I loved this one. It can become a nice learning tool as well.

GPT-3 integrated notes-making tool

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GPT-3 has been making noise for more than a year now.

Amazon like deals but on Gumroad

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A tool that integrates all calendars across domains -

This is a need for every independent developer/freelancer.

A few fun ideas -

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Find the relevant keywords and use Twitter as your research tool. The above-mentioned ideas are a few of the hundreds that go live every day on the app.

Some Old School Resume Makers With A New Addition

Aditi Sharma — Mon, 28 Nov 2022 12:05:00 +0000

You have discarded the old ways of building a resume. But what’s next? Everything is online which means you have plenty of options to choose from. But why still make resumes?

Do you know "resumes are dead?"

But by any chance, if you are looking to use resumes, here is something for you. I decided to go through the process of building my resume instead of presenting you with 100+ options to choose from - I added some fake details and skipped a few steps.

Here are a few resume makers I consider good enough to go through. But hang on, that's not it. What if you get one tool that solves your multiple problems? Keep reading to find out what I am talking about.

LiveCareer

You enter your details one time and can select any template from the various given. Some features are -

You can add a section.
It’s modern and colorful: they have minimalist templates too.
You can edit the formatting, but even the default one is clean.
This is also a good cover letter builder.
You can download your resume with a click.

Here are some other resume makers that look like LiveCareer means they have different resume templates but are similar to LiveCareer in functionality or process.

They take you through the same steps.
They show you similar sections.
Hence comparable time to build the resume.

MyPerfectResume

You can see various resume templates below. You can customize whichever you like and make resumes for different opportunities.

Resume Genius

I selected the traditional template while making this resume.

Standard Resume

You can check out the review score on the right side of the page. This shows what's pending and what more you can add to make it better. Plus, you will have to upgrade to download the resume.

Zety

Check out the skills section. You can add the rating according to your proficiency. You can download it with one click.

Enhance CV

This one is a bit different than what I mentioned above. With a graph mentioned in the CV, it has been made a bit visual. Some of the patterns are similar, but it’s still unique.

Canva

It’s the easiest one.

You choose the template.
Edit the details.
Next, download the PDF and be done.
You can download your resume in different formats as well.
It used to be everyone’s go-to resume builder before COVID. We all either used templates from MS- Word or Canva.

Now, let's talk about the one tool that can solve your multiple problems. It's an alternative to resumes altogether.

Peerlist

Building projects are a necessity for a developer and a designer, but how do you showcase your project in a resume?

That’s what Peerlist does for you.

You enter your details. You have a resume if you want only that.
If you want, you can import your LinkedIn profile as well.
Do you build projects? You have a platform where you can showcase that.
Do you want to add your blogs and GitHub contributions? Yes, Peerlist is your answer.
Call it a simple resume, a developer portfolio, a designer portfolio, or a complete portfolio. It’s your choice.

Bonus - You can apply to jobs from the Peerlist itself.

Soft Skills to Land You a Job

Aditi Sharma — Sat, 12 Nov 2022 08:57:56 +0000

The skill gap is visible in freshers. Business leaders, startup founders, and corporate managers, all are looking for candidates who are best at their core technical skills as well as soft skills. They're concerned that freshers don't have all of the necessary soft skills to succeed in today's workplace.

Before we discuss it any further, let’s understand what are soft skills.

Soft skills are intangible (or you might want to call them non-technical) skills that aren’t easy to measure. For example, unlike showing how many Calculus classes you took in college, you can’t quantify what makes you a good leader. They can be learned with patience and practice, and with a good feedback mechanism in place.

And that means they need proof that you, the future employees of fields, have the skills necessary to do so. That means they are going to analyze that during the interview as well.

While hiring, companies are looking for the “best of both worlds”. Regardless of the field, the future employees of the field, you, will be interviewed for people-oriented soft skills.

But are you on the right track to developing the soft skills that will help you land a job? If not, then let’s get started.

Critical soft skills to build your dream career

Dependability -

Being dependable means that your words match your actions - when you say and what you say match. You can be trusted to complete a project without micro-management or supervision.

If you are working from home and either get burnt out or get distracted frequently, then you have to learn to set boundaries.

Knowing How to Connect -

You know how to connect with co-workers during your work hours and, if needed, after that. You know how to build connections in an organization with your teammates. This can include having written and verbal communication skills. Being able to empathize with co-workers, managers, or clients.

Initiative -

You come up with solutions to the problems in the project that might not be directly related to your work. You take the initiative to find ways to improve your work, and hence an overall improvement of your organization.

Communication -

Common and most needed. You should be able to communicate clearly what your project requires to the team, to the manager, to the client, etc. The communication gap becomes a hurdle in the growth of an organization.

Listening is an art that you need to practice more often to be successful in any field.

Commitment -

Your employer wants to know that you are committed to the work you do. Not for one time but every time, you work, you work for the best result possible.

Creativity -

It is what is making every employee a unique addition to the team. Can you think of a problem with a creative and interesting twist? Show it to your employer/hiring manager.

Problem Solving -

Every hiring manager wants to know how you work when a problem arises. Do you go into panic mode? Or do you go into a problem-solving mode? Are you a “let’s fix this” person or a “damn, I don’t know what should I do” person? This takes us to the next important skill.

Accountability -

Taking responsibility for good work is easy but what about mistakes? Yes, it sounds scary however, admitting to mistakes and allowing yourself to learn will take you much farther in the working world than avoiding constructive criticism. It will show that you are honest, and reliable as well.

Flexibility -

No job is a plain road. Some days will feel like a rollercoaster. Projects won’t always go smoothly, you won’t always have the best co-workers, and you won’t always leave the office at 5 pm. So, are you suitable for that? Show your hiring managers/employers that you can survive on a rollercoaster, meaning you have that job/promotion.

Teamwork -

Not only college projects but work projects also need good teamwork to make them successful. When you work with a big team, it becomes the most important skill. You will need to adjust a little, and change a bit of your working style but contribute the best of your knowledge.

Time Management -

You should be able to balance your workload. Prioritizing what needed to get done should be your first task. Not only balancing but working efficiently for those hours also required to manage time.

Leadership -

Can you step up and guide your team whenever needed? Can you take responsibility for the project regardless of ‘who made the mistake’ or ‘who should have taken the blame’? Leadership is about listening to what everyone is saying and taking the most unbiased decision needed for the situation.

Authenticity -

In the world of pleasing managers to get their work done, this is the skill that is usually overlooked. Being authentic will make you enjoy your work more, meaning you’ll likely put forth a better effort and be more respected by co-workers and managers.

Accept and deliver feedback -

Feedback is required to be at best what you do. Not only accepting feedback but also delivering them is a skill. Choosing the right time to give feedback to taking feedback in the most positive sense makes you a member of every team appreciates.

Slow down but don’t stop hiring during the recession.

Aditi Sharma — Tue, 25 Oct 2022 14:12:00 +0000

With recession and layoffs happening in IT companies every other day, recruiting has become extremely difficult.

You have two choices when recruiting in a recession - Freeze or Reset.

Some companies take this as a reason to freeze hiring. Other companies take this as an opportunity to change their strategy and slow down a bit to come up with a less exhausting and more successful system.

Recession can be used as a period to reset the default settings. Make changes, experiment, get failed, make changes again, and repeat until you find a better strategy for your organization.

The market is more vulnerable which means candidates will be more hesitant to switch jobs.

Reset your mindset. Reset your strategy.

You have decided to reset your existing methods but there are things that you should keep in mind while executing new methods.

Your survival depends entirely on what you do now

When the market is active and you get busy, you decide to stick to what you know: LinkedIn, job boards, copying and pasting the same email outreach that works usually. It’s difficult and feels irrelevant to do something new. It’s hard to be productive when you’re buried under different stages of work.

What you’ll be building now though is a digital presence

If COVID has taught us anything, it’s the importance of the online world. During COVID, digital businesses were the least affected and it shows how during the recession, building a digital presence can be good for your organization.

Now you know what two things should not get neglected.

Let’s see how to recruit in a recession.

Steps to change your strategy

Go through your existing strategy and find the loopholes and see why candidates might not choose your organization.

Assess your hiring needs

Recessions will ultimately impact your bottom line. So, it is important to have a clear sense of your hiring needs and fill your crucial roles first so that you can track your budget without messing up the essential hires.

Get more creative with filling open roles.
From promoting existing team members to working with freelancers.
It will boost your team’s overall results and employees will stay with the organization for a longer period.

Understand how the job market will change

With the recession going, a study from SHRM, some of the key lessons learned during the Great Recession included the importance of having sufficient staff while also maintaining employee engagement and morale.

Candidates are using a more advanced approach to apply. Recruiters are going through the social media of the candidates before selecting them for the role. The market is candidate-driven.

Get ready with a recession-proof strategy

This is the time to prepare for some important questions that can set the tone of the whole process.

Get prepared to answer questions about how you treated employees during the pandemic.
Get prepared to answer questions on how you are treating your employees during the recession.
Anything related to the finance of your organization. Yes, it is difficult to recruit but it is equally difficult for candidates to trust. So go with the data, and show your best.

Planning for a recession can never be fun, but being unprepared can lead to problems — and cause you to potentially lose employees and reputation in the market.

Follow these before you get active to recruit

Be more selective

Take your time. Prepare questions for the team leaders of sub-departments and decide on what kind of candidates is your team looking for.

For example, questions can be -

What are the skills within the skills that are required?
What kinds of tasks will the individual need to complete each day, each week, each month, and each quarter?
What are the strengths and weaknesses of the current team dynamic?
What capabilities or traits are desired outside of skills and knowledge?
Are there any organizational changes coming that would impact whoever is in the role?

Make sure to understand minute details and that’s how you take the advantage of a recession. When you give attention to the needs for the role, beyond the same old job description, you can bring a set of requirements to the table when looking for the perfect match.

Nurture with more meaning

Get creative. Write customized emails to candidates, and try to stand out as a recruiter. It should show that you want them to be in the role and that the email can’t be for anyone else. Target their strengths, talk about the role's requirements, and make it about that individual.

Look for recruiting platforms that have features built in to help you know candidates better and scheduling interviews easy.

Understand what works

“Be a scientist — test, and experiment to set yourself up for success.”

Prepare a list of questions for your assessment and ask your hiring team to go through those to understand what is working for your organization.

For example, questions can be -

Did time to hire improve with candidates who had to go through fewer interviews?
What changes to the hiring process impacted retention?
Do you have an easier time getting responses when recruiting for more senior roles?
What commonalities can you find about candidates who ghosted you?

If I have to summarise, then this is what you need to work on.

“Know your data, understand your people, win your business.”

How to get prepared for layoffs?

Aditi Sharma — Wed, 19 Oct 2022 14:01:44 +0000

Layoffs come with difficult times. This year layoffs are triggered mainly by the pandemic. Globally, the tech sector has taken a severe hit. Understand that getting fired and layoffs are two different things.

What does it mean to get laid off?

A layoff is a temporary or permanent termination of employment by an organization that is independent of the employee's performance.

Layoffs happen simply because investors want to see a free cash flow. Why free cash flow? To pay debts and dividends and grow in a declining environment as well.

This wave is enormous. Big names in the tech sector made headlines on the news for the wrong reasons. Netflix laid off around 450 employees, according to a WSJ story. Similarly, Cars24 laid off 600 employees, according to an ET report.

So, how can you get prepare for the unknown?

Effective ways to prepare for layoffs

You might think you have a secured job, your company is not in crisis, and your contributions can’t be replaced, but remember, layoffs are never about you. Layoffs are about a downward economy, pressure from investors, and a need to survive in the market.

Getting laid off is stressful for your career; getting ready for it in advance is the best thing you can do.

Let’s see how to get yourself prepared for the layoff.

Stay in the game

Even when your current job feels secure, never stop looking for opportunities. Researching for different opportunities passively does not harm. This is how you let recruiters know that you are open to opportunities. This is how you can land your dream job.

It also shows your current employer that you are not dependent on them. It’s a skill most hiring managers are looking for. Knowing that you have a steady stream of job leads is a win in all cases.

Don’t panic

Layoffs are when you need to be your best self to create more value, show your team management skills, and show courage.

Think rationally and get yourself ready for difficult decisions.

Understand the reality

It is necessary to see reality with no filter. If you get laid off, remember it’s not your fault. Layoffs are financial decisions formed by companies to survive in a downward economy, and they can happen at any time.

As soon as you know about layoffs in your organization, start preparing for the worst case possible. Get yourself emotionally ready. Keep track of your achievements and accomplishments.

Manage your career

The best possible thing you can do for yourself is to be updated with the latest technology. Having something going on the side can boost your career and resume. Keep track of your projects where you performed well.

Be ready to showcase your skills and yourself. “Show, Do tell” is the new marketing mantra. Let your network know what you are working on, how your contributions help the company to grow, etc.

Let your boss know how difficult their job will be without you. At the end of the day, selling is what everyone needs to do.

Keep your network fresh.

Be active in your community. Get in touch with people you have always admired. Networking is your lifeline. Plenty of times, during a layoff season, people only get opportunities through their network.

80% of people credit their current job to networking - Jobvite 2017 Job Seeker Nation Study study.

Back up everything

Your network, contacts, and documents that can be your proof of work are usually stored on a work computer, leaving you helpless if you don’t back them up from time to time. Make this a routine - back up important documents.

When you are advised to back up contacts, network, and documents that are in no way can be trouble for your existing company. Make sure to not back up (or use) anything that is confidential and should not go outside of your work computer.

Financial plan

Prepare your emergency fund. Layoffs can be temporary or permanent. It usually depends on the company and is mentioned in the email/letter provided by the company. Regardless, have a strategic plan to balance your financials.

It is advised to have an emergency fund to survive six months for any mishappening. Make sure to plan to pay for your health insurance for the duration you are in between jobs.

Ask for help

Find experts to help you find the right opportunities and path. Ask people who have gone through this to understand how you can handle layoffs better.

Talk to your manager about it, clear all your doubts, and be straightforward. This is no time to go around in circles. Show them how capable you are and be ready for whatever comes your way.

Be a reference to others

It is important. Sometimes, you find opportunities that don’t align with your job profile but can be helpful for someone in your network. Make sure to help people in your community (network) whenever possible.

It will only make your network strong, and you will become a reliable member of your community.

Negotiate

You might not believe this, but most companies want employees to negotiate their stay in the company. Not everyone does it, and those who do show their calm and intelligence while in a crisis.

Have a conversation with your manager and understand where they are coming from. Negotiate and see if there is any way you can stay with your current employer.

What after the internships?

Aditi Sharma — Fri, 14 Oct 2022 11:46:25 +0000

You are done with the internship but what next? Before we move forward for the next big thing, yes, you are right - full-time position. Let’s discuss the prerequisite to be ready for the next step.

Prerequisites

Retrospect

Take time to reflect on what you have learned and your experiences. Make a document consisting of soft and technical skills you have developed or learned, what responsibilities you took during the internship, and what kind of contributions you made to goals, and the team.

Make a note of how your analytical skills and problem-solving skills got better. Your learning from the internship should be a combination of concrete, domain-specific and soft skills that all managers look for in their team members.

Job Profile

Update your profile and add the skills you have learned. Alter your profile according to the roles you are applying to. Showcasing your work will make your profile stand out.

It is the first thing that any hiring manager sees. Your internship experience shows your commitment to a full-time position.

Actively look for jobs

Research the companies and the roles where you want to work. Reach out to find out if they are hiring. Apply for the jobs but don’t go on a spree - it doesn’t help.

Networking with the right people helps more than applying for 10 jobs in a day. The key is to be active in the market not spamming.

Cater your experience to the job opportunity

Once you get interviews, alter your profiles accordingly. Go back to the document you made while retrospecting. Compare the skills you have mentioned in your document with the skills mentioned in the job profiles.

Make your profile suitable for the job role. Understand how can you fit in at the workplace and present your internship experience in a way that aligns with the job description.

Practice talking about your experience

Practice telling about some specific examples where you helped your team members. Mention your contribution to the work and goals of the organization.

Talk about what and how your skills helped you impress your previous team.

Rock your interview

You are done with the preparation. Now is the time to perform. Cross-check your checklist, ask questions, and keep patience.

Try to keep yourself at ease and maintain your confidence. Keep a comfortable smile on your face.

Follow up

Don’t forget to send an email regarding your interview if you don’t get a response. The bonus is to send a thank you email to the interviewer.

Most candidates don’t follow up and lose the opportunity. Avoid doing that mistake.

Now, you are ready for the main event. Let’s discuss it.

Why internship is a door for an FTE?

For hiring managers, internships are practical resumes. When you intern at an organization, it’s more likely that they will offer you an FTE. Why? Because they evaluate during the period of your internship.

They have a lot more data to evaluate during an internship versus when an external candidate only comes in for an interview. That’s why an internship comes with an opportunity with a full-time position.

How to turn an internship into FTE?

This is an important question to ask yourself before you go and apply for internships. The process starts from the day you decide to enter the employment world.

Let’s understand what to keep in mind.

Choose the right internship

Don’t go for the first internship you find. Take your time. The goal is to find the one with the most potential growth and employment. Do your research. Talk to old employees (or interns).

Don’t give in the name of the brand. Small and medium-sized businesses also offer growth and hands-on training that you might not get when you go for a brand. Research again.

Dress for success

Act how you want to get treated. Be professional and treat everyone with respect. Present yourself as you are already a full-time employee of the organization.

Network, Network, and Network

The advantages of networking have no limits. From getting your first break in tech to making a project partner for your most liked product - anything could happen when networking is done in the right way.

Even if you don’t get the job, your network might be able to help you find another opportunity elsewhere.

Asking questions

Asking questions makes you look interested in the role, job, and company. This is what hiring managers look for - your overall interest in the organization. Show them a great intern is naturally inquisitive and wants to learn how to advance their career.

Exceed expectations

You increase your chances of getting hired by the company you’re interning at when you exceed your managers’ expectations. Overdeliver whenever possible.

Take responsibility and accountability for your work. Ask for feedback. Open to change whenever needed. Give your opinions but be a good listener as well. Take initiative and ask for more work if you have the bandwidth.

Become invaluable to management

Be so good at what you do that your manager can’t think of anyone when you are not present. Become exceptionally good at what you do. They should see you as a productive and proficient member.

Your contributions should add value to the company.

Be straightforward

While asking for a full-time job, don’t play safe. Ask for it because you have earned it. Be straightforward and ask them if there is any possibility of getting hired.

Let them know that you are interested in working full-time and be open about it.

Why Should You Do The Internship?

Aditi Sharma — Wed, 12 Oct 2022 10:20:37 +0000

The goal of an internship is to learn new skills and land a full-time opportunity. Here is a recap of how an internship can be a great way to start your career.

You gain skills by working on projects that can add to your work experience and help you showcase your strengths.
It enhances your employability by giving you proper industry exposure.
You get work experience and get a competitive edge as well,
You find your niche, apply for the roles that interest you, and align with your niche.
You receive hands-on training and get confident in choosing what skills are relevant to your goal or what new skills you should learn. You learn about your weakness & strengths.
It creates your network and unlocks the doors of opportunities.

We have already established how an internship can be a reason to kick-start your career.

Internships are like mock matches before you decide to go for a real one. Let’s understand what you should focus on and what you should avoid at any cost.

Internships are good, but why?

Corporate life will become easy if good grades teach everything one needs to learn. But that’s not how it works. You have to be in the field to learn.

Must Learn from an Internship

Internships offer opportunities that you might not get otherwise. Using your domain-specific skills and time intelligently is a skill you learn in an internship.

Application of Knowledge

You have learned enough; now it’s your turn to use all the learnings in practical use. It is easier to develop software when you are working alone on a project, but it is different when you work with a team with one employee dedicated to one task.

You learn to use your knowledge most efficiently.

Research Experience

Every domain needs a kind of research, and that’s where you can use the skills you learned in college while writing the dissertation or making the final year project. This is one of the tasks candidates avoid, but you should not. It shows the organization how you are open to doing a few non-technical tasks.

Access to a Variety of Tasks & Domains

You might have joined the organization as a front-end intern, but during the internship, you also learn about other domains. You also get a chance to niche down your interest. You get to observe a daily pattern of employees from different domains.

Mentorship

This is an important one. Internships teach you more than any college class can teach you. Working as an intern may help you to meet a potential mentor and establish a relationship that helps guide your career path.

An internship can create a possible situation where your connection develops organically, even if you end up working elsewhere in a full-time position.

Secure Good References And Recommendations

Your attitude towards the work and organization could become the reason for references and recommendations. When your mentors/managers see you working hard, and with a positive attitude, it makes you lucky.

You meet plenty of managers from different organizations. References generated from an internship are valuable in your job searches, it makes you lucky. Those managers know you personally and have seen your contribution to the company.

The easier it becomes for managers to hire you, the probability of you getting a job increases too.

A Paycheck

This used to be irrelevant before COVID. But now, interns are getting a good paycheck. Before COVID, pay for interns was a topic of discussion, and now, interns working for startups get paid more than an average engineer.

An internship is an excellent way to ask for good pay in a full-time job when you already get a good paycheck.

Boost Confidence

You have worked for a few months in an organization. You have learned a bit about that lifestyle. You understand some to-dos and don’t-dos. You feel confident while going for a full-time. You understand the world of employment.

It opens you to incredible opportunities. You are open to seeking help. You are open to networking with people whenever needed.

Mustn’t Learn from an Internship

With benefits, you also get to see an ugly part of the employment world. These are the following that you should avoid at any cost.

Office Politics

You will see office politics from the first week itself. You should avoid becoming a part of it. Do your work. Learn from the mentors and keep your focus on the work. Observe from the outside. Do not get involved at any cost.

Office Politics is more common in corporate companies than in startups. It is because of the well-known hierarchy. The competition that should give a healthy push to do better sometimes leaves a negative residue - which we call office politics.

As an intern, your focus should be on learning, and avoiding office politics can be the most significant learning.

Losing Control of Work-Life Balance

As much as you think, hustle is the answer to success. It is not. You need to focus on working efficiently than working for long hours. Work-life balance is essential for a consistent result. Your focus should be on having experiences, not burnouts.

Working more than 50 hours a week can affect your physical and mental health. You won’t even know, and it will become a bad habit. This is not something to be proud of. And no, being busy doesn’t give you bragging rights.

As long as you don’t have a startup to run (and if you can read this), I don’t think so; there is any case where you need to overwork to gain more knowledge or achieve success.

Neglecting Your Health

Akash has already mentioned how you can learn to prioritize things when you experience a distinct lifestyle. It’s a door to prioritize your health, not neglect it in the name of work.

Once your physical health starts getting affected, a countdown starts for your mental health as well.

Health is your priority and it should not change - working late one day a week once a month is understandable but stop yourself before it becomes a routine.

How to Get a Software Developer Job Without Any Experience?

Aditi Sharma — Sun, 09 Oct 2022 08:31:13 +0000

David J. Malan is one person who has influenced many for making a career in programming/coding. Being in a place where you constantly feel that you are under a microscopic lens is not anyone’s favorite place. That’s what it feels like when you are a software developer interviewing for a position but have no prior experience.

Candidates who indeed have experience dominate the ones having no experience. Same with companies. But you have a chance too, keep reading to learn more.

One thing which is important to understand is that experience is still a factor, it is still not a necessity. Having an appropriate skillset, consistency to keep getting better, and a growth mindset are necessary.

The reason why companies are a bit reluctant to hire candidates with no experience is the risk of hiring a software developer who doesn’t know how to code. That’s a negative addition to the company and can cost a lot of the company.

Enough with the chit-chat, let’s see what you can do to get a job.

The Necessities -

Let’s understand the necessary skills that one should have before they even think of applying. It is a technical role. So, let’s talk about technical skills before we jump on to anything else.

You Should be Proficient with the Fundamentals of the Language

Language could be any of your choices, be it Python, Java, C++, etc. Learn what you can. No company will consider you if you lack the basics. Get the help of youtube, mentors, and books, or join a course - it’s up to you.

Do quizzes, solve simple questions, write code even on paper, and make a simple mindmap to fill the knowledge gaps.

There are plenty of free resources available for you on the web from w3school to freeCodeCamp.org - you can learn from the books as well.

Your goal should be to have proficiency in at least one language.

Data Structures and Algorithms - Don’t be scared

Each one of the companies evaluates candidates based on the DSA. It’s an important part of the technical interview. The core of software development is DSA. If you want to get hired for a good role, DSA is your shortcut.

Start from the basic topics like Array, Queue, etc to the Advanced Data Structure concepts. Use online free quizzes to get your DSA strong.

Go through your books again and clear your basics. Understand that DSA helps while working as a software developer, it’s not a prerequisite for getting a job only.

Build Projects

This is a compulsory element of the software developer role. Companies expect you to showcase your projects. Your projects will validate your programming skills, and proficiency with algorithms, databases, etc. It’s a bonus for your confidence as well.

It becomes the central talking point in your interview as well. It doesn’t have to be the next revolution. But remember to make it a little creative.

Remember to make projects that allow you to have a sense of the domain that you are applying.

GitHub - Everything you make should go on GitHub, it demonstrates your progress.

While hiring, Yogini checks the GitHub of every candidate, and whenever she finds even one new feature (or creativity while executing any other feature), it leaves an impression on her. This is what hiring managers are looking for - a bit of your personality.

Coding Challenges

This is your way to make a move in the tech community. It helps you to analyze your skills, it helps you in SWOT analysis as well. Coding challenges give you exposure and also help you build projects under a timeline.

For example, Hacktoberfest is live. You can participate with a group, or individually and contribute to open source. It is your valley to shine. Some companies keep an eye on these events as well.

Some of the platforms are TopCoder, HackerRank, etc.

There are a few tips to stand out and one of them is to impress your hiring manager on the spot.

Recently, a candidate who failed to answer a question during the technical round came with POC in the next round to get feedback. The candidate made an impression on Yogini. According to her, it shows that candidate has a learning mindset which is what most startups are looking for.

Find your specialty, goal, and interests

This can be rewarding for you. Rather than focusing on everything, find your interests, and make your job profile around them. Your projects should show your interests and goals.

There is one thing when you say you want to be a software developer but knowing where you wanna specialize is a different thing. With new technology every day, you have a lot of options from full-stack development to game or app development.

Once you get done with necessities, move forward to increase your chances.

Make Your Luck

You make your luck. Let’s understand how you can do that.

Open Source Contributions

Your GitHub shows your contributions. Once you start submitting bugs that were identified, you are sure to influence the entire community. Programmers will benefit from the bugs you report. It is designed to be altered by anyone and that’s why it’s an advantage for you.

We all know some people who have landed an amazing opportunity from the same source.

Seek Advice and Network

Feedback from seniors, from your network, help you understand where you are lacking and also gives a clear view to the people in the industry - they get to know that you are working on something.

Networking is your lifeline in today’s era.

Your online presence can be highly effective as well. Hiring from referrals is not new but it has changed a little. Now rather than asking your friends’ friends, you go online and build something that can be helpful for a few which results in people knowing you for a particular skill set.

Now, let’s understand what you can do once you are selected for an interview.

Impress Your Hiring Manager

Once your profile is selected for the interview, there comes the part where you have to stand out as an individual and show some soft skills as well. Understand industry has plenty of talent. Hiring managers want a package - a candidate with programming skills as well as soft skills, who can code and also work in a team.

A few things to keep in mind -

Research about the company - going to the interview without knowing anything about the tech stack they work in is a big NO. Don’t tell them you can learn. Show them.
Prepare and practice interview questions.
Update your job profile.
Get feedback.
Don’t go on an application spree.