249: Network with As Many People as Possible and Teach What you Know with Chris Ferdinandi
05/11/20 • 24 min
Phil’s guest on this episode of the IT Career Energizer podcast is Chris Ferdinandi. He is the author of the Vanilla JS Pocket Guide series, creator of the Vanilla JS Academy training program and host of the Vanilla JS Podcast. Chris has created JavaScript plugins that have been used by organizations such as Apple and the Harvard Business School.
He also publishes a developer tips newsletter which is read by more than 8,000 developers every weekday.
In this episode, Phil and Chris Ferdinandi discuss how networking enables you to find out about roles that are not public knowledge yet. He shares a bad experience that taught him the need to be cautious at the interview stage, ask the right questions and get things in writing. They also talk about why communication is a vital skill and how sharing what you know brings benefits.
KEY TAKEAWAYS:
(3.11) TOP CAREER TIP
Meet as many people as you can and continue to network throughout your career. It is a great way to find out about roles before they are advertised. Networking will also help you to decide what you want to do next.
At this stage, Chris explains the kind of questions he uses to help him to work out what skills to learn next. Questions that also enable him to further strengthen his network.
(6.46) WORST CAREER MOMENT
It took Chris 2 years to find his first developer job. He needed to be able to work remotely. At the interview, it was agreed they would talk about letting him do that. Yet, a few months later, they told him that it was not possible. Chris was deeply disappointed he had been misled and wasted months in a job that was not suitable for him. Naturally, he left.
It taught him, to pay careful attention to what the hiring manager says. Now if something is really important to him, he gets it in writing.
(11.55) CAREER HIGHLIGHT
Speaking at the Artifact Conference in Texas is Chris ́s career highlight, to date. He had been to the conference five years early but as an attendee. So, it felt amazing to get up on stage and speak there.
(14.06) THE FUTURE OF CAREERS IN I.T
Chris thinks that new tools, techniques and native browser methods will make all kinds of things possible, in the relatively near future. An example of this is the ability to use virtual reality features in a web environment.
(15.49) THE REVEAL
What first attracted you to a career in I.T.? – The thrill of being able to take something from idea to something that works.
What’s the best career advice you received? – Network.
What’s the worst career advice you received? – You have to stay in a job for at least a year before you can leave.
What would you do if you started your career now? – Chris would initially take some short courses. Then build something. If things went well, he would then invest more time and money into studying IT.
What are your current career objectives? – As well as getting better at his job, Chris wants to expand the JavaScript education stuff he is currently doing.
What’s your number one non-technical skill? – Communication. In the podcast, Chris demonstrates why it is a vital skill for any developer.
How do you keep your own career energized? – Helping other people keeps Chris ́s career energized.
What do you do away from technology? – Chris likes playing Magic Gathering and is trying to get into Dungeons and Dragons. He also loves spending time outside.
(21.01) FINAL CAREER TIP
Share what you know. It does not matter how you do it. Just sitting down and explaining what you know to a colleague is enough for you to cement your knowledge and take things to the next level.
BEST MOMENTS
(3.20) – Chris - “Meet as many people as you can and continue to network throughout your career to land the best jobs.”
(10.35) – Chris - “Before starting a job, get the important things in writing.”
(16.30) – Chris - “As soon as you know a job is not a good fit, leave. Staying will not benefit you or the firm you are working for.”
(21.20) – Chris - “The moment you really know how something works is when you ́ve been able to explain it to someone.”
(21.55) – Chris - “Teaching everything you know to as many people as possible will open new doors.”
ABOUT THE HOST – PHIL BURGESS
Phil Burgess is an independent IT consultant who has spent the last 20 years helping organizations to design, develop and implement software solutions. Phil has always had an interest in helping others to develop and advance their careers. And in 2017 Phil started the I.T. Career Energizer podcast to try to help as many people as possible to learn from the career advice and experiences of those that have been, and still are, on that same career journey.
CONTACT THE HOST – PHIL BURGESS
Phil can be contacted through the following Social Media platforms:
Twitter:
Phil’s guest on this episode of the IT Career Energizer podcast is Chris Ferdinandi. He is the author of the Vanilla JS Pocket Guide series, creator of the Vanilla JS Academy training program and host of the Vanilla JS Podcast. Chris has created JavaScript plugins that have been used by organizations such as Apple and the Harvard Business School.
He also publishes a developer tips newsletter which is read by more than 8,000 developers every weekday.
In this episode, Phil and Chris Ferdinandi discuss how networking enables you to find out about roles that are not public knowledge yet. He shares a bad experience that taught him the need to be cautious at the interview stage, ask the right questions and get things in writing. They also talk about why communication is a vital skill and how sharing what you know brings benefits.
KEY TAKEAWAYS:
(3.11) TOP CAREER TIP
Meet as many people as you can and continue to network throughout your career. It is a great way to find out about roles before they are advertised. Networking will also help you to decide what you want to do next.
At this stage, Chris explains the kind of questions he uses to help him to work out what skills to learn next. Questions that also enable him to further strengthen his network.
(6.46) WORST CAREER MOMENT
It took Chris 2 years to find his first developer job. He needed to be able to work remotely. At the interview, it was agreed they would talk about letting him do that. Yet, a few months later, they told him that it was not possible. Chris was deeply disappointed he had been misled and wasted months in a job that was not suitable for him. Naturally, he left.
It taught him, to pay careful attention to what the hiring manager says. Now if something is really important to him, he gets it in writing.
(11.55) CAREER HIGHLIGHT
Speaking at the Artifact Conference in Texas is Chris ́s career highlight, to date. He had been to the conference five years early but as an attendee. So, it felt amazing to get up on stage and speak there.
(14.06) THE FUTURE OF CAREERS IN I.T
Chris thinks that new tools, techniques and native browser methods will make all kinds of things possible, in the relatively near future. An example of this is the ability to use virtual reality features in a web environment.
(15.49) THE REVEAL
What first attracted you to a career in I.T.? – The thrill of being able to take something from idea to something that works.
What’s the best career advice you received? – Network.
What’s the worst career advice you received? – You have to stay in a job for at least a year before you can leave.
What would you do if you started your career now? – Chris would initially take some short courses. Then build something. If things went well, he would then invest more time and money into studying IT.
What are your current career objectives? – As well as getting better at his job, Chris wants to expand the JavaScript education stuff he is currently doing.
What’s your number one non-technical skill? – Communication. In the podcast, Chris demonstrates why it is a vital skill for any developer.
How do you keep your own career energized? – Helping other people keeps Chris ́s career energized.
What do you do away from technology? – Chris likes playing Magic Gathering and is trying to get into Dungeons and Dragons. He also loves spending time outside.
(21.01) FINAL CAREER TIP
Share what you know. It does not matter how you do it. Just sitting down and explaining what you know to a colleague is enough for you to cement your knowledge and take things to the next level.
BEST MOMENTS
(3.20) – Chris - “Meet as many people as you can and continue to network throughout your career to land the best jobs.”
(10.35) – Chris - “Before starting a job, get the important things in writing.”
(16.30) – Chris - “As soon as you know a job is not a good fit, leave. Staying will not benefit you or the firm you are working for.”
(21.20) – Chris - “The moment you really know how something works is when you ́ve been able to explain it to someone.”
(21.55) – Chris - “Teaching everything you know to as many people as possible will open new doors.”
ABOUT THE HOST – PHIL BURGESS
Phil Burgess is an independent IT consultant who has spent the last 20 years helping organizations to design, develop and implement software solutions. Phil has always had an interest in helping others to develop and advance their careers. And in 2017 Phil started the I.T. Career Energizer podcast to try to help as many people as possible to learn from the career advice and experiences of those that have been, and still are, on that same career journey.
CONTACT THE HOST – PHIL BURGESS
Phil can be contacted through the following Social Media platforms:
Twitter:
Previous Episode
248: Own Your Career Use a Mentor Set Goals and Make a Plan with Bob Belderbos
Phil’s guest on this episode of the IT Career Energizer podcast is Bob Belderbos. He is a software developer at Oracle, co-author of the 100 Days of Code in Python course and co-founder of PyBites, a community for those wanting to improve their Python skills.
To date, Pybites has hosted 50 code challenges, published more than 100 articles and built a Python exercise platform.
In this episode, Phil and Bob Belderbos discuss owning your career and how to choose the right skills to acquire. They also talk about how to turn a mistake into a positive situation.
Bob also covers how the CoVid crisis, AI and automation are going to change the industry.
He and Phil talk about why you need to push yourself and learn how to market yourself effectively and share what you are doing.
KEY TAKEAWAYS:
(2.30) TOP CAREER TIP
You have to own your career. It is a mistake to rely on your manager or superior to be in charge of your development.
Choose the skills you learn strategically. It is not enough to just focus on things that you feel passionate about.
(3.35) WORST CAREER MOMENT
In his first role, Bob made an error that caused invoicing issues. It was a serious mistake. Fortunately, he was able to quickly solve the issue. Taking ownership of his mistake and quickly finding a solution enabled Bob to turn a bad situation into a positive one. In the podcast, he explains how that can be done.
(5.46) CAREER HIGHLIGHT
Bob ́s career highlight has been developing his blog, which led to him and his business partner, launching courses, developing a coding platform, and building a huge community. It has opened a lot of doors for him. In the podcast, Bob explains how he gained traction and shared everything with the world.
(7.54) THE FUTURE OF CAREERS IN I.T
The CoVid situation has demonstrated that working from home is viable. So, there is likely to be much more of that in the future.
Bob also talks about automation and how that is likely to change the industry. As well as the role AI is going to play.
(9.25) THE REVEAL
What first attracted you to a career in I.T.? – When Bob saw how things could be automated his interest in programming was sparked.
What’s the best career advice you received? – Success leaves a clue. At this point in the podcast, Bob explains what that means and how it helped him.
What’s the worst career advice you received? – When you find a job you are comfortable in, stay put.
What would you do if you started your career now? – Bob would study marketing as well as coding. If you cannot market your skills, you will not get the most out of your work.
What are your current career objectives? – Becoming an even better developer and doing more Python coaching.
What’s your number one non-technical skill? – Being a good communicator especially when working with people in virtual spaces.
How do you keep your own career energized? – Bob makes sure that he sets career goals that stretch him. Doing that pushes him to learn and keeps him interested.
What do you do away from technology? – Bob enjoys reading, in particular, mindset, business, and marketing books. He also loves spending time with his family.
(20.19) FINAL CAREER TIP
The best way to grow is to write out your goals and plan out what you need to do to achieve them. This keeps you focused. But it is important to look to the long-term rather than only having short-term goals. In the podcast, Bob explains how to be consistent so that you can make big changes.
BEST MOMENTS
(2.33) – Bob - “Own your career and choose the skills you learn strategically.”
(3.53) – Bob - “If you make a mistake, don ́t become a victim. Instead, step up and solve the issue quickly.”
(11.33) – Bob - “When you want to achieve something, look at the people that have done it before and model what they did.”
(12.34) – Bob - “Use mentors, pay somebody to show you how to save a ton of time and money by avoiding common mistakes.”
(13.39) – Bob - “To grow, you need to step outside of your comfort zone. It ́s scary but essential.”
(17.55) – Bob - “Learn to network. Plant lots of seeds, later many of them will result in new opportunities for you.”
ABOUT THE HOST – PHIL BURGESS
Phil Burgess is an independent IT consultant who has spent the last 20 years helping organizations to design, develop and implement software solutions. Phil has always had an interest in helping others to develop and advance their careers. And in 2017 Phil started the I.T. Career Energizer podcast to try to help as many people as possible to learn from the career advice and experiences of those that have been, and still are, on that same career journey.
CONTACT THE HOST – PHIL BURGESS
Phil can be contacted through the following Social Media platforms:
Twitter:
Next Episode
250: Focus on the Core Principles and Keep Reinventing Yourself with Sanjeev Sharma
Phil’s guest on this episode of the IT Career Energizer podcast is Sanjeev Sharma. He was an early practitioner and coach of the Scrum methodology and has become a world-renowned expert and thought leader in DevOps as well as a pioneer of DevOps at IBM.
He has authored two bestselling books, “DevOps for Dummies” and “The DevOps Adoption Playbook” and he is now a thought leader in the emerging area of DataOps.
In this episode, Phil and Sanjeev Sharma discuss the importance of not getting distracted by the tech and ending up chasing certifications. They also talk about how to achieve a proper understanding of what it is that your customer needs.
Sanjeev also shares why initially you need to focus on learning how to learn and the core principles of IT.
KEY TAKEAWAYS:
(4.44) TOP CAREER TIP
Do not get distracted by the technology, focus on the core principles. In the podcast, Sanjeev explains what they are. As well as how not to fall into the trap of chasing certifications you don ́t really need.
(9.58) WORST CAREER MOMENT
Mid-career Sanjeev walked into a project with an overconfident attitude. He thought he knew what the customer needed and had all of the answers. Luckily, the manager from the client-side took him aside and asked Sanjeev to pause and actually listen to what they thought they needed.
His doing that averted a potential disaster. But, by that point, a lot of people ́s time had already been wasted. It taught Sanjeev to never make assumptions and always listen to the customer.
(12.00) CAREER HIGHLIGHT
Being made a Distinguished Engineer while working for IBM is Sanjeev ́s career highlight, to date. Getting to that stage requires you to be reviewed and nominated by your peers. It felt amazing to get that recognition and achieve one of his biggest career goals.
(14.24) THE FUTURE OF CAREERS IN I.T
Sanjeev is more excited than ever about the potential of technology. It is pulling us together and enabling us to still be able to do important things like educating our children despite the Coronavirus crisis.
The fact that every business needs technology means that the future is bright for IT professionals.
(17.51) THE REVEAL
What first attracted you to a career in I.T.? – Sanjeev chose IT because he liked it more than the idea of being a doctor or an accountant.
What’s the best career advice you received? – Learn computers.
What’s the worst career advice you received? – Don ́t take a risk and change the direction of your career.
What would you do if you started your career now? – Sanjeev would initially focus on learning the core engineering principles.
What are your current career objectives? – Helping clients with their digital transformations.
What’s your number one non-technical skill? – Being a good writer.
How do you keep your own career energized? – Sanjeev ensures that he talks to at least 5 other people per week about what they are working on. A habit that provides him with a fresh point of view.
What do you do away from technology? – Sanjeev reads a lot. But, in a paper format rather than on a screen. He finds that this greatly reduces the chances of his being distracted.
(23.38) FINAL CAREER TIP
Keep reinventing yourself. But, when you do so, try to think beyond your next job. Plan to land your dream job and take steps towards that. But, be prepared to change track.
In this ever-changing environment, there are untold opportunities. Don’t be afraid to change direction to take advantage of them.
BEST MOMENTS
(5.58) – Sanjeev - “Do not get distracted by the technology, focus on the core principles.”
(8.04) – Sanjeev - “Don ́t get distracted by the tech and end up chasing certifications just for the sake of it.”
(11.02) – Sanjeev - “No matter how often you have done something before, don ́t just assume you know what the customer wants.”
(16.06) – Sanjeev - “Learn how to master new tools quickly. Things move fast, tools change, so you must learn them quickly.”
(23.58) – Sanjeev - “Constantly re-invent yourself. But look years ahead when deciding what to learn next.”
ABOUT THE HOST – PHIL BURGESS
Phil Burgess is an independent IT consultant who has spent the last 20 years helping organizations to design, develop, and implement software solutions. Phil has always had an interest in helping others to develop and advance their careers. And in 2017 Phil started the I.T. Career Energizer podcast to try to help as many people as possible to learn from the career advice and experiences of those that have been, and still are, on that same career journey.
CONTACT THE HOST – PHIL BURGESS
Phil can be contacted through the following Social Media platforms:
Twitter: https://twitter.com/philtechcareer
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