19 hours Ago
With the rise of AI, the tech landscape is changing, and so are the skill requirements for developers and architects. Soft skills like collaboration, resiliency and empathy are becoming as vital to employment and career advancement as technical skills -- especially in the context of today's hybrid and increasingly competitive industry . Cultivating essential competencies can help developers navigate shifting expectations and standards to succeed in times of uncertainty.
Unlike hard skills , however, soft skills can be difficult to quantify on resumes and during interviews or performance reviews. And although there is no "definition of done" when it comes to personal growth, building soft skills in specific, practical ways can lead to improved performance on software projects while helping to future-proof your career. Resiliency and continuous learning It was common for early programmers to work with a single programming language, such as COBOL or Fortran , and stay at one employer for the extent of their career.
Even just a few years ago, programmers generally identified themselves by their preferred language. Today, a programmer is more likely to switch programming languages frequently and code libraries even faster to adapt to modern software architecture demands. And like the applications they're building, programmers need flexibility to work with a diverse range of languages and system components while also satisfying business demands.
A flexible developer is a resilient developer. Taking the time to learn new technologies and stay up to date on industry trends can help prepare for a future where position expectations might change or job opportunities are limited . A dynamic skill set can help ease these burdens.
Although it can be difficult to find the time in a fast-paced, demanding environment, don't let the pull of the immediate impact your long-term vision. Here are some methods to stay informed: Invest two and a half hours a week to learn about new technologies. If that seems like too much of an investment, break it down into smaller pieces, like reading an article or two a day.
Sign up for industry newsletters or set Google alerts for specific topics, tools or job listings relevant to your day-to-day responsibilities and future career aspirations. Are there any software engineers, thought leaders or companies you hold in high regard? Add them to your notification list. Consider attending web seminars and conferences virtually or in person when possible.
These events are a great way to discover new ideas, technologies and approaches while networking with peers. Effective communication, negotiation and prediction Early in my career, I walked into a room with a line manager and an executive, convinced a project would take at least three months. I walked out committed to one month, with no idea how the agreement happened.
In software development, the largest, most persistent area of negotiation is likely to involve scheduling. Other areas of negotiation might include which programming language to use , the supported platforms and version numbers, the number of work hours and the remote work percentage . Far too frequently, however, technical staff believe they are engaging in schedule estimation when they are actually in a schedule negotiation.
Programmers are notorious for not knowing how long things will take, but the organization needs to make plans with predictions. By slicing the work into small chunks and measuring what's finished in a given period, it's possible to predict when features will be complete. Clear and honest communication is critical for productive negotiations and requires solutions-focused listening to understand expectations and how they fit into overarching business goals.
Prediction demands transparency about a team's ability to deliver on those expectations. You can improve your communication skills by writing more. The ability to articulate, refine and order ideas coherently will lead to more effective back-and-forth negotiation.
Look at every interaction as an opportunity to strengthen your communication skills. A few ideas for getting started: Practice directness and clarity in correspondence, whether it's over email or an informal Team's or Slack message. Keep meticulous records and written documentation.
These files can serve as a useful prediction tool and support negotiation with actual data. Write for a personal blog or company newsletter. Offer to peer review a colleague's work.
Share thoughts and commentary on LinkedIn. This could create additional opportunities for connecting with peers and recruiters. Empathy, collaboration and connection I once worked with an IT department under tremendous pressure.
Our department head asked us to do more with less and find ways to make our projects shorter. Workplaces can be stressful environments , but finding camaraderie with colleagues can help offset the strain while promoting team engagement and investment in project outcomes. Arguably, empathy is the glue that keeps a team together and facilitates bonding.
In software, the simplest way to practice empathy is to first understand a colleague or client's perspective before making a request or offering a suggestion. This strategy might also be useful for building empathetic platforms by envisioning and anticipating a user's needs to create a more appealing product. Balancing the reality of in-person, remote and hybrid work is important to consider when looking to nurture collegial relationships.
Teams can get creative in cultivating connections for a more collaborative environment and might include strategies such as the following: Scheduling weekly office hours online or in person for folks to drop in, ask questions and discuss what they're working on. Hosting quarterly team-building exercises. Alternate between presentations that provide topical advice or work hacks and more casual events like team trivia or hackathons.
Setting up dedicated Microsoft Teams or Slack channels to celebrate wins and serve as a useful log for performance reviews . Volunteering to work on group projects or mentor developers who are still early in their careers. Joining or even starting an employee resource group ( ERG ) to meet colleagues from other teams and explore important issues and initiatives like sustainability and DEI .
Genuinely trying to understand differing perspectives can enhance collaboration and inspire innovation. Building relationships rooted in empathy can have the added benefit of creating a network to message when you're stuck on a project or need a reference when transitioning jobs. Problem-solving and creativity Most developers are familiar with brain teasers, such as the light switch puzzle or the wolf, goat and cabbage problem.
These were once common programmer interview questions, as they either force people to form a mathematical model that has the "right" answer or inspire an "aha" reveal. Many software problems, such as how to achieve high availability or "how much availability is high enough?" are not about the right answer or eureka moment but about making effective tradeoffs. Software development is all about tradeoffs.
Developers and architects can typically arrive at similar outcomes using different methods and tools. To develop problem-solving skills, try the following: Ask for constructive feedback on projects. Run ideas by team members and solicit input on how they would handle a situation.
Remember that failure is a valuable experience -- learning from past mistakes informs future endeavors. Creative problem-solving requires a combination of skills. It takes resiliency, curiosity (continuous learning), communication, negotiation and collaboration.
Innovation often happens through improvisation. Many architectural decisions require on-the-spot determinations, but these choices are made better by teams that learn to work, solve problems and succeed together. Matt Heusser is managing director at Excelon Development, where he recruits, trains and conducts software testing and development.
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