New Programmer's Survival Manual

Book description

It's your first day on the new job. You've got the programming chops, you're up on the latest tech, you're sitting at your workstation... now what? New Programmer's Survival Manual gives your career the jolt it needs to get going: essential industry skills to help you apply your raw programming talent and make a name for yourself. It's a no-holds-barred look at what really goes on in the office--and how to not only survive, but thrive in your first job and beyond.

Programming at industry level requires new skills - you'll build programs that dwarf anything you've done on your own. This book introduces you to practices for working on large-scale, long-lived programs at a professional level of quality. You'll find out how to work efficiently with your current tools, and discover essential new tools.

But the tools are only part of the story; you've got to get street-smart too. Succeeding in the corporate working environment requires its own savvy. You'll learn how to navigate the office, work with your teammates, and how to deal with other people outside of your department. You'll understand where you fit into the big picture and how you contribute to the company's success. You'll also get a candid look at the tougher aspects of the job: stress, conflict, and office politics.

Finally, programming is a job you can do for the long haul. This book helps you look ahead to the years to come, and your future opportunities--either as a programmer or in another role you grow into.

There's nothing quite like the satisfaction of shipping a product and knowing, "I built that." Whether you work on embedded systems or web-based applications, in trendy technologies or legacy systems, this book helps you get from raw skill to an accomplished professional.

Publisher resources

View/Submit Errata

Table of contents

  1. New Programmer's Survival Manual
    1. For the Best Reading Experience...
    2. ​
    3. Table of Contents
    4. What Readers Are Saying About New Programmer’s Survival Manual
    5. Acknowledgments
    6. Introduction
      1. Where I’m Coming From
      2. And Now About You
      3. Structure of This Book
      4. Conventions Used in This Book
      5. White Belt to Black Belt (and Back)
      6. Online Resources
      7. Onward
    7. Part 1: Professional Programming
      1. Chapter 1: Program for Production
        1. A Note on What’s Not Here
      2. Beat Up Your Code
      3. Insist on Correctness
      4. Design with Tests
      5. Tame Complexity
      6. Fail Gracefully
      7. Be Stylish
      8. Improve Legacy Code
      9. Review Code Early and Often
      10. Chapter 2: Get Your Tools in Order
      11. Optimize Your Environment
      12. Speak Your Language Fluently
      13. Know Your Platform
      14. Automate Your Pain Away
      15. Control Time (and Timelines)
      16. Use the Source, Luke
    8. Part 2: People Skills
      1. Chapter 3: Manage Thy Self
      2. Find a Mentor
      3. Own the Image You Project
      4. Be Visible
      5. Ace Your Performance Review
      6. Manage Your Stress
      7. Treat Your Body Right
      8. Chapter 4: Teamwork
      9. Grok Personality Types
      10. Connect the Dots
      11. Work Together
      12. Meet Effectively
    9. Part 3: The Corporate World
      1. Chapter 5: Inside the Company
      2. Know Your Peeps
      3. Know Your (Corporate) Anatomy
      4. Chapter 6: Mind Your Business
      5. Get with the Project
      6. Appreciate the Circle of (a Product’s) Life
      7. Put Yourself in the Company’s Shoes
      8. Identify Corporate Antipatterns
    10. Part 4: Looking Forward
      1. Chapter 7: Kaizen
      2. Mind Your Head
      3. Never Stop Learning
      4. Find Your Place
    11. Appendix 1: Bibliography
      1. You May Be Interested In…

Product information

  • Title: New Programmer's Survival Manual
  • Author(s): Joshua D. Carter
  • Release date: November 2011
  • Publisher(s): Pragmatic Bookshelf
  • ISBN: 9781680504040