book

Own Your Tech Career

Name: Own Your Tech Career
Author: Don Jones
ISBN: 9781617299070

by Don Jones

August 2021

Beginner

264 pages

8h 31m

English

Manning Publications

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Own Your Tech Career
Copyright
contents
front matter
prefaceacknowledgmentsabout this bookliveBook discussion forumabout the authorabout the cover illustration
Introduction
1 Own your career
1.1 Job, career, success, and self1.2 Start at the beginning: With yourself1.3 What does success look like for you?1.4 Creating a career plan for right now1.5 Action items
2 Build and maintain your brand
2.1 Brand building: Know your audience2.2 Social media and your brand2.3 Your brand has a wide reach2.4 Professionalism and your brand2.5 How to sabotage your brand2.6 Further reading2.7 Action items
3 Network
3.1 Why networking?3.2 The problem with digital communications3.3 Ideas for in-person networking3.4 Ideas for online networking3.5 Etiquette for networking3.5.1 In person3.5.2 On LinkedIn3.6 Becoming a confident networker3.7 Action items
4 Be part of a technology community
4.1 The value of community to your career4.2 Yes, you’re worthy of contributing4.3 Ways to contribute and participate4.4 Etiquette for participating4.4.1 On Q&A websites4.4.2 In open source projects4.5 Action items
5 Keep your tech skills fresh and relevant
5.1 Fresh vs. relevant5.2 Deciding what’s relevant5.2.1 Proficient, not expert5.2.2 Where to focus5.3 Building strong learning muscles5.4 Learning media5.5 Assessing your relevancy5.6 Tips for lifelong daily learning5.7 Further reading5.8 Action items

6 Show up as a professional
6.1 Be your word6.1.1 Never promise what you cannot deliver6.1.2 Always deliver what you promise6.1.3 Be easy to work with6.2 Be detailed and precise6.3 Cut your losses when the time is right6.4 Let Blue Sky mode happen6.5 Draw a yellow line6.6 Action items
7 Manage your time
7.1 Discipline, procrastination, and laziness7.2 Time management7.2.1 Time inventory: The TimeFlip technique7.2.2 Time rationing: The Pomodoro technique7.2.3 Time catalog: Knowing your capabilities7.3 Multitasking7.4 Action items
8 Handle remote work
8.1 The challenges of being remote8.2 Creating a space8.3 Creating a space when you have no space8.4 Working with family8.5 Adopting a routine8.6 Explicitly defining a culture8.7 Networking like you’re in the office8.8 Remote work: Permanent or temporary?8.9 Action items
9 Be a team player
9.1 The ups and downs of teams9.2 A checklist for being a better team player9.3 Dealing with less-effective teams and teammates9.4 Contributing to an inclusive workplace9.4.1 Help9.4.2 Offer respect and support9.5 Further reading9.6 Action items
10 Be a team leader
10.1 The decision to lead10.2 Leadership vs. management10.3 The leader’s path10.4 Getting into their context10.5 Leading positively10.6 Mistakes leaders make10.7 Leadership beyond leading10.8 Before moving into leadership10.8.1 Don’t get promoted to your level of incompetence10.8.2 Learn leadership10.8.3 Measure your own success10.9 Further reading10.10 Action items
11 Solve problems
11.1 Problem-solving vs. troubleshooting11.2 Clearly state the problem11.3 Identify your levers11.4 Negotiating solutions11.5 Action items
12 Conquer written communications
12.1 Communicating is telling a story12.1.1 The rules of storytelling12.1.2 Applying storytelling to business communication12.1.3 What about mundane, everyday communication?12.2 Facing our fear of communicating12.2.1 Analyze the causes of your fear12.2.2 Address the causes of your fear12.2.3 Conquer fear in written communications12.3 Applying structure to your storytelling12.4 Practice, practice, practice12.5 Common written defeaters12.5.1 Avoid passive voice12.5.2 Prune that flowery garden12.6 Action items
13 Conquer verbal communications
13.1 Stepping up to verbal communications13.2 Conquering your fear of speaking13.2.1 Fear of not having all the answers13.2.2 Fear of being judged13.3 Common verbal defeaters13.4 Finding the right amount of assertive13.5 Persuasion and the art of listening13.6 Action items
14 Resolve conflicts
14.1 Conflict can be healthy and even deliberate14.2 Seeking context14.3 Returning to first principles14.4 Relying on data14.5 Using decision-making frameworks14.6 A win doesn’t matter as much as the outcome14.7 Action items
15 Be a data-driven, critical thinker
15.1 In business, never “believe”15.2 Be a data-driven, critical thinker15.3 Be data-driven15.4 Beware the data15.5 Further reading15.6 Action items
16 Understand how businesses work
16.1 Businesses are people too16.1.1 Businesses and their relationships16.1.2 Customers and employees16.1.3 One-sided relationships16.1.4 Dealing with changes in the relationship16.2 How businesses really make money16.3 What does your business sell?16.3.1 Example 1: Terri’s International Bulbs16.3.2 Example 2: Martin’s Theme Parks16.3.3 Example 3: Pat’s Fruity Clothing16.3.4 Know the details of the business16.4 Understanding risk and reward16.5 Further reading16.6 Action items
17 Be a better decision-maker
17.1 Deciding who decides: Decision-making frameworks17.2 Deciding what to do: OKRs, rocks, and pebbles17.2.1 Rocks and pebbles17.2.2 OKRs17.2.3 Priorities, priorities17.3 Deciding what to drop: Opportunity cost17.4 Deciding what’s enough: Good, better, best17.5 Deciding what to believe: Being data-driven17.6 Deciding together: How to negotiate17.7 Further reading17.8 Action items
18 Help others
18.1 Why help?18.2 Yes, you can18.2.1 The toxic relationships that keep us from teaching18.2.2 You are definitely worthy of teaching18.3 How humans learn18.4 The value of repetition18.5 Getting in and doing it18.6 Why analogies work . . . and how they can fail18.7 Do it like Socrates18.8 The importance of sequencing18.9 Rest time is crucial18.10 Further reading18.11 Action items
19 Be prepared for anything
19.1 What can happen?19.2 Basic preparedness goals19.3 Cash on hand and credit19.4 Social safety nets19.5 Insurance19.6 Prestaged job hunt tools19.7 Action items
20 Business math and terminology for technologists
20.1 How much do you cost?20.2 Reading a P&L statement20.2.1 Revenue20.2.2 Expenses20.3 Averages20.4 OpEx and CapEx20.4.1 Understanding the two types of expenses20.4.2 Driving business decisions20.5 Business architecture20.6 Further reading20.7 Action items
21 Tools for the modern job hunt
21.1 Job hunt tasks to do now21.2 Review your brand21.2.1 Your professional brand and the job hunt21.2.2 Reviewing your public footprint21.2.3 How would others describe your brand?21.3 Update your résumé21.3.1 Résumé rules21.3.2 Starting your résumé21.3.3 Every résumé is unique21.3.4 Analyze the job posting21.3.5 Writing your résumé21.3.6 Formatting your résumé21.3.7 Should you hire a résumé writer?21.4 Nailing the interview21.5 Understanding compensation packages21.5.1 Compensation package elements21.5.2 Negotiating your compensation package21.6 Further reading21.7 Action items
index

Content preview from Own Your Tech Career

17 Be a better decision-maker

Decision-making is all around us, almost every day. Being able to make better decisions, in almost any circumstances, is a real career-booster. The key to better decision-making is to understand the basics of how you can evaluate a situation, and how decisions themselves are made—particularly in business settings. Another key point of this chapter is that it’s crucial to get all the different bits of context if you hope to comprehend the decisions that your company makes.

17.1 Deciding who decides: Decision-making frameworks

The worst kinds of companies are the ones where a small number of leaders, each with a strong personality, make seemingly arbitrary decisions and then inflict those on the rest of the business. ...

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Own Your Tech Career

by Don Jones

17 Be a better decision-maker

17.1 Deciding who decides: Decision-making frameworks

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