The Software Engineer's Guidebook

CHAPTER 2

OWNING YOUR CAREER

The single best career advice for any software engineer is:

Own your career!

Why? Because nobody cares about your career as much as you do. This is a lesson I’ve learned, which really hit home when I became a manager and tried to help people grow professionally, reach their goals, and achieve their ambitions.

In this chapter, we explore the topic of owning your career:

1. You’re in charge of your career
2. Being seen as someone who “gets things done”
3. Keep a work log
4. Ask and give feedback
5. Make your manager an ally
6. Pace yourself

1. YOU’RE IN CHARGE OF YOUR CAREER

I’ve had several managers during my career; some cared about my aspirations and others didn’t. Some promoted me after only a few months, ...