Tips for Achieving Success in a Tech Career

As 2023 comes to a close, I find myself reflecting on my recent journey to becoming a software engineer. I was very fortunate to have strong mentorship in place, Jerome Hardaway. If I had to start my tech career from scratch, these are the exact steps I would take: 1. 𝐂𝐡𝐨𝐨𝐬𝐞 𝐎𝐧𝐞 𝐋𝐚𝐧𝐠𝐮𝐚𝐠𝐞: Focus on either JavaScript, the language of the browser, or Python, widely used in data science and AI. Excelling in one language increases your employability, as companies value deep, specific skills over a broad but shallow understanding, especially when you're starting out. 2. 𝐏𝐫𝐨𝐣𝐞𝐜𝐭-𝐁𝐚𝐬𝐞𝐝 𝐋𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐠: The most effective way I found to learn was by building real things. I started with a personal website and then developed my own REST API. It's about applying what you learn in real-world scenarios. 3. 𝐍𝐞𝐭𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐤 𝐑𝐞𝐥𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐥𝐞𝐬𝐬𝐥𝐲 𝐨𝐧 𝐋𝐢𝐧𝐤𝐞𝐝𝐈𝐧: Send 100 connection requests weekly with a 1-2 line personalized message. Seek out both senior developers and recent hires at your dream companies and people who share common ground with you, like the same school, coding boot camp, or other shared experiences. 4. 𝐁𝐮𝐢𝐥𝐝 𝐆𝐞𝐧𝐮𝐢𝐧𝐞 𝐂𝐨𝐧𝐧𝐞𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬: Engaging with people on LinkedIn often leads to opportunities for more personal interactions. Propose a quick Zoom chat or, if local, even better, a coffee meet-up. Focus on learning from their experiences and understanding different perspectives in the industry. It's about forging real relationships, not just expanding your network. 5. 𝐄𝐧𝐠𝐚𝐠𝐞 𝐋𝐨𝐜𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐲 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐆𝐥𝐨𝐛𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐲: Engage in local meetups and hackathons, and when possible, attend conferences. These platforms are invaluable for learning, expanding your network, and uncovering job opportunities. 6. 𝐄𝐦𝐛𝐫𝐚𝐜𝐞 𝐎𝐩𝐞𝐧 𝐒𝐨𝐮𝐫𝐜𝐞 𝐂𝐨𝐧𝐭𝐫𝐢𝐛𝐮𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬: Engaging with open-source projects can really open doors. It helps you understand real-world codebases, teaches collaboration, and improves your coding skills. Plus, it's a significant point of interest on your resume. 7. 𝐌𝐚𝐢𝐧𝐭𝐚𝐢𝐧 𝐚 𝐓𝐞𝐜𝐡𝐧𝐢𝐜𝐚𝐥 𝐁𝐥𝐨𝐠: Document your learning journey. Share your challenges, successes, and insights through a blog. This not only reinforces your learning but also positions you as someone who is actively engaged in the tech community. Don't like writing? You can start a YouTube channel. 8. 𝐒𝐞𝐞𝐤 𝐌𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐨𝐫𝐬𝐡𝐢𝐩 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐎𝐟𝐟𝐞𝐫 𝐌𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐨𝐫𝐬𝐡𝐢𝐩: As you grow, seek guidance from more experienced professionals. Equally important is to offer help to those who are a few steps behind you. This exchange enriches your understanding and builds a supportive community. 9. 𝐏𝐫𝐚𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐜𝐞 𝐂𝐨𝐝𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐈𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐯𝐢𝐞𝐰𝐬: Practicing coding interviews can be immensely beneficial if you aim for roles in big tech companies. Practice with a more experienced friend or connection, or utilize platforms like Pramp.

As a technology executive with over 30 years of experience, from my early days at AOL and Add This to founding Surefire Local, I've had the privilege of observing and working with super successful people. This journey has given me unique insights into the mindsets and practices that drive success in our rapidly changing world. Here are ten key observations that I believe are essential for anyone looking to achieve breakthrough success in today's dynamic environment: 🌟 Embracing Failure as a Learning Opportunity: In my career, I've seen that the most successful individuals don't fear failure. Instead, they use it as a catalyst for growth, learning valuable lessons that guide their future strategies. 🚀 Developing a Growth Mindset: The belief that skills and intelligence can be developed with effort and persistence has been a game-changer. This mindset fosters resilience and a willingness to embrace challenges as opportunities for improvement. 👉 Mastering the Art of Saying 'No': Effective leaders understand the importance of focus. Saying 'No' to good opportunities allows you to say 'Yes' to great ones, ensuring that your time and resources are invested in the most impactful endeavors. 🔍 Solution-Focused Approach: Throughout my career, I've noticed that successful people spend less time dwelling on problems and more time finding solutions. This proactive approach is key to overcoming obstacles and moving forward. 📚 Commitment to Continuous Learning: The tech world is ever-evolving, and staying ahead means being a lifelong learner. Embracing new knowledge and skills is crucial for staying relevant and innovative. 🏋️♂️ Prioritizing Health and Wellness: A healthy body and mind are foundational to success. Integrating wellness practices into your routine enhances your ability to perform at your best. 🤝 Investing in Relationships: The value of building and maintaining strong relationships cannot be overstated. These connections provide support, open doors to new opportunities, and enrich the journey to success. 👌 Accepting Imperfections: Embracing your flaws and focusing on progress, not perfection, is a trait I've seen in many successful individuals. It's about continuous improvement, not chasing an unattainable ideal. 🙏 Cultivating Gratitude: Acknowledging and appreciating what you have brings a sense of contentment and positivity, essential for maintaining motivation and perspective. 🎯 Goal-Oriented Action: A common trait among successful people is setting clear goals and diligently working towards them. It's about turning aspirations into actionable plans. These observations, gleaned from decades in the tech industry, are not just principles but practical tools for navigating the complexities of our digital age. They are the cornerstones upon which enduring success is built. PM me to explore how these insights can be applied to your unique journey toward success. #founders #saas #saasfounders #saascoach

I’ve been promoted 11 times in 20 years at 6 companies Here’s how I did it: 1. Eliminate entitled expectations and patiently play the long game 2. Be truly exceptional in your current role - don’t underestimate how long it takes to achieve mastery 3. Clarify and communicate your long term career goals including your ideal next step  - it is not up to your manager or anyone else to do this for you 4. Demonstrate you can do the next role by taking on key responsibilities of that position - you don’t need to ask permission to solve important business problems 5. Make your manager’s life easier, become indispensable to them and seize learning opportunities to take projects off their plate 6. Lead by example by exuding optimism, assuming positive intent and helping others, especially through challenging times 7. Don’t complain and only talk about problems, design and implement solutions that drive real results 8. Act like an owner and don’t let your current job description hold you back from doing what is required for the business to be successful  9. Respond to inevitable disappointment gracefully and don’t give up  10. Choose the company and evaluate the hiring manager wisely - a great company and an invested manager are two key ingredients to create the conditions for career advancement My biggest lesson 20 years into my career: The promotions are great but don't feel as good as you think they will - focus on the journey and the process, that's the good stuff #personaldevelopment

Code schools didn't exist when I started programming. Neither did YouTube. And I don't have a degree. 🎓 🚫 Here's how I became successful in tech (and you can, too): 1) Learn to love to learn Don't look at learning as merely a means to an end. Fall in love with learning. Foster your own curiosity. If you're reading this, you have access to quantity and quality of information that was unthinkable only 20 years ago. Get excited about the possibilities! Practical application: find an interesting technology and learn everything you can. Go deep or go wide, but go learn. 2) Sacrifice now for payoff later Don't chase money. Chase growth. Look for opportunities to learn your craft, even if those opportunities don't pay in money. You're investing in your future self. Compound interest is powerful. Delayed gratification is hard, but it is worth it. Practical application: Find a small business or non profit that needs some help but can't afford it and offer to help them for *free*. You build relationships while building experience; a win-win. (Just make sure it aligns with your objectives) 3) Figure out how to be valuable Creating value is the key to success. People won't hire you just because you have [insert credential]. They hire you because they think you can solve their business problem. Your jobs is to a) understand peoples problems, and b) figure out how to solve them. Practical application: Learn a little about the psychology of marketing and communication. Go look for a problem and try to figure how to solve it. Then repeat. 4) Don't give up Sometimes you'll want to give up. Don't. You'll feel like you've stalled, but just keep iterating. Repeat steps 1-4, getting a little better each time. None of this is a linear process. You'll grind and then suddenly have a breakthrough, only to grind again. You'll take detours and backtrack sometimes. You'll have adventures and mishaps. That's ok. Eventually, you'll do more than you ever imagined possible. You'll look back and realize it was all worth it. In summary: 1) Learn 2) Invest 3) Create value 4) Repeat I did it. You can, too. ---------------- PS. Playing with Midjourney (because learning!). My prompt was "a programmer at a desk frustrated, surrounded by books. 50s comic book style." It's how I like to remember myself back then. The reality was much less cool. 😂

🚀 Career Acceleration Insights By age 35, I had climbed the corporate ladder and doubled my salary in less than 5 years. The journey was filled with invaluable lessons, but there's one piece of advice that outshines the rest, crucial for anyone looking to advance their career, especially in the dynamic field of technology and marketing. ✅ Here's the golden nugget of advice: Identify and Focus on Key Business Metrics: The secret lies in pinpointing the metric that is most valuable to the business. Once identified, channel your efforts to move this metric significantly. This approach transcends beyond mere numbers; it's about aligning your contributions with the company's core objectives. ✅ What to Avoid: - Don't let workplace politics distract you. - The size of your team or the scope of your responsibilities should not be your primary concern. - Steer clear from getting entangled in unnecessary workplace drama. ✅ What to Embrace: Be relentless in your focus on the crucial business metric, whether it's related to revenue, growth, or any other key area. 💡Demonstrate how your work directly contributes to moving this metric forward. Make it the centerpiece of your discussions and reports. This strategy is particularly potent for those early in their careers or operating within growth-oriented roles. It's not just about working hard but working smart—targeting your efforts where they'll make the most tangible impact. Leverage this approach, and watch as doors open and opportunities unfold in ways you might never have imagined. #CareerAdvice #BusinessGrowth #ProfessionalDevelopment #TechIndustry #thejessemercado

Ethan Evans went from managing 6 people to over 800 at Amazon. He credits The Magic Loop for his quick rise over just 8 years. The Magic Loop is a framework that will accelerate your career. It will accelerate your job search as well! Here's what it is... 1️⃣ Do Your Current Job Well The most surefire way to advance in your career is to be good at your job. In your job: This allows people to trust that you're someone to invest time and energy into. In your job search: It also makes you one of the first ones people think of when they see an attractive job opening that needs to be filled. In Step 2, if you go to your manager and ask how you can help and their answer is, "Do your job," you're not ready to move on. 2️⃣ Ask Your Manager How You Can Help Managers put on a pretty face, but everyone needs help. In your job: Ask your manager what they need help with or even better, identify areas that they need help with for them and ask to help them with it. In your job search: Ask the team at your target organization about the problems they have. Dig deep to understand the specifics and how you can help. Be the most helpful person on the team. 3️⃣ Do What They Ask If you do steps 1 and 2 but don't execute on step 3 you may do more harm than good. It's critical that once you say you're going to do something... you do it! In your job: Understand the task at hand, create a plan for execution, share that plan with your manager, begin execution, and share regular updates with your manager. Upon completion, share results, next steps, and ask for more. In your job search: Take the problems you have uncovered, create a resource that solves the problem for them (case study, playbook, spreadsheet, etc.) and send it to the team. Bonus points for offering to do free work to implement it for them. 4️⃣ Ask For Work That Advances Your Career Many people think their manager has the superpower of mind reading. No one is thinking about you and your career as much as you are. And you don't get what you don't ask for. In your job: Seek tasks that interest you and improve your skills, aiding your 5-year career goals while benefiting the company. In your job search: Look for roles that bridge your current skills and your 5-year objectives. Once you've proven your skills, ask to discuss potential team openings and how you can be an asset to the company. 5️⃣ Repeat The Process The cycle continues with more good work. In your job: This is what leads to promotions. In your job search: Once you have executed all 5 steps for one target company, move on to executing them for your next target company. This process works and has been proven in both careers and job searches to produce outsized results. As you can see, it takes work. But the ones who get where they want to go are willing to do the work. --------------------------- P.S. Enjoy this? Follow me, Kyle Thomas, for more. #startups #startupjobs #hiring #jobsearch

If you are an early-career talent in tech, the market may seem difficult. However, the doors are more open than you might think. Often, it's not the front doors but the side and back doors. You have to think asymmetrically. Here are some ways you can get your foot in: 👉 Show Hunger -  Curate a list of companies that align with your interests. -  Reach out to people who work there on LinkedIn or by email (hint: it's easy to guess emails). -  You will likely not hear back. It's a numbers game. As long as you stick to personalized and authentic outreach, you will eventually get a bite. 👉 Show Smartness -  Put in some effort. Don't just reach out with a generic resume. Send them a project you've done, a blog post you wrote, a demo you have created, or a video where you talk about a concept. -  This demonstrates your cognitive abilities and signals that you can pick up new skills and will be useful from day one. 👉 Show Humbleness - Ask for 15 minutes of their time to learn more, ask for advice on what to focus on learning, and pitch them on how you can add value to their organization. (Bonus: This is also your chance to show your likability and communication skills) -  Most likely, they will not have something for you right away, but don't get discouraged. You've left an impression and will be way ahead of the competition. Be gracious about their time. You have planted a seed that will sprout eventually. Just doing those things consistently will set you miles apart from the competition.

Hey LinkedIn Family ! As we venture through an era rich with AI breakthroughs and the rise of large language models, I've noticed a lot of concern among friends and colleagues about the future. As a Python developer, data scientist, and MLOps specialist, I've seen firsthand how the tech landscape is shifting. One key lesson that I learned through my journey : being technically adept is crucial, but it’s not the complete picture. And the more you only rely on your hard skills, the more vulnerable you become! Here's the brighter side: tech is as much about understanding the impact of our work as it is about executing tasks. It’s about seeing the bigger picture. Those who broaden their horizons beyond just code and data often find themselves in a stronger position. 🌟 My advice is simple but powerful: Lean into the career development opportunities your workplace offers. Think beyond the code! Expand your horizons to include management skills, communication, leadership, and technical writing. For those starting out as junior software engineers or data analysts, try your hand at agile management. Document your achievements and your workflows, make sure to to be vocal about your accomplishments, and make sure you’re seen—don’t just wait for tasks to come your way, actively ask for new tasks, and if you are in benches for sometimes, ask to help your colleagues in a new endeavor so that you can show your accomplishments to managers. Being visible matters. If you’re not seen by your manager, you might be overlooked when it comes to recognizing the company’s successes. Collaborate, share your successes, and ensure your contributions are acknowledged. The secret to securing your place in today’s job market? Be proactive, embrace a spirit of professionalism, and steadily ascend the leadership ladder. 🔑 Be more than unfirable. Be invaluable. #CareerDevelopment #Leadership #TechIndustry #MLOps #DataScience #ProfessionalGrowth

High performers, here’s a career advancement tip: Every day after work, go home and spend 10 minutes writing down something you learned. Your job is a gold mine for insights and takeaways. Capture them. A snide co-worker provides human behavior insights. A production disaster provides operational lessons. The CEO hated your campaign idea, but you fought for it, and he changed his mind. Connect dots. Add your own take. Mix in humor. Share to your peers. Do it under an alias if you have to. Best case scenario, you become a thought leader in your discipline. Maybe a published author. Worst case scenario, you now have firsthand wisdom, jokes and aphorisms at the ready. Front of mind, tip of tongue. Soon you’re a bit sharper. Mentoring the new kid. Speaking at the company offsite. Crushing interviews. Getting promoted. Having fun. Writing is thinking, and thinkers win. 

A 21-year-old follower recently messaged me for career advice. Here are 9 pieces of career advice I shared: 1. Work in different verticals — I learned social networks at Facebook, finance at Mint, and now tech tools at AppSumo. The more diverse your experiences, the more you meet interesting people and learn transferable skills. 2. Geography matters — If you want to play in the major leagues, you’ve got to go where it's happening. I grew up 2 miles from the Apple campus surrounded by A players working on startups. • Want to be in tech? Bay Area. • Aspiring country singer? Nashville. • Acting? LA. If you can’t be there physically yet, get it online first, eg connecting with people already there. 3. Learn outside of your skillset — Those who combine multiple skills have enormous leverage. I learned foresight from chess and applied that to content creation. At AppSumo, we started doing giveaways after being inspired by women's magazines. Find inspiration outside and bring it inside. 4. Document your learning online — I started blogging in 2000 when I used to have hair (lol). When people get to know and like you online, they’ll come to you with ideas and even job offers, rather than you begging with a resume. 5. Go after the biggest failures — You need to push to the point of failure to get the biggest possible growth and learning. For me, almost everything has not worked. But you only need to be right once to build a successful business. Every failure is one step closer to winning. 6. Find someone who has walked your ideal path — Find a mentor (and make it worth their while) who is ahead of you in life. It makes it easy to see if that’s what you want. You’ll save yourself time and mistakes. 7. Figure out what you are an expert in — Find your superpower then 10x it. Surround yourself (or hire people) to complement your weaknesses. I’m great at igniting and marketing, but struggle with consistency so I found complementary people to work with. 8. Chase opportunities, but slow down for success — In your 20s, try everything. But when you find the thing that works, slow down and enjoy it. I chased money for 3 years in games and payments, but hated it. When my company got sued and banned by Facebook, I was relieved. It gave me the excuse to go after more fulfilling work. It’s too easy to give up on things that you don’t care about. When you’ve found something you really like, stick with it. 9. Be the hub — I’d bet 80% of my net worth is because of people I know. When I graduated UC Berkeley in 2004, I started hosting dinners and conferences…even when I didn’t know anyone. The people I connected with, like Ramit Sethi, Tim Ferriss, and Ryan Holiday helped me 15 years down the line. One way to start: Spend at least one hour a week just meeting and helping people with no expectations. What else is good career advice that every young person should hear? If this could help someone you know, please share and follow me Noah Kagan for more!