The hottest Career development Substack posts right now

And their main takeaways
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Top Business Topics

I wish I started doing this on day 0 of my career as an engineer

High Growth Engineer • 1574 implied HN points • 18 Feb 24
💼 Business Productivity Career development Software Engineering Time management Planning
  1. Planning is crucial to avoid feeling unproductive and getting pulled in different directions throughout the day.
  2. By planning your day, you focus on what's important and maintain control over your daily tasks.
  3. Even a simple daily plan of one main goal can significantly improve your productivity and time management.

The Making of a Senior Engineer 💡: Guest Post by Addy Osmani

High Growth Engineer • 1238 implied HN points • 11 Feb 24
💼 Business Leadership Engineering Career development Management Skills Development
  1. To transition into senior engineering roles, you need to shift from hands-on work to systems thinking, focusing on strategic leadership and fostering team autonomy.
  2. Senior engineers lead through influence rather than pure authority, emphasizing building trusted relationships, setting vision, and empowering teams.
  3. Developing critical leadership skills as a senior engineer involves improving empathy, communication, collaboration, systems thinking, and execution orchestration, while overcoming common pitfalls like losing sight of the big picture and excessive control.

How To Earn From Your Skills In 2024

Day One • 519 implied HN points • 02 Mar 24
💼 Business Skills Career development Personal Growth Entrepreneurship
  1. Quality is greater than quantity when building skills. Focus on depth and excellence in one area before branching out.
  2. Practice and sharing are crucial for skill development. Don't let fear or ego hinder you from showcasing your work and seeking feedback.
  3. Transitioning to high-demand sectors like blockchain or AI requires understanding the sector's culture and history. Put in the work to adapt and excel.
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Notes on Product management theater | Marty Cagan (Lenny's Podcast)

The Beautiful Mess • 276 implied HN points • 17 Mar 24
💼 Business Product Management Career development Tech Companies Leadership
  1. Common principles and practices among top product companies exist but may not fully capture the uniqueness and nuances of each company's success.
  2. During challenging times like the pandemic, companies may overhire, lower hiring standards, and create unnecessary roles instead of addressing core issues.
  3. Companies globally should strive to evolve product development methods based on customer needs, regardless of their location, and individuals should take more control over their product management career.

Simple tricks to level up your technical design docs in 2024 👌

High Growth Engineer • 1108 implied HN points • 28 Jan 24
🕹 Technology Career development Documentation Software Engineering Feedback
  1. Design docs help to reduce risk, document decisions, and align on technical choices.
  2. Make design docs concise with only essential information for decision-making to ensure they get read and progress smoothly.
  3. Get individual feedback first before group sessions to make the review process more efficient and effective.

Podcast notes

Off to Lunch • 648 implied HN points • 05 Feb 24
💼 Business Entrepreneurship Market News Industry insights Career development
  1. The episode features an interview with Sir Stelios Haji-Ioannou discussing building easyJet and facing competition.
  2. Zuber Issa may offload his stake in Asda, UK companies anticipate increasing prices despite inflation easing, and Sir Tim Clark criticizes Boeing.
  3. A piece on executive coaches for business leaders and an article from 1985 about laptop computers not becoming popular offers insights on technology trends.

TBM 272: The Biggest Opportunity (Part 2)

The Beautiful Mess • 552 implied HN points • 11 Feb 24
💼 Business Management Workplace dynamics Career development Company Culture Productivity
  1. Skilled pragmatists in companies can represent a major opportunity for improvement. They are reliable and capable but may not go above and beyond due to skepticism about the value of extra effort.
  2. When trying to improve behaviors in a team, it is crucial to be specific about the desired actions and outcomes. Vague terms like 'drive' or 'passion' can lead to misunderstandings.
  3. Listening to individuals in different categories can provide valuable insights for understanding motivations and barriers to certain behaviors in a team. Embracing diversity in perspectives is key to achieving more together.

Reader Mailbag: Struggling to do it all

Tech and Tea • 246 implied HN points • 09 Mar 24
🕹 Technology Career development Work-life balance Personal Growth Technical Skills
  1. Struggling with work-life balance, technical up-skilling, and finding identity outside of work is common among many engineers and professionals. It's important to prioritize what aligns with personal values and well-being.
  2. Careers in the tech industry can take diverse paths, and it's okay to explore different roles or take breaks to pursue other interests. Embracing change and personal growth is a natural part of a long career.
  3. Building expertise, whether technical or in other areas, is valuable and transferable across different domains. Prioritizing personal growth and balancing work with other life aspects is essential in navigating career challenges.

How to pass any first-round interview (even in a terrible talent market)

Lenny's Newsletter • 5228 implied HN points • 04 Jul 23
🚌 Education Interview Preparation Career development Professional Skills Personal Growth
  1. First-round interviews are designed to filter out candidates who may not be a good fit for the role.
  2. Prepare for interviews by organizing your career story, walking down memory lane, and learning behavioral frameworks.
  3. Ask high-quality questions at the end of the interview to showcase your interest and stand out as a candidate.

A reflection on my journey to LinkedIn Top Voice [Storytime Saturdays]

Technology Made Simple • 778 implied HN points • 14 Jan 24
💼 Business Career development Social media Personal Branding
  1. Sharing your work and thoughts on platforms like LinkedIn can have a positive impact on your career by positioning you as a reliable source of high-quality information.
  2. Approach building your presence on different social media platforms individually as each has its own nuances and strategies for success.
  3. Reflect on your experiences and learnings regularly to adapt and refine your approach to maximizing your presence on platforms like LinkedIn.

Recommending Kent Beck: 2011

Software Design: Tidy First? • 1120 implied HN points • 08 Dec 23
💼 Business Recommendation Employment Management Career development Software Development
  1. Kent Beck's role in enhancing engineering teams for growth and prosperity by working on product features and tool building.
  2. Kent Beck's impact through research and publication on software design, attracting new recruits and revolutionizing design ideas.
  3. Kent Beck's personal relationships and pair programming sessions significantly improving engineering skills and career prospects of individuals.

All About Career History Interviews

Tech and Tea • 295 implied HN points • 10 Feb 24
💼 Business Career development Interviewing Communication Skills Workplace dynamics Recruitment
  1. Career history interviews provide valuable insights into a candidate's learning capacity, adaptability, and mindset over time, beyond just current abilities.
  2. In a career history interview, ask structured questions for each job/project to understand achievements, challenges faced, relationships, and reasons for leaving.
  3. Look for communication style and red flags like poor communication, lack of awareness, and negativity during career history interviews to assess candidate suitability.

A Job at Microsoft: Getting and Passing the Interview

Rod’s Blog • 575 implied HN points • 04 Jan 24
💼 Business Career development Networking Interviewing Professional Skills
  1. Finding the right opportunity at Microsoft can be about letting things unfold naturally, embracing roles that align with your skills while leaving room for growth.
  2. Getting an interview at Microsoft often depends on having a strong advocate within the company willing to support and recommend you.
  3. During the interview process at Microsoft, showcasing a willingness to learn, sharing real-world experiences, and being prepared to discuss inclusivity can make a positive impact.

Do you have career blues?

Elena's Growth Scoop • 1474 implied HN points • 17 Oct 23
💼 Business Career development Professional Growth Job Satisfaction Personal Development
  1. Career blues are real and can leave you feeling tired, unfulfilled, and restless.
  2. Regularly reevaluate your job and career options to ensure you're in the best possible position.
  3. Explore different avenues like public speaking, newsletters, contracting work, and advising to complement your full-time job and avoid career stagnation.

Creating a Laboratory for Work 🧪

Game of One • 216 implied HN points • 09 Feb 24
💼 Business Career development Workplace culture Entrepreneurship Education Innovation
  1. Reframe work as a series of experiments rather than a predetermined job trajectory
  2. There are three common narratives of success: early commitment, late bloomer, and mastery through uncertainty and career changes
  3. Experimentation with work is crucial, but modern work structures often make it difficult to explore new opportunities

Asked And Answered: A New Advice Column

Original Jurisdiction • 255 implied HN points • 31 Jan 24
🚌 Education Legal Career development Mentorship
  1. Consider clerking after law school if you're planning to go into litigation - it's a valuable learning experience, helps build relationships, and is prestigious.
  2. If you plan to do multiple clerkships, consider clerking for different types of courts to gain varied experiences.
  3. Clerking might be less valuable if you're aiming to be a transactional lawyer, but clerking at the Delaware Court of Chancery could be more relevant to your career.

Are You Considering a Career Pivot into the Security of AI?

Rod’s Blog • 357 implied HN points • 20 Dec 23
🕹 Technology Artificial Intelligence Cybersecurity Career development Ethics Innovation
  1. Considering a career pivot into the security of AI can be a valuable choice to make a positive impact on society.
  2. Having an interest in technology's implications, experience in various tech projects, and awareness of technology's consequences are good reasons to pursue AI security.
  3. Opportunities in AI security offer potential for career growth, impact, and contribution to shaping a safer, ethical, and beneficial AI future.

It’s Not About Me — That’s The Point

moontower: a stoner dad explains options trading to his kids • 235 implied HN points • 14 Jan 24
💼 Business Entrepreneurship Investments Career development Leadership Mentorship
  1. Focus on being altruistic and a positive presence in the world, putting in the work and solving real problems.
  2. Believe in yourself to become the best version of yourself, even when faced with doubts.
  3. In a competitive investment landscape, understanding the job's challenges and rewards can help determine if it's the right fit for you.

What Does It Take To Create Longevity And Stay Relevant In The New Work World?

High ROI Data Science • 176 implied HN points • 23 Jan 24
💼 Business Career development Market Trends Skill development Productivity
  1. Success in the new work world requires being forward-looking and prescriptive, not just reacting to trends.
  2. Manufacturing luck involves positioning early in emerging trends to have more opportunities and be better prepared.
  3. To stay relevant, focus on upskilling in areas that align with future trends and combine vision, follow-through, and productivity.

They should have fired him

A Perfectly Cromulent Software Engineer • 1 HN point • 21 Apr 24
🕹 Technology Software Engineering Career development Work Environment Management Productivity
  1. Transitioning to a traditional job from freelance work can be a significant change in routine and responsibilities.
  2. Challenges and growth opportunities can arise when tasked with larger, more ambiguous projects that test technical abilities.
  3. Recognizing toxic behavior in oneself or others, such as being uncooperative and rude, is essential in maintaining a positive work environment.

Becoming a sales-engineer

Leading Developers • 48 implied HN points • 20 Feb 24
💼 Business Sales Management Career development Customer Relations Product Development
  1. Acquiring new skills through new challenges can be exciting and lead to unexpected career paths.
  2. Transitioning from a technical role to sales doesn't mean losing technical skills - understanding the product deeply remains crucial.
  3. Sales engineering roles offer variety, immediate value, and potential for lucrative rewards, but require strong communication and collaboration skills.

How to be the favorite engineer among your product manager and designer

High Growth Engineer • 465 implied HN points • 27 Aug 23
💼 Business Career development Product Management Engineering
  1. Collaboration with product managers and designers can be challenging due to differing priorities and project impacts.
  2. Engineers often face the dilemma of balancing what they can do, what the PM wants, and what the PM thinks they can do.
  3. Maintaining a good relationship and meeting deadlines are key aspects of being a favored engineer among product managers and designers.

From Customer Success Leader to VP of Product

Suzan's Fieldnotes • 98 implied HN points • 15 Jan 24
💼 Business Career development Leadership Product Management Startups Entrepreneurship
  1. María de Antón transitioned from Head of Customer Success to Product Manager by following her instincts and overcoming imposter syndrome.
  2. Transitioning from customer success to product management involved a shift from talking with customers to creating joyful product experiences.
  3. As a leader considering switching functions, trust your cross-functional skills, seek necessary training, and have confidence in yourself.