- 04/29/2024
- 8 minute read
Break into Big Tech - My Journey from Startup to Microsoft
This article is a high-level view of my career journey going from startups to Big Tech -- landing a principal software engineering manager role at Microsoft.
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Career Advice
Practical career advice for software engineers, covering soft skills, brag documents, breaking into big tech, and getting started in the industry.
Articles
- 04/15/2024
- 5 minute read
8 Things I Wish I Understood Earlier In My Career
This article is a list of things that I wish that I understood earlier in my career. There's no time machine, but I can share them with you!
- 01/18/2024
- 12 minute read
Software Engineering Soft Skills - 6 Focus Areas That You Need
Improve your software engineering soft skills -- essential to your career success. Learn about effective communication, teamwork, adaptability, and more.
- 01/06/2024
- 8 minute read
Brag Documents & Highlight Trackers - Take Control of Your Career Progression
This is an exclusive article for Dev Leader Weekly readers! Take back control of your career progression with Brag Documents!
- 10/04/2023
- 9 minute read
Beginner's Guide To Software Engineering - How To Get Started Today
Interested in an introduction to software development? Need those first steps in programming? Then check out this beginner's guide to software engineering!
- 09/27/2023
- 6 minute read
Workplace Based Learning - How To Balance Learning At Work VS Home
Whether you're a new developer or an industry professional, we often find ourselves balancing workplace based learning and side projects. What's the right way?
- 09/25/2023
- 10 minute read
Master One Language or Diversify - A Guide For New Developers
Choosing a programming language from the many programming languages is daunting. Then beginners ask: How many languages should I learn at once? Let's find out!
- 09/01/2023
- 5 minute read
Life in Software Development - FAQ3
Life in software development is full of problem-solving and excitement, but there are plenty of questions about concerns that can arise. Check them out!
- 08/21/2023
- 6 minute read
Balancing Learning with Practical Application in Programming: A Deep Dive
In programming, this struggle is real: How to balance learning theory with building things? How do you actively learn and balance it with practical application?
- 08/17/2023
- 12 minute read
Building Projects - Unlock Success As A Beginner Programmer
Are you a beginner programmer? If so, you'd benefit from applying all of the theoretical knowledge you're gaining by building projects! Check out this list!
- 06/20/2021
- 10 minute read
FAQ: Starting Your Career in Software Development Pt2
Are you starting your career in software development? Check out this FAQ-style article for tips on applying for jobs, reaching out, and interviewing!
- 06/09/2021
- 5 minute read
Software Development - Launching Into Your Career FAQ
Starting your career in software development? Here are some frequently asked questions about post secondary education working towards this!
- 05/28/2021
- 7 minute read
OKRs: First Steps for Crushing Your Objectives and Key Results
You've heard about OKRs but you're not exactly sure where to get started. Don't sweat it. Here's a brief intro on how you can get going!
- 09/22/2020
- 5 minute read
Microsoft: Welcome to Your New Future!
2020 involved a career change that wasn't something I was planning. At the end of August, I started my adventure with Microsoft.
- 03/29/2020(Updated 07/13/2026)
- 8 minute read
Downtime? Easy Path to Learning By Building!
Explore learning by building a Xamarin app with ASP.NET Core, Firebase authentication, Amazon RDS, and free tools for source control and CI builds.
- 05/31/2018(Updated 07/13/2026)
- 5 minute read
Doubling Down: My Specific Strategy
Explore a specific content strategy for doubling down on strengths, covering audience growth, brand building, and reaching beyond a core programming readership.
- 05/28/2018(Updated 07/13/2026)
- 4 minute read
Double Down On Your Strengths!
A candid reflection on choosing to double down on personal strengths rather than force improvement in weak areas, using a hobby project as the example.
- 04/24/2015(Updated 07/13/2026)
- 18 minute read
Burn Out - An Alternate Perspective
A personal reflection on recognizing burnout in a fast-paced software career, covering denial, neglected needs, and other early warning signs to watch for.
- 02/25/2015
- 2 minute read
Failure - Changing The Perspective on Failing
Failure is a strong word. There's nothing wrong with failing. It's going to happen if you're pushing the boundaries. It's all about how you improve afterward.
- 09/12/2013(Updated 07/13/2026)
- 7 minute read
Job Titles and Responsibilities
Consider how a new job title reshapes responsibilities and boundaries, offering perspective on the mentality shift that comes with career advancement.