Can a manager use profanity when communicating at work? Is there a situation where it'd be helpful?

Christian McCarrick It depends on the situation.  This is an area where I would tread carefully.  You need to really have a good understanding of the people on your team and if using profanity will create an unsafe environment or not.  Have I ever used profanity at work, yes.  Do I use it often, No. […]

What are some examples of communication skills amongst software engineers? Good or bad?

Christian McCarrick This is not an easy question to answer and provide examples. There are multiple types of communication skills that a software engineer needs to have: 1. Interpersonal communication 2. Written communication 3. Software design and coding documentation These are just a few.  If you are concerned about your communication skills I would ask […]

What are some of the DO's and DONT's to mentoring junior software engineers?

Christian McCarrick The biggest mistake that I see in dealing with junior software engineers is not having a plan in place or the resources required to appropriately mentor them.  I see the same thing happening with interns.  The attitude of “Hey, Let’s get some Interns!” or “We can save money with junior software engineers!” is […]

How do I transition to a VP of product role from a Software Engineering role in the least amount of time?

@Rakesh Wagh wrote a very thorough answer to this topic.  I would suggest reading that fist.  My answer will be additive to his. I have managed both Engineering and Product Management teams and I love when my engineers take a greater interest in the Product side of software development.  It shows to me a greater […]

Would my resume get me an interview for an software engineering internship at Silicon Valley?

Christian McCarrick Your resume has good substance to it.  In order to make a bigger impact I would rewrite your top paragraph.  This is not the time for you to be shy or modest so go big on the self-promotion without saying anything not factually correct.  In essence, your resume is your marketing material about […]

How do employers at tech companies view someone who double-majored in computer science and philosophy at a small private liberal arts college in comparison with someone who has a degree in computer science from a large research university?

Christian McCarrick I have a double major myself from a small liberal arts college and have worked in tech software startups my entire career.  From an academic and experience standpoint I would not change it for anything.  However, the environment today (mostly in Silicon Valley) tends to be somewhat pedigree biased towards a handful of […]

How can I go from being software engineer to working at a Hedge Fund?

Christian McCarrick I am assuming that you want to be a software engineer at a Hedge Fund?  This is an interesting article about getting a job at a Hedge Fund: Getting a Job in a Top Tier Quant Hedge Fund Remember, there are different levels of Hedge Funds and there are different types of software […]

What are the best resources – books/online – for software engineering managers/tech leads?

Christian McCarrick Honestly, there are not that many great resources available for engineering managers.  Which in my opinion, is why so many new engineering managers struggle or are not as successful as they can be. I found the self-published book by Oren Ellenbogen called, “Leading Snowflakes” to be a good resource.  He also puts out […]

When is it a good idea to refrain from speaking your mind at work?

Christian McCarrick I think the number one time when it is good to refrain from speaking your mind is when you are extremely emotional about something.  This does not mean that you should never say what you want to say, but sometimes it is best to wait until emotions, tensions, etc. have lessened and you […]

Is a college education required for a career in software engineering?

Christian McCarrick No, it is not.  However, if you are new to the field it can help you get interviews especially at some of the larger companies, Google, etc. You should have a solid understanding of computer science fundamentals and be proficient in at least one programming language. See Questions On Quora Source: Quora