Simple LeadershipQuora – Simple Leadership https://simpleleadership.io Fast track to technology leadership Fri, 28 Oct 2022 20:51:13 +0000 en-US hourly 1 The SimpleLeadership Podcast specifically focuses on improving the craft of software engineering leadership. As a VP of Engineering & CTO I am acutely aware of the lack of good resources available for new and existing software engineering managers. SimpleLeadership is designed for both new and experienced software & technology managers who want to build high-performing teams, better motivate & mentor their employees, reduce attrition and advance their career. It is for people who want to go beyond just being a manager and become a true leader. During these interviews I ask each guest to share their journey from individual contributor to software engineering manager and provide any guidance on the transition. I also like to focus each podcast on a specific theme related to the challenges of managing and leading software engineering teams & organizations. Christian McCarrick clean Christian McCarrick cmccarrick@gmail.com cmccarrick@gmail.com (Christian McCarrick) SimpleLeadership Quora – Simple Leadership https://simpleleadership.io/wp-content/plugins/powerpress/rss_default.jpg https://simpleleadership.io/category/quora/ cmccarrick@gmail.com 103359228 What advice would you give someone who is afraid of making the transition from college life to the real world? https://simpleleadership.io/what-advice-would-you-give-someone-who-is-afraid-of-making-the-transition-from-college-life-to-the-real-world/ https://simpleleadership.io/what-advice-would-you-give-someone-who-is-afraid-of-making-the-transition-from-college-life-to-the-real-world/#respond Mon, 11 Jan 2016 01:49:58 +0000 Christian McCarrick http://simpleleadership.io/what-advice-would-you-give-someone-who-is-afraid-of-making-the-transition-from-college-life-to-the-real-world/ Christian McCarrick The best days of your life are indeed ahead of you.  Times of transition and change are always hard, but they are also the perfect opportunities for growth. You are not the first person to graduate.  Don’t get too worked up over it. Don’t feel like you have to have it all figured […]

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The best days of your life are indeed ahead of you.  Times of transition and change are always hard, but they are also the perfect opportunities for growth.
  1. You are not the first person to graduate.  Don’t get too worked up over it.
  2. Don’t feel like you have to have it all figured out.  Many people don’t. 
  3. Set goals for yourself. 
  4. Nobody can help you like you can help yourself.  Your ultimate success and happiness is in your hands.  Do not wait around for something to fall into your lap.  If you want something, go and get it.
  5. Don’t be afraid to ask for help.  Use your network.
  6. Actively grow your network.  Having a strong network will last your entire life and will ultimately be one of your best assets.
  7. Follow good people over good money early in your career.  Join the company where you can learn the most instead of the one where you can earn the most.
  8. Don’t listen to people who are negative and don’t believe in you. 
  9. Don’t forget to have fun and make sure you travel every opportunity you get. 

See Questions On Quora


Source: Quora

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]]> https://simpleleadership.io/what-advice-would-you-give-someone-who-is-afraid-of-making-the-transition-from-college-life-to-the-real-world/feed/ 0 130 What advice would you give someone afraid of making the transition from college to the real world? https://simpleleadership.io/what-advice-would-you-give-someone-afraid-of-making-the-transition-from-college-to-the-real-world-2/ https://simpleleadership.io/what-advice-would-you-give-someone-afraid-of-making-the-transition-from-college-to-the-real-world-2/#respond Mon, 11 Jan 2016 01:49:58 +0000 Christian McCarrick http://simpleleadership.io/what-advice-would-you-give-someone-afraid-of-making-the-transition-from-college-to-the-real-world-2/ Christian McCarrick The best days of your life are indeed ahead of you.  Times of transition and change are always hard, but they are also the perfect opportunities for growth. You are not the first person to graduate.  Don’t get too worked up over it. Don’t feel like you have to have it all figured […]

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The best days of your life are indeed ahead of you.  Times of transition and change are always hard, but they are also the perfect opportunities for growth.

  1. You are not the first person to graduate.  Don’t get too worked up over it.
  2. Don’t feel like you have to have it all figured out.  Many people don’t. 
  3. Set goals for yourself. 
  4. Nobody can help you like you can help yourself.  Your ultimate success and happiness is in your hands.  Do not wait around for something to fall into your lap.  If you want something, go and get it.
  5. Don’t be afraid to ask for help.  Use your network.
  6. Actively grow your network.  Having a strong network will last your entire life and will ultimately be one of your best assets.
  7. Follow good people over good money early in your career.  Join the company where you can learn the most instead of the one where you can earn the most.
  8. Don’t listen to people who are negative and don’t believe in you. 
  9. Don’t forget to have fun and make sure you travel every opportunity you get. 

See Questions On Quora
Source: Quora

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]]> https://simpleleadership.io/what-advice-would-you-give-someone-afraid-of-making-the-transition-from-college-to-the-real-world-2/feed/ 0 165 As a software engineer, what’s the best skill set to have for the next 5-10 years? https://simpleleadership.io/as-a-software-engineer-whats-the-best-skill-set-to-have-for-the-next-5-10-years/ https://simpleleadership.io/as-a-software-engineer-whats-the-best-skill-set-to-have-for-the-next-5-10-years/#respond Sun, 03 Jan 2016 16:44:35 +0000 Christian McCarrick http://simpleleadership.io/as-a-software-engineer-whats-the-best-skill-set-to-have-for-the-next-5-10-years/ Core software engineering & computer science fundamentals with a strong focus on data and/or mobile. With the high-demand for web and software developers as of late, there have also been a number of “boot camp” and other programs to get people into software jobs quickly.  I am generally in favor of these programs, but they […]

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Core software engineering & computer science fundamentals with a strong focus on data and/or mobile.

With the high-demand for web and software developers as of late, there have also been a number of “boot camp” and other programs to get people into software jobs quickly.  I am generally in favor of these programs, but they do lack some of the core computer science fundamentals that will be needed to tackle the higher-order problems around “big data, ” Internet-of-things and machine learning, etc.

I believe that AI will continue to evolve, but it will not be a core skill for most software  engineers in the next five years or so.

However, more and more companies, apps, programs, etc. are relying on larger, more complex and heterogenous data to power them.  Being able to ingest, normalize, query and most importantly to understand this data will become more and more crucial over time.

I believe that engineers will have to work more closely than ever with business analytics peers and data scientists and become better at understanding the questions being asked and not just about providing the answers.

See Questions On Quora

Source: Quora

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]]> https://simpleleadership.io/as-a-software-engineer-whats-the-best-skill-set-to-have-for-the-next-5-10-years/feed/ 0 121 As a software engineer, what's the best skill set to have for the next 5-10 years? https://simpleleadership.io/as-a-software-engineer-whats-the-best-skill-set-to-have-for-the-next-5-10-years-2/ https://simpleleadership.io/as-a-software-engineer-whats-the-best-skill-set-to-have-for-the-next-5-10-years-2/#respond Sun, 03 Jan 2016 16:44:35 +0000 Christian McCarrick http://simpleleadership.io/as-a-software-engineer-whats-the-best-skill-set-to-have-for-the-next-5-10-years-2/ Christian McCarrick Core software engineering & computer science fundamentals with a strong focus on data and/or mobile. With the high-demand for web and software developers as of late, there have also been a number of “boot camp” and other programs to get people into software jobs quickly.  I am generally in favor of these programs, […]

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Core software engineering & computer science fundamentals with a strong focus on data and/or mobile.

With the high-demand for web and software developers as of late, there have also been a number of “boot camp” and other programs to get people into software jobs quickly.  I am generally in favor of these programs, but they do lack some of the core computer science fundamentals that will be needed to tackle the higher-order problems around “big data, ” Internet-of-things and machine learning, etc. 

I believe that AI will continue to evolve, but it will not be a core skill for most software  engineers in the next five years or so. 

However, more and more companies, apps, programs, etc. are relying on larger, more complex and heterogenous data to power them.  Being able to ingest, normalize, query and most importantly to understand this data will become more and more crucial over time. 

I believe that engineers will have to work more closely than ever with business analytics peers and data scientists and become better at understanding the questions being asked and not just about providing the answers.

See Questions On Quora


Source: Quora

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]]> https://simpleleadership.io/as-a-software-engineer-whats-the-best-skill-set-to-have-for-the-next-5-10-years-2/feed/ 0 182 Is it too late to make career change in mid 30s? It requires me to start from entry level. Is it worth it? https://simpleleadership.io/is-it-too-late-to-make-career-change-in-mid-30s-it-requires-me-to-start-from-entry-level-is-it-worth-it/ https://simpleleadership.io/is-it-too-late-to-make-career-change-in-mid-30s-it-requires-me-to-start-from-entry-level-is-it-worth-it/#respond Wed, 23 Dec 2015 17:04:05 +0000 Christian McCarrick http://simpleleadership.io/is-it-too-late-to-make-career-change-in-mid-30s-it-requires-me-to-start-from-entry-level-is-it-worth-it/ Christian McCarrick It is never too late.  However, in your 30s you might have more obligations than you did earlier in life.  If you have a family and/or mortgage, etc. these will limit your options. There have been many people who have changed careers late in life, people becoming doctors, authors, musicians, teachers, etc.  If […]

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It is never too late.  However, in your 30s you might have more obligations than you did earlier in life.  If you have a family and/or mortgage, etc. these will limit your options.
There have been many people who have changed careers late in life, people becoming doctors, authors, musicians, teachers, etc. 
If your dream is to make a change, sit down and come up with a realistic plan.  Be honest with creating the plan so that you do not give up.  It will take work and perseverance, but most people that I know that have switched careers have been ultimately much happier.

See Questions On Quora


Source: Quora

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]]> https://simpleleadership.io/is-it-too-late-to-make-career-change-in-mid-30s-it-requires-me-to-start-from-entry-level-is-it-worth-it/feed/ 0 118 Is it good to change career in andriod for an experienced .Net developer ? Please advice.. https://simpleleadership.io/is-it-good-to-change-career-in-andriod-for-an-experienced-net-developer-please-advice/ https://simpleleadership.io/is-it-good-to-change-career-in-andriod-for-an-experienced-net-developer-please-advice/#respond Wed, 23 Dec 2015 16:59:35 +0000 Christian McCarrick http://simpleleadership.io/is-it-good-to-change-career-in-andriod-for-an-experienced-net-developer-please-advice/ Christian McCarrick Ultimately, you should spend your career doing whatever you enjoy more.  You will be  working every day for years, so whatever keeps you happy and fulfilled should guide your decision. I think that the salaries will generally be pretty comparable to each other. .Net developer jobs tend to be focused more on enterprise […]

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Ultimately, you should spend your career doing whatever you enjoy more.  You will be  working every day for years, so whatever keeps you happy and fulfilled should guide your decision.
I think that the salaries will generally be pretty comparable to each other.
.Net developer jobs tend to be focused more on enterprise software development in larger companies (this is a generalization).
Android development started being more consumer based applications, but there is a large push for enterprise and B2B mobile applications as well.  I also feel that in the near future the job market for Android development will be very good.
If you know .Net you should be able to learn JAVA pretty quickly so switching should not be very hard.  If you are going to switch, I would learn both Android development AND server side API development skills as well.  This will give you more flexibility and more options in the future. 

See Questions On Quora


Source: Quora

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]]> https://simpleleadership.io/is-it-good-to-change-career-in-andriod-for-an-experienced-net-developer-please-advice/feed/ 0 119 As a manager, how do you cope with having to terminate people you’ve become personally close to? https://simpleleadership.io/as-a-manager-how-do-you-cope-with-having-to-terminate-people-youve-become-personally-close-to/ https://simpleleadership.io/as-a-manager-how-do-you-cope-with-having-to-terminate-people-youve-become-personally-close-to/#respond Tue, 22 Dec 2015 20:51:50 +0000 Christian McCarrick http://simpleleadership.io/as-a-manager-how-do-you-cope-with-having-to-terminate-people-youve-become-personally-close-to/ I have had to do this on several occasions.  Because the person was not performing well and also because of general workforce reductions.  I have also had to let go of a spouse while the other spouse still worked at the company. Letting someone go under is hard under any circumstance, but it becomes even […]

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I have had to do this on several occasions.  Because the person was not performing well and also because of general workforce reductions.  I have also had to let go of a spouse while the other spouse still worked at the company.

Letting someone go under is hard under any circumstance, but it becomes even harder if it is someone you are close to.  There have been studies that suggest managers can suffer from PTSD from stressful firing situations.

  1. Make sure you personally terminate the employee.  You will often have a representative in the room with you, but you should be the person to drive the discussion.  Yes, this is harder for you in the moment, but you will actually feel better about it later on.  The person you are terminating will also appreciate it (maybe not in the moment, but after the fact they will).  It shows a level of respect for them and demonstrates that you are willing to bear some of the burden.
  2. Do it as soon as you know you it has to be done.  Fretting over it will cause you so much anxiety that you will not be able to focus on anything else and it could also affect your health.  I know that I have personally lost sleep and been so anxious my hands would shake before I had to go through with some terminations.  The hardest part for you will be leading up to the actual termination.  Yes, it will still feel bad afterwards, but nothing like the anguish waiting to do it.
  3. Say the absolute minimum during the termination.  When you are nervous, you will be inclined to keep talking.  Saying too much can actually lead to legal issues, but it is not really doing anything to make the person feel better.  It is an attempt to justify why you are doing what you have to do.  Show them respect, say what you have to and promise to keep in touch.
  4. Follow-up with the person shortly after they are terminated.  Give them a day or two to personally deal with the termination and then reach out to them to offer your support and reassurance.
  5. DO NOT participate in bashing your employer.  You can listen to them vent all they want, but do not take part in being negative about your current employer.
  6. Work with a coach.  If you can find a mentor or a coach, ask their advice for dealing with situations like this.
  7. Sometimes having a professional to talk to (like a therapist) can help you deal with any guilt that you may have.
  8. Do something physical to help get the tension out.  Yoga, Gym, Boxing, etc.
  9. If you feel strongly that this person  wronged then start to look for a new job yourself.  Do not compromise your morals.

See Questions On Quora

 

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]]> https://simpleleadership.io/as-a-manager-how-do-you-cope-with-having-to-terminate-people-youve-become-personally-close-to/feed/ 0 113 As a manager, how do you cope with having to terminate people you've become personally close to? https://simpleleadership.io/as-a-manager-how-do-you-cope-with-having-to-terminate-people-youve-become-personally-close-to-2/ https://simpleleadership.io/as-a-manager-how-do-you-cope-with-having-to-terminate-people-youve-become-personally-close-to-2/#respond Tue, 22 Dec 2015 20:51:50 +0000 Christian McCarrick http://simpleleadership.io/as-a-manager-how-do-you-cope-with-having-to-terminate-people-youve-become-personally-close-to-2/ Christian McCarrick I have had to do this on several occasions.  Because the person was not performing well and also because of general workforce reductions.  I have also had to let go of a spouse while the other spouse still worked at the company.  Letting someone go under is hard under any circumstance, but it […]

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I have had to do this on several occasions.  Because the person was not performing well and also because of general workforce reductions.  I have also had to let go of a spouse while the other spouse still worked at the company. 

Letting someone go under is hard under any circumstance, but it becomes even harder if it is someone you are close to.  There have been studies that suggest managers can suffer from PTSD from stressful firing situations. 

The question asked specifically about how to cope as a manager vs. how to actually terminate the individual, so I will focus on that. 

  1. Make sure you personally terminate the employee.  You will often have a representative in the room with you, but you should be the person to drive the discussion.  Yes, this is harder for you in the moment, but you will actually feel better about it later on.  The person you are terminating will also appreciate it (maybe not in the moment, but after the fact they will).  It shows a level of respect for them and demonstrates that you are willing to bear some of the burden.
  2. Do it as soon as you know you it has to be done.  Fretting over it will cause you so much anxiety that you will not be able to focus on anything else and it could also affect your health.  I know that I have personally lost sleep and been so anxious my hands would shake before I had to go through with some terminations.  The hardest part for you will be leading up to the actual termination.  Yes, it will still feel bad afterwards, but nothing like the anguish waiting to do it.
  3. Say the absolute minimum during the termination.  When you are nervous, you will be inclined to keep talking.  Saying too much can actually lead to legal issues, but it is not really doing anything to make the person feel better.  It is an attempt to justify why you are doing what you have to do.  Show them respect, say what you have to and promise to keep in touch.
  4. Follow-up with the person shortly after they are terminated.  Give them a day or two to personally deal with the termination and then reach out to them to offer your support and reassurance.
  5. DO NOT participate in bashing your employer.  You can listen to them vent all they want, but do not take part in being negative about your current employer. 
  6. Work with a coach.  If you can find a mentor or a coach, ask their advice for dealing with situations like this.
  7. Sometimes having a professional to talk to (like a therapist) can help you deal with any guilt that you may have.
  8. Do something physical to help get the tension out.  Yoga, Gym, Boxing, etc.
  9. If you feel strongly that this person  wronged then start to look for a new job yourself.  Do not compromise your morals. 

See Questions On Quora


Source: Quora

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]]> https://simpleleadership.io/as-a-manager-how-do-you-cope-with-having-to-terminate-people-youve-become-personally-close-to-2/feed/ 0 183 What is it like to be an Insight Data Science Fellow? https://simpleleadership.io/what-is-it-like-to-be-an-insight-data-science-fellow/ https://simpleleadership.io/what-is-it-like-to-be-an-insight-data-science-fellow/#respond Fri, 18 Dec 2015 01:35:52 +0000 Christian McCarrick http://simpleleadership.io/what-is-it-like-to-be-an-insight-data-science-fellow/ Christian McCarrick This is a slightly different perspective on the question.  I was never an Insight Data Science Fellow, but I have personally hired multiple people who graduated from the program.  As a hiring manager in technology and data science I evaluated a number of different “bootcamp” type programs.  The Insight Data Science Fellow Program […]

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This is a slightly different perspective on the question. 
I was never an Insight Data Science Fellow, but I have personally hired multiple people who graduated from the program. 
As a hiring manager in technology and data science I evaluated a number of different “bootcamp” type programs.  The Insight Data Science Fellow Program is one of the best I have ever encountered.  The quality of the program and the people who graduate from the program are exceptional. 
As a company, they invite us to introduce our company to the fellows early on in each cohort.  This allows the fellows to express interest in our company and technology early on and be able to start a relationship early.  Some of the Fellows also get to do projects with actual companies in Silicon Valley and solve actual problems these companies are facing. 
I know from talking with the people we hired that this program  is very intense but very supportive of the Fellows.
Do a search on LinkedIn and you will see that these Fellows are also now working in many of the top companies in Silicon Valley.

See Questions On Quora


Source: Quora

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]]> https://simpleleadership.io/what-is-it-like-to-be-an-insight-data-science-fellow/feed/ 0 110 Is it bad to turn down an internship offer from the same company twice? https://simpleleadership.io/is-it-bad-to-turn-down-an-internship-offer-from-the-same-company-twice/ https://simpleleadership.io/is-it-bad-to-turn-down-an-internship-offer-from-the-same-company-twice/#respond Fri, 18 Dec 2015 01:26:03 +0000 Christian McCarrick http://simpleleadership.io/is-it-bad-to-turn-down-an-internship-offer-from-the-same-company-twice/ Christian McCarrick I would be curious as to why you applied to the same company again if you think you will not accept the offer.  If you decline the second offer I would probably not expect to receive another offer from them.  A number of companies use internships to groom future employees.  If you think […]

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I would be curious as to why you applied to the same company again if you think you will not accept the offer. 
If you decline the second offer I would probably not expect to receive another offer from them. 
A number of companies use internships to groom future employees.  If you think you will not want to work for this company when you graduate, then I guess I would not worry too much about it.  However, if this is a company you want to work for when you graduate, then I would not turn down the offer a second time.

See Questions On Quora


Source: Quora

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]]> https://simpleleadership.io/is-it-bad-to-turn-down-an-internship-offer-from-the-same-company-twice/feed/ 0 111