Summary

Soft Skills: The software developer's life manual is a unique guide, offering techniques and practices for a more satisfying life as a professional software developer. In it, developer and life coach John Sonmez addresses a wide range of important "soft" topics, from career and productivity to personal finance and investing, and even fitness and relationships, all from a developer-centric viewpoint.

Forewords by Robert C. Martin (Uncle Bob) and Scott Hanselman.

Purchase of the print book includes a free eBook in PDF, Kindle, and ePub formats from Manning Publications.

About the Book

For most software developers, coding is the fun part. The hard bits are dealing with clients, peers, and managers, staying productive, achieving financial security, keeping yourself in shape, and finding true love. This book is here to help.

Soft Skills: The software developer's life manual is a guide to a well-rounded, satisfying life as a technology professional. In it, developer and life coach John Sonmez offers advice to developers on important "soft" subjects like career and productivity, personal finance and investing, and even fitness and relationships. Arranged as a collection of 71 short chapters, this fun-to-read book invites you to dip in wherever you like. A Taking Action section at the end of each chapter shows you how to get quick results. Soft Skills will help make you a better programmer, a more valuable employee, and a happier, healthier person.

What's Inside

• Boost your career by building a personal brand
• John's secret ten-step process for learning quickly
• Fitness advice to turn your geekiness to your advantage
• Unique strategies for investment and early retirement

About the Author

John Sonmez is a developer, teacher, and life coach who helps technical professionals boost their careers and live a more fulfilled life.

Table of Contents

1. Why this book is unlike any book you've ever read
SECTION 1: CAREER
2. Getting started with a "BANG!": Don't do what everyone else does
3. Thinking about the future: What are your goals?
4. People skills: You need them more than you think
5. Hacking the interview
6. Employment options: Enumerate your choices
7. What kind of software developer are you?
8. Not all companies are equal
9. Climbing the corporate ladder
10. Being a professional
11. Freedom: How to quit your job
12. Freelancing: Going out on your own
13. Creating your first product
14. Do you want to start a startup?
15. Working remotely survival strategies
16. Fake it till you make it
17. Resumes are BORING--Let's fix that
18. Don't get religious about technology
SECTION 2: MARKETING YOURSELF
19. Marketing basics for code monkeys
20. Building a brand that gets you noticed
21. Creating a wildly successful blog
22. Your primary goal: Add value to others
23. #UsingSocialNetworks
24. Speaking, presenting, and training: Speak geek
25. Writing books and articles that attract a following
26. Don't be afraid to look like an idiot
SECTION 3: LEARNING
27. Learning how to learn: How to teach yourself
28. My 10-step process
29. Steps 1-6: Do these once
30. Steps 7-10: Repeat these
31. Looking for mentors: Finding your Yoda
32. Taking on an apprentice: Being Yoda
33. Teaching: Learn you want? Teach you must.
34. Do you need a degree or can you "wing it?"
35. Finding gaps in your knowledge
SECTION 4: PRODUCTIVITY
36. It all starts with focus
37. My personal productivity plan
38. Pomodoro Technique
39. My quota system: How I get way more done than I should
40. Holding yourself accountable
41. Multitasking dos and don'ts
42. Burnout: I've got the cure!
43. How you're wasting your time
44. The importance o