As a Product Manager, Would You Shut Down an Engineering Project Started By a Technical Lead?

Let’s imagine you are a product manager who recently paired with a new engineering team. You come across a project initiated by a technical lead that you would rather shutdown than watch continue. What would you do in such a scenario? Even if you feel that shutting down the project is best for the company, there is a right way to go about the process.

Are You Sure the Project Needs to Go?

Before you decide you need to put the brakes on an ongoing engineering project, make sure you are on the right track. Some tell-tale signs of a project being in trouble include:

• The team has no detailed project plan.
• There is no clear hierarchy in the team.
• No one from the company’s senior management is backing the project.
• There has been no customer involvement in product definition.
• The customer has not provided any feedback on deliverables.
• There is no use of suitable project tracking tools.
• The team is overworked.
• Team members have ideas about how to provide simpler solutions.
• There has been little to no testing.
• There is no clarity on exactly what’s expected from the final product.

Shutting Down a Project

Every once in a while, there comes a time when a product manager needs to shut down a project started by a technical lead (TL). If you are worried this might reflect poorly on your own performance, don’t be. Here are measures you may follow to make the process go as smoothly as possible.

• Include the TL in your talks with other stakeholders, which include feedback calls. This gives you an opportunity to get a first-hand perspective. For all you know, the TL might also feel that the project needs to go.
• Determine how aligned the project is to your company’s goals, because shutting it down might be easy if it is down the priority list.
• If you can get the project into a beta or minimum viable version (MVY) state with little effort, you may track its adoption (or lack of).
• Begin user-involvement at an early stage, simulate possible results, get required feedback, and make your decision accordingly.
• Speak with stakeholders who wanted the project implemented and find out their reasons. Share with them why you feel moving forward might not be a good idea.

The Alternatives

While you might want to take a firm decision of shutting down a project, think hard in case other stakeholders do not provide their complete support. If you have been tasked with recovering an engineering project, start by looking for signs of over- engineering. In some cases, you might be able to pivot projects by adding capabilities that provide value to end-users. Pay close attention to numbers when justifying a product’s level of automation, be it the number of users or the time saved.

Conclusion

When caught in a dilemma about whether or not to shutdown a project that a technical lead holds close to the heart, determine what’s best for your company. Thinking about sunken costs will do no good, because there’s a good chance you will need to rebuild anyways. Cutting your losses short - and even starting over if you have to - might be in your best interest.

When Does it Make Sense to Accept a Lower Salary for the Same Role?

Ideally, your paycheck should keep increasing until you retire. However, truth remains that people end up taking jobs that pay lesser than their last ones for a variety of reasons. Besides, getting raises can be challenging for people who are already at good stages in their careers. So, when does it make sense to accept a lower salary for the same role or a comparable one?

You Get Better Perks

Workplace benefits play an important role in your overall compensation package. If the company you wish to join is offering stock grants in lieu of a decrease in pay, you might have reason to consider. This is because public equity is basically cash, and you can list the same on your mortgage application. What you need to account for is how much the stock will need to drop before it becomes unprofitable for you. A better than existing insurance package might also warrant your attention. Other benefits can come in the form of free on-site childcare and financial assistance for education.

You Need Work

If you are unemployed and need a job in a hurry, accepting a job with the same role at a lower pay might be in your best interest. This is because there is no telling when a desirable job might come your way. Besides, you can still keep looking for better opportunities.

You Need to Retain Your Job

There have been numerous instances of pay cuts because of the COVID-10 pandemic. A study carried out by Hewitt Associates suggests that more than 15% large businesses have decreased base salaries owing to the recession. These include names such as Hewlett Packard, The New York Times, and FedEx. Even the entertainment industry has been affected, with Jay Leno’s 50% pay cut being a prime example in case.

It Seems More Rewarding

Are you at the top salary range in your existing organization and see little to no room for growth? If so, you might think about moving to a company that offers a more fulfilling and engaging role with better long-term prospects, even if you stand to make lesser money for the time being.

You Wish for a Better Work-Life Balance

A survey conducted by Mom Corps shows that around 45% working adults would give some percentage of their salary up for increased flexibility at work. Consider this example – you get to work from home for two out of five days a week if you are willing to take a slight cut in your pay check. If you feel that you crave more personal time, this might be the path to take.

You Enter a New Industry

You might have to deal with a lower salary if you move to a new industry or if you take your expertise to a different department in the same organization. For instance, if you move from programming to sales, you will retain your industry expertise but lose out on your functional expertise. A decrease in salary could also be on the cards if you move to from programming for a leading tech company to programming for a government agency.

You Are Relocating to a Place With a Lower Cost of Living

If you are moving from a place with a high cost of living to one with a lower cost of living, accepting a lower salary makes sense. This is because it is fairly common for employers to pay lesser in areas that have low costs of living. The cost of living in New York and San Francisco, for instance, is higher than that of Salt Lake City, which is why salaries in the first two cities are typically higher.

Tackling the Interview

Your interviewer might want to know why you are willing to accept a lower paycheck. This is because there might be concerns about how long you will stick around with the company. Unless you wish to take the job because you have no other option, prepare to answer this question honestly.

Conclusion

If you plan to take on a role with a lower salary, make sure you are aware of all its financial implications. Remember that you are free to negotiate and make a counter offer, which can be up to 10% more than the original offer. Determine just why you are taking a cut in your paycheck to avoid heartache further down the road.

How to Deal With a Biased Boss?

Do you think your boss showers one or more employees in your team with special treatment, while the efforts of others go in vain? If so, understand that the workplace is almost never a level playing field because bosses and employees are all too human. Work place favoritism has probably existed since the dawn of workplaces, and most people find themselves at one end of the spectrum or other at some point in time.

While dealing with a biased boss might seem daunting, you need put your foot down at some stage in order to move forward professionally. Fortunately, finding a solution might be simpler than you think.

Signs of a Biased Boss

You need to be sure if your boss is biased so you may take effective corrective actions. Here are signs that mark bias in a boss.

• A particular employee is constantly showered with praise for no apparent reason.
• Others in your team get better career development opportunities.
• You feel micromanaged all the time.
• You don’t get feedback.
• Your request for a raise is rejected without a valid reason.
• You’re not included in important meetings.
• You receive criticism even when you do a good job. 

Are You Really a Victim?

Are you sure that your boss is biased or might you have perceived a situation incorrectly? One way to determine if you’re thinking straight is to ask your colleagues if they feel the same way. Pay attention to conversations between your boss and those who you feel receive undue praise. Could it be that the people you who feel are being favored are actually more adept at handling tasks assigned to them? Remember that an incorrect assumption can lead to drastic consequences.

Act Normally

Pretend that you have no inclination about your boss playing favorites. You definitely don’t want your boss to see you in bad light, which is why you need to keep all adverse reactions at bay. While you might not be your boss’ favorite, you don’t want to end up at the bottom of the ladder either. Bear in mind that emotions can cloud your vision. Determine what the favored employee is doing right, because two can play the game.

Know Your Performance Metrics

Seek clarity about the performance metrics that apply on your team. Ask for your key responsibility areas (KRAs) so you can identify the basis of your evaluation. With a clear picture of your targets and expected standards, you know just what you need to do to get your boss’ attention. However, this also requires that you put your best foot forward consistently, and work on improving your skills.

Find a Mentor

If you feel that no matter what you do your boss is just not giving you your due, consider finding a mentor. A mentor can guide you in exploring other possible roles within your organization based on your skill set. In addition, you may also receive guidance surrounding what you need to do to improve your skills and how to get noticed by other leaders in your organization.

Document All That You See and Hear

Once you’re sure that your boss is biased, start documenting all that you might see or hear about him/her, because this is crucial when it comes to establishing a pattern of biased behavior. However, this step requires that you be honest and objective. You might make use of this documentation at a later stage, if higher ups or the HR department enters the picture.

Talk to Your Boss

You might consider bringing your reservations up with your boss directly. However, make sure you are subtle, as opposed to being accusatory. In some cases, highlighting clear data points instead of making generic statements helps bring to the surface some unconscious biases.

Explore Other Options

When all else fails, you might want to look for other opportunities, either within your organization, or elsewhere. Some organizations give employees the ability to make lateral moves to other managers or projects. At this stage, affecting a positive change is basically up to you.

What You Need to Do If You Face Discriminatory Bias

The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) states that it is illegal to discriminate against employees based on race, religion, color, sex, age (40 or older), national origin, disability, or genetic information. It is also illegal to retaliate against anyone who has complained about discrimination, filed an official complaint about discrimination, or taken part in an employment discrimination lawsuit or investigation.

If you find yourself in any such situation, consider filing a complaint with your organization’s HR department. You might also think about contacting a lawyer and/or the EEOC.

Conclusion

There is no reason for you to go out of your way to please your boss as long as you’re good at your work. What you need to bear in mind, though, is that your boss is simply trying to provide value to his/her boss. Favorites typically help managers look good in front of their bosses, so there’s no real bias there. If you can think of a way to make your boss’ life easier, you might find yourself becoming the next favorite. If things seem beyond your control and the bias is real, reporting it might be your best bet.

How to handle teammates that hog up time in Standup meetings?

Introduction

Have you ever been in a meeting where you or your teammates were not given the chance to speak-up or discuss your tasks and ask your questions because there was that one single team or member who spent more time than they are supposed to with the manager of the meeting, discussing aspects related to their own assignment without giving consideration to the time limit or other teams waiting in line?! There is a high chance that you have gone through or experienced this situation yourself at least once during your career or academic studies. In this article, we are going to provide some point that will help you to deal with that. 

Standup meetings

In today’s world, time is money. For example, every second that passes by in wall street, thousands or millions of transactions are made, companies and individuals can lose or gain a huge amount of money if they do not react quickly or in a timely manner. A company can lose a patent or an invention to its competitor, just because they were seconds late. This is a fast-moving world that does not wait for people who are slow.  After understanding the importance of time specifically in the business industry, let’s explain briefly what are standup meetings. Standup meetings are basically group meetings that are conducted between participants with one simple difference that you might have already guessed it, it is conducted while the participants are standing. The main aim of conducting the meeting with participants standing is to make the meeting duration short and quick, where just basically the main feedback or essential tasks are discussed and then everyone is back to their own work. This gives managers and teams the opportunity to be updated on projects’ progress, potential issues and prioritize tasks. This type of meetings is currently being used widely in companies and even in universities and schools. Standup meetings can last between 15 to 30 minutes depending on the size of the teams and project. 

Importance of Standup meetings

Among the unique features of standup meetings is that they do not need to be conducted in meeting rooms, equipped with chairs and projectors, instead they can be conducted in hallways, courtyards or in any other area that can just accommodate the participating number of people. Standup meetings give all members the chance to present and share their work and update briefings in a concise and effective manner. This creates some kind of leaning forward concentration in the meeting among the participants instead of the traditional laid-back approach of participants sitting on chairs and listening to prolonged hours to the presenting participant. The standing position of participants creates and boosts participants attention and information retention. This helps in speeding meetings up, which can be a huge waste of time if conducted in the traditional way. This improves productivity due to the minimal disturbance of the workforce. 

Problem Identification

Standup meetings are not meant to last long as they are intended to address main issues and updates in brief details and in a clear manner. However, some individuals or teams do miss the main point of standup meetings and go into details taking so much time and wasting their own and others time. This inconsiderate behavior creates a toxic waste environment that badly affects all teams and the organization as a whole. Standup meetings are not intended to discuss each and every step that was taken to solve an issue but rather to be concise and to the point with your presentation. Some team members might not get the chance to represent their work, concerns or issues, giving a bad impression to the manager or the team leader. 

How to handle a Standup meeting?

There are three main players in a meeting, the presenter (the person who is talking and presenting his work and issues he/she is facing), the manager (the person who is running the meeting and responsible for the combined work of all teams) and the coworkers or teammates (coworkers or teammates who are working in the same team as the presenter or working in other teams and on other tasks than the presenting team). There are many ways by which someone can handle such situation. The teams who did not get the chance to present their work at all or in an appropriate way because they were given no time, can talk to the manager separately about such problem. They can also call out the presenter in a polite way stating that they are not going to have time to present their issues and share their progress. You can also make a bold move of informing your teammates and manager that you have another meeting and you are going to leave. The meeting manager should set a time limit of 3 minutes to 5 minutes per team depending on the size of the team. An experienced manager should notice when time limit is exceeded and should stop or warn the presenting team. A good manager should give an equal chance to all teams and team members to present their selves. The third player, who is the presenting person who is exceeding the time limit should be considerate and respectable of his/her teammates. He/she should time himself/herself and tackle the main points and issues in his/her work. 

Conclusion

People like those who spend more time than their time limit and limit the chances of their teammates and coworkers to sufficiently present themselves, by trying to over spot the light on themselves and their work, will always exist, because people are of different personalities and characteristics. To amend such behavior, we should highlight the issue on the spot and advise the manager and teammates of the problem and how such behavior could lead to workplace toxicity. If we keep saying: yes, I am against it without taking action the moment it happened, it will always exist. However, if the community condemned it and took action right away, that would help limit the problem, resolve the issue and lessen the chances of it happening again. So, take action!

References: 

https://www.teamblind.com/post/Fed-up-with-blabberers-during-standup-u2Pouk6P
https://blog.bird-office.com/en/2017/08/23/advantages-stand-meeting/

Why self evaluate?

Are you wondering why you need to self-evaluate before your performance review, because no matter how well (or not) you are doing, your boss will have the final word? Do you think your evaluation might hold absolutely no merit? If so, know that the self-evaluation process is typically in place for good reason.

By the time you are done reading this page, you will find out why organizations require their employees to evaluate their own performance, as well as how to go about the process.

The Need for Self-Evaluation

Self-evaluation gives employers means to engage their employees when it comes to evaluating their performance, as well as for formulating career goals. As an employee, it gives you an opportunity to prepare for your appraisal, after taking into account your performance and overall contribution to your team and organization.

Reasons why self-evaluation plays an important role in performance reviews include:

• You get to reflect on your professional accomplishments and mistakes. 
• Your manager gets to look at your performance from your point of view – be it in the form of your achievements or the challenges you face.
• Highlights from your self-evaluation serve as the foundation for your future objectives and goals, and can also be used to develop a suitable self-development plan.
• You can use the results as a driving force to motivate yourself.
• Your employer might use it as a basis for a hike in salary, a promotion, or a renewed contract.
• It helps highlight differences in performance-related expectations between employers and employees.

Feeling Intimidated is Normal

It is common for employees to feel intimated when they have to self-evaluate their performances. Matters can get especially challenging if you feel that your manager might cast aspersions on your ability to self-evaluate.  Some people find it hard to bring objectivity to the table, whereas some others have doubts about the details they need to include.

Bear in mind that your self-evaluation gives your manager a good starting point, and going through the process requires that you have a clear plan.

The Approach to Follow

Begin by making a list of all your responsibilities and duties. Take time to think about your performance since your last performance review, appraisal, or performance development meeting. Aspects that you need to include in your self-evaluation include:

• All the goals you have accomplished
• All your failures and mistakes
• Areas in which you need to improve
• Future goals

Since the idea behind a self-evaluation is to highlight your accomplishments, it is important that you take pride in your work. However, you need to be specific, rational, honest, and critical in your approach. You also need to shed light on all that you have learnt. Including facts and figures tends to help.

During the performance review, ask your manager for feedback about your performance. If the answer suggests that your performance is not up to the mark, identify what you need to do to improve. Treat the process as a conversation and not an inquisition. 

Conclusion

Self-assessments offer benefits for employers and employees alike.  Employers can use them to find out how their employees feel about their own performance. As an employee, you can use a self-assessment to identify your own successes and shortcomings. It can also serve as effective road-map, helping your career progress in the right direction.

Feel free to ask questions about this blog post by using the comments section. If you found the write-up to be helpful, please share it with others and click on the like button. Read more articles about careers in software by following us now.

 

Joining a new job ? Make sure to ask these

Consider a scenario where an interviewer asks you if you have any questions about the company or the role for which you’re interviewing. Do you have a number of questions to ask, or are you left wondering? If you’re not sure about what questions to ask, you’ll have a fair indication of which way to go once you’re done watching this video.

Why do you need to ask questions during an interview, you wonder? Well, doing so can give you a clear picture of what to expect in your new job, and it can also help you make a well-informed decision.

While questions might vary depending on the type of role you’re applying for, here are some that remain common no matter which technology-based role you seek.

Will I have ownership of products?

It helps to find out if you’ll have to work along a predetermined path or if you’ll have enough influence to affect changes. For instance, you might get complete ownership of a product as soon as you join one organization, whereas you might have to wait indefinitely in another. Find out who decides product roadmaps and who is responsible for providing inputs. Ask if you’ll get to interact will all important stakeholders. This will better indicate your role in the organization.

Can I work on side projects?

Bear in mind that not all companies encourage or even allow their employees to take on side projects. Ask if working on side projects is allowed, be it contributing to open source platforms or developing software. If it’s allowed, your next question should cover the process you need to follow. Then, find out if you will need to get permission from the legal department. In some cases, companies take ownership of their employees’ side projects, especially if they’re related to the same market segment.

What will my work hours look like?

Sure, you get an indication of your work hours before you join. However, make sure you ask how realistic the timings are, ideally from an existing team member. This is because hiring and process managers might not give you the real picture.

How good is the company with following customer timelines?

Try to determine the approach your probable employer follows when adhering to timelines set by its customers. For instance, if a customer requires a product in two months, will the company ensure that it delivers within the given time frame? While an answer in the affirmative might speak well about the company’s outlook toward its customers, it can also indicate signs of burnouts for its employees – because you might need to burn the midnight oil, over and over again.

Who are your biggest clients and what pain points do you address?

Answers to these questions will vary significantly. However, what you need to look for in the answers is if they’re aligned. If you feel they’re largely misaligned, you get two options from which to choose. You may either view this as a red flag or consider taking it on as a challenge.

How many employees work from home?

Given the change in working styles and environments that have come about because of the COVID-19 pandemic, this question begs to be asked. While some companies are going all out in getting their employees to work from home, some others are not as forthcoming. 

Questions You Need to Ask Before Joining a Startup

If you plan to join a startup, you might benefit by asking these questions as well.

• What problem is the company trying to solve, and what is its USP?
• What’s your long-term vision for my role, my team, and the organization?
• What is your growth strategy?
• Is the company looking at being acquired soon or does it plan to move ahead on its own?
• Do you have an exit strategy in place?
• Who are the existing shareholders?
• How many months of operations can you sustain before the next round of funding?
• What is the biggest risk that the company faces?

Remember that an interview gives you the opportunity to clear any doubt you might have about your new job. Asking the right questions at this stage is crucial if you wish to sail smoothly down the line. After all, what good is landing up in a role or an organization that does little for your career’s growth?

Is there any point of a PMP certification?

What is PMP?

PMP is an abbreviation for Project Management Professional. It is a professional certificate that is awarded to certain individuals who pass the Project Management Body of Knowledge exam. The certificate is awarded by the Project Management Institute PMI, which is located in the United States of America and is recognized internationally. There are over one million PMP certified and active individuals around the globe. It is awarded to individuals who demonstrate skill, knowledge, experience and competency that are required for the project manager to manage various projects and lead teams from different backgrounds to achieve the project's goals. PMP gains its importance for being imperative and essential in almost every industry. The demand for PMP certificate varies from one industry to another. The demand comes from the need to have individuals who are able to handle system reorganizations, develop strategic plans, manage outcomes, handle issues and ensure system effectiveness. Being recognized globally, the PMP certification is considered an unbiased endorsement of the individual’s project management experience and knowledge.

Skills tested in a PMP exam

The project management professional exam tests five different skills for the project manager. The first skill tested is the individual’s ability to understand the project goal and problems. This tests the individual’s ability to identify the key issues in the project and clearly be able to have an idea about the end project result. Another skill is the ability to plan the project. This checks whether the candidate has the ability to create a long-term plan that would be followed throughout the entire project, unless there are changes or unexpected variables that might be introduced later on in the project resulting in plan changes and adjustments. Again, to be able to develop a successful plan, the candidates need to show an understanding of the project’s goals and key elements. A third skill is the ability to run and execute the project according to the developed plan. This tests the candidate’s team management and leadership skills represented by distributing and assigning tasks to the right people according to a set period of time. This skill is considered a crucial skill in the PMP exam. The fourth main skill tested is the candidate’s ability to manage, monitor and control the project. The project management professional should be able to handle delays, monitor tasks and conduct adjustments accordingly. The candidate should be able to notice and identify issues that the project might run into and tackle them. Finally, the candidate is tested for his project closure skills. This tests his ability to meet goals and deliver the project according to the assigned time frame.

What is the main role of a Developer?

A developer is the person who works in software development. Developers are responsible for designing the software and identifying the main goals of the software that is yet to be created. They are also responsible for creating, developing and testing the software to meet the design requirements. The final step involves maintaining and adding features to the developed software. As you might have noticed, the developer’s work is similar to that of a project manager. Developers can develop software to different companies for different purposes, so they are not limited to computer manufacturing companies, but they can rather work for different companies involving different industries. This is again similar to a project manager working on different trades in one large project. A developer is responsible for understanding the problem to be solved, designing a solution, developing and programming the solution, testing the developed solution and finally releasing the software to the client.

What Project managers do?

As previously mentioned, a successful manager is an individual who is capable of achieving a successful project initiation, planning, implementation, monitoring, development and closure. A successful project manager should be able to identify key project elements, detect unstated assumptions, lessen uncertainties and risks, manage the project process and finally deliver the project. The PM should listen to feedback from the project’s team members and act accordingly. A crucial role that is played by the project manager – independent of the working environment or industry – is making critical decisions. The project manager is the one responsible for the project’s success. Accordingly, key decisions taken by the project manager are crucial to control risks, handle issues and minimize uncertainty.

Is PMP certification enough to switch from being a developer to project manager?

The short answer is not much. It is clear that there are obvious differences between being a developer and being a project manager. Despite the similarities in some of the job duties, a developer is yet to possess some of the skills that a project manager needs to lead a team, plan, implement and manage a project throughout the whole project phase. Obtaining a PMP certificate is not enough to do the career shift from being a developer to being a project manager. The certificate is used to test the way you are going to handle different situations that a project manager might face. In most cases, a good project manager develops his skills from previous experiences. He might rely on the concepts that he learned during his studies towards PMP certification, but still, it is not simple to mimic real life situations and complexities on paper. In addition, there is no theoretical way that you can use to run a project, but rather it comes with lots of practice, job shadowing and experience. Being a developer with a PMP certification is not enough to convince any company that you are capable of running a project and leading a team of different backgrounds and skills that are much broader. According to some of the people who receive job applications for project management position, possessing a PMP certificate makes no to little difference and does not give the candidate the edge he/she might have in mind.

Is engineering PM an over-saturated role ?

Do you think that the role of a project manager (PM) is overrated? Do you feel it is hyped, oversaturated, and maybe, even elitist? If so, you probably need a reality check. The competition that one has to deal with to become a PM, after all, is often worth the effort.

In this post, you will find out why the role of a PM is relevant, especially in today’s times.

Start by understanding that many seemingly great products would not have found the success they have if not for competent PMs. However, the role is such that the number of PM openings is typically lower when compared to completely engineering or technical roles.

What Does a Project Manager Do?

Businesses that require PMs do so with good reason. While they have engineers and developers to focus on software and mechanical specifics of getting products going, PMs play a vital role in understanding customer requirements and communicating with all stakeholders.


In a nutshell, a PM needs to understand customer requirements, identify tools or processes that can be of use, and oversee the creation, execution, and delivery of any project.


A good PM would also be adept at:

• Identifying and resolving issues
• Budgeting
• Time management and approval
• Team-building

One of the biggest challenges that PMs face is influencing people without exercising an air of authority. This can be particularly difficult when they have to deal with people who don’t report to them directly.

Project Managers vs. Product Managers

While both are PMs in their own right, and both come from predominantly engineering backgrounds, they have different responsibilities.


Project managers need to ensure that tasks are assigned to the right people, while also making sure of timely delivery. Their focus is on driving the development of products. A project manager would typically:

• Oversee the workload of multiple engineers
• Have at least basic technical knowledge about products being developed
• Solve management and scheduling problems
• Coach and offer advice
• Resolve disputes

A technical product manager, on the other hand, is responsible for making tech-based decisions after considering different metrics, as well as for overseeing the execution of development plans.

The "Worth" of a Project Manager

As a project manager, you should have the required knowledge about your realm, failing which you don’t stand a very good chance of earning your peers’ respect. Being able to influence without authority is also important.


You should be able to get through roadblocks faced by your engineers and bring plans to fruition. For instance, if your engineers are waiting for information from a product owner who is slow to respond, you should be able to deliver in a timely manner.


Consider this example – you are responsible for handling a team that is working on a completely new product. You need to start by determining if it is a good idea. Then, you need to look into existing competition, as well as address aspects related to costs and revenue. You also need to collaborate with the marketing team so it can help you get your product off the ground. To do all this effectively, you need more than just engineering skills.

As you can see, the role of a project manager is rather wide-ranging, and calls for high levels of soft skills as well as business skills.

Conclusion

Getting back to whether the role of PMs has become oversaturated, the answer remains an obvious no. However, what should go without saying is that not having a PM at all is better than having a bad one. A good PM should not only have technical knowhow and analytical skills, but should also be able to distribute accountability and ownership of key aspects to the core team.

If you can manage to double up as a project and product manager, there’s nothing like it, because you’re then responsible for executing your own suggestions.

What Happens to Your Software Career When You Turn 50?

Have you reached that stage in your software career where you are wondering how relevant you might remain once you turn 50? Are you worried about finding a job that matches your existing skill set? If so, know that there is plenty of light at the end of this tunnel.
This blog post addresses all the aspects that need your attention in keeping your software career going way beyond your 50s, should you so desire.
You need to start by understanding that just your years of experience might not serve the purpose. This is because whiling away in your existing job without taking on new challenges, while simply waiting for the years to pile, will do little good for your prospects in the future. Therefore, what happens to your software career in your 50s and later is basically up to you.

What Does the Existing Scenario Look Like?

There are several programmers over 50 years of age who have managed to do rather well for themselves, be it in the form of responsibilities or financial growth. Some have found great roles with leading names such as Google and Amazon, some are playing important roles at startups, and some others have found success as independent consultants.
Names such as Jon Skeet, Linus Torvalds, Jeff Dean, John Cormack, and Doug Cutting have gone on to show that age is just a number when it comes to keeping a career in software going great guns. It is also interesting to note that not many end up going toward management.

What You Need to Do

If you are looking at continual growth in your software career, it is important that you remain ambitious and continue improving. Adding to your skill set along the way is crucial. For instance, if you have been programming for two or more decades, it is fair to assume that you have moved from COBOL to VB4 to Oracle to Java.
Going forward, the progression needs to continue. You may also need to reinvent yourself at some stage. Might you, for instance, consider a switch to AI- or IoT-related technology?
With a strong foundation of coding and database architecture in place, learning new technologies is fairly straightforward and takes little time. This is because you start seeing patterns that are repeated and reapplied in different domains.
Depending on how good you are and the value you bring to the table, you can end up being mediocre, while still retaining a good job, or become highly sought after by market leaders.

Roles You Might Get to Play

Depending on your skill set and areas of interest, you may consider taking up different roles in the later stages of your career.
Engineers can look for roles in technical management.
Coders can take up leadership roles related to product strategies.
You may work as a distinguished engineer, who is nothing short of an influencers’ influencer.
You can become a technology advisor for a large company that is working its way around the legalities of software development and use.
You can voice your opinion on controversial software-related topics such as the use of AI, cybersecurity, dark patterns, and software ethics.

What You Should Not Do

Several people try to rush their careers in a hurry to become product or people managers. This is usually with the aim of wanting to stop coding or getting a hike in salary. Most experts opine that getting an initial thrust in a software career can make you replaceable not far down the line. Besides, if you don’t pay attention to your technical skill set, and also indulge in office politics, you stand the risk of someone younger coming in and taking on your role more effectively.
The bottom line is that focusing on the technical side while continually upgrading your knowledge and skill set is bound to hold you in good stead no matter whether you are 50 or older. As long as you manage to stay relevant and have the fire in your belly going, there is no stopping you from shining in your software career even as the years go by.
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No interview calls? Your resume is probably not getting past any SWE recruiter.

Several SWEs experience difficulty in getting interview calls for software engineering jobs. Wondering what they might be doing wrong and what they can do to increase their chances follows. If you find yourself in the same boat, going through this post in its entirety will give you a fair indication of what you need to do to land an interview call that can change it all.

What have you been doing wrong ?

Start by determining what you’ve been doing wrong so far. Answering these questions will help.

• Have you been using the same resume to apply for all the jobs you come across?
• Have you been over selling yourself?
• Is your job search limited to a few resources?

If your answers to these questions are in the affirmative, getting that interview call you crave might continue to remain a pipe dream. Fortunately, taking a few relatively simple measures can set you on the right track.

Get your resume in order

The first filter your resume needs to cross is that of a recruiter. Here’s what you need to do to get past this roadblock.

• Don’t add summary and objective sections because most recruiters tend to skip these.
• Keep your resume to one page, unless your experience stretches to beyond two decades.
• Your resume doesn’t need you complete address – the city and state are enough.
• If you need to email your resume, send it as a PDF and not a Word file, because the latter can lose its formatting on other machines.
• Include genuine interests because these can help recruiters connect with possible interviewees.
• Read through your resume in 10 to 15 seconds, and identify key take away points. That’s typically how long recruiters take for initial screenings.
• Get someone from within the industry to review your resume.

Try to get referrals

Referrals give job aspirants easy means to land interview calls. This is typically a win-win situation because, from a recruiter’s point of view, a referral is nothing short of gold.

If you have former colleagues who work with companies that interest you, ask them for referrals. However, don’t give them your resume straightaway. Mention that you’re interested in what the company might have to offer and give them your contact details along with a link to your LinkedIn profile.

Don’t hesitate to ask for referrals from anyone you feel might be able to help. These can include friends, relatives, and even acquaintances. Using platforms such as Teamblind and Reddit might prove to be beneficial as well. When asking for referrals, remember that you need to be polite, not overbearing.

Quantify your work

Try to quantify your experience. For example, instead of saying, “Maintained a crucial piece of internal marketing tool meant for corporate users”, go with something like, “Maintained a 5,000 line code, fixed 300 bugs, and delivered 50 change requests for a marketing tool deployed by around 200 users over a six-month period”.

Highlight the work experience they need

As clichéd as this might sound, getting the work experience right is crucial. Adding volumes about mundane details serves little to no purpose. Seasoned recruiters will not attempt to find what they need in your sea of fluff. Neither do they have the time, nor do they care.

While your resume needs to reflect what you have worked on in the past, it’s important that you read job postings carefully, and use the core words you find there in your own resume.

For example, if a job requires five years work experience in AngularJS framework, do not assume that a recruiter will get the required information from your brief mention of, “10 years experience in JavaScript frameworks”. Highlight and underline what they are looking for, while using just the right jargon. Do away with, or provide little focus on, aspects that don’t matter to a recruiter.

Do not lie about your work experience. Remember that the verbiage you use in this section speaks a lot about your existing and future potential as a candidate. Trained eyes tend to know just what to watch out for when it comes to this aspect.

Accept it, your resume may not be the best

Bear in mind that the companies you have worked for in the past matter, because recruiters view FAANG, unicorn companies, and regular bodyshop IT consulting companies differently. Be comfortable in knowing that there are other candidates who might appear more appealing on paper, and that your resume is probably at the bottom of the pile. Set your expectations accordingly. It’s best not to have a dream company in mind.

Your visa status may be, unfortunately a factor

If you’re in the U.S. on a work visa, remember that many companies view the process of getting a visa transferred as cumbersome. If you’re here on a student visa, the company you wish to join would have to apply for a work visa on your behalf.

If you have declared that you need visa support, probable employers may choose to ignore your resume. There is nothing much you can do about this, especially if they do not disclose their preferences ahead of time.

Have you tried adding a cover letter?

Most online application methods give you the ability to add an optional document in the form of a cover letter. Use this opportunity to highlight how your work experience will benefit the organization in question. Mention important points that don’t find room in your resume.

A farfetched yet effective idea would be to write a critique about something that is well known, or even about the organization’s website, tool, or process - while offering suggestions for improvement. For example, if you’re applying for the position of a frontend engineer at food delivery startup, you may provide ideas about how to improve UI experience without the need for extensive redesigning.

Look for openings through different platforms

Several recruiters use LinkedIn to find probable candidates. When updating your LinkedIn profile, follow the mantra of “Less is More”. For instance, you don’t need to add details about all the projects you’ve worked on, or the teams you manage.

• If your career has progressed well, make sure you add your job titles.
• Change your profile’s settings to reflect that you’re open to new opportunities.
• Add all relevant skills that you might have.

Check postings on Hacker News’ Who is Hiring. These are updated each month. In several cases, hiring managers add these posts, so you get the ability to bypass Human Resources. Attending hackathons and meet ups might also be fruitful.

While the going might seem tough at the beginning of your search for a new job, you can make the process easier by paying attention to the aspects mentioned herein. Getting through an interview, then, becomes your next challenge. 

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Feeling lost at your programming job ? You are not alone.

Introduction

Maybe you are let to believe that you are either not doing so well in your programming career or want to excel beyond your colleagues in the market or even have no purpose in your job and want to be motivated. In this article I will be offering some help on that.

First of all, you have to assess the situation, you can be unmotivated by your manager, or you can be falling behind your co-workers and need extra effort to cope with them, or maybe you are not feeling challenged in your work … and so on and so forth. After assessing the situation, it is time to take an action that suites you personally. Remember, there can be more than one solution to any given problem … it differs from one person to another. Let me in the following paragraphs propose some possible solutions to the scenarios I mentioned earlier. 

Scenario #1 to be unmotivated by your manager

We all know how positively or negatively a manager can influence the employees without even noticing. The most important thing is to never let anyone affect your self-confidence or make you question your capabilities. 

In programming obviously, you can write tens or even hundreds of codes to do the same task. It doesn’t mean that you were wrong and your manager was right if you didn’t deliver the results your manager wanted. You can solve that by having 1:1 conversation with your manager explaining how you feel. Maybe you need training on something. Maybe you are burned out solving issues that are of lesser priority and loosing focus on the bigger tasks. These are non-technical management things to focus on. If that doesn’t help, find a senior team member or a mentor to seek advice from. Or raise the issue in your workplace to a higher level.

Scenario #2 falling behind your co-workers in terms of performance

Let it be clear that it is not always a good idea to compare yourself with others because everyone has his own circumstances. However, we are living in a very competitive world that will create comparisons out of nowhere especially in a tech/programming job.

It is possible that you are not actually 100% sure of your interest in your current job. Maybe you as a web developer, find robotics interesting or as an embedded systems engineer is fascinated by web development. Put aside some hours per week to try them out, without forming close opinions. I have been there myself, but I had taught myself how to experiment before settling with what I want to do. It is possible that the new thing you picked up might become stagnant in 5 years, but then you already know how to repeat the cycle. You are older and wiser by now.

You are comparing yourself with much experienced friends. Ambition is a great thing but a negative feedback along the way is demoralizing. Know how to get positive feedback and keep yourself motivated along the way by gaining some perspective by doing freelancing or contributing to open source in your spare time. I’m sure most of the known names in programming have been there at the beginning of their career. You don’t have to be perfect to those, all you need to start is to be able to do things others can’t. One step after another you will improve faster than you can imagine. That way you can also dedicate some time in your week to learn and practice new things. You can do that by taking online courses or attending group workshops. Create dummy projects and try new techniques and tools. Remember, practicing a trade helps you sharpen your skills and a no-pressure hobby project is a great option to achieve that.

Scenario #3 not feeling challenged in your work. 

It is easy to feel bored if you keep doing the same tasks over and over … day after day. You are pretty good at what you do and it doesn’t push your intellectual limits any more – like production support job in a pretty stable environment where the most stressful moments of your job is handhold users to get their password reset. There is no development in repeating your job duties with little to no changes every single day. You can solve that by thinking outside the box, as cliché as it may seem, but this strategy actually works. Let the computer do the boring stuff by automating manual processes as much as you can in your code. By that, you will have time to work on your self-development. Re-visit old tools and try to improve them or even create new tools that will help you and others afterwards. That may provide some edge to eventually grow out of the grunt and maybe offer a distinction in the eyes of your manager. If a promotion doesn’t pan out as a result, you now have something to talk about in your resume for your next job.

Bonus Tips

At the end let me give you some bonus tips. The first and most important tip is to get out of your comfort zone. Keep challenging yourself to do things you never thought you could do. For example, involve yourself in a project written in a new programming language that you are not expert in yet. “Magic happens outside your comfort zone” I believe that if you adopt this saying in your life, you will really witness the magic. The second tip is to review your progress on a monthly basis. Make sure that you are heading towards the right direction, re-visit your goals and reflect on your outcomes. 

Conclusion

Finally, be sure that to set reasonable goals with achievable steps and don’t overload yourself with a lot of things at the same time. Small consistent steps on the right track will lead you to a better future and you all know the famous quote “The journey of a thousand miles begins with one step.”