The Developers Field Guide to Getting Hired and Staying Employed
I started writing one thing and it turned into something else!
The worst part about being a writer and having too much to say about almost everything is that when I start writing I end up chasing squirrels and shiny objects and end up cranking out a ton of material.
But lets take it back a notch or two…
I got this great idea toward the end of 2022.
I’m going to write this killer book for developers that will tell them everything they need to know about a career in software development, but that no one ever talks about on Twitter.
Things like:
Getting hired
Getting fired
Office politics
Job hopping
Career progression (and the lack thereof)
Risk Management
Project and Product Management
Freelancing vs Contracting vs Full Time Employment
Etc, etc, etc.
When I hit the 228 page mark, something occurred to me:
No one is going to read this damn thing!
I don’t want to fall into the book that should have been a pamphlet trap: too wordy, too long, bloated, and miserable.
So I got out my sword and started slicing.
The result?
My 1.0 release of…
The Developers Field Guide to Getting Hired and Staying Employed
Available now to download on Gumroad and free for the time being (although you can pay anything you’d like, I’m OK with that! 🥰)
What’s covered in this version?
So What Is A Software Engineer Anyway?
Software Developers: Apply for That Job You Want
How To Get a Remote Job With the Best Tech Companies in the World
The Struggle to Stay Relevant as a Remote Worker
Confessions of a Serial Job Hopper
Asynchronous Remote Work Is the Future Of Work
Click here to check it out, no downside at all!
And the upside of having too much to write?
I’ve got a lot written on those other topics that I’m editing into another release that’s coming soon.
But I wanted to get The Developers Field Guide to Getting Hired and Staying Employed released without any further delay because I know people are out of work, looking for jobs, and the information in it works. Yes, I can assure you of that.
Hope you enjoy it.
In other news…
Tech Layoffs
Layoffs are freaking everyone out.
I don’t think there is any reason to be worried though.
It’s just a natural cycle. I’ve been in the game since 1993 and have seen several.
What do I think happened?
No more cheap money.
Investors were throwing cash at tech companies starting around 2020 until mid-2022 or so.
Money was cheap, everyone was working from home, the need for collaboration tools and other technology took off like a rocket.
Inflation and a recession (that isn’t a recession?) hit, investors want things that can make them money now as opposed to the future, so they pulled back.
Budgets shrink causing payrolls to shrink.
Staff get’s let go.
But someone will pick them up, or they will start their own companies, or start freelancing.
What to do?
Keep working, keep learning, create value, keep your ear to the ground, and bounce when your gut tells you to.
It really is that simple.
I’ve lived it.
Thank You
I really appreciate you letting me invade your inbox now and again.
Please reach out any time and let me know how I can help you.
Thanks,
Travis