If you're a language-happy Windows developer, consider this sobering
reality: Core coding skills no longer guarantee that you'll keep your
job, much less advance your career. Hiring managers say you'd be better off acquiring some practical business sense, rather than adding more libraries to your programming arsenal.
During the heady days of the dot-com bubble, software coders were hot commodities. But once the bubble burst and the economy headed south, many of those same developers found that they were suddenly considered a lot less valuable.
"Our industry for the past 10 or 12 years has been one of a geek
mentality, where coders were treated like talented children," said
Greg Brill, president of Infusion Development Corp. in New York.
"Writing code is easy. What the industry needs is professionals --
people who can code but, more importantly, know how to work with a
client to ascertain what's needed and then devise a software
solution."
As information technology companies try to flatten costs and
accelerate productivity, the software engineering trade is being
transformed. If you're like the stereotypical programmer --
introverted, independent-minded and myopically focused on writing
software code -- then don't be surprised if your career starts to
stagnate. Conversely, developers with hands-on experience in product
rollouts, productivity follow-ups and customer service remain in
demand.
BOOST YOUR VALUE
Formal training is one way to help expand your knowledge base, but
don't pin all your hopes on it. Having an armload of certifications may not help you if you can't connect them to your company's need for profit.
"You can have someone who's certified in all the Microsoft languages, but there's nothing like real experience within a real development environment," said Scott Testa, president of Mindbridge Software Corp. in King of Prussia, Pa.
"Smart developers learn more from their peers than they ever do in a
classroom environment."
Kester Software Inc., a wireless application services provider in
Indianapolis, puts less emphasis on programming diversity than on a
candidate's ability to tackle customer problems, especially through
teamwork. Paul McKinney, Kester's president said, "I would rather
hire someone who is a little less technical but has some business
savvy. We really want someone who understands what it means to work
with tech document writers and analysts to get the work done."
There was a time when programmers could specialize in one or two
programming languages. Not so anymore, said Forrest Shue, a partner
with Delta Corporate Services Inc. of Parsippany, N.J.
"When I started learning Windows and PowerBuilder 15 years ago, there
weren't many choices for Windows development, so it was a good bet to
become an expert," he said. "Now, if you became an expert in ASP or Java, there's a real danger people are going to say 'so what?'"
Instead of waiting for exact specifications before starting a given
coding project, programmers are being called upon to get involved
earlier by making presentations to clients, estimating task
schedules, performing risk assessments and handling other
project-related tasks. Shue said that engineers need to embrace these
new responsibilities.
John Robbins, chief executive officer of New Hampshire-based
Wintellect, said that most organizations fail to do necessary
"productivity postmortems" after a project is completed. Engineers
boost their value to an organization when they can provide detailed
suggestions on ways to tighten the production cycle or cut costs.
"It's a scary thing to get a project done and out the door. Following
up on projects after the fact helps you learn what was done well and
what needs to be changed," Robbins said.
WALK ON THE "DARK SIDE"
The best path to career growth may be to leave programming, at least
temporarily, for a stint in management. Developers may shudder at the
thought, but seeing life from the "dark side" of management provides
an important perspective that could make you a more well-rounded
programmer, said Robbins, whose company specializes in debugging
Windows .NET and other Windows programs.
Robbins remembers how all the "stupid things" his boss asked him when
he was a programmer instantly made sense when Robbins himself started
managing projects. The managerial experience forced Robbins to learn
new aspects of the product development cycle: assessment and testing,
user needs and marketing.
"The one thing I keep hearing from developers is 'I just want to
focus on the technology,' and they completely miss the big picture,"
Robbins said. "Fundamentally, an engineer's job is to apply
technology to make money for the company. Being in management forces
you to deal with that.
"If you can turn around and then go back into engineering, you're
worth your weight in gold."
ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
Garry Kranz is a freelance technology writer. He lives in Richmond,
Va.
