Career Archives

Transitioning Into a New Leadership Role Using STARS

Are you stepping into a new leadership role? What is the first thing you should do once your tenure is underway? What is the STARS approach? Transitioning into a new leadership role—whether it’s a promotion within the same company or a totally new, unfamiliar territory—can be nerve-wracking. One way to make the process easier is to use the STARS approach to define success. Here are some tips on how to integrate into a new leadership position and ensure success through your tenure.

How to Build a Good Relationship With Your Boss

Has your company appointed a new manager? Why is it important to make sure you and your new boss start off the right foot from the get-go? The relationship you have with your boss can make or break both your performance and job satisfaction. That’s why it’s important to negotiate success in your role by understanding his/her needs, priorities, and communication style from the get-go. We’ll discuss some tips on how to build a good relationship with your boss

10 Tips for the First 90 Days in a New Job

Stepping into a new role? What are some things you should do to hit the ground running? The first 90 days in a new job present an opportunity for you to effectively and efficiently move towards the “break-even point.” The break-even point is the juncture at which you have given as much to a role or to a team as you have received from it. To expedite your journey towards the break-even point, follow these ten principles by Michael D. Watkins.

Professional Transition: Tips to Keep in Mind

How do you prepare for a professional transition? What are some things you can do to better integrate into the new role or a new organization? The key to a successful professional transition is to proactively prepare in advance by anticipating what challenges you will be facing and how you’ll handle them. Whether it is a promotion to a new role in the same company or a starting position in another organization, preparing in advance will make a world of difference in how you’ll perform in it. Here are some tips on how to make your professional transition as smooth

The Best Tips for a Smooth Job Transition

Have you been laid off or presented with a more lucrative job opportunity? What challenges will this transition bring into your life? Whatever the reason, job transition is a major change that presents a host of challenges in both occupational and social spheres. Accordingly, it’s important to manage yourself by supporting your psychological transition and the transition of your family. Here are some tips on how to make a transition to a new job as smooth as possible.

Collaborative Coding: An Essential Programming Skill

Why is it important to learn collaborative coding? What are some ways you can demonstrate your collaborative coding abilities to employers? Collaborative coding is an important programming skill every coder should have up their sleeve. These days companies even screen for it during the interview process. In this article, we’ll discuss some collaborative coding best practices. First, we’ll look at teamwork, then mentoring.

Early Wins: How to Gain Recognition in Your New Role

Have you just been appointed a new role? Do you want to do something impressive to prove yourself to the higher-ups? According to Michael Watkins, the author of The First 90 Days, the best way to get noticed and, more importantly, recognized is to secure some “early wins.” This will prop up your credibility and provide an opportunity to invest in key relationships that will be essential for a successful transition. In this article, we’ll discuss how to identify areas for early wins and how to implement them effectively.

6 Characteristics of a Good Programmer

What are the characteristics of a good programmer? What traits and qualities distinguish a “good programmer” from an “average programmer”? In The Clean Coder, Robert C. Martin, describes six qualities of a great programmer: 1) commitment to professional development, 2) discipline, 3) honesty, 4) professional communication, 5) time management, and 6) ability to work with others. Further, he shares the lessons learned the hard way, in the hopes that he can help the reader cultivate these traits and avoid making some of his mistakes. In this article, you’ll learn about Martin’s six characteristics of a good programmer and how to

The First 90 Days: Book Overview

What is Michael Watkins’s The First 90 Days about? What are some things you should know to ensure your professional transition goes as smoothly as possible? In his book The First 90 Days, Michael Watson distills proven strategies for a successful professional transition (e.g. being promoted, moving to a new location, or shifting into a different unit). After completing the book, you’ll be poised to efficiently move towards the “break-even point,” whereby you’ve contributed as much to your new job as you’ve received from it. Here is a brief overview of The First 90 Days: Critical Success Strategies for New

9 Tips for Coders: Beyond Your Coding Skills

Do you want to get better at coding? What do you think great coders do differently? Leveling up as a coder isn’t just about writing better code. Great coders adhere to personal rules and standards that aren’t always about code; sometimes they’re about attitude and behavior while working. In his book The Clean Coder, Robert C. Martin shares some helpful tips for coders that have nothing to do with code itself.