Ben Bloodworth’s Post

If you were part of a recent #layoff, were #laidoff and are a #jobseeker #opentowork never fear! There are lots of #hotjobs available!! Check out this new #jobposting with TextUs! I can help you navigate your search with my 19 years of experience in the industry and as a #resumewriter. I can prepare a strong ATS friendly resume to get you results and get you back to work QUICKLY! There is a lot more competition with the recent #layoffs, so it’s even more important you stand out from the competition, and you have a proven job search strategy. How I can help you: • Customized resume preparation- taking the time to thoroughly understand your expertise, not just providing a basic questionnaire or mass-produced “cookie-cutter” resume template. • LinkedIn profile preparation/optimization. • Job search coaching to walk you step-by-step through the process so you aren’t aimlessly applying to jobs and not getting responses. • Freelance Recruiter with a vast network of hiring manager/recruiter contacts to connect you to. 74 of my clients accepted offers for new jobs in 2023 already, 124 in 2021 and 112 in 2022! One obtained a $70K increase in her previous salary, one DOUBLED his salary, one a $50K increase, one a $55K increase and another a $35K increase! Please take advantage of my FREE RESUME REVIEW offer on my website. https://lnkd.in/g-4bcFV “Remember you only get one chance to make a first impression, make it a Professional Impression!!”   #careercoach #ono

Lots can go wrong when you hire a VP of Engineering. Here are some tips to to getting the best person possible. Thanks to Dustin Schau, Bob Ainsbury and Amir Orad for input. https://lnkd.in/gSDY4x9B

The greatest hurdle in software engineering today isn't about coding, designs, or systems. 🚀 It's about collaboration. 🤝 Times are gone when the superstar character Software Engineer could solve everything independently. In the challenging and ever-growing complexity of the software, engineering, IT, and technology world, building value and reaching goals isn't a thing you can obtain alone. Paradoxically, even if you were an incredible genius with extraordinary abilities to solve the most absurd challenges alone, you would still need the people around you—from your team to other internal or external teams—to achieve the final goal. To be a real 20x Software Engineer, develop your collaboration and involvement execution. If you want to be recognized and searched by founders and leaders as a professional solving issues instead of one looking for problems to shiny solutions That's what should be your strength Collaboration --- ✍ How do we guide engineers, regardless of experience and field, to develop collaboration and involvement? How do we do that in a remote-first world? 🤔 Let's solve this puzzle together! ♻ If you found this helpful, share it with your network.

Share business impact with the engineering team I think most companies miss attributing business wins to the engineering team. They forget to quantify the positive impact brought by engineers. At Stilt, we used to share the direct impact of the great work of our engineering team. Engineers felt like project owners, not just code owners. Here's an example of a project: Improve conversion rate on Facebook with improved data tracking It was a complicated project. We needed to implement a new way of server to server tracking on Facebook. We had no product managers, so Priyank Singh and I did everything. We were also busy with other things and were trying to implement this quickly. It was chaotic and to the engineering team, it looked like random requests from multiple teams. It took a few weeks of intense engineering work to complete the project. Engineers moved to another project. 2 weeks later, we made it a point to share the business impact with the team that worked on the project. It gave engineers context for the random requests from different functions. No tasks were unnecessary, everything was done to lower CAC. At Stilt, engineering was always kept in the loop with business objectives and it made everyone significantly more productive.

Job titles can be a minefield! One thing I've found on my journey from Front-end Development to Developer Management is that the role of Development Leads/Technical Leads/Engineering Managers can be so varied! I think that job titles are so tricky because they try to sum up a role in a few words, when the actual responsibilities of these roles can vary so much depending on the organisation and the structure of a team. Perhaps from being a bit of a gamer, I often like to think about teams as "parties" such as those in RPGs. 🤓 The party consists of different character classes with different roles - you might have characters that focus on attack (those who focus on coding), as well as having support roles - like healers! These people make sure the team is topped up on health and ready to go, but they are still very much part of the team (they can even attack if needed!). The main thing is that the party - or team - doesn't have "rock stars". There is no one person or job role that is better or worse, but rather it is the structure of the team and the blending of skills and talents working in collaboration that makes it a success. I recently found this article by Pat Kua discussing Engineering Manager Archetypes, and was delighted to see somebody else comparing technical roles to character archetypes! I especially like how he demonstrates the allocation of XP (experience points) and how the balance of technical, team, process and product "XP" can vary so much in different engineering manager roles. There can be so much variation in specialisms and skill areas that I think can be hard to sum up in a single job title - I'm sure this applies for many jobs, not just tech management! Perhaps we can start advertising job roles with the assignment of XP points? 🤓 (or maybe I just finally need to go and play Baldur's Gate 3...). I'm currently available for work, so if you need a Healer/Support class on your team, do give me a shout! 🪄

🤔 Hey, engineering friends! Have you ever wondered “what my ideal role is” or “what type of engineer I want to be”? Most engineers generally fall into one of a software engineer's four wings, as Robert Simoes described in this excellent blog post (link in the comments): 🔹 Product/Business Engineer — Strengths: Big-picture thinkers, entrepreneurial, always asking how to add value. — Weaknesses: Can be opinionated, impatient with technical impediments. — Found In: Product Engineering, Sales Engineering, Product Management. 🔹 Design Engineer — Strengths: Eye for design, excels in user interface creation. — Weaknesses: Less concerned with business alignment, focuses on presentation. — Found In: Mobile Engineering, Front End Engineering, Designer Roles. 🔹 Technical Engineer — Strengths: Strong problem solvers, deep technical knowledge. — Weaknesses: Less interested in business or product aspects. — Found In: Infrastructure, DevOps, Backend Service. 🔹 People Engineer — Strengths: Empathetic, focused on team growth and cohesion. — Weaknesses: Can be too social, struggles in remote work contexts. — Found In: Engineering Management, Team Leads. 🪄 The real magic happens when you can fluidly transition between at least two of these wings. Whether it's blending business acumen with technical prowess or merging design sensibilities with people skills, the ability to flex across Business Affinity or Abstraction boundaries is a game-changer. It not only amplifies your value but also makes you a sought-after asset in any team. So, which wings are you flexing in today? 💪

In software product development, the roles accountabilities have been traditionally: → Product people are responsible for “What to build?” -> The Requirements → Engineers are responsible for “How to build?” -> The Code Isn’t it time for Product people to concentrate more on understanding and communicating “Why to build?” → What problem are we trying to solve?  → What benefits solving this problem will bring to our customers AND to our company?  → What opportunities do we have currently in the market? And then, together with Engineers, elaborate “What to build?” to solve the problems and chase the opportunities. Software Engineers are surprisingly capable of coming up with creative ideas, validating (or invalidating) those ideas, and developing innovative solutions.  And many of them are really willing to do so. However, they almost never get the opportunity to participate in Product Discovery, while there are numerous reasons why they should: 1. Diversity of perspectives helps to generate different ideas 2. Engineers often generate the best solutions 3. Engineers often ask disconfirming questions 4. Engineers bring an analytical mindset to product experiments 5. Engineers can quickly assess the technical feasibility of the ideas at hand 6. Engineers will have more empathy for customers and will feel more engaged You can read more on the topic of The Whole Team Approach to Innovation in my blog: https://lnkd.in/daSVhvzp #ProductDiscoveryForEngineers

😬 “We have a lot of young engineers working here. They see this crazy system that’s 20 years old and they’re like, I don’t even want to touch that." 😬 "I want people to be creative and come together with a smart idea, and challenge what we’re doing every day. And I don’t want the system to be so tough and intrusive that they just completely shut down and stop using it, either. And that’s kind of what’s happening today.” -Product Engineering Manager, Industrial Equipment industry Competition for top engineering talent is as intense as ever. Plus, with remote work becoming widespread, talented engineers now have more readily-available options. Expectations have changed. Cloud-native collaboration tools are quickly becoming a table-stakes requirement for top performers. So don't make the mistake of recruiting exceptional engineers... only to lose them a year or two later because your processes and software are too painful. See how CoLab is modernizing design review: https://hubs.li/Q01WdHw90

Strategies for Creating a Successful Software Engineering Team Building a high-performing software engineering team is essential for creating successful products and achieving business goals. As a tech leader, you play a pivotal role in assembling a cohesive team that collaborates effectively and delivers exceptional results. Let’s explore practical strategies to build a great software engineering team. 1. Clear Hiring Plan => Identify Needs: Start by connecting the business goals to specific engineering needs. Understand the skills required for each role and create a hiring plan accordingly. => Team Players: Prioritize candidates with positive attitudes who thrive in collaborative environments. A competent engineer who works well with others is more valuable than a brilliant coder who operates in isolation. 2. Assess Current Team Strengths and Weaknesses => Regularly evaluate your existing team. Identify gaps in skills, experience, or communication. Fill these gaps strategically through new hires or skill development programs. 3. Promote Your Culture => Shared Values: Hire individuals who align with your company’s core values. A cohesive team shares a common purpose and works towards a unified vision. => Transparency and Autonomy: Foster an environment where team members feel empowered to voice their ideas and take ownership of their work. 4. Eliminate Bias in Recruiting => Ensure a fair and unbiased recruitment process. Evaluate candidates based on skills, attitude, and cultural fit rather than personal biases. 5. Create a Healthy Engineering Culture => Continuous Improvement: Encourage a culture of learning and growth. Provide opportunities for skill development, workshops, and knowledge sharing. => Work-Life Balance: Prioritize well-being. Avoid burnout by promoting work-life balance and mental health awareness. 6. Experienced Hires Matter Don’t shy away from hiring experienced professionals. Their insights and diverse backgrounds enrich the team. 7. Empower Your Team => Trust your engineers. Give them autonomy to make decisions and contribute to the team’s success. Building a great software engineering team involves intentional efforts, continuous learning, and adaptability. Remember that each team member contributes to the collective success, and a positive team culture drives innovation and excellence. Remember, a successful team isn’t just about technical prowess; it’s about collaboration, shared values, and a supportive environment. #softwareengineering #engineering #teambuilding #productivity #innovation

Ever wondered what makes a high-performing software engineering team? It starts with clear, role-specific objectives. Software Engineers (Day-to-Day) • Complete tasks on time. • Maintain code quality. • Debug and fix issues quickly. • Ensure robust testing. • Collaborate with team members. • Keep learning new tech. Lead Engineers (Medium to Long-term) • Oversee project timelines. • Provide technical guidance. • Ensure scalable architecture. • Enforce coding standards. • Align with business goals. • Optimize performance. Managers (Long-term) • Develop and train the team. • Align efforts with company goals. • Manage resources effectively. • Improve development processes. • Communicate with stakeholders. • Manage budgets. • Mitigate risks. • Track performance metrics. Clear objectives ensure everyone knows their role and contributes effectively. #SoftwareEngineering #TeamGoals #Leadership #EngineeringManagement #DevTeam #TechLeadership #ProjectManagement #CodeQuality