Getting into IT with Grant

What makes a resume effective?  No, not what font or layout to use, but HOW to convey WHAT information so that you get an interview!  The goal of the resume is to get a call back after all, that's where its purpose ends.  The best resume in the world won't get you the job, but it can give you an opportunity to shine in front of the hiring manager.

So, hear some perspective on what a job requisition is and what the purpose of a resume is.  Then, top it all off with a real review of a resume from a Cybersecurity applicant for an entry-level position.  By the end of this episode, you should have a clear goal and method for producing a killer resume to land your next job!

Everybody feels undercompensated at some point in their career, but asking for a raise isn't as simple as busting into your manager's office and telling them you deserve more money!  In this episode, I explain how to do market research and put together a solid strategy for winning over your manager and showing the other stakeholders in your career what value you bring to the table.  You heard that right, your manager isn't the only person you need to consider, so let's discuss how to be successful at handling this conversation as well as what to do if you tried hard but your raise is still denied.

Hear first hand what it's like to work on Top Secret, classified programs as an engineer.  Is this work as interesting as it sounds, or is it surprisingly boring!?  I'll share my experience and tell what I'm authorized to tell so you can gain an insight into what it is actually like to work on a Top Secret program.  Maybe you'll decide this is the life for you and go apply! 

Most of the episode focuses on the BAMS program and my work on the Electronic Intelligence (ELINT) systems of the Global Hawk.  If you have no idea what it's like to work for a defense company on embedded systems and secret programs, then here's your chance to learn!

I've been hearing a lot of complaints about LeetCode, but don't let the things you read online get you down!  Take control of your interview by preparing and understanding what is going on when you write code and submit it for review.  Your score isn't what it seems and you're not as bad off, or stuck in an automated system, as it feels.

I did not use LeetCode in my interviews when I recorded this episode, but I do know a lot about the tool, have used it, and have also used competitors like HackerRank professionally.  I share my thoughts with you in this episode on the interview process, as well as some tips for getting your head in the interview game so you have an edge on the competition.

DevOps has finally emerged onto the scene in IT and Engineering and has quickly become a bad word!  In this episode, we discuss how it's not a fad, is actually very straightforward, and is something your team can easily take on with the right support from your company's leaders.  Listen to the common pitfalls and anti-patterns associated with combining Development and Operations, and hear how you can overcome them while finding the right approach for your team.

What comes next in your career after Senior Engineer or Senior Developer?  For some people it is Manager, for others it is Architect - don't get to Senior Dev without knowing what the rest of your career path looks like!  I share a little bit about what management is in this episode as well as my own reasons for going into it instead of remaining a software developer.  Your reasons are your own, so hear my story and reflect on your own situation!

You can become a Senior Engineer in as little as 2 years after college, learn how I did it! Being a Senior comes with it's own career risks and not everybody should climb the career ladder to this level so quickly. If you're not motivated by job titles but are motivated by compensation instead, a different path may be better for you. I discuss both in this episode and give advice to my younger self, a college grad, or a self-taught developer who is just starting out on in their career.

College did not prepare me to be a software developer like I thought it would! I still think my college degree was valuable, but a self-taught developer can be just as effective as a college educated one. There are also many skills and tricks you learn from working at a job or an internship that you don't learn at a university. Like, are Big O notation or asymptotic analysis of algorithms something that's used a lot in the field, or just terms people use to sound smart? I'll get to the real stuff in this episode and tell you exactly what you should focus on as you learn how to be a software engineer.

I read a real question from someone in the field wondering whether or not they should accept a job offer for a position they feel unqualified for. Does this person have imposter syndrome or are they really unqualified? Is the position really too good to be true or are their expectations off the mark? These are just a few things we dive into in this episode.

Listen to my opinion then tell me: what do you think they should do?

Is it better to be a big fish in a small pond, or a small fish in a big pond? There are tradeoffs, advantages, and disadvantages to consider when working at small, medium, and large sized companies. Pick where you go wisely and don't work at a FAANG for name recognition alone.

Small companies give you freedom at the cost of career structure, and large companies generally provide the opposite. Don't go chasing a fancy career title or a company to name-drop on your resume thinking that it will accelerate your career. Instead, find a career at a company where you are happy and find fulfillment. Being engaged in your work will accelerate your career much faster than your technical pedigree.