Success in today's IT environment requires you to view your career as a
business endeavor. In this book, you'll learn how to become an
entrepreneur, driving your career in the direction of your choosing.
You'll learn how to build your software development career step by step,
following the same path that you would follow if you were building,
marketing, and selling a product. After all, your skills themselves
are a product.
The choices you make about which technologies to focus on and which
business domains to master have at least as much impact on your success
as your technical knowledge itself--don't let those choices be
accidental. We'll walk through all aspects of the decision-making
process, so you can ensure that you're investing your time and energy in
the right areas.
You'll develop a structured plan for keeping your mind engaged and your
skills fresh. You'll learn how to assess your skills in terms of where
they fit on the value chain, driving you away from commodity skills and
toward those that are in high demand. Through a mix of high-level,
thought-provoking essays and tactical "Act on It" sections, you will
come away with concrete plans you can put into action immediately.
You'll also get a chance to read the perspectives of several highly
successful members of our industry from a variety of career paths.
As with any product or service, if nobody knows what you're selling,
nobody will buy. We'll walk through the often-neglected world of
marketing, and you'll create a plan to market yourself both inside your
company and to the industry in general.
Above all, you'll see how you can set the direction of your career,
leading to a more fulfilling and remarkable professional life.
