You can build the best application in the world, but if you don’t know how to tell anyone about it why bother?

Being a successful developer isn’t just about learning a language or two and knowing how to structure a git commit. There are a multitude of other skills that don’t involve writing code that are critical for developers on a daily basis. You can build the best application in the world, but if you don’t know how to tell anyone about it why bother?

There are many skills that make a well rounded developer, a lot of them aren’t about complex algorithms or systems. A lot of these skills are about “soft skills” or relatively simple concepts like communication or writing. Being able to articulate ideas in a brainstorming session, draft technical outlines or even turn a screwdriver make you infinitely more flexible and agile than if all you did was eat, sleep and code.

In this article I want to look at the elements of a programmer’s job that they don’t always highlight in school or on the internet. Some of these might seem obvious or even boring, but I promise you they are critical when it comes to being successful not only as a developer but as a professional. As you navigate the world of development, whether as freelance or full-time, all of these fundamentals are important and applicable.

Let’s get started.

Communication

This is by far the most important thing you could invest time into improving. Communicating clearly and effectively in a traditional business setting is one thing, but doing this as a developer is an entirely different beast. Chances are you’ll have to wear a lot of different hats when you talk to people. Some of these hats you may not be entirely comfortable with.

One day you might be presenting something extremely technical to a bunch of senior developers or close colleagues and the next you have to walk the product team through a new set of features and how they can help customers. Managing your audience is important. Nobody likes the curmudgeon engineer that’s always a prick during meetings and thinks they’re the smartest person in the room. On the flip side, everyone loathes listening to someone who is unprepared and sloppy.

“But what if I totally suck at talking?”

Don’t sweat it! A lot of people hate public speaking and sometimes find themselves struggling to get points across in meetings. There are a lot of resources out there to combat this and even though it may sound silly to “practice speaking” at first, you’ll find it actually helps a great deal in the long run.

Toastmasters International is a group dedicated to helping people improve their public speaking acumen. A lot of companies (especially those with a sales department) already have regular Toastmasters meetings setup that anyone can attend. If your company is smaller or you don’t have this you can always find a local meeting and get started honing your speaking skills.

Another fantastic resource I highly recommend is to take a sales course. Yes, you read that right. I’m recommending an engineer take a sales course. These courses teach you a lot more than just how to close deals. There are a wealth of communication tips in these courses and they teach you how to read people and be persuasive. One awesome course I highly recommend is Chris Croft’s course on Udemy.

#skills #code #developer #programming #technology