Whether you’re just starting out, career switching, or a seasoned professional, “do what you love” is my go-to response.
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Starting Out
The majority of people I mentor are just starting out. My mentoring has taken me from Egypt, Iran, Nigeria to Myanmar, and there is one consistent question I get asked around the world: “What should I learn next?”. Every time, I ask the question, “What do you love?”.
Let me begin by acknowledging that the situations many of these individuals face can be extremely challenging. Offering a simplistic solution like “Just do what you love!” would be both privileged and unhelpful, especially to someone aspiring to pursue a career in software development in another country after completing a Udemy course.
If you’re in that boat, just know, it’s a tough road ahead, with obstacles like fierce competition, cultural biases, crazy expectations of experience, and those biassed coding tests. Even given the inherent drive to succeed, injecting some extra joy or value into the journey can make all the difference in feeling accomplished when you’re facing these hurdles.
And here’s the thing, the tech requirements vary from one company to another. So instead of stressing over that, delve into your hobbies, passions, and values to find a project that really resonates with you. Whether it’s a personal project or diving into some open-source work, create something you genuinely love, and the tech skills will naturally come along. Then, when you’re in interviews (assuming it’s a supportive environment), you can share your passion project and narrate your journey in your own words.
Career progression
For seasoned software developers, personal growth unfortunately in many companies looks exclusively vertical, with an emphasis on managing people which many of the best developers take on begrudgingly. This is why, when one of my team asks me about what progression looks like, my go-to response is still “what do you love?”
I’m in an incredibly fortunate position to be in an organisation that can provide multiple ways for an individual to contribute. Even in a psychologically safe, generative environment, pursuing enjoyable things isn’t always straightforward. They must also align with the company’s values and contribute meaningfully to its objectives.
That being said, if you’re reading this and you’re responsible for someone’s progression, or you feel safe enough to bring this up with your line manager, one activity I like to do to align people’s contribution is the Joy versus Impact graph. In the steps below, I’ll assume you are the subject of the activity.
Steps
- Plot a graph with the x-axis labeled as “joy” and the y-axis labeled as “impact.” Use paper and sticky notes or your preferred wireframing tool.
- List various activities, focusing on roles and responsibilities, that you currently perform or would like to perform in the future. Include as many activities as possible.
- As you plot the activities on the graph, move them left and right along the x-axis based on how enjoyable and fulfilling you perceive them to be. Consider your ability to execute the activity and potential enjoyment if not currently performing it.
- Ask your supervisor to move the plotted activities up and down along the y-axis based on their perceived or potential impact. Consider how impactful each activity could be if it were incorporated into your role or responsibilities.Brace yourself – you might not like where some of the activities end up.
- Note that activities placed in the top-right corner of the graph (draw a red box around this area) should ideally form part of your job description or progression path. Both you and your supervisor should agree on this placement, acknowledging the importance of these activities.
Conclusion
If you want to go a little deeper into aligning your values and purpose I wrote about this in my previous blog, including a reference to Marcus Buckingham’s excellent book Love and Work: How to Find What You Love, Love What You Do, and Do It for the Rest of Your Life.
I believe that while we can never only do things we love, we can find love in the things we do. By figuring out how to enjoy the journey by prioritising those activities we love (or at least, don’t hate!), we can create a sustainable progression path for ourselves.
And if there’s nothing in the red box, well, reach out to me and let’s have a chat 😉.
ADPList mentoring page: https://adplist.org/mentors/michael-dent
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/oranjutanj/
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