Career Tips

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How Starting a Blog Can Benefit Your Career

How Starting a Blog Can Benefit Your CareerHow Starting a Blog Can Benefit Your CareerIf you want a great job in any industry, you need to stand out from the pack. Even if you do all the musts- like have a complete LinkedIn profile and refined resume- it still may not be enough to stand out in this crowded market. One way to take your professional persona to the next level is through blogging. Below are seven ways blogging can help you triumph over the competition. Blogging Enhances Your Professional Profile Hiring managers want proof that the expertise you boast is legitimate. Blogging allows you to give them something concrete to look at. Your blog should be current and, above all, relevant to your industry. If you blog about random, unrelated, topics theyll wonder what exactly your area of expertise is The point is to show hiring managers and recruiters the way you think, how much you know, and how thats going to help them. Blogging hits the mark when it comes to selling your brand, even with limited experience. Doing research as well as analyzing problems and solutions in your profession shows that youre passionate and motivated. And it demonstrates that youre in touch with your niche. You (May) Attract Decision Makers Think about this scenario for a minute You publish a blog post outlining suggestions on a hot issue in your field and its picked up by the ansprechbar community. People share it on social media, it gets mentioned in other articles online, and maybe even some curated newsletters. This kind of exposure could lead to decision makers (like hiring managers, or recruiters)coming your way. Tech companies large and small are always on the lookout for fresh talent. Netflix, for instance, contacts potential hires through LinkedIn when a profile looks promising.Uber riders who ace a mobile coding game get invited for a friendly chat with the company. Ultimately, informative blog posts can take you down that path. Professionals share millions of blog posts every day. Wouldnt it be great if yours were among them? Expanding Your Network Yes, getting out in the real world and networking is important. So is networking with others online through groups, like LinkedIn Groups, and forums. However, theres only so much time you can spend on networking efforts. Instead, you can make the right type of people come to you. A blog can put your name on the map, and allow like-minded folks to come your way. Remember to include your social media handles and contact information on your website. Otherwise, people will not be able to connect with you A Blog Compliments Your Resume Recruiters and hiring managers receive dozens, if not hundreds, of resumes for a single job opening. The tech job market is piping hot right now. Sure, its easier to land a job in certain areas because of a skills shortage. Still, competition for most positions- especially at top companies- is intense. Meaning in the very least your resume and cover letter ha ve to be on point. Even more, hiring managers may look for an extra reason to add your resume to the call for interview pile instead of the not sure one. A link to your blog could make all the difference. A blog can add context to your resume and cover letter. It also can show how you apply your skills and knowledge. Blogging Lets You Establish a Digital Footprint Whats one of the first things recruiters do when they receive your resume? Most likely some kind of Google search of your name. And what they see on the results page can seriously impact your chances of getting called in for an interview, or even an offer. Recruiters want to see a digital footprint for several reasons It shows youre savvy with the internet/social mediaThey become familiar with your skills/personality before an interviewThey want your views on the developments and operations within the industry Overall, a trail of content indicating pride in your career will go over well in the eyes of hiring managers a nd recruiters. Build New Skills and Stay Current Managing a blog allows you the chance to learn new skills. It also can give you something productive to do during your job search- instead of refreshing your schmelzglas inbox, hoping for news about positions youve applied for. Through blogging, you can sharpen a range of skills. Such as, WritingSEOSocial mediaAnalytical tools (like Google Analytics)A CMS (like WordPress) Employers wont ignore those skills (Or the determination and ambition a good blog portrays.) Moreover, blogging not only helps your knowledge bank stay up to date, but it also gives you the chance to help others. It Establishes You as a Leader When you create content that offers advice, solutions, and guidance- you help people. The ability to teach a skill that many companies look for in candidates. It not only shows that you have superior communication skills, but it also demonstrates that you enjoy helping others. Over time, publishing useful content in the tech industry solidifies your place as a leader, or authority figure. This kind ofleadership never fails to impress a hiring manager. But it doesnt stop there If your blog becomes a go-to source for helpful information, you could even start blogging as a side job. Meaning you can get paid to writeas a freelanceron other sites, and perhaps even one day be contacted to write a book. Not to mention a slew of other professional opportunities.

Learn About Being a Horse Trainer

Learn About Being a Horse TrainerLearn About Being a Horse TrainerHorse coachs are responsible for training horses to perform specific behaviors in response to a riders cues. They are also responsible for riding horses and training them to perform desired movements and behaviors. Job Duties A trainers duties may vary but they are generally responsible for planning training exercises, breaking horses to saddle and bridle, desensitizing horses to unfamiliar sights and sounds, utilizing different training aids and specialized tack when appropriate, treating minor injuries, and consulting with veterinarians when advanced care is needed. They are also tasked with correcting certain behaviors including aggression, chewing, circling or butting heads. Trainers may also compete with horses in training at shows to help them gain experience and to qualify them for awards or other recognition that will increase their value. If traveling to events, trainers usually trailer the horses and assi st with their show ring preparation. While a large portion of a horse trainers duties will involve the trainer riding the horse, the horses owner may also be involved in some riding activities. This is especially common toward the end of the horses training process, as the trainer will want to teach the owner how to maintain the progress. Trainers may also be responsible for scheduling routine services such as farrier (soon who trims and shoes a horses hooves) and veterinary appointments while the horse is under their supervision. Depending on staffing at their facility, the trainer may also be responsible for feeding, mucking out stalls and other general horsemanship tasks. It is not uncommon for trainers to work five to seven days a week, though they often only spend a few hours training each day. The majorityof a trainers day is spent outdoors in changing weather conditions and temperatures, though some trainers benefit from using a covered arena at their location. Travel may be required to transport horses to shows or other events. Types of Horses There are three different types of horses that trainers will typically work within their duties. Heavy horses These animals have shorter, thicker legs. They are bred specifically for pulling carts or ploughing - basically, for heavy labor. These horses can typically be found at fairs and other showsLight horses These horses are bred mainly for riding. They have a longer body which allows riders to saddle up and sit on them.Ponies Also called foals, ponies have smaller necks and heads. Their manes are thicker, as are their coats and tails. Career Options Horse trainers may be self-employed or work on staff at a training center, riding stable or similar equestrian complex. Most specialize in working with one style of riding that is their particular area of expertise such as reining, saddle seat, hunter/jumper, dressage or driving. An additional specialty area - racehorse training - focuses on preparing T horoughbreds or other racing breeds for competition at the track. Some horse trainers have other responsibilities, acting as riding instructors or barn managers in addition to their primary training activities. If trainers have multiple roles at their facility, they can expect to earn higher end salaries due to the additional responsibilities. Training Licensing No formal degree is required to become a horse trainer, but some trainers will have a formal degree. According to career website Sokanu.com, about 4% of horse trainers have an animal science degree. Another 2% have psychology degrees. The site reported roughly 43% of horse trainers it surveyed had an undergraduate degree, while 33% had an associates degree. Most trainers have significant practical experience working with horses before pursuing this career on a full-time basis. Many trainers work their way up the industry, starting out as grooms, riders or assistant trainers. An apprenticeship with a well-known professio nal enhances a candidates skills and reputation, so this should be pursued whenever possible. There are quite a few schools that offer certification in horsemanship and training. Well-known programs include the Lyons Legacy trainer program and the Parelli natural horse training program. A degree in equine business is always a plus, as trainers are running their own small businesses. A good working knowledge of computerized billing and record keeping programs would also be beneficial. Salary Horse trainers may bill owners for each individual ride or at a weekly or monthly rate per horse. The Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) does not separate out salary data for the specific career category of horse trainers, but the mean average salary for the general category of all animal trainers was $28,880 per year ($13.88 per hour) in the fruchtwein recent salary survey conducted in May of 2017. The highest 10 percent of all animal trainers earned more than $56,000 ($26.92 per hour) each ye ar. Payscale.com reported an average salary for horse trainers of $31,172 as of November of 2018. The highest earners in the field received $58,723 per year. According to equine employment agency Equistaff.com, two-thirds of trainers received additional perks in addition to salary. Commonly reported perks included free housing, medical or dental insurance, use of a farm vehicle and overtime pay. It is also not uncommon for horse trainers to receive free board for a personal horse. The BLS reported the states with the highest salaries for animal trainers were Kentucky, Arizona, Washington, California, and Illinois. Job Outlook Horse trainers with many successful graduates competing in the show or performance arenas tend to have a steady stream of clients approaching them for training services. New entrants to the field who have apprenticed with well-known trainers or programs will have an increased chance of success, as they will be able to advertise that prestigious affiliation and possibly get a few referrals from their mentor. According to the BLS, the states with the highest employment level for animal trainers were California, Florida, New York, Texas, and Kentucky. The states with the highest concentration of jobs for this field were in Kentucky, Hawaii, Florida, New Hampshire, and Louisiana.

IT Hiring and the Growing Demand for IT Skills and IT Talent

IT Hiring and the Growing Demand for IT Skills and IT TalentIT Hiring and the Growing Demand for IT Skills and IT TalentIT Hiring and the Growing Demand for IT Skills and IT Talent Blaszczyk, Managing Editor, Resource CenterAs the economy recovers and business picks up,the need for IT skillswill continue to expand. The demand means that competition forIT skills and IT talent for both big and small companies will grow and evolve.For small companies, says Judith Hurwitz, author of Smart or Lucky? How Technology Leaders Turn Chance into Success, that points to both challenges and advantage.We spoke with Hurwitz about the post-recession IT recruitment landscape and how companies cancompete for talent as part of their IT hiring.Monster What impact has the recession had on IT recruitment?Hurwitz The recession has had a major impact on IT jobs.But it isnt what you might expect.There is actually a lack of resources in many areas of technology recruiting.I am seeing that individuals who have continued to upgrade their skills focused on what companies need are actually doing quite well. So, for example, developers who understand how to develop for the cloud or are focused on development for mobile applications are doing well.Likewise, companies that are focused on enterprise architecture and customer-facing environments have great opportunities.Individuals who have not upgraded their IT skills are suffering in this economy.Monster Will there be sufficient talent to meet demand for IT skills as mora and more companies recover and grow within IT recruiting?Hurwitz I think that there is a lack of talent to meet the demand of companies that are inventing new technology to meet emerging needs.I am constantly hearing from technology innovators that they are having trouble finding enough computer engineers.The good news is that students who used to focus only on Wall Street jobs are now looking at opportunities in the technology market.Monster The economic recovery will make it challenging for small businesses to retain their IT talent.How can they compete with larger firms to both retain and attract IT skills?Hurwitz While it is clear that small companies can be at a disadvantage in recruiting IT talent, they also have a strategic advantage.Many smart entrepreneurs like the idea of working for an emerging company where they can make a difference as an individual. In fact, smaller companies are a great way for a smart IT professional to move faster than they could at a large hierarchical organization.Monster Do smaller companies need to be prepared to offer a much higher pay scale for IT candidates than they might with other candidates?Hurwitz Small companies have to be prepared to compete for talent as part of their IT recruiting. A lot of what companies look for depends on how strategic IT is to their strategy and business. So, if the small company delivers its value online then it needs to pay a premium to hire the most sophisticated IT professionals. However, if IT is a back office function it may not be as important to look for the most expensive talent.Monster On average, do skilled IT employees tend to move from company to company more frequently than other employees?HurwitzIT professionals do have a tendency to move around based primarily on the types of projects they want to work on. The smartest professionals like to be challenged and they like to be able to work on the most important emerging technologies.However, in a down market, you do see more IT professionals becoming more cautious about moving too much. That will change as the market picks up.Monster Weve reported on the growing demand for hybrid candidates in IT recruiting employees who have both IT and business skills.Is this demand likely to increase in the next year or two?HurwitzEmployees that have skills in both IT and business have long been the most desirable to businesses. It is clear that as IT has become not just an enabling technology but part of the bus iness strategy. Therefore, hybrid candidates are not just a nice to have but a requirement especially for professionals who want to increase their value and their salaries. I think this demand for IT and business skills will dramatically increase so that it is a prerequisite for success.Monster What type of IT skills are most in-demand by employers as we emerge from the recession in IT recruitment? How will these needs likely evolve as the economy grows stronger?HurwitzThe type of IT skills that are most needed are in several different areas. First, companies need developers that take a holistic perspective on technology. They do not simply know one programming language or one skill. They understand how to work with different platforms desktops, mobile, cloud to name a few. They have to understand information management, security, and integration. Most importantly, they need to manage the relationship between technology components from how it impacts the business.Monster Where will employers have to go to find the best IT talent in the recovery? How will these shifts impact global IT recruiting?HurwitzThere are different places to find the best IT talent. Increasingly companies will be looking across the globe for IT talent. In addition, companies need to be looking to colleges, not just for post-graduate recruiting.Some of the most innovative companies are initiating programs in community colleges to create programs based on their future needs. In other cases, these companies are establishing partnerships with colleges and universities by offering the types of courses that will train future employees.Monster Could increased global demand significantly reset current employee compensation rates for IT talent?HurwitzThe fact that companies can reach out across the world for talent has had an impact on salaries.Therefore its more imperative than ever for IT workers to upgrade their skills based on the future, not the past.Monster Does managing an IT department r equire a different set of guidelines than those of other departments within the organization?Hurwitz There are differences between the IT department and other organizations.One of the key reasons for this is that technology changes and evolves at a much faster rate than most areas of business.With the growth of social business and social networking, for example, developers have to expand the reach of their technology offerings in new and unpredictable directions. Business strategy may evolve on a yearly grund but technology strategy can often force business to change in months.Author BioJudith Hurwitz is author of Smart or Lucky? How Technology Leaders Turn Chance into Success.(Wiley, 2011) As President and CEO of Hurwitz Group, Inc., a strategy consulting and research firm focused on distributed computing technologies, Hurwitz has been a thought leader in the software industry for more than 25 years. She has been a computer journalist, computer industry analyst, strategy consultan t, programmer and commentator. She is a highly sought-after consultant and has consulted for many of the established and emerging software companies in the market. In 1996, Business Week named her one of the top 100 women in the computer industry.

Embrace Diversity in the Workplace

Embrace Diversity in the WorkplaceEmbrace Diversity in the WorkplaceA diverse workforce has measurable advantages. Diversity adds dimension to the creativity pool, which can lead to more refined business systems and practices and can yield increased productivity. Additionally, a diverse staff can connect with a wider range of audiences, clients and customers because the team is likely to have a richer cultural understanding that may include language skills. The pursuit of a diverse workforce is no token gesture, nor is it simply an attempt to fill a quota. Pursuing diversity means widening the scope of inclusion because when people get pushed aside, the workforce doesnt get the benefit of their talents. Cultivating diversity is not just humane, it also makes good business sense. At a recent celebration of emerging entrepreneurs, President Barack Obama said Weve seen again and again that companies with diverse leadership often outperform those that dont. . . Thats the market that is o ut there - not just here in the United States, but globally. So that lack of participation from everybody isnt good for business.Currently, the American labor force is made up of 64% non-Hispanic whites, 16% Hispanics, 12% African-Americans, 5% Asians and 3% of workers who dont identify a race. American demographics are rapidly changing. White Baby Boomers are retiring in droves and scores of young immigrants are joining the workforce by 2050, census data projects that the U.S. will have no ethnic or racial majority. The melting pot comparison that has so often characterized the U.S. is becoming truly relevant. So diversity work that happens now is necessary preparation for Americas future. American business magnate Warren Buffett notes, The closer that America comes to fully employing the talents of all its citizens, the greater its output of goods and services will be.Senior vice president of people operations for Google Laszlo maschine has been up front about Googles challenges in achieving a diverse workforce as well as the companys ambitious plan to build diversity at Google. The companys approach includes extending technical education programs locally to engage a wide range of high school students, targeting recruitment efforts to include universities with diverse populations and providing bias training to teach employees to recognize and challenge biases they may harbor.Google has been remarkably straightforward about its need to grow in this area, and Bock has been a leader in talking openly about a topic that is of paramount importance but can be difficult to address.Differences are good. Aiming to secure a wide variety of skills and talents is important when amassing a team. Ethnicity, race and gender represent one set of differences, but there are also a wide plurality of characteristics including an individuals natural abilities, talents, interests, strengths and challenges. This represent another level of diversity. Bock describes how his team se arches for diverse personality traits in their hiring process We actually look for people who are different, because diversity gives us great ideas. Again, there is value to having an array of talents and perspectives. Each team needs a big picture thinker, a person who relishes logistics, a conversation starter who keep the team engaged in their meetings, a notetaker, a clock watcher, etc. It takes a team to think in all the various ways that a given project requires. A team is best prepared to execute a task when it has a variety of tools. Each employees mode of analysis, calculation, communication etc. comprises that tool kit. As the professionals responsible for outfitting that unit for success, it is imperative to know, first, what the team is missing and what it needs. Secondly, its key to understand how to tease that out in an interview, especially those soft skills that probably wont be obvious on a resume.Perhaps in the next 35 years the term diversity will become obsolete as the American population changes. Until then, mindfully creating diverse and inclusive professional cultures is a winning formula. It fosters a climate of civility and it taps into the full range of talent in the workforce.

The Start of Follow up Email after Sending Resume

The Start of Follow up Email after Sending Resume First you need to hunt for any openings you may be acceptable for, then youve got to tailor your resume so youre an ideal candidate. If you wish to get hired, you have to talk to a real hiring manager. If you cant locate a particular contact, search for the company info and see whether a receptionist can help you locate the correct individual. The job appears to be a fantastic match for my abilities and interests. Whats more, a suitable follow-up can dramatically boost your odds of landing the job. Whether an individual applies for work and hasnt heard from the company after a week, they will need to choose if they would care to work for a company which treats applicants that way, she states. The name of the geschftlicher umgang you are applying to. Employers value internal recommendations more than outside sources, so in the event you know someone from the business, dont hesitate to request a favor. Along with the businesss w ebsite, LinkedIn can be a fantastic resource for finding company contact details. Needless to say, contacting the employer before submission can be difficult, especially in bigger companies. Youve submitted a work application or sent your resume to an organization youd like to interview with, but you neednt heard back. Payment Follow-Up Letters are utilised to thank for a payment and show youve an edge over your competition. A follow-up letter to the Human Resources contact should incorporate the job title in the topic line and the very first line or a couple of the glaubenszeugnis itself. You will earn a great impression with a single call or email. The recruiter will learn if you have leid properly formatted the document. A number of them immediately return a reply, and a number of them dont. Its crucial to mention the work description in your subject line when sending the email. Ideally, the subject line should apply to the whole email, so make sure to deliver just one cl ear message for each email. So lets look at what youre able to send. Check for Contact Information when youre prepared to create the call or email, make sure that you have the right contact details. The Principles of Follow up Email after Sending Resume You Will be Able to Benefit From Beginning Right Away Dont forget to collect emails or company cards of anyone who youd love to stay in contact with. Make certain you enter the right pin code, in the event the business sends you a package itll be addressed here. If you only have a few follow-up emails to track, a spreadsheet might be sufficient. Use the search box to find precisely what you want to find. When it has to do with the actual writing of the email, its better to continue to keep things as easy as possible. Please dont hesitate to contact me at any moment if further information is required. Email is an excellent method to follow up because youre able to resubmit your resume as an attachment. Another follow-up em ail a couple of days later reiterates you havent forgotten about them. Mention the work description youve applied to and help it become clear. Furthermore, you wish to help to make your name stick out from the remainder of the pile. Fortunately, there are a number of tested methods of following up on a work application. All the very best, Sally A follow-up directly after sending an application can be a means to stand out, but should only be used in the event the selection method is rolling, not if theres an established deadline. In case you havent been extended a timeline, you may want to initiate contact after a couple of weeks. It is possible to also ask questions about what things to expect as the business moves toward a choice. You should also supply an alternate contact number with your main number, just in case. About 7 working days ought to be ample time for your hiring manager to think about your cover letter and provide you a response. Phone calls ought to be left f or more time-pressing conditions. Writing an effective follow-up e-mail ensures your response rate increases. You would like a response or an update, so ensure it is clear. Do not be concerned if you dont get a response without delay. Social networking is a significant networking tool, but when job searching its crucial to realize that there are professional boundaries. Bear in mind, its not an all-or-nothing strategy. As you mentioned in our interview, you need people who may think and act quickly in tight conditions and who can deal with an assortment of different kinds of personnel. There are several ways of conducting a follow-up.

The Start of Follow up Email after Sending Resume

The Start of Follow up Email after Sending Resume First you need to hunt for any openings you may be acceptable for, then youve got to tailor your resume so youre an ideal candidate. If you wish to get hired, you have to talk to a real hiring manager. If you cant locate a particular contact, search for the company info and see whether a receptionist can help you locate the correct individual. The job appears to be a fantastic match for my abilities and interests. Whats more, a suitable follow-up can dramatically boost your odds of landing the job. Whether an individual applies for work and hasnt heard from the company after a week, they will need to choose if they would care to work for a company which treats applicants that way, she states. The name of the business you are applying to. Employers value internal recommendations more than outside sources, so in the darbietung you know someone from the business, dont hesitate to request a favor. Along with the businesss website, LinkedIn can be a fantastic resource for finding company contact details. Needless to say, contacting the employer before submission can be difficult, especially in bigger companies. Youve submitted a work application or sent your resume to an organization youd like to vorstellungsgesprch with, but you neednt heard back. Payment Follow-Up Letters are utilised to thank for a payment and show youve an edge over your competition. A follow-up letter to the Human Resources contact should incorporate the job title in the topic line and the very first line or a couple of the message itself. You will earn a great impression with a single call or email. The recruiter will learn if you have not properly formatted the document. A number of them immediately return a reply, and a number of them dont. Its crucial to mention the work description in your subject line when sending the email. Ideally, the subject line should apply to the whole email, so make sure to deliver just one clear me ssage for each email. So lets look at what youre able to send. Check for Contact Information when youre prepared to create the call or email, make sure that you have the right contact details. The Principles of Follow up Email after Sending Resume You Will be Able to Benefit From Beginning Right Away Dont forget to collect emails or company cards of anyone who youd love to stay in contact with. Make certain you enter the right pin code, in the event the business sends you a package itll be addressed here. If you only have a few follow-up emails to track, a spreadsheet might be sufficient. Use the search box to find precisely what you want to find. When it has to do with the actual writing of the email, its better to continue to keep things as easy as possible. Please dont hesitate to contact me at any moment if further information is required. Email is an excellent method to follow up because youre able to resubmit your resume as an attachment. Another follow-up email a couple of days later reiterates you havent forgotten about them. Mention the work description youve applied to and help it become clear. Furthermore, you wish to help to make your name stick out from the remainder of the pile. Fortunately, there are a number of tested methods of following up on a work application. All the very best, Sally A follow-up directly after sending an application can be a means to stand out, but should only be used in the event the selection method is rolling, not if theres an established deadline. In case you havent been extended a timeline, you may want to initiate contact after a couple of weeks. It is possible to also ask questions about what things to expect as the business moves toward a choice. You should also supply an alternate contact number with your main number, just in case. About 7 working days ought to be ample time for your hiring manager to think about your cover letter and provide you a response. Phone calls ought to be left for mor e time-pressing conditions. Writing an effective follow-up elektronischer brief ensures your response rate increases. You would like a response or an update, so ensure it is clear. Do not be concerned if you dont get a response without delay. Social networking is a significant networking tool, but when job searching its crucial to realize that there are professional boundaries. Bear in mind, its not an all-or-nothing strategy. As you mentioned in our interview, you need people who may think and act quickly in tight conditions and who can deal with an assortment of different kinds of personnel. There are several ways of conducting a follow-up.

The 3 Keys to a Successful, Sustainable Career in IT

The 3 Keys to a Successful, Sustainable Career in IT The current mantra is, Everyone should learn to code. The problem is most people interpret that to mean Everyone should become a programmer. Like many professions, programming takes a certain combination of talent and skills that bedrngnis everyone possesses.For example, when I (Cal) was younger, I decided I wanted to learn to play the guitar. My parents bought me one, and I started to take lessons. It lasted about four weeks.I had a guitar. I could hold a guitar. I could strum the strings. I had everything necessary to begin playing the guitar everything except one important thing a desire to play the guitar that was strong enough to motivate me to practice.Passion MattersPhysically, yes, I had everything I needed to play the guitar. What I was lacking was passion.Software development is a lot like playing a musical instrument The best make it look easy, butonly because theyve had years of practic e first. More to the point, software development requires a commitment to learning the basics, then learning how to properly apply the basics, then learning new things based on your experience, then you get the point.Passion is a cornerstone of a successful career as a software developer. Passion for creating something. Passion for solving a problem. Passion for adding value to a project or company.Your Track Record MattersBut while passion will get you started, it will only carry you so far. I (Cal) have a passion for first-person shooter video games. Ever since I played the original Team Fortress, I have been hooked. Most weeks I will log 4+hours of playing.That said, Im not very good at it. I am certainly not good enough to compete professionally. Im not even good enough to be part of a clan. I love playing, though, evenif my KDR is usually not even an integer.To move to the next level, I would need a track record of success. This is where many people trip up in the world of pro gramming They think that because they have a passion for software development, they should be able to build a career.Doctors spend the first few years of their careers working the worst jobs in the profession. They dont walk off the stage and immediately start performing open-heart surgery. It takes a lot of doing the hard stuff first, things like being the on-call doctor and working the emergency room on the weekends. unterstellung are not glamorous jobs. These are not fun jobs. These arent even well-paying jobs. However, they give a doctor something they need a track record.A doctor can point to their time in those jobs and say, See, I know what I am doing. Then they can go on to the fun/high-paying part of being a doctor.Just as a doctor has to prove they can do what they claim they can, software developers have to prove they can solve problems with code. Unlike doctors, though, software developers have a lot of options for how to do that. The easiest option is to get involved in your favorite open-source software program andCheck out the repositoryFind a bug you think you can fixWrite the codeSubmit a pull requestGo to step oneFor mora expert career advice, check out the latest issue of Recruiter.com MagazineThe more you do this, the more complex of a bug you will be able to fix. Soon, you will become a regular contributor and will have a body of work you can reference to prove you can do the job. The second but no less important attribute of this method is that your favorite software project is better off because it has a new contributor adding value.Thiskind of work ismuch more important when you are just starting out than if you have a careeryou can point to. It is also more difficult to do when you are just starting out. If you have no track record, it will be more difficult to convince project owners to accept your pull requests. Still, the experience you gain will be invaluable.Being able to show a track record of building useful things is a cornerst one of a successful software development career.Value MattersOnce you have your software development job and have started your software development career, you need to be able to proveto your current and future employers that you can deliver value.Most companies do not hire people altruistically. It would be a better world if they did, but the fact of the matter is that companies have to stay in business to keep employing people like you. To stay in business, they have to create something of value for which others will pay money. Therefore, for you to stay employed, you have to deliver something of value to the company.In the case of software developers, the value we deliver is not the code we write,but the problems we solve for customers. If the code we write does not solve a problem the company can monetize, then it is not valuable.Once you get a job, and once you get settled in, start looking for ways you can add value to the company and its products. Sometimes, value is created by doing the things nobody else wants to do,like documentation, unit testing, etc. Backfilling these important software development artifacts creates value because not only are you adding to the project, but you are also freeing up developers who know more about the project to work on the problems you are not yet qualified to work on.Being able to deliver value to the users as well as the company is a cornerstone of a successful software development career.Every successful software developer has these three things passion, a track record, and the ability to deliver value.Yes, everyone should learn to code if they want to, but learning to code is not the same as being a successful software developer. To do that, you need more than a basic understanding of the rules, just like it takes more than being able to hold a guitar to be a successful musician.Mario Peshev is the CEO of DevriX and the author of 126 Steps to Becoming a Successful Entrepreneur The Entrepreneurship Fad and the Dar k Side of Going Solo. Follow him on Quora, Twitter, and LinkedIn.Cal Evans is senior consultant at E.I.C.C., Inc., and the author of Culture of Respect. Connect with him on LinkedIn andTwitter.Together, Evans and Peshev produce the podcast No BS Engineering Career Advice for Developers.