The Simple Programmer Soft Skills Quiz
If you really want to succeed in your career—and at life in general—you need more than technical skills. Being a really good programmer will only take you so far. If you truly want to reach the top of your game, you have to have soft skills. But, how do you know what soft skills you are lacking and which ones you need to work on?
Evaluate yourself with the list below.
Career:
1. I have a clearly defined goal for my career.
Having a goal is important. Without a clearly defined goal, you are like a boat drifting in the ocean, floating in whichever direction the currents take you. If you really want to get somewhere in life, you need to have goal.You don’t have to know where you’ll be in five years, but you should at least have an idea, and you certainly should know where you want to be in a year’s timeframe.
2. I always seem to get along with my co-workers and clients, even when we don’t agree.
People skills are one of most important soft skills you can acquire, because even though you might be writing code all day, your real job—everyone’s real job—is to deal with people.The better you are at dealing with people, the easier your life will be and the further you will go.
It’s especially important to learn how to influence people and get along with those who often have different viewpoints than yourself.
3.I feel confident in my ability to interview for a job, ask for a raise, and negotiate a job offer.
These are critical career skills that you should not be without. If you don’t know how to negotiate a job offer, check out “How to Negotiate Your Salary.”
4. I act like a professional instead of an amateur.
A professional takes their job seriously and holds themselves to a higher level of accountability. A professional can be relied on to do the right thing and make good judgment calls on their own. An amateur has to be told what to do. Being a professional is difficult and sometimes a bit uncomfortable. It’s much easier to be an amateur.
If you are struggling with this one, check out one of my all time favorite books, The War of Art by Steven Pressfield, or read the chapter on being a professional in my book, Soft Skills: The Software Developer’s Life Manual.
5. I’m not religious about technology. I pick the best tool for the job, not the one I like the most.
Until you figure this one out, you’ll always be limited in your career. I had a major breakthrough in my career when I learned to stop being religious about technology.
6. I’ve made an active choice to be where I am. I didn’t just take the first job or opportunity that presented itself to me.
Most software developers just take the first job they get or whichever job pays the most. They don’t consider the long term consequences of their choices and really plan their careers. Do you know what kind of software developer you want to be? Do you know what kind of company you want to work for? Have you even given it any thought?
Marketing yourself:
7. I have a clearly defined specialty that differentiates me.
It’s really important to specialize. Being a jack-of-all-trades just doesn’t cut it in today’s highly competitive, highly specialized technical environment. A catch-all “surgeon” or “doctor” doesn’t have as much success today, nor does a “programmer.”
You should pick a clear specialty that makes you stand out and gives someone a undisputed reason to hire you specifically, or you’ll be just another commodity.
8. I have my own personal brand.
Make no mistake, you are a business. Whether you work for someone else or not, you are responsible for your personal brand and your career. If you choose not to have your own personal brand, you’ll be choosing to let the world and other people define you instead of you defining yourself.
To be successful in this highly entrepreneurial world, you need to stand out and have a clear message. You need a personal brand.
9. I have created my own blog and post regularly.
If you haven’t done this one yet, there is no better time to start than now.
10. I’m not afraid to look like an idiot.
If you aren’t willing to put yourself out there and be a little bit uncomfortable, you might as well just give up now. Unless you are willing to look a little foolish, you’ll never achieve anything great in life. Some of the most embarrassing things I have done in my life have been the most beneficial. Most people never get out of their comfort zone, so they never grow. Don’t let that be you.
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