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The Complete Software Developer's Career Guide: How to Learn Programming Languages Quickly, Ace Your Programming Interview, and Land Your Software Developer Dream Job
Technical Knowledge Alone Isn't Enough - Increase Your Software Development Income by Leveling Up Your Soft Skills
What You Will Learn in This Book
How to systematically find and fill the gaps in your technical knowledge so you can face any new challenge with confidence
Should you take contract work - or hold out for a salaried position? Which will earn you more, what the tradeoffs are, and how your personality should sway your choice
Should you learn JavaScript, C#, Python, C++? How to decide which programming language you should master first
Ever notice how every job ever posted requires "3-5 years of experience," which you don't have? Simple solution for this frustrating chicken-and-egg problem that allows you to build legitimate job experience while you learn to code
Is earning a computer science degree a necessity - or a total waste of time? How to get a college degree with maximum credibility and minimum debt
Coding bootcampssome are great, some are complete scams. How to tell the difference so you don't find yourself cheated out of $10,000
Interviewer tells you, "Dress code is casual around here - the development team wears flipflops." What should you wear?
How do you deal with a boss who's a micromanager. Plus how helping your manager with his goals can make you the MVP of your team
The technical skills that every professional developer must have - but no one teaches you (most developers are missing some critical pieces, they don't teach this stuff in college, you're expected to just "know" this)
An inside look at the recruiting industry. What that "friendly" recruiter really wants from you, how they get paid, and how to avoid getting pigeonholed into a job you'll hate
Who Should Read This Book
Entry-Level Developers
Mid-Career Developers
Early in his software developer career, John Sonmez discovered that technical knowledge alone isn't enough to break through to the next income level - developers need "soft skills" like the ability to learn new technologies just in time, communicate clearly with management and consulting clients, negotiate a fair hourly rate, and unite teammates and coworkers in working toward a common goal.
As John invested in these skills his career took off, and he became a highly paid, highly sought-after developer and consultant.
Today John helps more than 1.4 million programmers every year to increase their income by developing this unique blend of skills.
"If you're a developer, green or a veteran, you owe it to yourself to read The Complete Software Developers Career Guide." - Jason Down, Platform Developer, Ontario, Canada
What You Will Learn in This Book
How to systematically find and fill the gaps in your technical knowledge so you can face any new challenge with confidence
Should you take contract work - or hold out for a salaried position? Which will earn you more, what the tradeoffs are, and how your personality should sway your choice
Should you learn JavaScript, C#, Python, C++? How to decide which programming language you should master first
Ever notice how every job ever posted requires "3-5 years of experience," which you don't have? Simple solution for this frustrating chicken-and-egg problem that allows you to build legitimate job experience while you learn to code
Is earning a computer science degree a necessity - or a total waste of time? How to get a college degree with maximum credibility and minimum debt
Coding bootcampssome are great, some are complete scams. How to tell the difference so you don't find yourself cheated out of $10,000
Interviewer tells you, "Dress code is casual around here - the development team wears flipflops." What should you wear?
How do you deal with a boss who's a micromanager. Plus how helping your manager with his goals can make you the MVP of your team
The technical skills that every professional developer must have - but no one teaches you (most developers are missing some critical pieces, they don't teach this stuff in college, you're expected to just "know" this)
An inside look at the recruiting industry. What that "friendly" recruiter really wants from you, how they get paid, and how to avoid getting pigeonholed into a job you'll hate
Who Should Read This Book
Entry-Level Developers
This book will show you how to ensure you have the technical skills your future boss is looking for, create a resume that leaps off a hiring manager's desk, and escape the "no work experience" trap.
Mid-Career Developers
You'll see how to find and fill in gaps in your technical knowledge, position yourself as the one team member your boss can't live without, and turn those dreaded annual reviews into chance to make an iron-clad case for your salary bump.
21 pages, Audible Audio
First published July 12, 2017
1991 people are currently reading
1966 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 106 reviews
August 3, 2017
I have read many career development books and this book doesn't come close to providing the wealth of knowledge that others have.
The author's attempt to tackle the diversity and inclusion issues prevalent in the tech industry with Chapter 47 missed the mark. Focusing solely on women in tech, this chapter read like one from the Mad Men era of the 1950s, advising women not to get offended easily by offensive jokes and comments and to use their womanly charms to their advantage ("if you've got it, flaunt it"). He also generalized that the issues experienced by women in the workplace are driven by men who faced rejection by women early on in life who now seek revenge and seethe with hate, using their technical superiority to make women pay. This broad generalization is a dangerous stereotype to perpetuate. It also doesn't address the fact that there are a multitude of underrepresented minorities who are subject to poor treatment in the workplace.
He also uses the opportunity throughout his book to link back to his own site. One link was particularly troubling to me. In Chapter 47, he briefly mentions that he was a whistleblower in a company by reporting harassment a female coworker was dealing with. This was linked to his website to a page which contained a set of links for each chapter. In this case, it was meant to direct you to his YouTube video speaking about this experience. My expectation was that this video would focus on the incident, how he reported it, and what happened afterwards. Instead, it was a 15 minute video about his personal work experience, coding skills and how he was hired on full time. At the 2 minute mark, he mentions that a woman he worked with was being harassed daily by her manager and makes a point to clarify, "she was good looking", acknowledged again that she was harassed, then followed with "and that's all I have to say about that". He then moves on to talk about himself for the remaining 13 minutes. Using links can be a brilliant marketing tool, but when used improperly as in this scenario it just feels like click bait, and highly inappropriate in this case.
Based on the shallow advice offered in other chapters along with the toxic nature of this chapter, I would not recommend this as a career guide to fellow colleagues at any stage in their career.
The author's attempt to tackle the diversity and inclusion issues prevalent in the tech industry with Chapter 47 missed the mark. Focusing solely on women in tech, this chapter read like one from the Mad Men era of the 1950s, advising women not to get offended easily by offensive jokes and comments and to use their womanly charms to their advantage ("if you've got it, flaunt it"). He also generalized that the issues experienced by women in the workplace are driven by men who faced rejection by women early on in life who now seek revenge and seethe with hate, using their technical superiority to make women pay. This broad generalization is a dangerous stereotype to perpetuate. It also doesn't address the fact that there are a multitude of underrepresented minorities who are subject to poor treatment in the workplace.
He also uses the opportunity throughout his book to link back to his own site. One link was particularly troubling to me. In Chapter 47, he briefly mentions that he was a whistleblower in a company by reporting harassment a female coworker was dealing with. This was linked to his website to a page which contained a set of links for each chapter. In this case, it was meant to direct you to his YouTube video speaking about this experience. My expectation was that this video would focus on the incident, how he reported it, and what happened afterwards. Instead, it was a 15 minute video about his personal work experience, coding skills and how he was hired on full time. At the 2 minute mark, he mentions that a woman he worked with was being harassed daily by her manager and makes a point to clarify, "she was good looking", acknowledged again that she was harassed, then followed with "and that's all I have to say about that". He then moves on to talk about himself for the remaining 13 minutes. Using links can be a brilliant marketing tool, but when used improperly as in this scenario it just feels like click bait, and highly inappropriate in this case.
Based on the shallow advice offered in other chapters along with the toxic nature of this chapter, I would not recommend this as a career guide to fellow colleagues at any stage in their career.
October 18, 2019
Where do I start? Honestly, the best advice I got from this dude was to return the book and get a refund.
In all honestly, I'm not a Software Developer nor am I looking to be one. But I am the HR Manager to a group of Software Developers so I've been wanting to learn more about their side of the work as to understand them better, be more empathic and do a better job of assisting them.
Yes, there is some useful information on how to write a resumé, an easy breakdown of technologies and development areas, how to accept and negotiate the best offer, etc. But this is information you can find in a thousand other books or blogs.
Here's my problem with this book: the dude is a freaking douchebag. Comments like: "I know I don't look like a software developer but I actually look like a model or a professional weightlifter" or "my female viewership doubled when I paid thousands of dollars on several fashion consultants" really rubbed me the wrong way. I also could have gotten wasted on playing a drinking game to the amount of times he plugs his books, blog or youtube channel.
I'm not even going to get in all the details of why I hate this book (I could write a book on that) but here are the top 3 reasons why I just absolutely hated it:
1. Telling people to legally change their name to an American name, if they have a Hispanic or Middle Eastern sounding name, as a way to avoid prejudice is just wrong.
2. There's a part where he compared selling yourself for an internship to imposing yourself on women to get a date, saying that women usually say 'no' first but when they realize you're persistent and you're manly, then the woman will eventually say yes... Dude. That's freaking sexual harassment.
3. Don't even get me started on the chapter of Women in Tech. Just don't.
I really really don't understand why so many people like this book.
In all honestly, I'm not a Software Developer nor am I looking to be one. But I am the HR Manager to a group of Software Developers so I've been wanting to learn more about their side of the work as to understand them better, be more empathic and do a better job of assisting them.
Yes, there is some useful information on how to write a resumé, an easy breakdown of technologies and development areas, how to accept and negotiate the best offer, etc. But this is information you can find in a thousand other books or blogs.
Here's my problem with this book: the dude is a freaking douchebag. Comments like: "I know I don't look like a software developer but I actually look like a model or a professional weightlifter" or "my female viewership doubled when I paid thousands of dollars on several fashion consultants" really rubbed me the wrong way. I also could have gotten wasted on playing a drinking game to the amount of times he plugs his books, blog or youtube channel.
I'm not even going to get in all the details of why I hate this book (I could write a book on that) but here are the top 3 reasons why I just absolutely hated it:
1. Telling people to legally change their name to an American name, if they have a Hispanic or Middle Eastern sounding name, as a way to avoid prejudice is just wrong.
2. There's a part where he compared selling yourself for an internship to imposing yourself on women to get a date, saying that women usually say 'no' first but when they realize you're persistent and you're manly, then the woman will eventually say yes... Dude. That's freaking sexual harassment.
3. Don't even get me started on the chapter of Women in Tech. Just don't.
I really really don't understand why so many people like this book.
January 15, 2018
If you are a software developer (or aspiring SD) and are looking for a book that will give you some good advice but is written in the tone of an absolute attention whore, this is the book for you.
It's his right to do it, but be prepared to slog through a plug for the writer's website every 5 pages and a mention of his abs every 20 pages.
Part advice book, part Tinder profile.
It's his right to do it, but be prepared to slog through a plug for the writer's website every 5 pages and a mention of his abs every 20 pages.
Part advice book, part Tinder profile.
March 30, 2018
کتابی نیست که بخوام توصیه کنم به کسی. بعضی فصلاش رو اسکیپ کردم چون مشخصا ربطی به من نداشت. در هر حال از خوندنش پشیمون نیستم. اینجاهم یه نوشته دارم: چگونه برنامه نویس شویم؟
بعضی از ایدههای کتاب رو توی اون نوشته مطرح کردم.
https://sadraa.me/%da%86%da%af%d9%88%...
بعضی از ایدههای کتاب رو توی اون نوشته مطرح کردم.
https://sadraa.me/%da%86%da%af%d9%88%...
November 19, 2017
The time I decided to buy this book, I was gonna skim through all the chapters and if anything I fancy, I would read. However, it turned out, I’ve read every single word in this book, as it is written in a unique way with an entertaining tone. In many ways, it was influential for me. Strongly recommend anyone who is planning career in software industry or already on their way of this journey.
September 29, 2017
Haha, noticed the author only after downloading it to Kindle.
Learning first language. Good point that today it is more important to know th libraries than the language. Languages are easy and fast to learn when you're psychologically prepared, but getting to know countless libraries/ frameworks can kill you, like trying to decide which technology to use for some specific problem.
Can't agree that language isn't that important, because they differ in performance and server loads. If that would been true, then Instagram still ran on Django (Python). Even more, from the full-stack perspective, you'll need more than 2 languages and many technologies.
"Self-taught programmers tend to think they can take on just about any challenge." John Sonmez
What, no? :-D
Chapters on politics and other usual office nonsense are especially helpful, because I just don't get it. Don't know if author sees it, but all those rules of the game are ridiculous relic from our true animal (monkey) nature. Hope some day everyone would live in digital world where nothing of this monkey-shit matters, because there would be no such thing as "work for a living".
OK, what I think about the entire book. It actually was excellent, had many good points, I also liked pragmatic, realism based approach to everything.
P.S. My background in programming. I've started some programming when I was 13-een (with Commodore and pretty idiotic Basic language), achieved nothing useful, due bad circumstances in learning curve (there was only 1 PC in the entire school). Until I bought my own first PC and internet out of my teenager businesses, years passed by. Didn't do any programming for a few decades, except that I've hired others, from India and U.S. to do some work for me led me to my own new apartment and trading. After all that, few years back, I've started to learn to program because I was in need to do some analysis of my trades. I dreamed about web development, about my own web projects (hated WordPress) that would be easier maintainable than anything WP related, and a year back started to code at a pace of 12 hours a day, now I have some projects, mobile apps, many repositories, learned at least 3 programming languages, first Python, then Go, then Javascript, etc. After first programming language learning goes very fast.
So, with hard work it's all possible to change the paths. What I definitely lack is understanding of politics, I never worked long enough fro someone else, so both "soft skills" book and this one helped me a lot to grasp what's going on "hired" jobs market.
Learning first language. Good point that today it is more important to know th libraries than the language. Languages are easy and fast to learn when you're psychologically prepared, but getting to know countless libraries/ frameworks can kill you, like trying to decide which technology to use for some specific problem.
Can't agree that language isn't that important, because they differ in performance and server loads. If that would been true, then Instagram still ran on Django (Python). Even more, from the full-stack perspective, you'll need more than 2 languages and many technologies.
"Self-taught programmers tend to think they can take on just about any challenge." John Sonmez
What, no? :-D
Chapters on politics and other usual office nonsense are especially helpful, because I just don't get it. Don't know if author sees it, but all those rules of the game are ridiculous relic from our true animal (monkey) nature. Hope some day everyone would live in digital world where nothing of this monkey-shit matters, because there would be no such thing as "work for a living".
OK, what I think about the entire book. It actually was excellent, had many good points, I also liked pragmatic, realism based approach to everything.
P.S. My background in programming. I've started some programming when I was 13-een (with Commodore and pretty idiotic Basic language), achieved nothing useful, due bad circumstances in learning curve (there was only 1 PC in the entire school). Until I bought my own first PC and internet out of my teenager businesses, years passed by. Didn't do any programming for a few decades, except that I've hired others, from India and U.S. to do some work for me led me to my own new apartment and trading. After all that, few years back, I've started to learn to program because I was in need to do some analysis of my trades. I dreamed about web development, about my own web projects (hated WordPress) that would be easier maintainable than anything WP related, and a year back started to code at a pace of 12 hours a day, now I have some projects, mobile apps, many repositories, learned at least 3 programming languages, first Python, then Go, then Javascript, etc. After first programming language learning goes very fast.
So, with hard work it's all possible to change the paths. What I definitely lack is understanding of politics, I never worked long enough fro someone else, so both "soft skills" book and this one helped me a lot to grasp what's going on "hired" jobs market.
January 21, 2018
Oh, I wish I had read the book when I was just starting out as a software developer. It would save me much time and nerves.
Today I've already figured out most of the things in the book, but I still enjoyed it very much. It was a very inspiring and motivating read.
I really liked the chapter about debugging. It contains a very useful advice about not using debugger unless you're absolutely desperate.
Today I've already figured out most of the things in the book, but I still enjoyed it very much. It was a very inspiring and motivating read.
I really liked the chapter about debugging. It contains a very useful advice about not using debugger unless you're absolutely desperate.
February 10, 2023
A wonderful read!
It is a programming book, but it feels more like a life book. He gives so many key pieces of advice, a wonderful read for anyone in the tech space, or anyone focused on self-development.
2nd Read, 09:55:45 Tuesday The 10th Of January 2023
Ah, I'm so grateful, this is my third time listening to this book and I still got a ton of value. I recommend this to all people in the tech industry, all people who want to grow in their careers and lives.
I finished my 3rd listening of this audiobook at 14:28:04 Friday the 10th of February 2023
Honestly, John Sommez feels like an old friend, the role model I wish I had when I was younger. I felt like I got even more value from this book on my third read, as I've gone deeper into the software studies I've seen more and more of what he was talking about. I recommend this book to all software developers.
It is a programming book, but it feels more like a life book. He gives so many key pieces of advice, a wonderful read for anyone in the tech space, or anyone focused on self-development.
2nd Read, 09:55:45 Tuesday The 10th Of January 2023
Ah, I'm so grateful, this is my third time listening to this book and I still got a ton of value. I recommend this to all people in the tech industry, all people who want to grow in their careers and lives.
I finished my 3rd listening of this audiobook at 14:28:04 Friday the 10th of February 2023
Honestly, John Sommez feels like an old friend, the role model I wish I had when I was younger. I felt like I got even more value from this book on my third read, as I've gone deeper into the software studies I've seen more and more of what he was talking about. I recommend this book to all software developers.
August 14, 2017
Review in Russian: http://sergeyteplyakov.blogspot.com/2...
November 30, 2018
I wish I had this book year ago! Even now it will serve a lot of value as I can recommend it to others.
April 25, 2020
This gigantic, 800-page tome, The Complete Software Developer's Career Guide: How to Learn Programming Languages Quickly, Ace Your Programming Interview, and Land Your Software Developer Dream Job, should be regarded as a standard self-help book, repackaged for software programmers looking to make careers mainly in the old-school corporate environment--think IBM and HP (but not Google or Facebook). To some extent, that means software development has become a regular job, just like all other corporate, nine-to-five jobs out there.
I admit that I am not a huge fan of self-help books rehashing the same theme over and over again, with few new insights--it is a modern-day American religion. That said, I think that John Z. Sonmez has done a good job adapting and catering it specifically to software developers. I wonder, though, the book had to be so big and long; with roughly one sentence constituting each paragraph, it looks like a book for those who haven't read at all since high school.
You may not appreciate all those diligently constructed affiliate links, but I give Sonmez credit for his honesty in his advice (as well as his assessment of his own motivation). For example,
which I think is often true, and his takes on how to dress, women in male-dominated workplaces and men's psyche in that dynamics, multicultural communication are quite honest as well. That doesn't mean you have to agree with them, of course.
Do you see programming as your passion, or do you see it as a leverage for a stable, potentially lucrative career?
Sales isn't for everyone and some of the truest nerds are looking for and benefit from learning how to navigate life without doing people-oriented stuff, and some get into very technical areas like programming at least partly for that reason. The book doesn't cater to that crowd, the passionate nerds. The book is for the latter, those who are or want to be in the field mostly as a career, but not necessarily for the fun/love of technical challenge. (I feel that Sonmez hasn't kept up with technologies diligently.)
In some sense, Sonmez, in the end, seems to tell us to "graduate" from software development work and flourish in the life of self-development and self-actualization, as he himself has, being effectively retired. There is nothing wrong with this, of course, and if that resonates with you, this book may be helpful for you.
I admit that I am not a huge fan of self-help books rehashing the same theme over and over again, with few new insights--it is a modern-day American religion. That said, I think that John Z. Sonmez has done a good job adapting and catering it specifically to software developers. I wonder, though, the book had to be so big and long; with roughly one sentence constituting each paragraph, it looks like a book for those who haven't read at all since high school.
You may not appreciate all those diligently constructed affiliate links, but I give Sonmez credit for his honesty in his advice (as well as his assessment of his own motivation). For example,
We no longer live in a world where software developers are valuable just because they can write code. (p. 451)
which I think is often true, and his takes on how to dress, women in male-dominated workplaces and men's psyche in that dynamics, multicultural communication are quite honest as well. That doesn't mean you have to agree with them, of course.
Do you see programming as your passion, or do you see it as a leverage for a stable, potentially lucrative career?
In fact, even if you never become an entrepreneur and never decide to start your own business, your salesmanship skills will likely be the limiting factor to your success in life. (p. 716)
Sales isn't for everyone and some of the truest nerds are looking for and benefit from learning how to navigate life without doing people-oriented stuff, and some get into very technical areas like programming at least partly for that reason. The book doesn't cater to that crowd, the passionate nerds. The book is for the latter, those who are or want to be in the field mostly as a career, but not necessarily for the fun/love of technical challenge. (I feel that Sonmez hasn't kept up with technologies diligently.)
In some sense, Sonmez, in the end, seems to tell us to "graduate" from software development work and flourish in the life of self-development and self-actualization, as he himself has, being effectively retired. There is nothing wrong with this, of course, and if that resonates with you, this book may be helpful for you.
September 25, 2019
I had the audible book and it was >20 hours of slow pain. What I came out of was knowing practical knowledge that seemed common sense in the technical workforce and knowledge I had before hearing the book. John Sonmez was great in keeping the audience engaged in a very long book but I learned more about him than practical knowledge to use in the industry.
John is a self defense contractor who was able to re-negotiate his own contract by going on an interview with a government contractor who was able to tell him the compensation they paid to other contractors. From thereon he negotiated with a contractor to get his own rate as needed since he did all the work of being able to land the interview and just needed to get hired through a contractor officially. While this is one of those rare occassions, it does not apply to everyone and I know more about John's schedule and his affinity to working out and being healthy.
John thanks for trying but please take out the tidbit in women in tech since your constant enumerations on not knowing how it is makes up most of the chapter. It would be better for John to have gained some feedback from women in the industry of various fields they work in tech. So what if a female reader requested more knowledge about it, having a chapter constantly being reminded that you have no knowledge or experience in is a waste of time.
John is a self defense contractor who was able to re-negotiate his own contract by going on an interview with a government contractor who was able to tell him the compensation they paid to other contractors. From thereon he negotiated with a contractor to get his own rate as needed since he did all the work of being able to land the interview and just needed to get hired through a contractor officially. While this is one of those rare occassions, it does not apply to everyone and I know more about John's schedule and his affinity to working out and being healthy.
John thanks for trying but please take out the tidbit in women in tech since your constant enumerations on not knowing how it is makes up most of the chapter. It would be better for John to have gained some feedback from women in the industry of various fields they work in tech. So what if a female reader requested more knowledge about it, having a chapter constantly being reminded that you have no knowledge or experience in is a waste of time.
July 25, 2017
Tons of advice for people in all stages of their career
This is one of those books I wish I knew about earlier in my career. Its jam packed with tactics and information. Its also extremely long. Fortunately, each chapter is independent, so it's easy to skip around and find whats relevant to you now.
This is one of those books I wish I knew about earlier in my career. Its jam packed with tactics and information. Its also extremely long. Fortunately, each chapter is independent, so it's easy to skip around and find whats relevant to you now.
August 21, 2017
John Sonmez, you did it again! Game changing book that already had and will have a big impact on my life and career. So much wisdom in such a easy read - gonna recommend it to all my devfriends.
July 23, 2022
One of the very few books I'd recommend in getting both audio and physical copy.
June 28, 2018
I listened to this book on Audible. Here's a copy of the review I posted there:
Halfway through listening to this book I texted my friend that it felt like I got accidentally let into a boy's club meeting I am not supposed to be at. Don't get me wrong-- I loved this book. It was really helpful, I learned a ton, and it was definitely worth the listen. The extra materials you get access to are also definitely worth it. However...
As a woman who is pursuing a career in software development, I felt as though I am not an intended audience for this book at all and women are an afterthought (and a chapter put in at the end of the production cycle because an editor said something about it). It's primary, intended audience is male software developers, which makes sense because there are more men in the field, but I felt like just a few little things would have made it better and more equitable that don't involve a special segregated chapter with a disclaimer.
For example, at one point he compares trying to get a job to harassing a woman at a bar who has no interest in you and encourages the reader to not take no for an answer. He said that companies, like that woman, actually want you to succeed in picking them up. Now having been a woman harassed at a bar who really just wanted to be left alone (for real- not playing hard to get here), this is a horrible metaphor. I agree that you shouldn't give up on your first rejection when it comes to a job or something like that. But take no for an answer if a woman (or anyone) turns down your romantic or sexual advances. Not taking no for an answer in a potentially romantic or sexual scenario violates consent and is really not okay. Respect women's boundaries. And beyond that, women are not prizes to be won or earned or gained like a job. We are people, and I think most of us would appreciate not being compared to some kind of advancement prize or career gain. I almost quit listening after that, but I didn't.
There's also a section on how to dress for a software development job where he goes into detail about what you should wear, makes a side comment about not trusting women to tell you if your outfit is good for the job or not, and pretty much neglects women entirely. The supplemental materials connected to that chapter have checklists for men's fashion for work and there isn't a corresponding one for women or even an acknowledgment that he knows it's missing and he isn't qualified to speak on it, which is totally fair - I wouldn't go to him for fashion advice anyway- but an acknowledgement that it's missing wouldn't send the message that only men are software developers.
There's also a chapter on women in tech, which was ok I guess, but it felt like an afterthought. I don't expect him to write about that or even devote that much attention to it necessarily, but it felt a little forced.
Now all that said, I listened to the whole thing and read a lot of the supplemental materials. I decided to take the whole sitting in on a boy's club meeting I'm not supposed to be at feeling and use it as practice for when I'm inevitably in that situation in real life in my future career. I still highly recommend the book, but know what you're getting into.
Halfway through listening to this book I texted my friend that it felt like I got accidentally let into a boy's club meeting I am not supposed to be at. Don't get me wrong-- I loved this book. It was really helpful, I learned a ton, and it was definitely worth the listen. The extra materials you get access to are also definitely worth it. However...
As a woman who is pursuing a career in software development, I felt as though I am not an intended audience for this book at all and women are an afterthought (and a chapter put in at the end of the production cycle because an editor said something about it). It's primary, intended audience is male software developers, which makes sense because there are more men in the field, but I felt like just a few little things would have made it better and more equitable that don't involve a special segregated chapter with a disclaimer.
For example, at one point he compares trying to get a job to harassing a woman at a bar who has no interest in you and encourages the reader to not take no for an answer. He said that companies, like that woman, actually want you to succeed in picking them up. Now having been a woman harassed at a bar who really just wanted to be left alone (for real- not playing hard to get here), this is a horrible metaphor. I agree that you shouldn't give up on your first rejection when it comes to a job or something like that. But take no for an answer if a woman (or anyone) turns down your romantic or sexual advances. Not taking no for an answer in a potentially romantic or sexual scenario violates consent and is really not okay. Respect women's boundaries. And beyond that, women are not prizes to be won or earned or gained like a job. We are people, and I think most of us would appreciate not being compared to some kind of advancement prize or career gain. I almost quit listening after that, but I didn't.
There's also a section on how to dress for a software development job where he goes into detail about what you should wear, makes a side comment about not trusting women to tell you if your outfit is good for the job or not, and pretty much neglects women entirely. The supplemental materials connected to that chapter have checklists for men's fashion for work and there isn't a corresponding one for women or even an acknowledgment that he knows it's missing and he isn't qualified to speak on it, which is totally fair - I wouldn't go to him for fashion advice anyway- but an acknowledgement that it's missing wouldn't send the message that only men are software developers.
There's also a chapter on women in tech, which was ok I guess, but it felt like an afterthought. I don't expect him to write about that or even devote that much attention to it necessarily, but it felt a little forced.
Now all that said, I listened to the whole thing and read a lot of the supplemental materials. I decided to take the whole sitting in on a boy's club meeting I'm not supposed to be at feeling and use it as practice for when I'm inevitably in that situation in real life in my future career. I still highly recommend the book, but know what you're getting into.
August 17, 2022
"The Complete Software Developer's Career Guide" is my first read (till the end) book about the IT industry and programming after I decided to dive into learning programming. Probably it is not worth 4 stars but I DID enjoyed it and learned quite a lot (now I just need to use those useful pieces of advice in real life).
Let's start from stating that it is a large work. I bought it on "Audible" and I was surprised seeing its length. More than 23 hours, if I remember correctly. So buck up for a long ride, if you take this challenge.
Sonmez stated that this book is useful for "all levels" but I kinda think that the best value will get a noob (junior or a wannabe developer). Like... You know.. me :)
The book is quite entertaining and easy to understand because it is more like a glossary of recommendations and strategies how to behave in the IT field to be successful. So if you are looking for hardcore tech knowledge and know-how, you'd better buy another book. This one is more soft-skills-oriented. There are some "Easter eggs" when Sonmez adds additional content/ jokes/ stories / his evaluation in the audio book, so, yes, I am glad I picked this one up. Laughing helps to be more engaged and remember the information better ;)
At the beginning I was a bit annoyed about Sonmez's (over)confident style and his "humble bragging" but later I got used to it. And he seems an experienced and hardworking guy, so, probably, he is allowed to do that :) Here we reach my main doubt/ dilemma regarding this book: I am from Europe, this book is written in the USA and I am not sure if this confidence, a bit aggressive bragging and showing off that are good strategies for Americans, would be welcomed similarly in Europe. Additionally, legal bases and labour market practices differ. Probably it would be smart to take that in mind while reading.
In any case, I think I understand many things better about the industry then before. Currently, I am working in communication, so I liked a chapter where Sonmez talked about the reputation building, staying relevant by creating quality content and giving value to people, blogging and taking an active role in programmers' communities. In my opinion, this path is sustainable and forces a developer to sharpen her / his skills regularly.
So, yeah, maybe it is not worth 4 of my stars but it I would recommend this read. Actually, I think I will re-read it soon :) The good stuff should be remembered (and used!) regularly.
That's all for now. The next tech book which I am going to review is "The Pragmatic Programmer".
Let's start from stating that it is a large work. I bought it on "Audible" and I was surprised seeing its length. More than 23 hours, if I remember correctly. So buck up for a long ride, if you take this challenge.
Sonmez stated that this book is useful for "all levels" but I kinda think that the best value will get a noob (junior or a wannabe developer). Like... You know.. me :)
The book is quite entertaining and easy to understand because it is more like a glossary of recommendations and strategies how to behave in the IT field to be successful. So if you are looking for hardcore tech knowledge and know-how, you'd better buy another book. This one is more soft-skills-oriented. There are some "Easter eggs" when Sonmez adds additional content/ jokes/ stories / his evaluation in the audio book, so, yes, I am glad I picked this one up. Laughing helps to be more engaged and remember the information better ;)
At the beginning I was a bit annoyed about Sonmez's (over)confident style and his "humble bragging" but later I got used to it. And he seems an experienced and hardworking guy, so, probably, he is allowed to do that :) Here we reach my main doubt/ dilemma regarding this book: I am from Europe, this book is written in the USA and I am not sure if this confidence, a bit aggressive bragging and showing off that are good strategies for Americans, would be welcomed similarly in Europe. Additionally, legal bases and labour market practices differ. Probably it would be smart to take that in mind while reading.
In any case, I think I understand many things better about the industry then before. Currently, I am working in communication, so I liked a chapter where Sonmez talked about the reputation building, staying relevant by creating quality content and giving value to people, blogging and taking an active role in programmers' communities. In my opinion, this path is sustainable and forces a developer to sharpen her / his skills regularly.
So, yeah, maybe it is not worth 4 of my stars but it I would recommend this read. Actually, I think I will re-read it soon :) The good stuff should be remembered (and used!) regularly.
That's all for now. The next tech book which I am going to review is "The Pragmatic Programmer".
June 16, 2019
Não é tão técnico quanto esperava pelo título. Mas muito importante para o entendimento da carreira do desenvolvedor
September 8, 2018
The most impressive thing about this book is that it's more than 1,000 pages long,this is a long book, it's the second book the author releases and the author also has numerous pluralsight courses (like hundreds of hours of conent actually) he also has a youtube channel, a blog, some applications he has developed for the real world, he lifts weights and other stuff like that, and so basically in the book he talks about being productive, how to maximize your efficiency, how to be more productive and apparently he backs up what he talks about, he walks the walk, and that alone deserves to be an important part of my review, because I believe most motivational public speakers are nothing more than that, public speakers who have never actually had to achieve a high technical level in an are of their interest, they just talk about productiveness and motivation, but they don't have highly technical skills, they tend to be more oriented to management, or sales, and iv'e always thought there is a deficit of material to supplement people who are more interested in sharping our own skills instead of being rich through selling products, so John, the author provides really good value to the software industry because to my knowledge he was the first to mix these two things together.
I like John's character and his books are always enjoyable. I'm giving this 5 stars because, although I read some chapters and listened to some, the audio version is the one I definitely would listen to again, from cover to cover. Actually this year I read the author's 2 books : The Complete Software Developer's Career Guide and Softskills and this, being his newer book is just as great as the other one, one negative thing to say about them is that both overlap information in some chapters (same information being given in both books), but it's nothing terribly negative or bad at all, since the information needed to be in both books anyway, i'm just pointing it out because it's funny how if you read both books back to back, you can already predict some things John is going to say.
Basically the book is oriented towards an aspiring software developer, it gives you his insight on which technologies to learn, how to learn those technologies, how to get better at them, how to negotiate your salary, how to find a job the first time, how to get promoted once you've landed that job, or how to be a freelancer, which tools and resources can be utilized for that, and other strategies to keep your value high and skills sharp once you start your dream job as a software developer, along with some recommended readings, both for software developers and for anyone who is looking to improve in different areas of life. I've personally already read many of the books that he talks about and I can tell we share similar perspectives in life
This is a very valuable book and if you supplement it with his site simpleprogrammer the value is just insane, there is a login for the people who purchased this book that can access additional materials such as videos, spreadsheets to evaluate yourself in the areas he believes are needed for each software developer, and he gives ways to improve each area he is categorizing in the book, he points you to books and courses to get better at the areas you are lacking the most. The last chapter is all about book recommendations that I really liked.
I like John's character and his books are always enjoyable. I'm giving this 5 stars because, although I read some chapters and listened to some, the audio version is the one I definitely would listen to again, from cover to cover. Actually this year I read the author's 2 books : The Complete Software Developer's Career Guide and Softskills and this, being his newer book is just as great as the other one, one negative thing to say about them is that both overlap information in some chapters (same information being given in both books), but it's nothing terribly negative or bad at all, since the information needed to be in both books anyway, i'm just pointing it out because it's funny how if you read both books back to back, you can already predict some things John is going to say.
Basically the book is oriented towards an aspiring software developer, it gives you his insight on which technologies to learn, how to learn those technologies, how to get better at them, how to negotiate your salary, how to find a job the first time, how to get promoted once you've landed that job, or how to be a freelancer, which tools and resources can be utilized for that, and other strategies to keep your value high and skills sharp once you start your dream job as a software developer, along with some recommended readings, both for software developers and for anyone who is looking to improve in different areas of life. I've personally already read many of the books that he talks about and I can tell we share similar perspectives in life
This is a very valuable book and if you supplement it with his site simpleprogrammer the value is just insane, there is a login for the people who purchased this book that can access additional materials such as videos, spreadsheets to evaluate yourself in the areas he believes are needed for each software developer, and he gives ways to improve each area he is categorizing in the book, he points you to books and courses to get better at the areas you are lacking the most. The last chapter is all about book recommendations that I really liked.
July 30, 2021
Red pill, toxic trash. For the patriarchy, by the patriarchy. The whole thing has a "hustle and grind till you die" kind of energy. At one point, in this software development career guide, John Z Sonmez says in no uncertain terms that when a woman says "no," it's a test, and she secretly wants you.
May 12, 2019
I like John and i recommend his books, he has done a very good job until he got where he is now.
October 6, 2017
Well rounded
Enjoyed reading John's book. Good information written in an easy to read style. Got me to try blogging and thinking about that 'side project' that I need to finish!
Enjoyed reading John's book. Good information written in an easy to read style. Got me to try blogging and thinking about that 'side project' that I need to finish!
January 3, 2019
Not a lot of technical info (not what it's about), but many good starting points and direction for people starting in this field. Useful to me in deciding how to further my knowledge and get more purposeful about furthering my career in software development.
May 18, 2020
Great book for someone like me, who is thinking of what working in the industry is like. Knowing nothing about programming, I went through a couple of Python textbooks and intended to get competent at it, but changed my mind after going through the first part of this manual.
Key points:
Software development is a large field. There is no way one can be good at everything, so it helps to choose a specialty and stick to it.
Set up a goal and a blueprint of how you are going to achieve it.
First, learn 1 programming language well. - Master syntax (build small programs, post on git). Get a big picture of what is possible. / Learn to read code and understand it. / Build apps for specific platform. / Learn data structure and algorithms (Top Coder/ Euler project).
Build a portfolio and apply for jobs or internships.
The biggest benefit of this book is that it gives a broad understanding of career development in software engineering, which allows one to consciously carve his own path.
The minus would be a not so modest approach to self-promotion. It doesn't bother me that much, as information is still good, but I personally prefer a more reserved writing style.
Key points:
Software development is a large field. There is no way one can be good at everything, so it helps to choose a specialty and stick to it.
Set up a goal and a blueprint of how you are going to achieve it.
First, learn 1 programming language well. - Master syntax (build small programs, post on git). Get a big picture of what is possible. / Learn to read code and understand it. / Build apps for specific platform. / Learn data structure and algorithms (Top Coder/ Euler project).
Build a portfolio and apply for jobs or internships.
The biggest benefit of this book is that it gives a broad understanding of career development in software engineering, which allows one to consciously carve his own path.
The minus would be a not so modest approach to self-promotion. It doesn't bother me that much, as information is still good, but I personally prefer a more reserved writing style.
December 28, 2018
This book is a beacon to software developers around the world. It talks about all the aspects of software developer career which helps one to succeed.
This should not be one time read. This book should be read again and again. It's a guide to which you refer whenever you are stuck in your career.
This should not be one time read. This book should be read again and again. It's a guide to which you refer whenever you are stuck in your career.
November 16, 2022
Complete waste of my time
I guess it was my mistake of buying a youtuber's book. And I am using the term 'book' very loosely since I can't consider this as one. This is rather a long winded blog post. The content is filled with the creator's 'personality' / 'quirkyness' / 'gimmickry' which I can understand if it was advertised as a piece of entertainment and not an actual guide. The actually useful points are few and far in between. This author spends time cross-promoting his other work, stroking his ego, and fluffing about how much value you'll get from this book instead of actually delivering any value.
I will admit I was impressed by the sheer size of the book only to sadly realize the vast majority of the content would have been cut from an actual book.
Waste of time
I guess it was my mistake of buying a youtuber's book. And I am using the term 'book' very loosely since I can't consider this as one. This is rather a long winded blog post. The content is filled with the creator's 'personality' / 'quirkyness' / 'gimmickry' which I can understand if it was advertised as a piece of entertainment and not an actual guide. The actually useful points are few and far in between. This author spends time cross-promoting his other work, stroking his ego, and fluffing about how much value you'll get from this book instead of actually delivering any value.
I will admit I was impressed by the sheer size of the book only to sadly realize the vast majority of the content would have been cut from an actual book.
Waste of time
June 16, 2019
Very clear and concise overview of software engineering (methodologies, programming languages, testing, source control etc). Holistic view of the profession - included best practices on what it takes to thrive in the software industry. Overall, bite sized nuggets on a variety of topics - suitable for people who are exploring careers in the software industry or who want to get a quick refresher on software concepts.
October 25, 2018
Good insights into the performance reviews and other factors that people generally do not know even after spending years working for organizations. As a woman, I noticed it was written by a man for men but some issues are universal regardless of gender, so I just took a note of those novel points that were not obvious to me in my professional life and filtered out the rest.
March 26, 2019
A must read for software developers
John’s advices in the book are very helpful and pragmatic. There’re formulas, processes and checklists that show you the success path. If you can take actions based on his advices and be consistent, you will have much more than what you pay for this book.
John’s advices in the book are very helpful and pragmatic. There’re formulas, processes and checklists that show you the success path. If you can take actions based on his advices and be consistent, you will have much more than what you pay for this book.
April 6, 2019
Perfect balance between technical and soft skills
What I loved about this book is that shows you not only the technical skills necessary to thrive in the software industry but also the importance of soft skills to become a valuable member/leader of any team.
The book was extremely pleasant to read even when extends over almost 800 pages.
What I loved about this book is that shows you not only the technical skills necessary to thrive in the software industry but also the importance of soft skills to become a valuable member/leader of any team.
The book was extremely pleasant to read even when extends over almost 800 pages.
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