#178 - Leveling Up Through Coding Challenges, Real-World Projects, and Personal Brand - John Crickett

“99% of us aren’t working in big tech. There’s this impression that everybody works in big tech. There’s a huge world of software development out there that almost gets forgotten about in social media." John Crickett is the creator of “Coding Challenges” and a seasoned software engineer with over 30 years of experience. In this episode, John shares his diverse career path, including transitioning between individual contributor roles and management, founding his own business, and his passion for coding challenges. John explains the benefits of building real-world applications over algorithm-based ones, emphasizing the importance of learning by doing. John also shares practical tips on time management for continuous learning and debunks the myth that most software engineers work in big tech. We also explore the role of personal branding in today’s competitive job market. John provides tips on building a personal brand and leveraging social media to stay ahead in your tech career. Finally, John shares his perspective on the impact of AI on software engineering and how we can leverage AI in our day-to-day tasks. Whether you’re an aspiring developer or a seasoned professional, this episode provides practical advice and inspiration to help you level up in your tech career.   Listen out for: Career Journey - [00:01:51] John’s Multiple Roles Transition - [00:03:51] IC-Management Transition - [00:06:44] Importance of a Vision - [00:09:39] Lifestyle Business - [00:11:55] Coding Challenges - [00:13:30] Building Real-World Projects - [00:16:37] CodingChallenges.fyi - [00:18:39] Learning the Non-Functional Aspects - [00:21:17] Allocating Time to Learn - [00:24:04] Working for Non-Big Tech Companies - [00:27:15] Relevant Skills for Non-Big Tech - [00:30:39] AI Impact on Software Engineering Role - [00:34:44] AI for Coding Challenges - [00:38:21] Building Personal Brand - [00:39:54] How to Build Personal Brand - [00:44:28] 3 Tech Lead Wisdom - [00:49:25] _____ John Crickett’s BioJohn Crickett is a software engineer and sometimes a manager of software engineers. He has worked as both a senior individual contributor (Staff+) and a senior manager (VP Engineering, Head of Software Development). John writes about software engineering daily on LinkedIn and Twitter. He’s the founder of the popular “Coding Challenges” newsletter. Each week, John offers practical coding challenges to help software engineers enhance their skills through building real-world applications. Follow John: LinkedIn – linkedin.com/in/johncrickett/ Twitter/X – x.com/johncrickett Coding Challenges – codingchallenges.fyi Developing Skills – developingskills.substack.com _____ Our Sponsors Enjoy an exceptional developer experience with JetBrains. Whatever programming language and technology you use, JetBrains IDEs provide the tools you need to go beyond simple code editing and excel as a developer.Check out FREE coding software options and special offers on jetbrains.com/store/#discounts.Make it happen. With code. Manning Publications is a premier publisher of technical books on computer and software development topics for both experienced developers and new learners alike. Manning prides itself on being independently owned and operated, and for paving the way for innovative initiatives, such as early access book content and protection-free PDF formats that are now industry standard.Get a 40% discount for Tech Lead Journal listeners by using the code techlead24 for all products in all formats. Like this episode? Show notes & transcript: techleadjournal.dev/episodes/178. Follow @techleadjournal on LinkedIn, Twitter, and Instagram. Buy me a coffee or become a patron.