It takes more than great code to be a great engineer. Soft Skills Engineering is a weekly advice podcast for software developers about the non-technical stuff that goes into being a great software developer.
This episode of the Soft Skills Engineering podcast addresses listener questions about navigating workplace dynamics and professional development. The first question concerns an engineer who refactored a large codebase without prior authorization and seeks advice on communicating this to their manager and client; the ...
This episode of the Soft Skills Engineering podcast addresses listener questions about workplace dynamics. The first question concerns an uncooperative new architect undermining an engineer's suggestions; the hosts advise focusing on specific design flaws and collaborative problem-solving rather than directly confront...
This episode of the Soft Skills Engineering podcast addresses listener questions about behavioral interviews and managing time zone differences in remote teams. The hosts discuss effective strategies for answering behavioral interview questions using the STAR method (Situation, Task, Action, Result), emphasizing the i...
This episode of the Soft Skills Engineering podcast addresses listener questions about professional challenges. The first question concerns a former team member's discovery of a persistent bug in previously written code, prompting a discussion on the importance of conveying technical knowledge effectively, beyond simp...
This episode of the Soft Skills Engineering podcast addresses listener questions about career decisions. The first question concerns prioritizing job title (Staff Engineer) over a significant (30%) pay cut; the hosts advise against it unless the new role offers substantial long-term career benefits. The second questio...
This episode of the Soft Skills Engineering podcast addresses listener questions about navigating career advancement and code review etiquette. The first question focuses on a mid-level engineer over-leveled as a senior engineer at a FAANG company, seeking advice on increasing impact and taking ownership; the hosts of...
This Q&A podcast episode addresses the challenges of hiring software engineers in the age of AI-generated resumes and applications. The hosts discuss the increasing difficulty of identifying genuine candidates due to AI tools that create highly tailored resumes and even complete applications. They explore the issues t...
This Q&A podcast episode addresses listener questions about career decisions. The hosts first discuss a listener's five-year tenure at their first job and whether they should leave, considering the "Secretary Problem" mathematical model, ultimately concluding that time alone isn't sufficient reason to change jobs. Ne...
This Q&A podcast episode from Soft Skills Engineering addresses listener questions about career challenges and resume building in the tech industry. The first question focuses on a senior frontend engineer's frustration with legacy work practices in large tech companies, with hosts Jamison and Dave suggesting that sma...
This Q&A podcast, Soft Skills Engineering episode 443, addresses listener questions related to workplace dynamics and professional development. The hosts, Dave and Jamison, begin by thanking patrons and then tackle a question about a potentially unfriendly PM, exploring possible reasons for the perceived coldness and ...
In this episode of the Soft Skills Engineering podcast, the hosts delve into the vital areas of enhancing communication skills within software engineering and tackling the issue of job-hopping. The episode kicks off with a lighthearted introduction before acknowledging supporters and sponsors. The main discussion revol...
In this episode of Soft Skills Engineering, the hosts tackle two listener questions. The first question dives into the ethics of accepting a job with a healthcare company that's recently been in the spotlight for negative reasons. The hosts recommend prioritizing personal ethics over external opinions in making this de...
In this episode of the Soft Skills Engineering podcast, the hosts tackle a series of listener questions. One listener shares their struggle to balance a demanding work schedule and its effects on their family life. Another asks how to support their overworked manager, Bob, in dodging burnout. Lastly, a young, successfu...
In this episode of Soft Skills Engineering, the hosts tackle two listener queries. The first question deals with how to manage working under an ineffective leader whose input is essential. They recommend taking initiative by owning tasks upfront, clearly stating your intentions, and then seeking approval or feedback as...
In this episode of the Soft Skills Engineering podcast, the hosts address two listener questions. The first comes from someone recently released from prison who is eager to land a software developer job despite having an unconventional background and limited recent experience. The hosts provide guidance on how to tackl...
In this episode of Soft Skills Engineering, the hosts tackle two listener questions. The first question raises concerns about a company that has stopped mandatory one-on-one meetings and how this might affect career growth. The hosts recommend that the listener take the initiative to schedule meetings with their manage...
In this episode of the Soft Skills Engineering podcast, the hosts dive into the pitfalls of being overly fixated on metrics and the need to navigate corporate politics effectively. They share insights from a listener who faced challenges due to an excessive emphasis on service reliability, illustrating how this narrow ...
In this episode of Soft Skills Engineering, the hosts tackle two listener questions. The first question comes from a high-performing principal engineer whose boss offers little feedback, likely due to their long-standing trust. The hosts advise leveraging that trust and autonomy to independently pursue meaningful proje...
In this episode of the Soft Skills Engineering podcast, the hosts address two listener questions. The first question deals with a forgetful boss, offering tips on how to gently remind them of past decisions and improve record-keeping for the team's advantage. The second question explores how to handle skip-level manage...
In this podcast episode, the hosts explore important workplace dynamics, focusing on the dangers of making decisions unilaterally and the challenges of preserving team culture after an acquisition. They humorously analyze the "we decided" mentality and share effective strategies to combat manipulation in collaborative ...
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