Career Development Prework

LolaBrenner_ CareerDevPrework

# 29 Behaviors that Make You an Unstoppable Programmer
Pick out 3 behaviors that resonate with you in the list and describe why they resonate with you in a reflection (4-6 sentences).
11. Take responsibility for your mistakes. 
This resonates with me because I've had to learn to do this in my personal as well as professional life. In my communal living situation, admitting when you've messed up and apologizing are crucial to a harmonious living environment. 
In the restaurant industry (my previous career), no one will respect you or take you seriously unless you can admit you were wrong about something. Admitting your mistakes shows people that you realize you are a fallible human and makes you more relatable, 
but it also shows people that your main goal is not to keep your reputation in tact or to appear flawless, but it is to continue learning and improving on your techniques.
15. Don't count the number of hours.
I interpreted this behavior as being self-aware and knowing when to conserve energy. As an introvert who is prone to high anxiety, I've had to learn this in my personal life the hard way. Prioritizing where your mental energy goes and knowing your limits are key.
Sometimes you have to take an unexpected break because you know that starting over in a few hours or tomorrow will be infintely more productive than running on empty. And even when refueling might look like slacking off to some people, I know enough about myself 
to know the value of stepping away from a stressful situation for awhile in order to come back for it stronger.
24. Be capable of writing bad code.
This means knowing when and where it is appropriate and necessary to take short cuts. As a line cook, you are told a certain way to execute a dish, and you are given a time limit in which to do so. More often than not, the exact correct way that the chef meant 
for it to be executed takes longer than the allotted time. A good line cook knows what shortcuts are necessary to acheive the desired dish in the time given. You learn how to eyeball measurements or how to speed up a cooking process when needed. And even if it is 
not the way the chef meant the dish to be prepared, it is never to the detriment of the finished product.

# Checklist
After reading, consider the idea of checklists. Write a reflection (4-6 sentences) on the benefits of a checklist and how an organizational system such as a checklist might help you first as a student and later as a full-time developer.

A checklist system is beneficial because it keeps you on task and prioritized. Often when we allow ourselves to become too comfortable in a role, we forget or overlook very elementary steps or tasks due to our own overconfidence. A checklist allows you to step back 
from your ego and analyze a situation from a more neutral standpoint. It is also helpful for an outsider stepping into a situation to offer an extra pair of eyes on a problem. Checklists are also helpful for breaking up seemingly insurmountable tasks into small, 
acheivable goals. 

# Strengths-Based Development
1. What is your impression of strengths-based development? What questions do you have about this kind of development?
A strengths-based development process seems like a more productive way to select team members and structure them together in a way that maximizes everyone's potential. It's a much better investment to empower someone to do projects they excel at than to force people 
to develop skills that they struggle with. One question is what happens when you don't have people with the exact strengths that you need? How to you balance playing to everyone's strengths with accomplishing goals they play to no one's strengths? If you can't be 
sure of strengths before you hire people, how to you avoid hiring an entire team with similar strengths? 
2. What do you feel are your top strengths? How do you know?
One of my top strengths is communication. As an introvert who values sincere interactions with people over small talk, I know how to listen to people and make them feel heard. I am also good at resolving conflict without causing any one side to become defensive, 
practicing nonviolent communication. In my previous career, I was known for being good at seeing strengths in other people. I could tell what areas people would thrive in, and I knew what tools they needed to maximize their success. I'm good at reading people. 
Another of my strengths is analytical thinking. I can take a situation and break it down into manageable parts which can then be delegated to those who would excel accordingly.
3. How do you hope to develop your strengths for your new career in software development?
I think my strenghts could develop into a role of mediator or facilitator of a team, someone who can help people exchange ideas or someone who could take an idea and delegate different parts of it out to people who are best suited for each part. I could also see myself 
facilitating communication and exchange of ideas between developpers and other team members.