Pick out 3 behaviors that resonate with you in the list and describe why they resonate with you in a reflection.
- Understand that "code is cheap." This point is interesting to me because beyond its relevance in coding applications, acknowledging that an approach you have invested a lot of time should be scrapped in favor of a new one can be very difficult to do. Its difficult to overcome your pride given that you have to acknowledge you've wasted your time in a sense, but being able to pivot towards a better strategy can be very valuable.
- Become a power-user of your development tools. While working in finance I did a lot of work in various microsoft applications. I gradually was able to pick up a number of keyboard shortcuts which dramatically improved my efficiency in the long run. When I would stand over someone's shoulder to work on a different task I was frequently struck by how much time is wasted when you aren't familiar with the shortcuts. It's valuable to know that the same principles apply in coding and that there are always new ways to improve in terms of how effectively you use the tools available to you.
- Absorve massive criticism with ease. This is something that I know will be both important to my success and difficult for me to achieve. It can be very easy to take criticism personally especially when I feel like the quality of my work was good to begin with. An important part of being able to more effectively respond to criticism is removing the attachment between my ego and my work. If I'm able to effectively frame the criticism it can be a powerful tool towards recognizing my work for its flaws and also for what I've done well.
Reflect 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.
Atul Gawande's endorsement of the use of a checklist at all times is a powerful reminder of the necessity to be efficient and organized. Checklists in his experience have helped catch what would otherwise be critical mistakes or inneficiencies. One benefit is that regular use of a checklist can prevent common mistakes early on in the execution of a large task. As a student, a heavy workload and challenging projects can be overwhelming. The use of a checklist allows for those burdens to be broken down into their component parts. Importantly, they also allow you to create a regular process by which you break down and solve a problem. When transitioning to a role as a full-time developer, checklists will help as they will remind you of best practices to be employed even when you are otherwise confident in what you are doing. This will help cut down on the number of mistakes that you make and help you develop a strong process for completing tasks.
- What is your impression of strengths-based development? What questions do you have about this kind of development? Strengths based development seems to go against what I've experienced throughout my life in terms of the emphasis being placed on shoring up weaknesses instead of focusing on personal strengths. It makes a lot of sense to me in the sense that the best strategy for maximizing your potential is to work in a way that most effectively imploys your strength while minimizing the ways in which your weaknesses detract from your productivity. One question I would have is what type of combinations of skillsets are best suited towards creating effective teams especially in technical settings?
- What do you feel are your top strengths? How do you know? I feel that my biggest strength is that I'm very comfortable working in groups whether when taking a leadership role or when having tasks delegated. During my time working in finance I was frequently either given a small component part of a larger task or was asked to figure out a way to solve a larger problem. I felt that the execution of those tasks was strong in either scenario.
- How do you hope to develop your strengths for your new career in software development? I hope to continue to develop my strengths by experiencing a wide variety of different roles and projects where I will have to become the best team member or leader possible while also becoming trying become better in independant settings.