We’ve all been there, staring at a job listing with a never-ending list of specs:
- HTML, CSS
- JavaScript, CoffeeScript
- NodeJS, GraphQL
- React
- AWS
- Docker
- Jenkins, Drone
- Bash Scripting
- Puppet
- Terraform
- PHP, Ruby
- Kubernets
- MySQL, MongoDB
These are specs for an entire IT department, not for a developer! Reality check, management is aware that no one could possibly know all these technologies. They know this is a great strategy to weed-off candidates who aren’t willing to learn and expand their knowledge. Overly simplifying, the majority of developers can be classified into three categories:
The Enthusiasts – These are the developers that live, breath and sleep code. They are constantly looking up the newest technologies and latest trends. They either settle to one platform or branch to various technologies. Regardless, they have a blend of high-level concepts as well as knowledge in the implementation of the software’s. They are able to take a project, scope out the necessary infrastructure and softwares, plan and design a solution. Often, they know their limits and consult with specialists; however, they are leading the project and are the glue between systems.
The Coasters – Coasters thrive on what they are comfortable with. Often, they tend to stick with simple, smaller sites, and are very specialized in what they do. With the increasing demand of WordPress sites, Coasters tend to gravitate towards theme development and extension development. Windows, FileZilla, WAMP and Putty are their go-to tools. Coasters are phenomenal at execution if it’s with something they are comfortable with. Give a Coaster a task to create a custom themed WordPress site from scratch and they will have it done in a day. Give them a task to setup Apache + MySQL and you’ll find them trying to exit Vim.
The Know-It-Alls: To put it bluntly, these are people that ruin the workplace. Software development is about solving problems and implementing solutions. Somehow the Know-It-Alls, tend to make it about popularity and competition. With the increasing number of libraries, softwares, and languages, there is no right or wrong way to approach a problem; only best practices and recommended solutions. The Know-It-Alls believe their solution is always the best regardless of the problem or its’ requirements. They take a simple problem and propose an exaggerated, complex, and convoluted solution; or worse, they propose a solution that straight up won’t work. The worst part is, Know-It-Alls are always loved by management and know how to manipulate non-technical higher-ups. Know-It-Alls tend to rise in their company and dominate the workforce.
Going back to the original job posting, management is looking for candidates who are genuinely interested in software development and are eager to learn new technologies. Unfortunately, the Know-It-Alls outshine everyone else in the job market because they are people-pleasing, therefore, their voices are heard. For all you introverted developers out there like me, let your knowledge speak for itself. If you are interviewing with a technical person, you have nothing to worry about.