In this show, I open you the doors to companies and thought leaders around the world. With my guests, I discuss software engineering best practices and pitfalls, and how they strive to build software people love.
Getting a remote position at Microsoft with Scott Hanselman
**Links: ** Find a position at Microsoft through Microsoft's careers website Scott's blog post on feeling like a phony Rethinking how we interview in Microsoft’s Developer Division Website for newbies in open source: firsttimersonly.com Scott's productivity tips and Scott's talk about productivity Shownotes: To allow you to find interesting places here are the beginnings of some conversations: How and why Scott started to work remotely for Microsoft. (1:25) When does he have to be at the office? Scott talks about which situations merit a face to face meeting. (4:20) Does Scott think you can you get a remote position at Microsoft, and how? (6:20) Does Scott travel all the time? (5:20) Then, Scotts explains how you can land a remote position at Microsoft (6:35) Scott says Microsoft careers website hasn't caught up with remote work, but around 22% of the position for the developer division (aka Visual Studio) are remote. How should we overcome imposter syndrome and feeling like a phony when we apply for a job (7:45) How you can negotiate your way into a remote position. (8:30) Is Scott hiring right now? (9:40) Which interview questions would Scott ask a programmer or product manager? Well, when interviewing, Scott looks for "systems-thinking" skills. He says, everything else can be taught. (11:30) I want to know that you understand systems thinking and how systems work together. And the recognition that there are systems. (Scott Hanselman) John Montgomery - rolled out a interview system. You can read more about it here. Basically now, as an interviewee, you work on larger problems and solve them as if you are a consultant. You get to work with the people that work on such a problem. Scott says, we interview you as if you are a person that can help answer this problem, but you do not have to have the answer to the problem right away. (12:35) Scott says we have to recognise that not everybody does their best work in high pressure situations. And an interview is a high-pressure situation. So, how can we make a interview more comfortable? (13:50) Scott talks about preparing people and helping people with imposter syndrome feel more at ease at an interview (15:00) When interviewing for a product manager position, Microsoft developer division (aka Visual Studio team) shares the interview problem before so you can prepare yourself. Scott walks me through such an interview. (16:12) You get an actual problem the team wants to solve. You also get some data, mockups, costumer data The team works with you together to solve this problem, because they want to know how it is to work with you. Scott explains which kind of interviews there are at Microsoft (17:05) How can we hire diverse people if we are at the same time looking for cultural fit? (17:35) Scott talks about how to handle people that think differently, and why people think differently (19:30). I talk with Scott about his website for newbies in open source, and Scott explains how we can mentor and help newcomers in open source (22:10). The best way to get people involved in open source is small stuff. Get them working on docs, get them doing tests. Help them do things so they can have an early win. (Scott 25:10) How can Scott be so productive? What is his secret sauce to productivity, and what is his advice for you to increase your productivity? (26:40) Has Scott had a master plan to be as successful as he is today? (30:25) Scott answers a question from a listener on the importance of DevOps as a engineering practices and wether companies should invest in this practice or not? (32:20)
Finding fulfillment through humor in tech with Cassidy Williams
Shownotes:To allow you to find interesting places here are the beginnings of some conversations:We start with how she found herself working remote for CodePen. (1:35)How it is for Cassidy to working remotely for CodePen (3:15)What is Cassidy's responsibility at CodePen (6:11)She is responsible for changing their web application from Ruby Rails and Redux to Apollo and GraphQLCassidy talks about how she interviewed with CodePen (9:40)How the team learns a new technology together as a team (13:20)CodePen's inclusive environment and women in tech (15:45)Why does Cassidy spend time on making jokes and funny videos (19:50)How does Cassidy approach problems? (24:15)How do they communicate in a remote team? (27:00)Do they use Code Reviews at CodePen? (29:35)Cassidy explains that they also invest now more into testing (31:30)How are decisions done at CodePen? Who decides which features are delivered? (32:15)Cassidy talks about how they covert CodPen to a more consolidated state using React and Appollo (38:15)We talk about if you should re-write your code from scratch? (44:15)CodePen is rewritten piece by piece, reminding Michaela about how Slack UI was modernized.Now we talk about Cassidy's side projects and how she integrates that into her life (45:50)Why she isn't a developer evangelist anymore (46:30)What is up with Cassidy and her keyboards? (48:45)Cassidy's advice for others on side projects: figure out why you do that (51)A song that stuck with her and has some solid career advise (52:30)Lyrics:The day is short.The night is long.Why do we work so hard, to get what we don't even want?(From the song: The Day Is Short - Jearlyn Steele)Career advice: You should know what you like and what you dislike (55:00)Rebecca Gracia: When you build your personal career or your personal brand, it's just as important to know what you like as it is what you dislike.Links:Cassidy's talk about converting CodPen Side.Cassidy's websiteSlack engineering blog article on modernizing the UI at Slack
Software Engineering Unlocked Podcast Teaser
Hello and Welcome to the software engineering unlocked podcast. I'm your host Doctor McKayla and I open you the doors to software companies such as Microsoft, Google or Facebook. But also to smaller startups such as Hashnode, Bitmov or Automatic. I talk to experienced developers from different companies about how they develop software. How did they come to where they are today? How is it to be working at their company? Which software engineering processes and best practices do they follow? Do they do code reviews? Do they have automated tests? And how do they assess the productivity of the team or an individual developer? My guests share with you their personal stories and their believes and values when it comes to software engineering. We talk about the companies tech stack, processes, and tools but also about mindset and culture. Finally, we dig deep to really understand the recipes for success. How do those teams and companies manage to build maintainable, scalable and reliable software people love? Find out together with me in the software engineering unlocked podcast. Subscribe today. We launch soon! How do those teams and companies manage to build maintainable, scalable and reliable software people love? Find out together with me in the software engineering unlocked podcast. Subscribe today. We launch soon!