How to be a Six Figure Developer

Software and website developers are in extremely high demand and rates continue to climb, but many developers have not yet realized their potential. In this talk we lay out some simple and proven ways to measure your accomplishments, establish a personal brand, and increase your value to employers.

Transcript

1. Six Figure Developer How to Be a Gaines Kergosien - @gainesk
2. My Brand (and yours?)
3. Gaines Kergosien http://DotNetDude.Net twitter: @gainesk My Brand Senior Solutions Architect
4. Branding Overview Assessment Establish Value Negotiation Tips
5. • Are your skills in demand? • What’s your specialty? • Enough experience? • Years != Experience • Recognize soft skills • Are you under-valued? Assessment Know Your Value
6. Assessment Know the Market Top companies for most Senior Software salaries reported at GlassDoor.com Qualifications • 5+ years of design and coding experience with C# and .NET • Proven experience designing, implementing & delivering complex software projects that span across multiple teams & releases • Excellent communication, collaboration, cross-group skills • Bachelor’s degree or higher in computer science or related fields
7. • Quantify Past Results • Problems Solved • Increased Efficiency • Increased Sales • Decreased Risk • Assign Dollar Values • Solicit Recommendations Prove your worth! Establish Value
8. Branding
9. • Google Yourself • Buy a Domain • Blogging • Speaking • Thought Leadership Branding
10. • Just Start! • Problems = Opportunities • Solicit Feedback You can do it! Branding - Blogging / Speaking
11. • Company lunch-and-learns* • Contact local user group leaders • Conference call for speakers • http://groups.google.com/group/speaknet How do I start? Branding - Speaking * Great justification for sending you to conferences!
12. Branding - Blogging
13. • Tumblr (simple) • WordPress (most popular) • Blogger (middle ground) • Ghost (open source) • Weebly (sleek, basic) • Squarespace ($) • TypePad ($$, easy) Branding - Blogging Platforms
14. • Announce events • Twitter • Blog • Share involvement • Online • Resume • Encourage others Promote Thought Leadership! Branding – Thought Leadership
15. • Google Yourself • Buy a Domain • Blogging • Speaking • Thought Leadership • Resume Branding
16. Branding - Resume
17. What NOT to do! Branding – Resume
18. • http://resume.yourdomain.com • Submit Tailored Versions • Solicit Feedback Your First Interview Branding - Resume
19. • Start with Skills and Expertise* • Tailor to Specific Needs Branding - Resume
20. • Google Yourself • Buy a Domain • Blogging • Speaking • Thought Leadership • Resume • Business Cards Branding
21. What NOT to do! Branding – Business Cards
22. • Plan Ahead • Simplicity Stands Out • Name • Email • Phone Number • Website • White Space is Useful Represent yourself! Branding – Business Cards
23. Don’t cheap out! Branding – Business Cards
24. • Google Yourself • Buy a Domain • Blogging • Speaking • Thought Leadership • Resume • Business Cards • Networking Branding
25. • Social Profiles • Discover Passions & Pains • Follow Up! • Feed People *** • Take Interest in Projects • Seek Opportunities to Help Branding - Networking *** Gratuitous asterisks
26. • Research the Position • Set Targets • Portray an Image • Balance Humility with Pride • Present Your Value • Request Offer • Provide a Range • Treat No as an Opportunity • Do Not Fear Change! Negotiation
27. • You are a valuable commodity! • Change jobs every 2-3 years (>3 months) • Open source work on GitHub or other repositories • Be confident! * Tips
28. • Decide on a Brand • Buy a Domain Name • Start a Blog • Order Business Cards • Attend Local Events • Start Speaking • Nurture Relationships Find me at http://dotnetdude.net Contact me on twitter @gainesk Feedback at http://spkr8.com/t/38641 Review