Building a Career in Tech (Coding Optional)

A summary of the different kinds of tech companies there are, what it's like to work in each, and then a summary of the soft skills needed to thrive and build a career in tech gathered over the last 22 years.

Transcript

1. Building a Career in Tech
   (Coding Optional)
   Kevin Lawver - kevin@lawver.net
   

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2. Hi, I’m Kevin
   

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3. AOL
   1995 - 2008
   

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4. Music
   Intelligence
   Solutions
   2008 - 2012
   

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5. Rails Machine
   2012 - 2014
   

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6. Planted
   2014 - ?
   

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7. Let’s not talk about technology.
   

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8. Let’s talk about companies
   

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9. Big Technology Companies
   

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10. Big Companies with Technology
    

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11. Lifestyle Companies
    

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12. STARTUPS!!
    

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13. Building a Career
    

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14. Awesomeness
    vs.
    Competence
    

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16. “I don’t know,
    but I’ll find out.”
    

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17. Be the problem solver.
    

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18. Jump in the deep end.
    

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19. Share everything
    

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20. Teamwork
    

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21. “Creativity and ego cannot
    go together. If you free
    yourself from the
    comparing and jealous
    mind, your creativity opens
    up endlessly.”
    Jeong Kwan (Chef's Life season 3,
    episode 1)
    

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22. Every role has value
    

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23. Be Optimistic
    

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24. Stop! Collaborate & Listen!
    

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25. Communication
    

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26. Lexicon
    

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27. All the jobs!
    

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28. Keep Swimming
    

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29. Pay it Forward
    

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31. Goals,
    have some!
    

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32. Balance
    

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33. AND
    REMEMBER
    …
    

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34. HAVE
    FUN!!!
    

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35. Questions?
    Requests?
    Rant?
    

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36. Thank you!
    • @kplawver
    • kevin@lawver.net
    • lawver.net
    • kevinlawver.com
    

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37. Credits
    • All photos taken by be and licensed under Creative Commons
    • And most of them from work or volunteer things!
    • Be the awesome you want to see in the world “borrowed” from http://
    rockpapercynic.com
    

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