On Being an Early Career Dev in Your 30s

On Being An Early Career Dev In Your 30s Ben Greenberg @rabbigreenberg

Two roads diverged in a wood, and I— I took the one less traveled by, And that has made all the difference. - Robert Frost @rabbigreenberg

From rabbi … to developer @rabbigreenberg

The unconventional is increasingly becoming conventional @rabbigreenberg

Employees between 30 and 45 years old have had the greatest increase in resignation rates, with an average increase of more than 20% between 2020 and 2021. - Harvard Business Review, September 2021 @rabbigreenberg

66% of Americans are keen to switch jobs

• Business Insider, September 2021 @rabbigreenberg

U.S. Bureau of Labor and Statistics @rabbigreenberg

@rabbigreenberg

Unless someone like you care a whole awful lot, nothing is going to get better, it’s not. - Dr. Seuss @rabbigreenberg

Potential Challenges and Opportunities: The I.C. @rabbigreenberg

“… switching careers is not without its challenges. For instance, you may take a pay cut or have to deal with the weirdness of not being one of the most experienced people in the room. In some cases, you might be deemed overqualified, yet for some pursuits, your lack of experience could work against you.” Monster.com, Second Career Survey Research @rabbigreenberg

@rabbigreenberg

Your Experience Counts @rabbigreenberg

Your CV Is Not A Liability @rabbigreenberg

What you did, more than what you were called @rabbigreenberg

What You Were Called What You Did ● High School English Teacher ● Created individualized measurable project sprints for 30 students every quarter ● Bartender ● Managed ongoing client relationships ● Managed a diverse team of paid staff and volunteer members ● Member of the clergy @rabbigreenberg

Learning to embrace humility … while, remembering… @rabbigreenberg

Humility is not a doormat @rabbigreenberg

“Keep two pieces of paper in your pocket at all times. On one: “I am a speck of dust,” and on the other : “The world was created for me.”” - Rabbi Simcha Bunim of Peshischa (19th c.) @rabbigreenberg

Don’t undersell yourself @rabbigreenberg

What do you learn? @rabbigreenberg

JavaScript? Python? Node.js? Rust? Elixir? TypeScript? Frontend? Backend? Full Stack? @rabbigreenberg

Applying concepts > A specific language @rabbigreenberg

If I stopped you on the street, and asked you to explain this in plain English… What would you say? @rabbigreenberg

To recap @rabbigreenberg

The Individual Contributor (I.C.) ● Your CV is not a liability ● What you did > What were you called ● Be humble ● Don’t be a doormat ● Applied concepts > A specific language @rabbigreenberg

Potential Challenges and Opportunities: The Manager @rabbigreenberg

It is better to lead from behind and to put others in front, especially when you celebrate victory when nice things occur… - Nelson Mandela @rabbigreenberg

Servant Leadership “If you want to lift yourself up, lift up someone else.” - Booker T. Washington @rabbigreenberg

And remember that they often have prior experiences… All these different experiences can give you different perspectives. This allows for a far bigger pool of ideas and knowledge… - Lisa Wagner, There’s No “I” in Product Manager @rabbigreenberg

What’s your pipeline look like? @rabbigreenberg

Did you start coding when you were 8 years old? Fast forward… Did you go to college? Did you graduate with a C.S. degree? Do you like living and sleeping in the office? Congrats! You got a job! 👏 Congrats! You got a job! 👏 @rabbigreenberg

The pipeline is broken @rabbigreenberg

You can help fix it @rabbigreenberg

What doors do you open? The doors I open for recruiting are… @rabbigreenberg

To recap @rabbigreenberg

The Manager ● Servant Leadership ● A diverse team is a better team ● Ego can be obstructing ● Broaden your hiring pipeline @rabbigreenberg

“He [Rabbi Tarfon] used to say: It is not your duty to finish the work, but neither are you at liberty to neglect it.” - Pirkei Avot 2:16 @rabbigreenberg

Thank you! @rabbigreenberg @bencgreenberg @rabbigreenberg