Success in today''s IT environment requires you to view your
career as a business endeavor. In this book, you''ll learn how to
become an entrepreneur, driving your career in the direction of
your choosing. You''ll learn how to build your software development
career step by step, following the same path that you would follow
if you were building, marketing, and selling a product. After all,
your skills themselves are a product. The choices you make about
which technologies to focus on and which business domains to master
have at least as much impact on your success as your technical
knowledge itself--don''t let those choices be accidental. We''ll
walk through all aspects of the decision-making process, so you can
ensure that you''re investing your time and energy in the right
areas. You''ll develop a structured plan for keeping your mind
engaged and your skills fresh. You''ll learn how to assess your
skills in terms of where they fit on the value chain, driving you
away from commodity skills and toward those that are in high
demand. Through a mix of high-level, thought-provoking essays and
tactical "Act on It" sections, you will come away with concrete
plans you can put into action immediately. You''ll also get a
chance to read the perspectives of several highly successful
members of our industry from a variety of career paths. As with any
product or service, if nobody knows what you''re selling, nobody
will buy. We''ll walk through the often-neglected world of
marketing, and you''ll create a plan to market yourself both inside
your company and to the industry in general. Above all, you''ll see
how you can set the direction of your career, leading to a more
fulfilling and remarkable professional life.