What if I told you that fixing your developer career didn’t require you to change jobs?

Coders change jobs at a record pace. More money. Interesting startup. Chance to work with new technology. These are all reasons we have jumped ship.

What if you could change your life at work without having to change everything in your life? — Darcy Eikenburg

As luck would have it Darcy and I met during our time at Heroic Public Speaking. I got to listen to her talk. It challenged many of my assumptions about building a better career.

Reset

As a coder, I am constantly thinking through my next steps. Our work is predominantly done in our heads. Therefore, our thoughts and feelings have a big impact on our careers.

In Red Cape Rescue, Darcy starts us out by resetting our how we think. Just like when our computer is not working. We just hit reset. This can get things on a better path.

She reminds us that we only control what we say, think, and do. That is it. This can frustrate us but we need to be reminded often.

You have power over your mind — not outside events. Realize this, and you will find strength.-Marcus Aurelius

Many stoics share this wisdom. The quote above from Marcus Aurelius makes this point well. Even with a title or position of authority, it is still true. Marcus was the emperor of Rome.

Does your developer career need a reset?

Revise

From our thoughts, we move to our words. Darcy reminds us to revise what we say. Midway through my career, I was fired from my job. That can create some devastating words.

“If you listen to any thought long enough, it becomes part of your personal playlist.” -Soundtracks by Jon Acuff

Jon Acuff calls these soundtracks in his book by the same name. When I was let go I had to change my playlist. Once I re-wrote my story I could start to get back on track.

What story do you need to revise?

Reinvent

In the final section, we reinvent ourselves. Software developers need to realize we have agency. We are in charge of our work.

For instance, if you don’t like working on front-end development create a plan. Pair with a teammate who may enjoy it more. Train others to take over this work.

Along with this have conversations with your leaders. One tip I have seen be practical if you find resistance. Use the “E” word. “Hey let’s try this experiment…”

Darcy also suggests we drop balls. “Whoa, Tom that is too far.” Yes, I know. She wants us to look for low-hanging fruit. Perhaps work that you think is not important.

Similar to Kanban we reduce the work in progress. Drop a few balls to focus on more critical tasks. See if anyone notices.

How can you reinvent your career?

So, developers, you don’t have to leave your job. There are options outside of jumping ship. Consider a Red Cape for your career.