One of my career goals is to keep getting better at what I do. When I was a manager, I always tried to help my employees be their best by coaching and by offering them training opportunities. For example, I offered my sales staff classes in computer aided design because it helped them to communicate between our customers and fabrication shop. In turn, this created more opportunities to add value to our clients.

As an employee, I take the initiative. I fight stagnation by reading books and blogs, watching videos and most importantly- I practice my craft. I think to be great you need to read a lot of code and write a lot of code. When I do work-related side projects outside of work, I share it with my boss and co-workers. This helps to demonstrate my passion and capabilities to the team.

I ask for more responsibility and work that challenges me. I push myself. I inquire if I can go to conferences. They are a great opportunity for me and my team to keep abreast of new technologies. Learning together builds morale and allows us to make connections by networking with members of our community. I attend technical meet ups each month in the Portland area and find it to be stimulating and good time. If you are in the area you should stop by the Portland Ruby Brigade meet up. Free beer and pizzas on the first Tuesday of the month.

Overall, I try to take my career in my own hands. It’s my responsibility to make sure I continue to develop my skills to be successful in my career both today and in the future.