This document summarizes a presentation by Raul Suarez on the soft skills of great software developers. Raul has over 30 years of experience as a developer and currently works as a solutions architect. In his presentation, he discusses how great developers have technical expertise but also soft skills like strong communication, networking abilities, understanding politics, finding mentors, self-promotion, and asking for help. He emphasizes that soft skills are crucial for building a successful career and having a broader impact beyond just writing code.

1. BT5
Session
6/9/16 11:30 AM
The Soft Skills of Great Software
Developers
Presented by:
Raul Suarez
Independent Consultant
Brought to you by:
350 Corporate Way, Suite 400, Orange Park, FL 32073
888---268---8770 ·· 904---278---0524 - info@techwell.com - http://www.techwell.com/

2. Raul Suarez
Independent Consultant
For the past thirty years, Raul Suarez has worked in almost every area related to
computer systems, with a special passion for hands-on software development
and practices. Currently at a large financial corporation, Raul has contributed as
lead designer, technical lead, development consultant, and more recently as a
solutions architect focused on establishing and improving cloud development and
integration architecture patterns. Throughout his career, Raul has had the
opportunity to be mentored by great people and has paid this forward by
mentoring other developers. In his free time, Raul is active in his local technical
community where he enjoys volunteering and giving presentations at
conferences and events.

3. Raul Suarez, 2016
DeveloperPractices.com
Soft skills
of
Great Software Developers
Raul Suarez
DeveloperPractices.com
Raul.Suarez@DeveloperPractices.com
Raul Suarez, 2016
DeveloperPractices.com
I'm Raúl and I'm a developer
● 30 years as a developer
● 20 focused on development practices
● 10 years focusing on personal growth
● 17 years at a large corporation
● These days I don't code directly most of the
time but I am responsible for the code of many
people

4. Raul Suarez, 2016
DeveloperPractices.com
This presentation is for you if...
Stay G
o
?
Raul Suarez, 2016
DeveloperPractices.com
This presentation is for you if...
● You want to have a broader impact
● You wonder why other people are being
promoted or recognized ahead of you
● Even if you have it all figured out but want to
contribute to the discussion

5. Raul Suarez, 2016
DeveloperPractices.com
Great developers do more than
coding
Raul Suarez, 2016
DeveloperPractices.com
Great developers do more than
coding
● Passion
– Development is more than just a job
– Have the curiosity for learning and trying new things
– Can't be learned
● Technical expertise
– Deliver high quality design, code and final product
– Main reason you are in this conference
● Soft Skills
– Have human skills that help them relate to people
– This is the focus of this talk

6. Raul Suarez, 2016
DeveloperPractices.com
Great developers are great
communicators
@
Raul Suarez, 2016
DeveloperPractices.com
Great developers are great
communicators
● Practice your listening skills
● Understand your audience: context, needs,
motivations
● Use the right means of communication
● Document and share decisions
● Confirm understanding and Clarify assumptions
●
Provide direct answers
● Keep people informed
● Share and promote the sharing of knowledge

7. Raul Suarez, 2016
DeveloperPractices.com
Networking is about making
meaningful connections
Raul Suarez, 2016
DeveloperPractices.com
Networking is about making
meaningful connections
● Networking is more than who you “know” and who “knows” you
●
Allows to expand the sphere of influence
●
Reach outside of your comfort zone
●
Get to know your contacts. Coffee, lunch, meetings, engage in small talk
● Attend events
● Leverage “wing persons”
●
Disregard hierarchies
●
Create contextual org charts
● Analyze your stakeholders motivations
● Pay forward by connecting people

8. Raul Suarez, 2016
DeveloperPractices.com
Politics is not a dirty word
Raul Suarez, 2016
DeveloperPractices.com
Politics is not a dirty word
● Politics is the process of making uniform decisions applying to all
members of a group
● Seek to understand people's different perspectives and motivations
● Listen carefully. Tension has a reason. Start by assuming
resistance comes from good intentions
●
Leverage your network
● Serve as a communication bridge balancing the needs of stake
holders
●
Document agreements

9. Raul Suarez, 2016
DeveloperPractices.com
Mentors can help develop your
career
Mentor
Raul Suarez, 2016
DeveloperPractices.com
Mentors can help develop your
career
● Look for mentors: People who have achieved
the level of success you look for. Not on your
direct reporting structure
● Be candid of where you are and what you want
● Not everyone is good at everything, look for
different mentors
● Pay forward mentoring others

10. Raul Suarez, 2016
DeveloperPractices.com
Help people notice you
Raul Suarez, 2016
DeveloperPractices.com
Help people notice you
● Be honest
● Don't be afraid to expose your vulnerabilities
● Show confidence
● Take ownership
● Embrace change
● Contribute to the development community
● Share knowledge through presentations

11. Raul Suarez, 2016
DeveloperPractices.com
Ask for what you want
Raul Suarez, 2016
DeveloperPractices.com
Ask for what you want
● You own your career
● Avoid being pigeonholed
● Be proactive asking for assignments
● Do a gap analysis and set a plan and a target
with your management

12. Raul Suarez, 2016
DeveloperPractices.com
Help comes in many forms
Raul Suarez, 2016
DeveloperPractices.com
Help comes in many forms
● Mentors and direct feedback
● Self awareness training: EI360, Facet5,
Myers-Briggs...
● Books
● Expert personal help: Therapy, counseling, life
coach

13. Raul Suarez, 2016
DeveloperPractices.com
Development practices help you
create good software
Developer practices help you build a
successful career
Raul Suarez, 2016
DeveloperPractices.com
Enjoy the rest of the conference
Please fill your evaluation formPlease fill your evaluation form
DeveloperPractices.com
Raul.Suarez@DeveloperPractices.com
@rarsamx

14. Raul Suarez, 2016
DeveloperPractices.com
The Soft Skills of Great Software Developers
by Raul Suarez is licensed under a
Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-
NoDerivatives 4.0 International License
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