Vimal Krishna

Be honest in what you are. One should have a basic understanding of business and business always deals with intended profit. Without that company won't flourish and people in the management will resort to micro-management. If the team has a priority for growth and understanding of future trends, a good communication channel will make everyone's life easy and rewarding. Sometimes we may not find great colleagues, but that has to be managed and that is the art. You may succeed or fail. One shouldn't be concerned about that.

The interview is not that dreaded process. It is a meeting ground where both sides are looking for a common interest. I would suggest watching online videos to gain more ideas. But one should prepare for it. The preparation must be focussed on what was done in the past. This is the most important thing. The interviewer will be able to judge what they can get from the interviewee as an employee in the long term. Important is to analyse the job description closely and see what value one can bring to the company. Always see the Amazon 14 leadership principles. It is such a great source for self-orientation in a demanding work culture. I still read them from time to time.

In Germany, the colleague's recommendation doesn't help much, because there is a more secure way to judge one's work. The company gives a reference about the employee and work done. It is a legal document. Creating a work portfolio is very important. One should be willing to share the know-how in the team. If one wants to learn, he/she should be ready to mentor the newcomer. But many times the existing work culture makes things different and one has to adjust accordingly. Knowing the work done in the past is perhaps the most important thing. It helps a company see more closely what they are looking for in a suitable candidate for work and team. The resume should be a bit more detailed in technical areas like programming.

Careful study of the JOB-Description can be in 80% of cases, a good indicator of what they are expecting from you but not always. Researching about the company is very important. You would not like to be a fill-in-the-blank where there is no growth prospect. If one wants to be in one area, he/she can go there, but being relevant in a changing time requires some critical thought about what one wants from career progression. The work culture of a company is important for a meaningful contribution. One can also join consulting companies if there is a desire to handle more projects in a shorter time. This ensures a variety of experiences, which is critical for career growth.

In software development, one has to embrace a mindset of contributing to the business value. This will require first a thorough understanding of one programming language. This will enable the ability to learn the new one. The second thing is to take responsibility that will help the company or team to achieve business goals. The third thing is aligning and preserving your own human capital in terms of health, family needs, and interest to work productively. The fourth thing is to understand the business(domain) and trends. Know the tools and limitations to be able to adapt yourself and help shape the project. Once these things are synergised, it will produce results, satisfactory for both the company and individual.