Network with As Many People as Possible and Teach What you Know with Chris Ferdinandi
Accelerate Your Career Every Week - NOW
Tips & advice for advancing your career. Get my most powerful tips FOR FREE. No spam, ever.
Facebook
Twitter
LinkedIn
Pinterest
Reddit
Chris Ferdinandi
Chris Ferdiandi is the author of the Vanilla JS Pocket Guide series, creator of the Vanilla JS Academy training program and host of the Vanilla JS Podcast. Chris has created JavaScript plugins that have been used by organizations such as Apple and the Harvard Business School. He also publishes a developer tips newsletter which is read by more than 8,000 developers every weekday.
In this episode, Phil and Chris Ferdinandi discuss how networking enables you to find out about roles that are not public knowledge yet. He shares a bad experience that taught him the need to be cautious at the interview stage, ask the right questions and get things in writing. They also talk about why communication is a vital skill and how sharing what you know brings benefits.
Subscribe
Resources
Go Make Things – Check out Chris Ferdinandi’s website!
Career Guide – Check out Chris Ferdinandi’s website!
Career Resources – Check out Chris Ferdinandi’s website!
2 Top Career Tips
1) Meet as many people as you can and continue to network throughout your career. It is a great way to find out about roles before they are advertised. Networking will also help you to decide what you want to do next. At this stage, Chris explains the kind of questions he uses to help him to work out what skills to learn next. Questions that also enable him to further strengthen his network.
2) Share what you know. It does not matter how you do it. Just sitting down and explaining what you know to a colleague is enough for you to cement your knowledge and take things to the next level.
Show Notes
Worst Career Moment
It took Chris 2 years to find his first developer job. He needed to be able to work remotely. At the interview, it was agreed they would talk about letting him do that. Yet, a few months later, they told him that it was not possible. Chris was deeply disappointed he had been misled and wasted months in a job that was not suitable for him. Naturally, he left.
It taught him, to pay careful attention to what the hiring manager says. Now if something is really important to him, he gets it in writing.
Career Highlight
Speaking at the Artifact Conference in Texas is Chris´s career highlight, to date. He had been to the conference five years early but as an attendee. So, it felt amazing to get up on stage and speak there.
The Future
Chris thinks that new tools, techniques and native browser methods will make all kinds of things possible, in the relatively near future. An example of this is the ability to use virtual reality features in a web environment.
The Reveal
What first attracted you to a career in I.T.?
The thrill of being able to take something from idea to something that works.
What is the best career advice you’ve ever received?
Network.
What is the worst career advice you’ve ever received?
You have to stay in a job for at least a year before you can leave.
If you had to begin your career again in today’s world, what would you do?
Chris would initially take some short courses. Then build something. If things went well, he would then invest more time and money into studying IT.
What career objectives are you currently focusing on?
As well as getting better at his job, Chris wants to expand the JavaScript education stuff he is currently doing.
What’s the number one non-technical skill that has helped you in your career so far?
Communication. In the podcast, Chris demonstrates why it is a vital skill for any developer.
What do you do to keep your own career energized?
Helping other people keeps Chris´s career energized.
What do you do in your spare time away from technology?
Chris likes playing Magic Gathering and is trying to get into Dungeons and Dragons. He also loves spending time outside.
Contact The Guest
Contact Chris Ferdinandi through the following social media platforms:
Twitter: https://twitter.com/ChrisFerdinandi
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/cferdinandi/
Subscribe
