If you cant code, you have no business managing engineers

If you cant code, you have no business managing engineersIf you cant code, you have no business managing engineersDo you andrang an organization with Engineers (i.e. Programmers, Developers, Hackers, Code Ninjas)? Is your title Technical Manager, Development Manager, Head of Technology, CTO, CIO, or any other sort of title that communicate Im in charge of technology? If so, congrats on reaching the apogee of the tech departmentYeah career Nerds ruleHowever, are you able to answer this quick question? What is the output of the following function?def function(x Int) Int = def loop(y Int, total Int) Int = if(y == 0) total else loop(y - 1, total * y) loop(x, 1)function(5)or a less efficient (non-tail recursive), but easier to understand functiondef function(x Int) Int = if(x == 0) 1 else x * function(x - 1)function(5)Did you get it? Great Would you be able to write this in your programming language of choice (this was written in Scala, by the way)? Awesome You can save you r time and stop reading this article now, and perhaps go back to reading Hacker News. Note if you are in infrastructure, hardware, or another technology area, you can use an equivalent example such as being able to create a circuit diagram, grep logs, mount a drive, setup a server, run Puppet, setup a cluster, etc.However, if you were confused, had no clue what this function did, didnt get the answer 120 (5 factorial), or couldnt write something like this in any programming language, please remove the word Technology or Technical or even Information from your title. To be blunt, until you brush up on your skills, you just dont deserve to be called technical anymore (or maybe you never did).Yes, I know, you think Im crazy. At your level/responsibilities you dont need to know how to program or how the technology works. People do it for you. I get it. Ive been told many times by non-technical managers who had those titles, and couldnt figure out the simple function above, that being a good technology manager doesnt require you to be technically skilled. Sorry, but I gotta call bullst. Only people without technical skills make that sort of weak argument. The rest embrace their technical skills to be amazing leaders.Leading the troopsLets run through the a common argument and see if I can defend that being a technology manager requires actual technical expertise.I manage a big org, I dont need to know the how to code or the technical details.I have good people who do.I lead and inspire.Leaders lead by example. How do you expect to lead or inspire an Engineer when you are unwilling or unable to get in the trenches with them? Do you know why George Washingtons troops loved him to the point that they would die for him? Sure, he was in charge, wore the fancy outfits, and had a cool title (General and Commander-in-Chief? - ?awesome), did the big picture stuff, etc, etc. But that didnt convince his troops to boldly charge into battle. They did so because they felt he wa s one of them. He understood them. For example, Washington walked, ate, and lived amongst his troops when they camped at Valley Forge during the brutal winter of 17771778. He could have stayed in a big house with a warm fireplace, but he didnt. He didnt because he was still a solider, just like he had been many years ago during the French-Indian war, and was still able to be a solider.Code something, no matter how small, and release it to production.Im not saying you need to be coding all day, but the test is have you ever released to production at your company? Have you experienced what your team does daily? If you must, are you still able to still get into the trenches? Code something, no matter how small, and release it to production.Get coding againWhen I worked at Goldman Sachs, my first day there a Super Senior Managing Director (un-official title SSMD) sat me down and personally gave me an overview of the code structure. He knew how the systems worked and what it took to buil d them. Awesome Know what, he had my absolute respect from that moment on. Even more importantly, a lot of his success came from being able to make the right decisions because of his deep understanding of the technology. I found out later that at Goldman every person in technology must be technical. At Google and Ladders (where I work) even Product Managers get programming questions (albeit simple ones) during their interview. Why? Because if you are going to work with Engineers, have the respect of Engineers, and truly understand Engineers, you need to be technically proficient.ThoughtWorks furthers the idea of needing to stay technical (for a Tech Lead, but can be applied to anyone with a Technical title)If you do not spend time with the code, you run the risk of invoking the Ivory Tower Architect anti-pattern, leading technical decisions without understanding their real implications for implementation or maintenance. This anti-pattern has numerous side effects including destroyin g trust with developers, increasing the development time of new features, and increasing the accidental complexity of your software systems.Just like my previous manager (SSMD), you probably ended up being a technical leader because you love technology, and probably coding. The trick is you cant let that part of your skill set wither away. It is easy to let your tech skills rot when your day is 90% meetings and 10% budget planning exercises. Luckily, no one is asking you to be the best Javascript developer. However, if Javascript is one of your teams primary languages, for goodness sake, take a course or crack open a book or launch Atom to stay technical for the sake of your team, your company, and yourself.And, by all means, get coding again

What to Wear to a Law Firm Job Interview

What to Wear to a Law Firm Job InterviewWhat to Wear to a Law Firm Job InterviewCongratulations Youve got a job interview at a law firm. Exciting On to the really important question what are you going to wear?? Interviewing for a BigLaw Job If youre interviewing for a BigLaw job in a large law firm, the answer is pretty simple. You wear a suit and a relatively conservative one at that. For law students doing OCI interviews, its handy to have a suit wardrobe that you can mischung and match for multiple days of interviews. For example, you might have Two suits, of different colors. (Women can further expand their options by having a skirt and pants version of each suit.)At least four suitable shirts, so you dont have to worry about having all of your shirts stuck at the dry cleaners when you need them for an interview.Several ties, for men, which coordinate with your shirts and suits.At least one suitable pair of shoes for each suit (no, you cant wear brown shoes with a dark suit) .Suitable accessories for each version of your outfit, including some way to carry necessary documents (extra versions of your resume, transcript, and writing sample). With this system, its potentially easy to keep track of what various firms have seen you wear. For example, you might decide to wear a skirt suit to initial on-campus interviews, and pants to a callback. Or you might opt to wear your gray suit initially, and a pinstripe suit to callbacks. Follow the Steve Jobs method of dressing, and cut down the number of things you need to think about before an interview When youre elend worrying about which shoes match which suit, you can spend that time researching firms and planning your interview approach. Interviewing for a Small Firm Job If youre interviewing at a smaller firm, planning your outfit is a little more challenging. In many cases, its appropriate to dress very formally, as if you were interviewing for a BigLaw job. But, not always If the office is very informa l, you might opt to dress down a bit. How can you find out what the prevailing vibe of a small firm is? Use your legal research skills Step one is to visit the firms website. Do they have photos of the lawyers? How dressed up are they? How formal is the site itself? What info are you given about how the firm views itself? unterstellung are clues about the culture of the firm, which can inform how you want to present yourself. Also, think about whether youve got any contacts to the firm. Do you know anyone who worked there in the past (or who works there now)? This person might be willing to steer you in the right direction. In general, err on the side of formality. No one is going to look too askew at a suit in a law firm interview, even if its not entirely necessary. (Tech companies are exceptions to this rule, but most law firms are still relatively conservative places.) If you decide to dress down a bit, dont take it too far. You dont want to show up in Casual Friday attire for a n interview Make sure youre at least slightly more dressed up than your interviewer, and you should be fine. What to Carry One recurring question is what to bring or carry in an interview. The reality is you need to bring copies of your resume, transcript, and writing sample, in case any of the interviewers need them. For men, the best option is a simple portfolio which you can tuck under your arm. (Dont bring a briefcase. Its overkill. And make sure your pockets arent too laden down. Leaving your iPhone at home with your huge key ring makes sense.) Women should have a similar portfolio but have more flexibility with what else to bring. A small bag is appropriate, as is a larger, relatively formal tote that can carry the portfolio and all other necessary items. In all cases, make sure you can easily shake hands while carrying whatever you bring And dont play with your portfolio in the interview. Either place it neatly in your lap (and leave it alone) or put it on the floor. Make sure its not a distraction

3 questions to ask yourself before you relocate for a new job

3 questions to ask yourself before you relocate for a new job3 questions to ask yourself before you relocate for a new jobMoving to a new city is never as easy of the advice of just move to where jobs are makes it seem. Moving for a job is a big career decision where you must carefully weigh unknowns that all boil down to answering the question of, is it worth it? More of us are answering, no.The Pew Research Center reported that Americans are moving at historically low rates, largely due to millennials staying put. Although millennials are less likely than the millennials of decades pastto have a partner, house, or a child,current millennials are a groupthat are dealing with fewer labor market opportunitiesin the wake of a recession andhigh student debt- factors that make the risk of moving particularly unappetizing.But you also dont want to look back with regret of an opportunity that you let pass. Movingfor a new job can be the jumpstart your career needs. None of these decisions comes without risk, however. Heres a list of considerations to weigh risks with rewards so you can make the most informed decision.Will this job make me happy?A good new job should be an opportunity for growth that will outweigh all the pangs of relocation. If youre leaving friends and family behind to live in a place where youll have to start over, that could be a major deterrent.Even then, starting over may be worth it in the long run.More millennials are willing to uproot their lives to find that elusive work-life balance they desire. 38% of millennials inAmerica saidthey would move to another country forbetter parental leave benefits. In those cases, finding a job that offers better work flexibility, even if its on the other side of the globe, can be worth it.Its also important to recognizethat no job is perfect. But a new job should fill you with more excitement than dread. If you know you would be secretly relieved if the offer fell through, its time to reconsider.Having secon d thoughts are normal, but third and fourth thoughts require deeper introspection. Wheres the source of this uncertainty? Are you unhappy with your current job or your career? We already know that work shouldnt define your identity. If youre unhappy with your career, recognize that a new job is not a cure-all solution and this unease with yourself will follow you job to job.Whats the financial cost of moving?Before you accept a job offer to move, you should always ask to see if your company will titelseite your relocation expenses and you should aggressively negotiatefor your salary to be abovethe median salary in that city for your job. A general rule of thumb is that you should earn 10% to 20% more than your current salary when changing jobs in the same city, workplace expert Lynn Taylor advised. But when youre relocating, you can generally be a little more aggressive. After that, youll need to calculate what youll need to comfortablylive in a new city.Will you be able to afford a car? Can you afford to live in a neighborhood thats close to work? Knowing the full cost of living in a new city means calculating the affordability of everything from neighborhoods and schools to publictransportation. Beyond the salary, assess a comparison of the local costs such as education costs, fuel and utilities and income taxes, Jill Knittel, chief operating officer at Employee Relations Associates, told CBS News.Whats the future of this company?The job landscape is littered with horror stories of employeeswho were laid off shortly after relocating to a new city for ajob. Although no job is certain, the best way to mitigate that risk is research.Luckily, theres more information than ever about companies thats publicly available. Making an informed decision to movemeans reading trade journals, Glassdoor reviews, LinkedIn bios of employees, chat boards and Twitter threads of ex-employees. Researchingmeans reading up onwho is funding the company and ultimately, who are the sta keholders who will make sure you get paid. It means talking withemployeeswho have the jobs youd want to have and it means digging into why people have left the company.Once youve done all this, you will have a clearer sense of the companys future and whether you will fit in its vision one year to five years down the line.