The Software Engineer's Guide to Corporate Survival

Is your career in software engineering working out the way you expected?
You write great code but you see some of your peers seemingly on the "fast track" with better projects, better jobs and more money. Why does that happen?
Working inside larger companies brings many advantages, but you need to unlock the unique secrets of managing your career without selling your soul in the process.
This is your complete guide to understanding and navigating the life of a software engineer in big organizations, understanding how they work and grabbing control of your own destiny. We'll start with five basic principles you must know and apply, complete with action steps you can take right now. Then we build into specific areas of driving your career, managing your manager, what to do when you make a mistake, getting people to agree with you and even knowing when it is time to move on.

Based on many hours of interviews with dozens of software engineers just like you, and decades of experience working in and managing software teams at companies like Microsoft, Amazon, Twitch and Unity Technologies. This book will pull back the mysterious curtain over that part of your career that lies beyond the code.

Advance Praise for The Software Engineer’s Corporate Survival Guide…
"Worth the time to read and use as a reference for anyone in a corporate job, not just the tech world. It captures a lot of assumed 'common knowledge' ideas in one space, giving excellent guidance to grads looking to land their first role as well as veterans looking to move from an individual contributor into a leadership or manager space."
- Melissa Eaden, Senior Technologist & Manager

"I loved reading this book! It's an easily relatable, highly adaptable guide to taking ownership of your career that I wish I had early on. It's also a great resource for managers to help guide their team members through the same challenges."
- Jason Smith, Development Manager Amazon Web Services & Microsoft

"A must-read book for anyone serious about a career in Software Development. An excellent, practical instruction manual on how to successfully navigate a career in any technical organization. It deserves a place in your permanent library."
- Greg Kearney, Director of Development Unity Technologies

“I wish I had this book months ago. It would have saved me a lot of time and frustration. So much of my education was focused on technical skills, but few resources touched on the unspoken rules of business- until now. This book feels like grabbing a coffee with an industry expert. Grateful for the confidence-boost and the corporate roadmap. The advice here has made me a more well-rounded developer.”
- Derek Askham
Software Engineer

“After 37 years in the industry, I have developed the tools for myself that has allowed me to work effectively with my co-workers, managers and leadership teams to achieve success as a software engineer. If I had the information in this book, I could’ve easily shaved 10 years off my journey. The five pillar approach to building your career helps simplify and clarify what things you should focus on so that you can stand on the shoulders of those before and not have to re-invent the wheel.”
- Karl Hilsmann
Principle Software Engineer
Microsoft

“Jon has an incredible knack for cutting through the jungle of occupational nuance and ambiguity to clearly explain theoretically simple but practically complex concepts. It's not that these topics are completely foreign to the average reader, but he teaches them so well that it will make you say, ‘Wait, why wasn't I doing this before?’ An excellent resource at any point in your career.”
- Cody Byers
Data Engineer