249: Network with As Many People as Possible and Teach What you Know with Chris Ferdinandi

<p>Phil’s guest on this episode of the IT Career Energizer podcast is Chris Ferdinandi. He 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.</p> <p>He also publishes a developer tips newsletter which is read by more than 8,000 developers every weekday.</p> <p>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.</p> <p> </p> <p><strong>KEY TAKEAWAYS:</strong></p> <p><strong>(3.11) TOP CAREER TIP</strong></p> <p>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.</p> <p>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.</p> <p><strong>(6.46) WORST CAREER MOMENT</strong></p> <p>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.</p> <p>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.</p> <p><strong>(11.55) CAREER HIGHLIGHT</strong></p> <p>Speaking at the Artifact Conference in Texas is Chris´s career highligh