Picks of the Month - May 2017
Tags: resources, softskills, passion, career
Published: 2017-05-31 15:54:11

---
title: Picks of the Month - May 2017
published: true
cover_image: https://thepracticaldev.s3.amazonaws.com/i/66a4grg2kkvjol2r0t2m.jpg
description: May was a very busy month gathering non-technical resources. From developer domination to owning your passion.
tags: resources, soft skills, passion, career
---

May has come and gone. It was a very rich month with multiple non-technical resources. OK, some of you may call them "soft skills". 

I'm going to stop calling them "soft skills" because we, developers, tend to focus on our tech skills most of the time. 

Don't get me wrong, your tech skills will take you to places. However, you will **hit a salary and career ceiling** eventually. 

Been there, done that.

## Seth Godin

I keep going back to [his blog](http://sethgodin.typepad.com/seths_blog/). His post are VERY terse (aka short). But each line oozes with wisdom. 

### [Choosing your spot](http://sethgodin.typepad.com/seths_blog/2017/05/choosing-your-spot.html)

The main focus here is *your attitude*.

>You can bring more generosity of spirit, more enthusiasm, more kindness, more resilience, more positive energy, more bravery and more magic to the room than anyone else, at least right now. Because you choose to.

### [Let's stop calling them 'soft skills'](https://itsyourturnblog.com/lets-stop-calling-them-soft-skills-9cc27ec09ecb)

This post is long but **oh so good.** I know I read it sometime ago. Now, let me share it with you. 

Here are five categories he focuses on:

> Self Control
> Productivity 
> Wisdom
> Perception
> Influence 

You may be thinking:

> But Jose, he is a businessman! We are developers. Hiss, boo!

I used to think the same way. And **I was wrong**. Check out the next resource to find out why.

## Developer Hegemony

> Finally a developer book!

Let me disappoint you right now and tell you this book doesn't have a **single line of code**.

But this is [the book](http://amzn.to/2sbmjpG) I wish I had when I started my career. 

While reading this book, I was sad, disappointed, pissed off, angry, smiling, crying, saying "aha yep, that was me", and cursing it...all at once. 

(I threw the book at the wall more than once!)

It has timeless and superb wisdom. It tells the story of [Erik Dietrich](http://www.daedtech.com/additional-information/about/) and how you as developer can *really* take over our industry.

Simply put: **you are a line worker**. No, seriously, you are (and so am I). But there's a way out! Read the book to find out how.

Still on the fence? 

Listen to his [Developer On Fire podcast interview](https://dev.to/developeronfire/episode-228--erik-dietrich--developer-hegemony) or his interview at the [Simple Programmer YouTube channel](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pYkVpOIkChQ).

{% podcast https://dev.to/developeronfire/episode-228--erik-dietrich--developer-hegemony %}

## Passion

Good ol' passion. Passion about coding, development and everything else under the sun. I'm sure you have use that term to get a job or proof yourself to your potential employers.

[Avdi Grimm](http://www.virtuouscode.com/about/) talks about passion on [his Developer On Fire podcast](https://dev.to/developeronfire/episode-108--avdi-grimm--your-passion-is-yours-and-yours-alone) appearance.

{% podcast https://dev.to/developeronfire/episode-108--avdi-grimm--your-passion-is-yours-and-yours-alone %}


> No project inherently deserves your passion - your passion is yours and yours alone.

I wish I had read this advice during my 20s. It'd saved me so much pain and agony.

His interview made me rethink how I used that word. I have gone to the extend of removing it from my vocabulary and resume. I've replaced it with **enthusiastic**. 

Want to know why? [Check Avdi's The Passion Gospel post](http://www.virtuouscode.com/2014/02/10/the-passion-gospel/).

## TL;DR

Read the bold text above and pick whatever tickles your fancy. 

I love coding and solving problems as much as the next fellow developer. But the sad truth is that my tech skills have only taken me so far.

Don't neglect your "soft skills". You are going to need them sooner or later in your career. (I hope you pick them up sooner)

I'd like to know what **you** think. What other resources can help your fellow developers? Share in the comments down below. (Your own blog is fine!)