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By, Aja Hammerly I've been fortunate to receive some great advice during my career. Some of it is pithy, some of it is practical, and some is the little things you learn when working at semi-functional organizations. By the flickering light of a projector, I'll pass along the my favorite pieces of wisdom and tell stories about when I applied those lessons. New folks will learn some tried and true tricks for success in the software industry. Experienced developers can nod along and be comforted by the fact that everyone has had the same bad experiences at one point or another. So pull up a chair (and a beverage) and gather around for storytime. Help us caption & translate this video! http://amara.org/v/GTpn/
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In this talk titled "Storytime with Auntie Aja," Aja Hammerly shares valuable career advice through storytelling aimed at both new and experienced software developers. Set against the backdrop of Ruby on Ales 2015, Hammerly emphasizes the benefits of storytelling as a means of conveying wisdom and experiences in a memorable way. The session is structured around several key anecdotes, each illustrating important lessons learned in Hammerly's career. **Key Points Discussed:** - **The Role of Stories:** Hammerly discusses how stories serve as powerful tools for sharing lessons and morals, resonating with people of varying experience levels. - **Know Your Audience:** The first story illustrates the importance of understanding how to engage and negotiate with different colleagues using a humorous approach involving Cadbury cream eggs as 'bribes' to solve work issues. - **Choosing Between Right and Effective:** Hammerly recounts a stressful situation where her team had a tight deadline for stress testing. They devised a quick but unconventional solution, leading to a discussion on whether to be right or effective in problem-solving. - **Proactive Communication:** She shares an experience from a startup, highlighting the importance of addressing bugs proactively, reinforced by her partner's humorous advice about planned 'tantrums' to express concerns. - **Handling Criticism:** In her journey as a developer, Hammerly faced challenges during code reviews that affected her self-esteem. This experience taught her that poor code does not define personal worth and the value of open-mindedness in feedback. - **Adaptability to Success:** Aja concludes with her experience tackling a technical challenge involving real-time Sudoku puzzle generation, advocating for the openness to explore various solutions rather than striving for perfection. **Conclusions and Takeaways:** - The speaker urges viewers to assess whether they prioritize being right over being effective, a principle applicable beyond coding. - Another central takeaway is the understanding that everyone produces subpar code at times, and it’s critical not to equate one’s worth with their coding output. - Overall, Hammerly emphasizes the importance of personal growth, learning from mistakes, and the inevitability of improvement over time in one’s career. The talk combines humor with practical wisdom, making it both entertaining and educational for developers at all levels.
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