Soft Skills Engineering
Technology
About
It takes more than great code to be a great engineer. Soft Skills Engineering is a weekly advice podcast for software developers about the non-technical stuff that goes into being a great software developer.
Episodes
- Episode 511: Should I take a temporary management position and performance-based bonuses
Dave and Jamison answer questions about taking a temporary management role, including how to approach it and whether one to two months is enough time to assess enjoyment of management. They also discuss performance-based bonuses for softwa…
- Episode 510: Old and behind and how do I hang on for the last few years until retirement?
In this episode, Dave and Jamison address listener concerns about workplace socialization across age groups and maintaining a career in technology until retirement. They discuss strategies for connecting with colleagues and managing profes…
- Episode 509: I hate AI software dev, so should I become a manager and leading, not doing
Dave and Jamison discuss transitioning from senior software engineering to management amid AI concerns. They also explore how senior engineers can balance delegating ownership to junior developers without becoming micromanagers or absentee…
- Episode 508: My company is an unethical spammer and my coworkers take so much sick time
Dave and Jamison discuss how to address concerns about company compliance with spam laws and how to handle working on a team where coworkers' frequent health-related absences impact performance and motivation.
- Episode 507: I got fired unexpectedly and breadth and depth
Dave and Jamison offer advice on handling unexpected job termination, evaluating performance in remote roles, and balancing the need for technical depth versus breadth in software engineering.
- Episode 506: I hate my job with AI and my team-mate thinks I suck
Dave and Jamison discuss how to find passion in software development amid industry changes and offer advice on managing a disrespectful, perfectionistic teammate.
- Episode 505: Called to the principal's office and my team leads are super dogmatic
Dave and Jamison discuss how to handle being reprimanded by HR for asking critical questions in a public forum. They also address how to navigate workplace frustrations when team technical standards feel overly rigid and ignored by leaders…
- Episode 504: Should I quit my AI job before my first day and professional button-clicker
Dave and Jamison discuss whether it is acceptable to renege on an AI job offer for a bigger brand name, and offer advice on navigating a career shift from Java development to Oracle Cloud integration.
- Episode 503: Hardware is hard and my PMs are pushing AI slop code
Dave and Jamison discuss how a software-focused CTO can lead a hardware team and offer advice on managing a workplace environment where non-technical staff and PMs are pushing AI-generated code.
- Episode 502: Management keeps leaving and I hate using AI to code
Dave and Jamison discuss why managers might be leaving their roles at a company and address how a developer can manage frustration and navigate the hype surrounding the use of AI in software engineering.
- Episode 501: Vibecoding CEO and doing to teaching
Dave and Jamison discuss how to manage a CEO who creates products without team alignment and offer advice for a software engineer transitioning into a role focused on teaching and knowledge sharing.
- Episode 500: Am I the only one not getting raises and firing my whole team
In this episode, Dave and Jamison address listener questions about receiving inadequate raises and the difficulties of managing a team composed of international contractors with performance issues, while navigating company expectations for…
- Episode 499: Should I quit my solo dev job with a sports team and senile seniors
This episode addresses two listener concerns: one is a solo developer at a sports team, feeling vulnerable about lack of team experience despite job satisfaction, and the other is struggling with underperforming senior colleagues on a gree…
- Episode 498: Testing in big corporations and how to get my first management job
This episode addresses two listener questions: how to foster a culture of early testing and feedback within large corporations, and strategies for developers with extensive experience to transition into engineering management roles when pr…
- Episode 497: Patronizing perf reviews and can't get anything done as a tech lead
This episode addresses concerns about giving performance reviews without sounding patronizing and tackles the issue of tech leads being overwhelmed with non-coding tasks, preventing them from doing their own work.
- Episode 496: Passing non-technical interviews and my internship with only other interns
This episode addresses listener questions on adapting to structured soft-skills interviews at larger tech companies after experience at startups, and on deciding whether to continue an internship at a non-profit with questionable leadershi…
- Episode 495: What to do when my boss quits and moving to Romania?
This episode addresses listener questions about how to handle a manager's potential resignation and position for a promotion, as well as whether to accept a job offer in Bucharest, Romania, despite leaving friends and a familiar city.
- Episode 494: Am I interviewing all wrong and leaving old team chats
This episode addresses listener questions on interviewing practices and the etiquette of remaining in previous team chat channels after an internal job switch. The hosts explore the value and potential downsides of staying connected to for…
- Episode 493: My boss one-ups my negativity and football engineering
The hosts address listener questions about dealing with a negative, un-empathetic boss and whether to accept a unique software engineering role at a football club over a traditional position at another retail company.
- Episode 492: Fresh grads and startups or the goog
This episode addresses how to effectively onboard new graduates into development roles, factoring in advancements like LLMs and new tooling. Dave and Jamison also delve into the decision-making process for choosing between a career in a st…
- Episode 491: Re-arranging deck chairs on the Titantic and my boss leaks private info
This episode addresses two listener questions. The first concerns how to handle a 90-day notice period at a company undergoing layoffs, especially after the employee resigned just before the announcement. The second question is about deali…
- Episode 490: How do I break into software dev from QA automation and underselling
This episode addresses two listener questions: one about transitioning from QA automation to a software developer role despite management's lack of support and team resentment, and another about overcoming a tendency to undersell oneself d…
- Episode 489: Ethical dilemma for a gambling app dev and ethical employers
Dave and Jamison discuss the ethical considerations of developing a gambling app, including accessibility for users with disabilities. They also advise on researching prospective employers and asking questions to ensure alignment with ethi…
- Episode 488: How do I survive in a culture of optics and jira slacker
This episode addresses how to navigate a workplace culture prioritizing optics over actual productivity, and offers advice for a junior engineer struggling with non-coding tasks like Jira ticket management and accessibility guidelines.
- Episode 487: My manager ignores me during 1:1's and I am required to work in an empty office
This episode addresses listener questions about dealing with a manager who is inattentive during 1:1 meetings and the difficulties of working in an empty office while being the only one on the West Coast with an East Coast team.
- Episode 486: No one on my team talks and skip level meetings
This episode addresses challenges with team communication, where members are reluctant to engage in small talk during meetings. It also covers advice on initiating skip-level one-on-one meetings for career advancement.
- Episode 485: I'm terrible at hiring decisions and my coworker spams us with AI-generated memes
Dave and Jamison discuss the challenges of making effective hiring decisions and how to improve talent assessment. They also address a coworker who frequently shares AI-generated memes during meetings, offering advice on how to handle the…
- Episode 484: How to get a raise after slacking off for YEARS and my PM won't stop DM'ing me
In this episode, Dave and Jamison address two listener questions. The first is about seeking a raise after a period of slacking off and feeling undeserving. The second question concerns how to manage a project manager who consistently uses…
- Episode 483: My team hated me from day one and should I stack PTO before my resignation
This episode addresses dealing with a team that has a negative opinion of you from the start and explores the ethics of stacking paid time off before resigning for a new job.
- Episode 482: I got a promotion, but a tiny raise and an imposter interviewed for my team
The episode addresses a listener's disappointment with a promotion that came with a minimal raise, leading to feelings of being undercompensated. It also covers concerns about an imposter interviewing for a team position and a company cult…
- Episode 481: I'm bored and will I ever find out why I was fired?
In this episode, Dave and Jamison address listener questions about dealing with boredom in a management role with no direct reports and the circumstances surrounding a termination shortly before a vesting cliff.
- Episode 480: Do I just coast until I quit and going back to work after a long time
The hosts address an engineer's concerns about being underleveled and underpaid despite significant contributions, and offer advice on confronting their manager or simply coasting. They also discuss strategies for an engineer returning to…
- Episode 479: Contractors to the rescue and dinged for delay
This episode addresses two listener questions: one about the effectiveness of hiring contractors to rescue a delayed project and the challenges of managing them, and another about receiving a negative performance review due to delays cause…
- Episode 478: Can you coach self-awareness and my boss is an llm
This episode addresses how to coach an employee lacking self-awareness, despite feedback and a PIP. It also covers managing a founder fixated on LLMs, who relays ChatGPT outputs without analysis, and how to navigate this situation politely…
- Episode 477: Four months and I already hate my job and grumpy and fuzzy
A C# backend engineer is unhappy four months into their first job due to technical debt and lack of testing, considering switching jobs or working on side projects. Another listener struggles with communication and hostile responses from t…
- Episode 476: How much help is too much help and guarding against slop
This episode of Soft Skills Engineering tackles the challenge of onboarding junior engineers, focusing on how much help is appropriate without undermining a self-sufficient culture. It also addresses the growing issue of AI-generated code…
- Episode 475: Am I too loyal to my big tech job and politely preserving time
This episode addresses an engineer's dilemma between a high-paying external job offer and an internal team transfer, and explores methods for a senior software engineer to manage a colleague's disruptive, lengthy vent sessions without dama…
- Episode 474: I hate the idea of firing a low performer and cheaper context switching
This episode addresses two listener questions: how to manage and potentially fire an underperforming employee who is not completing their work despite repeated conversations, and how to reduce the ramp-up time when context switching betwee…
- Episode 473: Mental health support and overcoming FOMO of taking a break from work
This episode addresses challenges faced by a neurodivergent individual in a legal tech role, focusing on support and work environments. It also covers managing Fear Of Missing Out (FOMO) related to AI advancements and career changes for a…
- Episode 472: Should my junior dev use AI and thrown in to ETL
The podcast episode addresses two main questions: whether junior developers should use AI coding tools to build skills for the future, and how a web developer can request a role change from an assigned ETL project to a more suitable web de…
- Episode 471: Why does my junior engineer do so little and I fell asleep in a Zoom meeting
A senior engineer is frustrated by a junior engineer's lack of initiative and tendency to do only the bare minimum. The episode also addresses a new senior developer's embarrassment after falling asleep during a year-planning Zoom meeting.
- Episode 470: I said something stupid in a meeting and just want to code
A software developer with two years of experience is struggling with added responsibilities like customer communication and QA work, while also acting as a de-facto tech lead on a project. They want advice on how to manage this workload an…
- Episode 469: Passed over for lead role and perhaps I'm the jerk
In this episode, Dave and Jamison discuss a listener's concerns about being passed over for a lead QA role. The listener trained a new hire who was then promoted to lead, despite lacking experience, leading the listener to feel sidelined a…
- Episode 468: Should I take a mini-retirement and doubling down on anachronisms
Dave and Jamison discuss how to approach a mid-career pivot with a financial cushion, covering risk assessment and mental models. They also address a listener's query about using old-fashioned or obscure expressions in a professional setti…
- Episode 467: I can't get promoted if I do my job and should I get a degree to get a job in this economy
Dave and Jamison discuss how to navigate promotion roadblocks related to ad hoc requests and advise on career transitions into web development, weighing the value of a degree versus self-learning.
- Episode 466: Bad performance review and moving in to the caves
The podcast addresses listener questions about navigating a negative performance review and deciding whether to accept a new job offer after demonstrating improvement. It also explores strategies for a listener who wants to increase the re…
- Episode 465: Talking to your report's previous manager and how to replace a 30-year-old ticketing system
This episode addresses listener questions on the appropriateness of consulting a report's previous manager and provides advice on how to advocate for replacing a 30-year-old ticketing system within a company, considering cultural resistanc…
- Episode 464: Rehiring an overpaid boomerang and AI has taken over my teammate's brain
In this episode, Dave and Jamison discuss how to handle rehiring a former employee who left for a higher salary and is now seeking to return. They also address a situation where a team member appears to be overly reliant on AI, neglecting…
- Episode 463: CTO w/ weak resume and I tried management and it was TERRIBLE
A CTO questions their resume's value after 9 years at a startup and considers the company's potential failure. Another individual shares their negative experience with a management role, preferring to return to an individual contributor po…
- Episode 462: Supporting laid-off employee and how to rebuild culture after layoffs
This episode addresses how managers can support employees facing layoffs and offers guidance on rebuilding or evolving company culture after multiple rounds of layoffs. It covers providing job search assistance and maintaining engagement w…