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About the Book

The Why

The software profession demands the developer commit to continuous learning in order to participate. There is a very simple software law:  continuously level up or get left behind.  This law applies to all of us, regardless of our titles, years of experience, skill sets, and proficiencies.  Each and every one of us must be diligent about leveling ourselves up.

Think about our profession and technology.  It changes very quickly. Each year there are new design patterns, modeling, technologies, applications, and more.  Look back just a few years ago at what and how much has changed in web solutions.  We now have HTML5, CSS3, responsive design, mobile-first, Sass, AngularJS, Backbone, React, Grunt, gulp, bower, and so much more.

Since technology changes quickly, it makes sense that you need to adapt and move with it in order to remain viable, marketable, and relevant.  You don't want to get left behind.

The How

How do you level up? What habits do you need to incorporate into your workflow? What are the steps at the various stages of your career to help you remain in demand? How do you continually build yourself up to be more awesome year-after-year?

The way that you achieve this is by adopting "level up habits" which foster incremental and continuous learning. Bit-by-bit, step-by-step you slowly and systematically increase your knowledge and proficiencies.  It's never a leap from where you are to where you want to go. No, it's a planned process. Proficiency in anything in life requires learning fundamentals, practicing, and stretching yourself.  Think about it.  You can't sit down at the piano and play Beethoven or Bach if you are not at that level yet.

Ok, so you know that you need to keep learning new technologies. Are there more areas that you need to also level up in?

Absolutely. As you move up in your responsibilities and title, you will need to master this profession, focus on craftsmanship, fine-tune your problem solving skills, and further the soft skills such as managing, planning, organizing, etc.  The requirements for each tier in your career expand upon the demands you have to bring to the table to do that job well by being effective and efficient.

The Goal

The intent of this book is to help you become more marketable and in demand so that you can advance in your career and/or business.  It is not a programming book and will not teach you how to build products or sites.  Rather, it's your go-to resource for building your career and technical proficiencies.

Remember that being more marketable and in demand means you are in control.  You can make more money, take on more responsibility, and/or have more time to do what you want.  You can pick and choose projects or employment.  You get more opportunities and options.

Your Roadmap

"Be a More Awesome Developer" provides you a roadmap of habits and self assessing tools you can use right now and throughout your career.  It is geared for anyone who is a professional (or aspiring) WordPress developer.  These habits work whether you build in WordPress, Symfony, Laravel, Angular, React, C#, C, or any language or technology.  However, I've included specifics just for the WordPress software ecosystem and the WordPress Way.

It's time for you to commit to making sure you are future-proofing yourself.  This book is your guide and roadmap to help you on your journey.

About the Author

Tonya Mork

@hellofromTonya

Hello, I'm Tonya. I'm an engineer (software and electrical) and a developer of web developers and software makers.

I have a knack for breaking down complexity, explaining the why and when of it, and building pathways for technical professionals to grow and excel. It's been the essence of my 30+ year career.

My Background

In the first part of my career, my teams and I engineered high-tech, automated systems for the world's largest manufacturers. My playground was deep into vision-guided robotics, instrumentation, tooling, and global monitoring systems. Here, I grew and honed my engineering, problem-solving, people, and tech leadership skills.

In 2001, I formed an elite consultancy firm, shifting my focus to partner with manufacturers. My team and I integrated into their team to tailor solutions specifically for them. We helped them to grow their teams' capabilities, reduce complexity, fine-tune processes, reduce costs, and increase production. Here, I grew my business, leadership, and customer success skills.

In late 2007, my world changed forever. It’s a gut-wrenching story, one that you can read here.

How about now?  

I’m pouring all of these years of experience into the WordPress Community. I actively teach and mentor WordPress developers and software makers, developing and growing each person's ability to build amazingly elegant, high-quality, and robust custom solutions. I'm giving back to empower each person and team to excel, innovate, and prosper.

Want to know more about me?

Check out my about me page on her personal site and follow her on Twitter.