There are various reasons why a developer might want to increase his or her value to the company that they work for. They may be striving for a promotion, or they may be personally invested in the company\u2019s mission and values, or they may simply want to cover their backs in case the company ever decides to downsize.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In this article, we will cover some of the things you can do to increase your value to your company. But we will also look at the question of why<\/em> you would want to do such a thing. Since this topic mostly comes down to attitude and work ethic, it\u2019s really important that you don\u2019t go into it with the wrong philosophy!<\/p>\n\n\n\n Let\u2019s start with the how<\/em>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n There are developers who like to lock themselves in a little technical bubble and never do anything outside of pure coding. But the most valuable team members tend to be those with a keen understanding of the the business side of their company<\/strong>. Try to gain a better understanding of the customers your product is made for, how it addresses their needs, and how it can be made more appealing to them. Research the market in which you are operating, and ideally find out about relevant new technologies which could be used by your company.<\/p>\n\n\n\n One simple way of doing something in this sense is to keep an open eye on what your competitors are doing<\/strong>. In the age of social media, this is normally not terribly hard. If you find out that one of your rivals switched to a different programming language, it\u2019s a good idea to ask yourself why, and to investigate that language yourself.<\/p>\n\n\n\n When you do gain business insights, remember \u2013 it\u2019s extremely important that you communicate! Bring up your ideas at standups and in casual chats with management. Developers aren\u2019t always expected to strategize in these terms, so people won\u2019t know you\u2019re thinking that way unless you tell them.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Is there someone in your team you personally dislike? Well, then it\u2019s time to get over those feelings. Employees are valuable to a business not only for their own talents, but also for the effect they have on the team as a whole.<\/p>\n\n\n\n This starts with attitude. Aside from always being polite and respectful (which is something you should be doing anyway), learn how to bring good, cheerful vibes to the team. Do a little gesture every now and then to make your colleagues feel valued, or organise a social event. Show some initiative. You should be the sort of person that others are happy to work with and have in the team.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n This isn\u2019t just about being a nice person though. More practically, you should be consistently sharing and collaborating<\/strong>. Take juniors under your wing and help them get better. Write tutorials. Get the relationship to go the other way around as well \u2013 ask for help when you need it, and find others to teach you skills that you don\u2019t have. Being someone with the ability to push the entire team forwards is guaranteed to make you an enormous asset wherever you work.<\/p>\n\n\n\n#1. Get Down To Business<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
#2. It\u2019s All About Team Spirit<\/strong><\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
#3. Beyond The Call of Duty<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n