It’s a fact: DevOps practitioners need to have competent writing skills to help them in their career. It may seem a little antithetic—after all, software engineers and programmers are well-known to be the kind of people whose brains are wired toward math, not English. Written communication may not be an area of strength for people who spend their days looking at code; however, it could set someone on the path to success.
Here are eight reasons that highlight exactly why DevOps practitioners should work on their writing skills to advance in your career.
There Are Similarities Between Writing and Code
This may not be immediately apparent, as most English students would pale at the thought of writing code and most computer science students would cringe at the thought of producing an essay. However, writing and coding are very similar in the sense that they both require a clear mind, have a set beginning, middle and end, and normally address a problem. Plus, as writing is essential in finding and landing a job, you can boost your skills by practicing writing for CVs, resumes or cover letters.
Learn from Each Other
Software engineering is becoming an increasingly collaborative area of study; however, for people to get involved with your project, they need to know what it is and understand it. Being able to write well helps people understand and follow simple instructions and communicate clearly on what they want to achieve or add to a project. If you’re unsure how to write a proposal, you can find great advice in the writing forums or from online editors and writers.
Become a Proponent of Literate Programming
Codes are fundamentally written for a computer; however, literate programming supporters state that it should be written for humans, too. The code can have a longer shelf life and be a lot clearer and high-functioning if the people who write it have the interests of a human at the other end in mind, and if the code has a purpose that can serve human needs.
The Role of Writing is Increasing
Programmers do have to work with others at times, and even programmers who work on individual projects have to communicate progress and setbacks to their employers, universities or the people who provide funding. If you want to be able to keep all of these people happy so you can carry on with your work, then you need to be able to write quality emails and progress reports. You can find plenty of email and written communications help by using online proofreading free tools on the web.
Improve Your Professionalism and Reputation
If you can sell and market yourself well, then you’ll be better-received within your own specific field and within the organization that you work for. Poor writing, littered with spelling and grammar mistakes that leads to miscommunications, just makes you look bad and can make people doubt your ability.
Make Sure You’re In Line for Promotion
Programming is a competitive field, even if many of the people who work in it work independently. This means you need to stand out from other programmers when you want the best projects to work on, and getting advice from a professionals is the best way to present your ideas and goals can go a long way.
Show Your Authority
A lot of people you work for will not understand code, so you’ll need to employ other means to convince them that you know what you’re talking about. This could include using sources and references to describe why you’ve taken certain courses of action.
Develop Better Relationships
It’s always good, and sometimes useful, to maintain good relationships with colleagues, so you can make sure you aren’t being too curt by checking your emails with word count tools, to make sure you’re engaging and approachable.
Writing and DevOps may not seem to go together; however as the list above shows, they are actually compatible and both necessary for anyone to really succeed in the workplace.
About the Author / Gloria Kopp
Gloria Kopp is a digital marketer and an elearning consultant from Manville, Wyoming. She is a regular contributor to such websites as Engadget, Ukwritings and Huffington Post. Connect with her on LinkedIn.