John Sonmez

You can be versatile and still be known for a specialty. Broad skills help you do the work. A specific reputation helps someone remember why they should call you.

A recruiter is paid to fill a position. Getting you the highest possible rate isn't automatically their goal. Find out early whether the role's budget is anywhere near your rate.

When a client comes to you because they've read your work, the negotiation starts differently. They already have a reason to want you. That's one reason I spend time building a reputation.

I specialized in printers and printer languages early in my career. It worked because I was willing to look across the US. Check the market you're willing to serve before you commit to a specialty.

Knowing Android messaging deeply doesn't disqualify you from a general Android role. You still need the broader skills, but the specialty can give a company another reason to hire you.

Full-stack can be a specialty if you pick a particular stack. A list of every tool you've used doesn't tell someone which problem you're good at solving.

You can't learn every technology. Pick one area that matters to the work you want to do and get past the basics. What problem do you want people to come to you for?

If setting up to record takes a while, batch a few videos in one session. Pick a publishing schedule you can keep after the excitement of starting a channel wears off.

Think you understand a programming concept? Try teaching it. You'll find the part you need to study again. That's a reason to start explaining what you're learning now.

Show how you broke the coding problem down, not just the code you ended up with. The person learning needs to see how you got there.