I think that "good" is partly a matter of perspective.
For a development team member, a good developer may have some or all of the following skills and attributes:
- Team player,
- Strong object oriented design and development skills,
- Strong in the technical stack the team is using,
- Agile experience,
- Willingness and ability to learn and embrace new things,
- TDD/DDD abilities,
- Working knowledge of testing frameworks/concepts,
- Etc.
From a management or business perspective you could also add some of the following:
- Ability to estimate and then meet commitments,
- Likely to stick around,
- Marketable skills,
- Focused on working client solutions and not just the latest technology,
- Able to work with and communicate well with clients,
- Able to generate value for business,
- Etc.
If you are applying for a position for employment somewhere, make sure your resume and cover letter address both sides of the coin in a positive fashion. Then, even in a down economy, finding work should not be as much of a problem.
Even if you are currently happy where you are you can increase your value by making sure you can always address both perspectives.
Any other ideas on things to look for in a new employee?
Hint: If you are applying here at Sunwapta, we will want these answers so show you did your homework.
