As the world changes, so must developers – but how do you hone your skills and competencies when you work for a consultancy?

Arttu Ylärakkola, software developer and founding member of Rakettitiede, is here to tell us how the company has answered the development needs of its senior developers and where it still has room for improvement.

“Honestly, it’s a really tricky issue, and we haven’t found the perfect solution,” Arttu says right out the (virtual) gate.

“We’re always thinking about our best options. The most important thing is to really care about learning and understand how vital it is for the work that our developers do, as well as for their market value,” he says.

Asking a bunch of consultants how they would like to develop themselves is a bit like asking a roomful of head chefs to agree on a three-course menu. Each developer has their own professional interests, while every client has different problems that need to be solved, ASAP. And remember that we’re talking about the IT sector, where change is the norm and technology marches on at a staggering pace.

Let’s cut the BS for a minute: how has Rakettitiede attempted to address a multifaceted topic like this? What opportunities do senior developers have to boost their own skills while working for a consultancy?

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*According to Arttu, Rakettitiede’s developers have an inborn need to learn new things and assist any colleagues in need.*

Arttu’s career in the software industry has spanned over two decades, so one could reasonably call him an expert by experience when it comes to developing the expertise of senior developers – and that of consultants in particular.

“Our Rocket Scientists truly want to develop themselves, and that drive makes any learning opportunity an exciting prospect. Keeping your skills sharp helps you retain your market value. A consultant can also develop their know-how by switching clients or projects,” he says.

Senior developers know how and why they want to expand on what they know. “As their employer, it’s our job to help them reach their maximum potential while offering the tools they need,” Arttu notes.

Rakettitiede’s approach to self-development focuses on communality and practicality. Its sales team collects data on what the company’s clients need and then finds out what skills are in demand and where.

“We have an open table document where everyone can write what they want to learn. If we notice that a lot of people are interested in the same thing, we can highlight that within the company and ask them what they would like to achieve,” Arttu explains.

Rakettitiede can also pay for their training expenses, if need be.

In addition, the company’s developers are encouraged to share what they know on the company’s internal Slack and submit their trickiest problems to the company’s hive mind.

“We have a full house of senior developers with an insane amount of knowledge between them. When you allow everyone to see what you’re up against, you often get better solutions, which helps everyone else learn as well. Our Rocket Scientists have an almost inborn need to assist any colleagues in need,” Arttu says.

Rakettitiede also encourages its consultants to participate in weekly online get-togethers where they can share what they know in an informal and voluntary setting. “We try to focus on the little things that help us foster a culture of curiosity and open learning,” Arttu emphasises.

More into coding than management? Not a problem

Many people in the tech industry still believe that when a senior developer reaches a certain point in their career, the only way up is through the managerial ladder. But, as we all know, managing people isn’t everyone’s calling. If code is the thing that gets your blood pumping in the morning, your only option can’t be giving up what you love and huddling around the middle management gang’s water cooler.

“A lot of people want to join us because we truly value technical know-how. We want our people to focus on what they do best, without feeling pressured to switch from their IDEs to PowerPoint templates. All of us founders have written code for a living, so our appreciation is genuine and not just hot air. The question is, how can we balance our developers’ hopes and dreams with the demands and financial realities of our current projects?” Arttu ponders.

The idea that a developer “must” eventually become a manager has been changing slightly over the last decade: “Technology has become such an integral part of modern life that even a non-coder understands how much technical expertise is needed to keep the world running the way we like it,” Arttu says.

A benchwarmer can still develop their skills

Antony Riley, Rocket Scientist #49, wanted to maintain his good momentum while waiting for his next project. He used his downtime to learn something new: “I decided to study coding a REST/WebSocket server in Golang as well as developing a simple AI application using JavaScript.”

*Antony decided to make the most of his downtime by learning new technologies.*

However, without a concrete goal to aim for, Antony soon started to run out of motivation: “I’m a very task-oriented learner, so tackling a bunch of unrealistic assignments without any clear deadlines or goals felt challenging at times.”

In the end, Antony’s Golang studies didn’t help him in his next project, but his JavaScript efforts did. “The most important thing was having something coding-related on your roster so that you don’t get rusty while you wait,” he says.

From theory to action

Imagine this: a senior consultant like Antony has taught himself Go – which is currently at the top of every Rocket Scientist’s wish list – and wants to put his new skills to the test in a real case.

Can Rakettitiede help him achieve his goal?

“It always depends on the situation and client. The reality is that we rarely hit a total bullseye,” Arttu says.

Most of the company’s clients already have needs that are strongly linked to their pre-existing technologies and domains and that typically need to be solved ASAP. This doesn’t mean that Rakettitiede has no assignments where its developers can hone their skills – in fact, the company is helping its developers’ dreams come true even as we speak.

“They’re longer-term assignments where our clients trust our Rocket Scientists’ skills and adaptability to the point that they can allow them to try something new. When you get to do concrete work, you can also grow your technical competence,” Arttu says.

According to Arttu, learning new technologies through a course is like learning karate through an email newsletter. “The goals of most courses are nebulous at best – the ultimate way to test your skills and gain new ones is to work for a real-life client,” he summarises.

The classic obstacles: money, time, and energy

Everyone has a limited amount of time and energy to devote to learning. While the majority of Rakettitiede’s developers like to develop their expertise through their work, they also have the option to spend time on learning something that isn’t available through any assignment.

“Our consultants are free to decide how much time and effort they want to dedicate to developing their skills,” Arttu explains. In other words, learning something new is time away from billable work. “When you look at Rakettitiede’s compensation model, people usually follow the money. It takes real character to be able to calculate how much developing your own expertise will cost you money and time-wise.”

Rakettitiede’s model aims to compensate people well while also allowing them to manage their own time. In most cases, a company that pays for any time spent on training still pays less than Rakettitiede, even if participating in training means spending time away from billable work. However, for some, a momentary loss is a much bigger psychological hurdle than a smaller paycheck.

Solutions with a side of sympathy

All in all, this is a complex topic that won’t be solved any time soon, but Rakettitiede is actively seeking even better solutions and opportunities.

What sort of support can you pledge to your senior developers, Arttu?

“In addition to finding concrete solutions, it’s my duty to provide mental support, which is a vitally important part of the job. I often ask our consultants how they’re doing, encourage them to study – and, if someone asks, I can give them a gentle kick in the butt when they need it,” he says and smirks.

How does Rakettitiede help its developers develop themselves?