In this episode, I spoke with Selçuk Şaşoğlu, a principal software engineer at PostNL. We discussed his career journey, starting in avionics and transitioning to IT and software development. Selçuk shared valuable insights on the importance of both technical skills and soft skills in engineering leadership roles.
We explored the differences between being a lead engineer and a principal engineer, with Selçuk emphasizing the broader scope and longer-term perspective required in a principal role. He highlighted the importance of understanding team dynamics and adapting leadership styles to individual team members’ needs. We also discussed the value of mentorship and how Selçuk offers guidance to aspiring leaders within his organization.
The conversation touched on the challenges of conflict management and the importance of self-awareness in choosing career paths. Selçuk stressed that it’s perfectly fine for engineers to focus on technical skills if that’s where their passion lies, rather than feeling pressured to move into management roles.
If you liked this episode, you will also like the first episode with Sohan on the art of Public Speaking.
Podcast and key points
00:00 Introduction
01:54 😊 Selçuk began his career in avionics in 2006, building digital cockpits and mastering safety-critical software development.
04:20 🌍 In 2015, Selçuk moved to the Netherlands, joining an international company to embrace new challenges and growth opportunities.
08:54 🤝 Selçuk stresses soft skills in leadership, noting they require awareness and practice, unlike hard skills learned from documentation.
15:54 🛠️ As a principal engineer, Selçuk solves problems affecting teams or the engineering community, requiring broader, long-term thinking.
20:54 🧠 Selçuk values conflict management training for engineers, especially introverts, to navigate team dynamics and interpersonal challenges.
27:54 🎯 Selçuk advises leaders to pursue roles matching their skills, emphasizing that not everyone needs to follow a management path.
34:20 🎙️ Selçuk suggests the next guests for the podcast.
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