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Aaron Skonnard welcomes Gary Feirabend, AVP Technology – Head of Engineering Transformation at Manulife to share how their teams have been able to establish an unbiased approach to career advancement, uncovering hidden talent to achieve their goal of engineering excellence.

Aaron Skonnard welcomes Gary Feirabend, AVP Technology – Head of Engineering Transformation at Manulife to share how their teams have been able to establish an unbiased approach to career advancement, uncovering hidden talent to achieve their goal of engineering excellence.

What's inside

Syllabus

Traffic lights

Read about what's good
what should give you pause
and possible dealbreakers
Suited for Engineering Teams Seeking Objective Advancement

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Reviews summary

Insights on engineering transformation

According to students, this fireside chat provides valuable insights into engineering transformation and career advancement from a leading industry professional. Learners appreciate the high-level strategic perspectives and how Manulife approaches fostering unbiased talent development. While praised for its inspirational content, some learners noted that as a chat, it offers broader strokes rather than detailed technical guidance, which may require additional study for deeper implementation. Overall, it serves as a thought-provoking discussion on organizational excellence.
Insights are valuable but may be specific to large enterprise environments.
"Some of the strategies discussed might be harder to implement in smaller organizations or startups due to scale."
"The Manulife context was interesting, but I had to consider how applicable it truly was to my specific company."
"Valuable for those in similar large corporate settings, less so for individual contributors seeking specific skills."
A high-level discussion, not a deep dive into technical specifics.
"As a fireside chat, it's more about strategic thinking and less about actionable steps for immediate implementation."
"While highly engaging, I wished for more specific examples or case studies rather than a broad overview."
"It's a great listen for context and inspiration, but don't expect a technical deep-dive into engineering practices."
Emphasizes an unbiased approach to career growth and talent discovery.
"The focus on identifying hidden talent and creating equitable career paths was particularly insightful for my role."
"I appreciated the emphasis on how to establish an unbiased approach to career advancement within tech teams."
"This session gave me fresh ideas on how to improve diversity and inclusion in our engineering hiring and promotion processes."
Provides valuable leadership perspectives on engineering transformation.
"I really gained a lot from hearing how a large organization approaches engineering excellence from a strategic level."
"The discussion offered a great overview of the challenges and opportunities in fostering a high-performing engineering culture."
"It was inspiring to learn about Manulife's initiatives for career advancement and talent discovery."

Activities

Be better prepared before your course. Deepen your understanding during and after it. Supplement your coursework and achieve mastery of the topics covered in Fireside Chat with Gary Feierabend, Manulife with these activities:
Refresher on basic statistics
Refresh your basic knowledge of statistics to better prepare you for this course.
Browse courses on Basic Statistics
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  • Review the fundamentals of statistics, such as mean, median, mode, and standard deviation.
  • Practice solving basic statistics problems.
Review lecture notes and textbooks
Reinforce your understanding of the course material.
Show steps
  • Review your lecture notes and textbooks.
  • Focus on key concepts and important details.
Follow tutorials on Python programming
Solidify your programming skills in Python through guided tutorials.
Browse courses on Python Programming
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  • Find tutorials online or in books that cover the basics of Python programming.
  • Follow the tutorials step-by-step, practicing the code examples.
  • Complete the exercises and challenges at the end of each tutorial.
Five other activities
Expand to see all activities and additional details
Show all eight activities
Practice coding exercises
Sharpen your coding skills by solving coding exercises.
Browse courses on Coding Exercises
Show steps
  • Find coding exercises online or in books.
  • Choose exercises that are relevant to the topics covered in this course.
  • Solve the exercises and check your solutions.
Participate in study groups
Enhance your understanding through discussions and problem-solving with peers.
Show steps
  • Form a study group with other students in this course.
  • Meet regularly to discuss course materials, work on assignments together, and quiz each other.
Create a mind map of the course content
Visualize and organize the course content to improve retention.
Browse courses on Mind Mapping
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  • Identify the main concepts and subtopics covered in the course.
  • Create a mind map that connects these concepts and subtopics.
Mentor a fellow student
Deepen your knowledge by explaining concepts to others.
Show steps
  • Identify a fellow student who would benefit from your guidance.
  • Set up regular meetings to review course material and answer questions.
Attend tech meetups and industry conferences
Connect with others in the field and learn about industry trends.
Show steps
  • Research upcoming tech meetups and industry conferences.
  • Attend events that align with your career goals.
  • Network with professionals in the field.

Career center

Learners who complete Fireside Chat with Gary Feierabend, Manulife will develop knowledge and skills that may be useful to these careers:
Engineering Program Manager
An Engineering Program Manager establishes and evaluates project management and development strategy. They ensure that a product is developed according to the company's quality standards and project timeline. Their role focuses on optimizing the engineering workflow, and identifying, mitigating, and removing technical risks. The course's focus on engineering excellence may help establish the tenets of a strong engineering program.
Software Development Manager
A Software Development Manager oversees the processes and people that produce a software product. They lead the research, design, creation, deployment, and maintenance of a company's software. The course's content on engineering excellence may aid a Software Development Manager in their pursuit of building exceptional software development teams.
Talent Development Manager
A Talent Development Manager develops and implements training programs to help enhance the skills and knowledge of a company's workforce. They identify training needs, develop the curriculum, and evaluate its effectiveness. The course's discussion of strategies for uncovering hidden talent and establishing unbiased career advancement may help a Talent Development Manager create training programs to maximize worker potential.
Human Resources Business Partner
An HR Business Partner partners with business leaders to translate business goals into HR strategies and initiatives. They help to create and implement HR policies, programs, and practices that support the organization's objectives. The course's discussion of unbiased career advancement may provide insight about designing fair talent management policies.
People Operations Manager
A People Operations Manager oversees human resources and administrative functions for a company. They may be responsible for recruiting, hiring, and onboarding new employees, as well as managing employee benefits, payroll, and performance reviews. The course's discussion of unbiased career advancement may provide insight about designing fair talent management policies.
Learning and Development Manager
A Learning and Development Manager plans, develops, and implements training and development programs for employees. They identify training needs, design and deliver training programs, and evaluate the effectiveness of those programs. The course's discussion of strategies for uncovering hidden talent and establishing unbiased career advancement may help a Learning and Development Manager create training programs to maximize worker potential.
Talent Acquisition Manager
A Talent Acquisition Manager leads a team of recruiters to identify, attract, and hire top talent for a company. They develop and implement recruiting strategies, and work with hiring managers to define job requirements and interview candidates. The course's discussion of uncovering hidden talent may prove useful to a Talent Acquisition Manager looking for innovative ways to fulfill hiring goals.
Organization Development Manager
An Organization Development Manager helps companies improve their performance through organizational change. They may work on projects such as improving communication, developing leadership skills, and implementing new technologies. The course's discussion of establishing unbiased career advancement could help an Organization Development Manager develop talent management strategies.
Diversity and Inclusion Manager
A Diversity and Inclusion Manager develops and implements strategies to create a more diverse and inclusive workplace. They work with other departments to ensure that the company's policies and practices are fair and equitable. The course's discussion of establishing unbiased career advancement could help a Diversity and Inclusion Manager develop talent management strategies.
Human Resources Manager
A Human Resources Manager oversees all aspects of human resources for a company. They may be responsible for recruiting, hiring, and onboarding new employees, as well as managing employee benefits, payroll, and performance reviews. The course's discussion of establishing unbiased career advancement could help a Human Resources Manager develop talent management strategies.
Recruiter
A Recruiter finds and attracts candidates for job openings. They may work with hiring managers to define job requirements, post job openings, and screen candidates. The course's discussion of uncovering hidden talent may prove useful to a Recruiter looking for innovative ways to fulfill hiring goals.
Consultant
A Consultant provides advice and guidance to businesses on a variety of topics. They may work on projects such as improving efficiency, increasing sales, or developing new products. The course's discussion of strategies for uncovering hidden talent may prove useful to a Consultant.
Talent Management Specialist
A Talent Management Specialist develops and implements strategies to attract, develop, and retain top talent for a company. They may work on projects such as creating career development programs, identifying high-potential employees, and developing succession plans. The course's discussion of strategies for uncovering hidden talent and establishing unbiased career advancement may help a Talent Management Specialist develop talent management strategies.
Career Counselor
A Career Counselor provides guidance and support to people who are making career decisions. They may help clients identify their career goals, develop their skills, and find jobs. The course's discussion of strategies for uncovering hidden talent and establishing unbiased career advancement may prove useful to a Career Counselor.
HR Generalist
An HR Generalist provides support to all aspects of human resources for a company. They may be responsible for recruiting, hiring, and onboarding new employees, as well as managing employee benefits, payroll, and performance reviews. The course's discussion of establishing unbiased career advancement could help an HR Generalist develop talent management strategies.

Reading list

We've selected 17 books that we think will supplement your learning. Use these to develop background knowledge, enrich your coursework, and gain a deeper understanding of the topics covered in Fireside Chat with Gary Feierabend, Manulife.
This comprehensive handbook provides a practical guide to implementing DevOps principles and practices. It covers topics such as continuous integration, continuous delivery, and organizational culture change.
This novel tells the story of a fictional IT organization's transformation from a chaotic, dysfunctional state to a high-performing, value-delivering team. It provides insights into the challenges and benefits of DevOps and IT service management.
Provides a framework for assessing and improving the performance of technology organizations, with a focus on engineering excellence and delivering value to customers. It covers topics such as DevOps, continuous delivery, and organizational culture.
Provides a comprehensive guide to writing clean, maintainable, and testable code. It covers topics such as naming conventions, refactoring, and design patterns.
Provides a practical guide to managing software development teams. It covers topics such as team dynamics, motivation, and communication.
Introduces the concept of lean startup, a methodology for building and testing new business ideas with a focus on reducing waste and maximizing learning. It provides practical tools and techniques for entrepreneurs and innovators.
This classic book provides insights into the challenges and complexities of software development. It covers topics such as project management, team dynamics, and software architecture.
Provides a framework for understanding why successful companies often fail to innovate. It covers topics such as disruptive technologies and the challenges of organizational change.
Provides a framework for developing and evaluating effective strategies. It covers topics such as clarity, focus, and alignment.
Provides an overview of the Toyota Production System, a lean manufacturing methodology that emphasizes continuous improvement and respect for people.
Provides a practical guide to marketing and selling technology products to mainstream customers. It covers topics such as market segmentation, positioning, and pricing.
Provides a comprehensive overview of microservices architecture, including design principles, patterns, and best practices. It covers topics such as service decomposition, API design, and distributed systems.
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Provides insights into the intrinsic motivation of individuals and teams. It covers topics such as autonomy, mastery, and purpose.
Comprehensive guide to software testing. It covers everything from test planning to test execution and reporting.
Comprehensive guide to software testing. It covers a wide range of topics, from test planning to test execution and reporting.

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