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What resources (books, courses, websites) helped you the most early on?
11th Grade
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4 answers
Paul Goetzinger MPA
Academic and Career Consultant and Freelance Writer, TRIO Program Administrator
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Paul’s Answer
In my own personal experience, the influence of John Wooden had the greatest personal effect on me. John Wooden was a legendary American teacher, basketball player and coach, best known for leading the UCLA Bruins to 10 NCAA championships between 1964 and 1975, including a record seven in a row.
Often called "the Wizard of Westwood," he was also the first person to be inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame as both a player and a coach. Beyond his coaching achievements, he developed the "Pyramid of Success," a philosophical framework for personal and professional achievement that extended beyond sports.
John Wooden has a website that offers online courses, a detailed explanation of his Pyramid of Success, and resources on his coaching and leadership principles.
Visitors can find online learning experiences based on the Pyramid of Success, his Seven Point Creed, and other core values designed for both personal and professional development. They also have a section to purchase various coaching success courses and a blog with motivational quotes. (www.coachwooden.com)
Often called "the Wizard of Westwood," he was also the first person to be inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame as both a player and a coach. Beyond his coaching achievements, he developed the "Pyramid of Success," a philosophical framework for personal and professional achievement that extended beyond sports.
John Wooden has a website that offers online courses, a detailed explanation of his Pyramid of Success, and resources on his coaching and leadership principles.
Visitors can find online learning experiences based on the Pyramid of Success, his Seven Point Creed, and other core values designed for both personal and professional development. They also have a section to purchase various coaching success courses and a blog with motivational quotes. (www.coachwooden.com)
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El’s Answer
Great question! Books are incredibly valuable. One that really shaped my early thinking was Dare to Lead by Brené Brown. It taught me that courage and vulnerability are strengths, not weaknesses. These qualities help build trust and connection with others, and I find them useful both at work and in everyday life.
However, the biggest impact came from people. Talking to those I admired, like teachers, friends' parents, and even shop workers, gave me real-life insights. They shared practical advice and stories about what worked for them, helping me understand how theory applies in the real world. These conversations improved my communication skills, boosted my confidence, and expanded my network.
However, the biggest impact came from people. Talking to those I admired, like teachers, friends' parents, and even shop workers, gave me real-life insights. They shared practical advice and stories about what worked for them, helping me understand how theory applies in the real world. These conversations improved my communication skills, boosted my confidence, and expanded my network.
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Misha’s Answer
Back in the days watching Pluralsight, and other technical resources helped me to develop in breadth of knowledge.
Answer on behalf of Cloudera new hires: Tamas, Susana, and Amy
Answer on behalf of Cloudera new hires: Tamas, Susana, and Amy
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Lucas’s Answer
I think in general if you're talking about soft skills that can be applicable to any major or career, there's a book that's a bit older but very popular self-help book called "How to Win Friends and Influence People" by Dale Carnegie. As others mentioned, a vast majority of what you learn will also be from your peers as well - be it from studying with friends in college to working and learning from coworkers once you get a job, learning how to talk with others is essential. Even more, being able to make connections with others will always be useful not matter how old you get. In general learning that skill in my opinion is one of the more important ones out there
Specifically with Computer Science, once you get into college (and after) I found that "Cracking the Code Interview" helped with studying for a technical interview. Schools will teach you a lot of the more fundamental concepts and how to code (hopefully, if you don't rely on AI to do all your work), but there's still a difference between that and being ready to apply for companies that require a technical (ie. coding) interview. Leetcode as well is a good website that most software engineering professionals know about to study or prep for interviews as students get closer to graduating college.
Specifically with Computer Science, once you get into college (and after) I found that "Cracking the Code Interview" helped with studying for a technical interview. Schools will teach you a lot of the more fundamental concepts and how to code (hopefully, if you don't rely on AI to do all your work), but there's still a difference between that and being ready to apply for companies that require a technical (ie. coding) interview. Leetcode as well is a good website that most software engineering professionals know about to study or prep for interviews as students get closer to graduating college.