Reverse engineer your way to a career

So a student of ours contacted me the other day asking for some advice on getting started as a software developer. The person is new to the technology industry.

Here is what I told him. Reverse engineer the set of steps that are necessary to get yourself hired. Starting with the role you want, identify the core set of skills that you need and create a set of steps to add these skills to your CV.

Be realistic. While there is a shortage of skilled developers out there, there is no shortage of unskilled developers. When starting out you are going to find yourself in a big pond competing against a lot of other unskilled developers. So how do you mitigate against this?
 
Be really good at one thing rather than a jack of all trades. Start by learning one language really well. Take for example Python. Immerse yourself in the language. Learn about Object Oriented Principles. Learn about Test Driven Development. By just knowing one language along with an operating system like Linux and a version control system like Git, you have a set of skills and a game plan that you can pitch to a company that needs those skills.

Now you have your foot in the door of a company. Harness that small (yet powerful) number of skills you have by working with the senior developers. Get involved with code reviews. Watch, listen and learn. Even if you only fix bugs and learn how to debug code you will have got some crucial experience.

Once you have reached a plateau, it is time to expand your skill set. You might want to learn a web framework like Django and break into web development.
 
The point of reverse engineering the set of steps is simple. You present yourself as someone who is credible and that can do productive work for a company. It is a rock solid game plan that will make you shine in interviews.

Be focused.
 

5 Reasons why you should learn Python

1. You Can Use Python for Pretty Much Anything

Python is a general-purpose language, which means it can be used to build just about anything, which will be made easy with the right tools/libraries.. Below are just some of the most common fields where Python has found its use:

• Data science
• Scientific and mathematical computing
• Web development
• Finance and trading
• System automation and administration
• Computer graphics
• Basic game development
• Security and penetration testing
• General and application-specific scripting
• Mapping and geography (GIS software)

2. Python Is Widely Used in Data Science

Python’s application in data science and data engineering is what’s really fuelling its popularity today. Pandas, NumPy, SciPy, and other tools combined with the ability to prototype quickly and then “glue” systems together enable data engineers to maintain high efficiency when using Python.

3. Demand for Python Developers Is High (And Growing)

The job market outlook for Python developers is excellent and this is reflected in the high salaries companies are willing to pay to attract good Python developers.

4. Python Is Beginner Friendly

Python’s famously clean and readable syntax makes it newbie-friendly. Note, it is a fact that you will spend more time reading and debugging code than writing new code. Hence, it makes sense that readability counts big time.

Python’s efficiency and readability have also made it the number one most commonly taught introductory language at universities. This will have ramifications on the future job market and likely make Python an even more popular technology choice.

5. All the Big Names Use Python

Ever wanted to work for a tech giant like Google or Facebook? Python could be your way in, as these companies, as well as YouTube, IBM, Yahoo, Dropbox, Quora, Mozilla, Instagram, Ericsson and many others all use Python for a wide array of purposes, and are constantly hiring Python developers. Dropbox’s code base, for instance, uses Python for almost everything, including analytics, the server backend, the API backend, and the desktop clients.

The benefits of keeping your skills in check

Keeping your skills relevant each year is a must in the technology sector. 5 reasons why you should invest in a new tech skill each year:

1.       Get outside your comfort zone – a comfort zone is a beautiful place but nothing ever grows there. Every year, you should plan to attain at least one new certification or skill.
2.       Competitive advantage - The knowledge you will gain through the training and preparation for a certification exam will significantly expand your skill set and will increase your credibility when interviewing for jobs.
3.       Teach others – Apply what you have learnt not only to your own work but also give back by guiding others via code reviews etc. Teaching has many other benefits too – it takes you outside your comfort zone, it helps you develop soft skills and it positions you as a leader.
4.       Salary prospects - Gaining a new certification benefits you and your company as the skills become transferable to your colleagues. Companies recognize this fact and will often pay bonuses (just for attaining a new certification) and higher salaries to those who are willing to keep their skills up to date.
5.       Network – Learning with a class full of others under the guidance of an expert mentor has obvious benefits. You learn from the questions others ask that you didn’t think of. You make acquaintances in other companies and hear about roles that you otherwise wouldn’t have. The saying – “If you want to go fast, go alone. If you want to go far, go together.” – is very relevant.

Need to repeat programming exams this summer?

Our instructors - who are subject matter experts - are on hand to help you achieve success in your exams. At Zazen Academy of Technology, we pride ourselves on only working with instructors who are excellent communicators and that love to teach. 

Our tip to you is to start preparing now. To ensure you achieve the grades you want, do not leave your preparation to a week or two before the exam. 

Email our team on info@zazenacademy.ie today!

Why secondary level students should be eyeing programming courses this summer

I am trying to think of an industry that technology has not revolutionized in the last 20 years. There must be one, right? Every industry that comes to my mind shares one common denominator now: technology. From how we communicate, to booking a holiday to the way we buy our goods in places we may never visit, technology is now the driving force. 

I remember the early days of the internet. I heard people say that "business won't take off online, internet connections are too slow". Guess what, someone solved that and internet connections got faster. I heard people say that "no one will buy clothes online because the screen resolutions are too poor". Someone else solved that. There is one constant in the technology industry. That is change. Technology is improving and as it improves it is creating new opportunities all the time for people with technology skills.

Let me share some reasons why I think it is crucial that young people in Ireland get involved in tech as early as possible and why we are rolling out industry grade programming courses to secondary level students over the summer.

1)      Career opportunities - The Information & Communication Technology (ICT) sector directly employs over 105,000 people in Ireland. Computer services, which include output from tech giants like Google and Facebook, accounted for 42 per cent, or €39 billion, of service exports in 2013, making it the largest service export category. It is one of the fastest growing sectors of the Irish economy, with employment up 40% since 2010. Ireland is now home to the ten biggest technology companies in the world.

2)      Improved critical thinking skills – Learning to code involves mastering the principle of divide and conquer. You take a big problem. Break that problem up into smaller problems. Solve the smaller problems one by one and in so doing you solve the bigger issue. This requires a lot of iterative attempts before you find solutions that work. Essentially, this is great training for a sharp brain.

3)      Level the playing field – the truth is that more and more children are now getting exposure to technology and programming courses from an earlier age. This means that by the time that your child arrives in college to take their computer science course they are already trailing behind the students that have taken coding and technology courses in the past. In order to level the playing field, we encourage parents to enrol their children in programming courses so they have the best opportunities available to them in the future. 

The writing is on the wall. Now is the time to get involved in tech. Anyone can be a software developer.