Hi everyone,
Just wondering what approaches/strategies you follow to stay relevant in the IT/programming space. Do you keep yourself updated with the latest and greatest in the programming world?
How do you remain motivated to learn a new technology given that one technology/framework quickly displaces another in a few years? Agree that the basics are the same, but how would you gain hands-on experience?
Thanks in advance for your insights!
Thanks so much! but how does that work(changing jobs) if you don't have hands on experience with a specific technology? You can still learn on your own - but companies wouldn't be willing to hire if I don't have x years of experience with specific technology?
For instance, I've been working in an Oracle technology for almost a decade that currently doesn't have widespread adoption here in Australia. If I wanted to switch to an entirely new technology, that wouldn't be possible unless I have proven experience.
Get certification about that technology, and answer interview question about that technology nicely.
Jobs usually have a list of tech they want and as long as you tick a couple of the boxes you can be hired. They don't expect you to know everything on the list. Then you learn the rest on the job. Eg if you know React you can probably learn Angular. If you know Azure you can probably learn AWS. Hopefully you get to learn even more as the company takes on new clients and projects but if they don't, you can move on once you feel you've mastered everything they do and there's no more challenge for you. Then you take your bigger list of skills to the next job.
It's definitely harder if your skills don't have much overlap with other tech. You might have to try and find some training courses to be able to branch out. That can be the danger with being a contractor, you are a super expert in something old and obtuse and while that can be good as you'll always have a job and be paid a fortune it can be very boring to never be able to do anything else (or have it be difficult).
Absolutely! Your second paragraph was exactly what I had in mind - but was struggling to put into words.
After working in a legacy tech for almost a decade, I feel it is the right time to branch out to something new. Your words are absolutely true - I find it very boring to not be able to do anything else.
I don't find it hard to learn a new technology, get a certification etc., - but to be considered for a position, I'm assuming I would have to show prior experience? at least to start in an entry level position? Would being a contractor help, as in - starting a career in a new tech from scratch?
@hispeed: For prior experience, you can do some personal projects or contribute to something open source. Doesn't have to be job related. You could also volunteer to do something, for a charity organisation or just a local business who doesn't have a lot of resources. If you can get a couple of things for a portfolio that can replace the job experience part. You already have extensive experience in a professional environment so you don't have to worry about a potential job not wanting to hire you because you're a new grad who doesn't know how to behave in an office. It is definitely harder than moving sideways where your current experience overlaps something in the new job but definitely doable!
@Quantumcat: @Quantumcat : Many thanks for your insights. I've got more clarity on what can and cannot be done - much appreciated!
Nothing better than hands on work. Try reimplementing an existing product (however small) in the new framework. That way you're only learning one new thing at a time.
Overall, front-end and web frameworks change a lot more often than backend stuff. Backend can seem boring (not to me) but it's got different challenges and I feel it's more stable long term. If you want to move away from programming, then you can consider administration and infrastructure as a career.
Thanks a lot for your insights!
I felt the same way too - there are so many front-end frameworks out there, I'm worried it may become outdated by the time I learn one :)
DO a Masters degree in AI/Stats/Big Data or Data Management and Infrastructure.
I have never seen employer hiring someone based on master degree
I have because they usually have a solid understanding of technology, project experience, internship(s), research skills and a variety of languages.
Funny, because if you actually read the majority of job descriptions they list university degrees as an essential qualification despite what you may hear on the news.
99% of the time the guy with the Postgraduate qualification with the relevant skills to the job will get the job so stop kidding yourself.
Are you even an engineer? The OP's question wasn't about getting hired. It was about staying up to date with technology and gaining new skills as a programmer.
Build a repository of personal projects. This is also good to have if you ever find yourself looking for new work.
Thanks @Ryanek! Much appreciated!
Building a repository of projects seems to be the way to go - easier to showcase skills.
There are plenty of jobs out there if you have the right #buidl skills.
Contribute to Open source. You learn a lot looking at other people code. The feeling that you contribute something positive is what makes us human happy. There is also possibility of learning on how to deal with criticism publicly.
For hiring, I would give someone higher preference if they are active in open source contribution vs the one with multiple certification.
Many thanks! It definitely appears worthwhile to contribute to open source projects - from what I see, even if I can't be an expert, I can learn best practices.
Thanks again for your insights - much appreciated!
Thanks everyone for taking time to post your suggestions and insights - I've got more clarity on what can and cannot be done.
Be in a job where you are always doing new projects and getting new clients, and push for your bosses / business to try new technology for the solution for the projects, and learn as you go. If you're in a job where there's lots of different projects going on at once ask to be moved to a new one after six months or a year with the one you're on so you can always be learning something new.
If you're in a job that only does one thing - change jobs every two years or so, and do projects on your own to make sure you keep relevant.