Careers
All articles in the Careers category.
What Are The Different Roles In The Cloud? A Beginners Guide.
If you’re new to the cloud industry, it’s likely you’re feeling overwhelmed by all the routes and roles to get you into the cloud industry, right? I speak to many people new to the cloud industry...
Where To Start With Cloud Computing? 5 Quick Tips To Get Hands-On Today.
Do you have 100 tabs open, reading about Linux, DevOps, CISCO, AWS, Azure, and wondering what it all means and where to start? I spend a lot of time talking to people getting into the cloud industry,...
Best Online Communities For Cloud Engineers (Forums, Chats & More)
As I was writing an article yesterday: Can You Learn AWS On Your Own? How To Ensure Success, I mentioned that joining a community can be a great way to ensure success when you’re getting into cloud...
The Secret Of Web Development BootCamps And How To Use Cloud To Your Advantage
Yesterday, as I read an article on DEV, titled: “forget web development, become a cloud developer instead!” I punched the air: yes! The author, Moneer, put into words something I’d been talking about...
A Philosophy For Effective Error Handling (Using JavaScript Examples)
Error handling can be a confusing topic — for a long time I struggled to understand error handling myself. I found the whole topic quite mystical and daunting. I ended up subscribed to the school of...
Book Summary - “Building Microservices” By Sam Newman
1 Sentence Summary: Building Microservices allows us the opportunity to tackle software complexity and deliver faster; if (and it’s a big if) we build our services right: choosing the right tech,...
Reader Question - Which AWS Certificates Should You Start With If You’re A Junior?
In reader questions I share real reader questions / answers. In this question we discuss with AWS and where to start with AWS certificates. Also, if you have a question of your own, feel free to...
Do Cloud Engineers Code?
DevOps. Platform Engineer. Cloud Engineer. So many terms and roles! But they all seem to mean the same thing. So when it comes to this new term Cloud Engineer. What do Cloud Engineers do all day? And...
Yarn and the dark future of third party NPM clients
I’ve spent the last few days wrangling with Yarn errors. Our builds we’re failing in some weird and random ways — and all signs pointed at Yarn. I can give you the TL;DR; of the investigation, and...
What is a Cloud Native Software Engineer?
Knowing just the basics of Software Engineering isn’t enough to thrive in today’s market. Many Software Engineers need to have drastically more knowledge of cloud platforms than they currently do....
How To - Get Over Your Fears Of Writing And Just Get Going
Have you been thinking about wanting to write? Did someone mention to you that it might be good for your career? Or you want to write to earn some money? Maybe you just want to document your notes...
Why Your Code Review Could Be Doing More Harm Than Good…
Here is my latest post for Simple Programmer… Recently, I conducted an experiment with my team. This experiment was challenging enough to make even some seasoned developers sh*t their pants. What...
Are you thinking of building an app or website? Ask yourself these four questions first.
I sat at a Starbucks cross-legged with my laptop on my lap. I’d gone out to try and find the peace required to focus on the job application I was completing as a front-end product developer. The task...
8 Non-Programming Books You Haven’t Considered That Will Boost Your Programmer Career
Here is my latest post for Simple Programmer… There are many lists of books about becoming a better programmer. They likely include books like Refactoring, Code Complete, The Mythical Man Month, etc....
Build Faster, Waste Less, and Save Your Sanity by Writing World Class Tickets.
Here is my latest post for Simple Programmer… As programmers, we have a lot on our plates. Understanding the newest technology, the business, navigating politics in the business and in our teams, and...
The Software Career You Didn’t Think To Consider — Professional Services
Here is my latest post for Simple Programmer… It looked something like this: Become extremely knowledgeable in a given programming language until eventually you become a senior programmer. Once...
How to Coach - A Cheat Sheet
Here is my latest post for Simple Programmer… At some point in your programming career so far, you might have been asked to “coach.” Most programmers get into the field to write code, and often...
Building a Workplace Learning Culture - Starter Kit.
Here is my latest post for Simple Programmer… For success, it isn’t the programming knowledge you or your team members have at present that matters most. Nor is it how many years of experience we...
How unclear roles can damage your teams performance (and what you can do about it)
Coaching is often described as “holding up a mirror”. So that teams and individuals can reflect on what they see. It’s not about impart “right” or “wrong”. Coaching is not limited to only managers or...
Beyond scrum - Augmenting agile frameworks to achieve high team performance.
With 2018 on the horizon, I’ve started thinking about plans for the new year. That means changes that I’m making to my site, updates and rethinking my personal brand. It’s been around 8 months now...
Writing A Punchy Junior Software Developer Cover Letter - A Case Study.
Are you going through the job application process now? Have you been asked to write a cover letter as a junior software engineer? Not to fear. Because how to write a punchy junior developer cover...
The important questions I ask myself every week, and why.
By rewriting your concerns as questions you move from anxiety to curiosity. This is a paraphrased quote from the book Sprint. Author Jake Knapp is talking about gathering a list of “what could go...
Do incremental delivery models hinder our ability to deliver on vision?
Most companies want innovation and many of these same companies utilise an incremental software delivery model to achieve it. These models can be big on short-term delivery but weak on long-term...
Unit testing - Why you aren’t convinced (and what to do about it)
When it comes to unit testing most people fall into one of two categories. Unit testing advocates and unit testing sceptics. The reasons there are unit testing sceptics can often be from bad test...
On being and hiring an apprentice
We are often an apprentice. Whether that’s joining a new team with a new business domain. Or joining a new job that requires new skills. This means that we’re at the mercy of needing someone else to...
Why so many miss the point of scrum.
Communication is at the heart of everything we do. But doing it well can be difficult. One of the goals of this blog was to practice communicating. Trying to make a point in the most impactful way...
On becoming a better developer without losing your sanity (8 tips)
I’ve been lucky in my brief career to have worked in a range of environments. From small startups to enterprises and large government projects. Along the way I’ve learnt a few things about making...
Want to become more agile? Ask yourself these 3 questions.
Agile is something we are, not something we do. That means in order to be agile, we must embody traits. To keep us on track with these traits, we can ask ourselves questions. These questions ensure...
Stoicism - A software developers guide.
Most problems have happened before. If we search back in history far enough, we’ll find someone overcoming a problem we now have. Stoic philosophy (Stoicism), when studied can give us many of the...
Changing Javascript framework - 4 questions to ask yourself before doing it.
“What good does it do you to go overseas, to move from city to city? If you really want to escape the things that harass you, what you’re needing is not to be in a different place but to be a...
Does your agile team have a “learning disability”?
The term learning disability is taken from Senge’s The Fifth Discipline. In the book, Senge discusses how to transform organisations into what he calls “Learning organisations”. Organisations that...
An inside look at my favourite apps
I’m always getting asked “wait, what is that app?” when someones peering over my shoulder as I work. So I figured it was about time to unleash them all. A list of my favourite apps from productivity...
Creating a powerful online presence with a platform
My journey with Platform all started a few years ago when I read Key Person of Influence. It ultimately prompted my intrigue with writing. Blown away by the ideas in this book I had to dig deeper....
5 ways to get more out of your non-fiction reading
I’ve been recently pushing myself to improve certain knowledge gaps. Whilst thinking about how to tackle the problem I ended up posing myself a question: When have I made the biggest learning...
Plot twist! Your portfolio is not about you …
For developers, portfolios have become more commonplace. Which in itself is a wonderful thing. It’s a great tool to showcase your work and your passion. I even believe it’s one of the best...
Why “Should you build your portfolio with code or a template?” is the wrong question
If you want to step up your developer career you might be considering creating a portfolio. If you are, bravo! Having a portfolio immediately puts you ahead of the curve. So, you sit down with a...
The Best Software Developers Write, You Should Too
The rules are changing. Especially for knowledge workers like software developers. It’s impacting how we should craft our careers. The opportunities and the tools we have are different to the years...
Why learning a new framework could damage your career.
A water-tight career strategy for your personal brand is your most important asset. Having one will: Guide your decision making Lead you closer to fulfilment Create more purpose in your work It also...
Overcome the fear of selling yourself
I’d always hated the idea of “selling” myself. The thought of interviews made me sick. It felt so egotistical. I even asked my father to fill out the about me section of my CV. I couldn’t bring...
How ancient greek philosophy will make you a better developer
“They’re the scariest man at AND Digital” ! Exclaimed a developer to me about a colleague. I burst out laughing. Not at the developer, but at his choice of words. The developer isn’t native English....
Software Engineer Coaching With The Socratic Method
As software developers, we’re always teaching each other. It’s a core part of what we do. Yet, most developers get little formal training in areas outside of software developing. Most developers...
Agile is the ability to change, not just the ability to ship.
There is one majorly overlooked aspect to agile software: The software itself. We’re always worried about the speed of implementing, not the speed of maintenance. But it is actually the speed of...
The importance of trust in software teams for disaster avoidance
Trust is the foundation of an effective software team. A team that is empowered and trusted is more likely to speak up and address pervasive technical issues that could threaten disaster for a...
A software developers guide to quitting your job
The time may have come to quit – you’ve done all you can and it’s time to move on… You’re going to make a change, maybe you’ve even got another job … but how do you do it? You don’t want to burn...
The best personal investment you’ll ever make - Touch typing
Life can be treated as a series of investments … some more lucrative than others and it’s hard to know what to invest in first or when to invest. However – this one investment, if you’re set on...
Debug with the scientific method and preserve your sanity
At a point in your career, you’ll come across a bug or a problem that you just have no idea how to solve. In order to tackle these seemingly unsurmountable hurdles – you need a method, The Scientific...
How to build resilience and master your emotional responses
Emotional reactions have a lasting effect – In order to be effective you need to be in control of your emotions, it’s one of the greatest self-investments you’ll ever make.
How using metaphors saved my bacon
Do you struggle to communicate your message or struggle to get others on board with your ideas? Strong communication is built on getting others to discover the answer themselves … and one way you can...
What my life’s most terrifying event taught me about leadership
Sometimes inspiration can come from the most obscure of places. When cold, wet, lost and alone in amongst the trees in New Hampshire came a lesson about leadership and staying calm under pressure …
A simple strategy for staying calm under pressure
Staying calm under pressure is about having a solid process to stand behind – That’s why I make it a priority to take stock before I take action.
5 tips on how to - ask powerful questions to get powerful answers
I reveal 5 ways that you can ask better questions to get better answers from your colleagues and your bosses – crucial information if you’re just starting out or have a new job as you’ll be asking a...
Enable strong conversation with 3 versatile metaphors
My top 3 metaphors that I use when converting particularly technical issues into concepts anyone can understand
5 steps to bulletproof behavioural interview prep
Interview prepping is hard … I show my strategy for nailing those tricky behavioural questions!
The Importance Of The Developer Portfolio
Learn why a portfolio can be an incredibly powerful asset when it comes to employability as a developer
Should I go to university to be a software developer?
Choosing options for study can be hard, I give my opinion on some of the options available to you.
Becoming an irreplaceable junior software developer
Being a junior developer can be testing at times, but there are some areas you can focus on to keep yourself sane.
One short exercise that will 10x your employability as a software developer
Developers miss out on this super simple tip to become massively more employable.