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Next Stage for Shropshire Superfast Expansion

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Moves to bring superfast broadband to even more people in the county have been announced by Shropshire Council.

The authority is inviting bids from telecoms suppliers in Shropshire for the third phase of a major project to boost connectivity for residents and businesses.

Known as Phase 2b of the Connecting Shropshire broadband programme, the initiative is designed to bring fast connections in areas where no commercial provision is currently in place or planned.

Shropshire Council has already invested £9m through two separate contracts (Phases 1 and 2a).

Phase 2b aims to extend superfast broadband coverage to a further 16,015 premises in the Shropshire Council area using £11.7m public funding secured through funding from the Department for Culture, Media and Sport (Broadband Delivery UK) and the Marches Local Enterprise Partnership.

Whilst Phase 1 is completing this winter, Phase 2a has already commenced with planning work which will deliver to an additional 4,000 premises by winter 2017.

Bids are now being invited from specialist telecoms suppliers to plan, design, build, operate and maintain high-performance broadband networks, referred to as Next Generation Access (NGA). All solutions must be capable of supporting download speeds of over 30mbps and must offer competition and choice to broadband customers.

Steve Charmley, Deputy Leader of Shropshire Council and member responsible for broadband, said:

“As we near the end of Phase 1, we’ve already provided over 55,000 homes and businesses with access to better broadband. At the same time as gearing up to deliver our Phase 2, I’m thrilled to be starting the procurement for the next phase of work. We’re eager to close all of our gaps and particularly want solutions that prioritise coverage for premises on the slowest speeds.”

Graham Wynn, Chairman of the Marches Local Enterprise Partnership, said:

“Fast data connections are crucial for residents and businesses now, whoever and wherever they are. It’s important to note that, as part of this procurement, bidders are asked to offer network solutions that prioritise premises registered for business rates. Superfast broadband enables businesses to function more efficiently, increases their profitability and provides access to new markets. Our businesses have identified lack of connectivity as a barrier to growth so we are very pleased to be able to contribute Local Growth Funding to this latest push for better broadband speeds. We look forward to work getting under way.”

Telecoms suppliers have until 30 January 2017 to prepare and submit their bids. Shropshire Council expects to award contract(s) in March 2017.

The procurement excludes additional funding that Shropshire Council is expecting to receive as part of its Phase 1 contract. Where customers choose to take-up fibre broadband once it is available, the Council receives ‘clawback’ that is estimated at £2.2m to date. This money will remain ring-fenced for further broadband investment.

 

For more information on Technology, Business and IT Jobs in Shropshire, check out our blog page by clicking on this link!

– Shropshirelive

How your Business can benefit from HTML & CSS

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What is HTML?

HTML stands for Hyper Text Mark-up Language. HTML5 is a revised version of the original HTML standard created in 1990 by the World Wide Web Consortium to define an Open Web Platform.  HTML is a language used for structuring and presenting content on the Web consistently, across web browsers. HTML5 is the evolution of that standard to meet the increasing demands presented by today’s rich media, cross device and mobile internet access requirements.  As such, it is a great candidate for cross-platform mobile application development, as many of its features have been adapted with the consideration of running on low powered devices, such as Smart Phones and Tablets and providing web developers with tools like CSS3.  Importantly whilst running within a web browser, (as HTML5 does) it is not tied to the underlying operating system, freeing applications from the significant development and support overhead of multiple native applications (e.g. iOS, Android, Blackberry etc.)

HTML5 is already supported in the latest web browsers on PCs and tablets and the number of these products being produced increases rapidly every year. This increase means that it is impossible to ignore the importance of HTML5 when considering your mobile site. Indeed, in some B2C and retail ecommerce client implementations, 40% of visitors are accessing sites on mobile devices; this is only going to rise.

 

What is CSS?

CSS stands for ‘Cascading Style Sheets’ and is the language of design for web pages, giving site designers the ability to suggest how their site documents are styled. CSS is interpreted by all graphical web browsers regardless of device or operating system. It allows a logical division between the structure of a web page, (handled by the HTML) and the way it should look. CSS can be used to tailor the appearance of a web page specific to a particular device or screen size. In short, CSS is the language used for implementing front-end web design.

 

Advantages of HTML5 and CSS

Using HTML5 and CSS3 provides advantages to businesses that develop and deploy web content and web applications, to create refined and accurate web pages and web systems that operate across devices, operating systems and web browsers. Write once, run anywhere.  The plethora of devices, operating systems and screen sizes present numerous design, functional and layout considerations and problems if standards are not adhered to.

 

Advantages of HTML 5 & CSS3
  1. Cost effective Multi-Platform Development

A single batch of code can be used across platforms, devices and different markets; this is an advantage because it results in lower development and maintenance costs over the web site or web application’s lifetime, enabling you to use your resources elsewhere. Current best practice for cross platform (e.g. IOS and Android) application development is a ‘hybrid’ approach, whereby web standards are followed within a native application ‘wrapper’ that can be placed in the iOS or Android store.  The LinkedIn ‘Application’ is one of the best examples of a mobile web site, widely considered to be a great ‘app’ that is not an ‘app’

  1. Good page ranking

If the foundation of a website is not semantically accurate (i.e. unreadable, non-standard based code) then the page itself will not attain a good rank within serahc engines. No amount of Content Marketing in conjunction with Search Engine Optimisation (SEO) will make a difference to rankings if your page is not well structured HTML, easily readable by the Search Engine, in a logical document structure. HTML5’s new elements can be relied on when sites are being re-indexed on search engines, as specific mark-up features of HTML5 are of value when search engine results pages (SERPs) are being calculated.  Search Engine Land outline well the main benefits that HTML5 offers in terms of content mark-up and SEO.

  1. Offline browsing

In a similar way that ‘apps’  can be used offline, without an internet connection, HTML5 supports local storage of web application code and content, through the offline application cache. This is a tremendous advantage to businesses, like publishers, who can provide an offline web experience for readers on the move. The offline cache also produces significant performance enhancements as more of the site or system code and content is accessed quickly, locally.

  1. Consistency across multiple browsers

Not all browsers support all web pages or web applications; however, the implementation of HTML5 and CSS3 helps the designer to create a compatible site or system within all browsers.

  1. Better mobile access to Business Intelligence

Future development of HTML5 applications may lead to better access to business intelligence as all devices that are compatible with HTML5 will have the same ability to collect, collate and use data using standard (cross device) browser based analytics tools.

  1. Extension of video to a wide range of platforms

According to studies, nearly two-thirds of web video was already encoded for HTML5 in 2010, and one of the biggest benefits for marketers now is that HTML5 has native video support and can be directly built in to the supporting browsers which allow faster, high-quality video’s to be distributed. The inclusion of direct video content on a web page can also impact positively on SEO, as it is unique, engaging and therefore is included in ‘quality content’ that search engines are looking to send users to.

  1. Geolocation

HTML5 supports geolocation. Once a user opts to share their location an HTML5 application can use the user’s location. This can be of primary importance when developing location based services or apps.

  1. A better user experience

HTML5 offers a wider range of design and presentation tools across media types, giving the developers greater scope to produce a better web sites and web applications. This is vital from a business point of view, as user engagement and retention is key to increased site and system use and conversion. Creating an accessible and usable site or system means that users will be more likely to engage.

 

Conclusion

Both languages represent numerous opportunities in web development for businesses that develop and deploy online content and web applications. Overall, by using both of these tools in your businesses’ web development you can optimise your users’ web experience, provide a solid foundation for your SEO and content marketing strategy and significantly reduce your cross-platform web development and support costs whilst increasing your reach and optimising web experience.

Do you already have knowledge regarding HTML & CSS languages? Our latest job role might be just right for you. Check it out by following this link!

 

– byte9

4 Must-Know Methods for protecting against Ransomware

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Ransomware is a multi-million-pound crime operation that strikes everyone from hospitals to police departments to online casinos.

It’s such a profitable scheme that experts say traditional cyberthieves are abandoning their old ways of making money—stealing credit card numbers and bank account credentials—in favor of ransomware.

Due to the consistent development in Ransomware, you’re still largely on your own when it comes to fighting ransomware attacks, which hackers use to encrypt your computer or critical files until you pay a ransom to unlock them. You could choose to cave and pay, as many victims do. Last year, for example, the FBI says victims who reported attacks to the Bureau enriched cyber extortionists’ coffers by $24 million. But even if you’ve backed up your data in a safe place and choose not to pay the ransom, this doesn’t mean an attack won’t cost you. Victims of the CryptoWall ransomware, for example, have suffered an estimated $325 million in damages since that strain of ransomware was discovered in January 2015, according to the Cyber Threat Alliance. The damages include the cost of disinfecting machines and restoring backup data—which can take days or weeks depending on the organisation.

But don’t fear—you aren’t totally at the mercy of hackers. If you’re at risk for a ransomware attack, there are simple steps you can take to protect yourself and your business. Here’s what you should do.

 

First of All, Who Are Ransomware’s Prime Targets?

Any company or organisation that depends on daily access to critical data—and can’t afford to lose access to it during the time it would take to respond to an attack—should be most worried about ransomware. That means banks, hospitals, Congress, police departments, and airlines and airports should all be on guard. But any large corporation or government agency is also at risk, including critical infrastructure, to a degree. Ransomware, for example, could affect the Windows systems that power and water plants use to monitor and configure operations, says Robert M. Lee, CEO at critical infrastructure security firm Dragos Security. The slightly relieving news is that ransomware, or at least the variants we know about to date, wouldn’t be able to infect the industrial control systems that actually run critical operations.

“Just because the Windows systems are gone, doesn’t mean the power just goes down,” he stated. “[But] it could lock out operators from viewing or controlling the process.” In some industries that are heavily regulated, such as the nuclear power industry, this is enough to send a plant into automated shutdown, as regulations require when workers lose sight of operations.

Individual users are also at risk of ransomware attacks against home computers, and some of the suggestions below will apply to you as well, if you’re in that category.

 

1. Create Data Backups

The best defense against ransomware is to outwit attackers by not being vulnerable to their threats in the first place. This means backing up important data daily, so that even if your computers and servers get locked, you won’t be forced to pay to see your data again.

“More than 5,000 customers have called us for help with ransomware attacks in the last 12 months,” says Chris Doggett, senior vice president at Carbonite, which provides cloud backup services for individuals and small businesses. One health care customer lost access to 14 years of files, he says, and a community organisation lost access to 170,000 files in an attack, but both had backed up their data to the cloud so they didn’t have to pay a ransom.

Some ransomware attackers search out backup systems to encrypt and lock, too, by first gaining entry to desktop systems and then manually working their way through a network to get to servers. So if you don’t back up to the cloud and instead backup to a local storage device or server, these should be offline and not directly connected to desktop systems where the ransomware or attacker can reach them.

“A lot of people store their documents in network shares,” says Anup Ghosh, CEO of security firm Invincea. “But network shares are as at risk as your desktop system in a ransomware infection. If the backups are done offline, and the backup is not reachable from the machine that is infected, then you’re fine.”

The same is true if you do your own machine backups with an external hard drive. Those drives should only be connected to a machine when doing backups, then disconnected. “If your backup drive is connected to the device at the time the ransomware runs, then it would also get encrypted,” he notes.

Backups won’t necessarily make a ransomware attack painless, however, since it can take a week or more to restore data, during which business operations may be impaired or halted.

“We’ve seen hospitals elect to pay the ransom because lives are on the line and presumably the downtime that was associated, even if they had the ability to recover, was not considered acceptable,” says Doggett.

 

2. Just Say No—To Suspicious Emails and Links

The primary method of infecting victims with ransomware involves every hacker’s favorite bait—the “spray-‘n’-pray”phishing attack, which involves spamming you with emails that carry a malicious attachment or instruct you to click on a URL where malware surreptitiously crawls into your machine. The recent ransomware attacks targeting Congressional members prompted the House IT staff to temporarily block access to Yahoo email accounts, which apparently were the accounts the attackers were phishing.

But ransomware hackers have also adopted another highly successful method—malvertising—which involves compromising an advertiser’s network by embedding malware in ads that get delivered through web sites you know and trust, such as the malvertising attacks that recently struck the BBC. Ad blockers are one way to block malicious ads, patching known browser security holes will also thwart some malvertising.

When it comes to phishing attacks, experts are divided about the effectiveness of user training to educate workers on how to spot such attacks and right-click on email attachments to scan them for malware before opening. But with good training, “you can actually truly get a dramatic decrease in click-happy employees,” says Stu Sjouwerman, CEO of KnowBe4, which does security awareness training for companies. “You send them frequent simulated phishing attacks, and it starts to become a game. You make it part of your culture and if you, once a month, send a simulated attack, that will get people on their toes.” He says with awareness training he’s seen the number of workers clicking on phishing attacks drop from 15.9 percent to just 1.2 percentin some companies.

Doggett agrees that user training has a role to play in stopping ransomware.

“I see far too many people who don’t know the security 101 basics or simply don’t choose to follow them,” says Doggett. “So the IT department or security folks have a very significant role to play [to educate users].”

 

3. Patch and Block

But users should never be considered the stop-gap for infections, Ghosh says. “Users will open attachments, they will visit sites that are infected, and when that happens, you just need to make sure that your security technology protects you,” he says.

His stance isn’t surprising, since his company sells an end-point security product designed to protect desktop systems from infection. The product, called X, uses deep learning to detect ransomware and other malware, and Ghosh says a recent test of his product blocked 100 percent of attacks from 64 malicious web sites.

But no security product is infallible—otherwise individuals and businesses wouldn’t be getting hit with so much ransomware and other malware these days. That’s why companies should take other standard security measures to protect themselves, such as patching software security holes to prevent malicious software from exploiting them to infect systems.

“In web attacks, they’re exploiting vulnerabilities in your third-party plug-ins—Java and Flash—so obviously keeping those up to date is helpful,” Ghosh says.

Whitelisting software applications running on machines is another way Sjouwerman says you can resist attacks, since the lists won’t let your computer install anything that’s not already approved. Administrators first scan a machine to note the legitimate applications running on it, then configure it to prevent any other executable files from running or installing.

Other methods network administrators can use include limiting systems’ permissions to prevent malware from installing on systems without an administrator’s password. Administrators can also segment access to critical data using redundant servers. Rather than letting thousands of employees access files on a single server, they can break employees into smaller groups, so that if one server gets locked by ransomware, it won’t affect everyone. This tactic also forces attackers to locate and lock down more servers to make their assault effective.

 

4. Got an Infection? Disconnect.

When MedStar Health got hit with ransomware earlier this year, administrators immediately shut down most of the organisation’s network operations to prevent the infection from spreading. Sjouwerman, whose firm distributes a 20-page “hostage manual” on how to prevent and respond to ransomware, says that not only should administrators disconnect infected systems from the corporate network, they should also disable Wi-Fi and Bluetooth on machines to prevent the malware from spreading to other machines via those methods.

After that, victims should determine what strain of ransomware infected them. If it’s a known variant, anti-virus companies like Kaspersky Lab may have decryptors to help unlock files or bypass the lock without paying a ransom, depending on the quality of encryption method the attackers used.

But if you haven’t backed up your data and can’t find a method to get around the encryption, your only option to get access to your data is to pay the ransom. Although the FBI recommends not paying, Ghosh says he understands the impulse.

“In traditional hacks, there is no pain for the user, and people move on,” he says. But ransomware can immediately bring business operations to a halt. And in the case of individual victims who can’t access family photos and other personal files when home systems get hit, “the pain involved with that is so off the charts…. As security people, it’s easy to say no. Why would you feed the engine that’s going to drive more ransomware attacks? But … it’s kind of hard to tell someone don’t pay the money, because you’re not in their shoes.”

 

For more news on Information Technology, visit our ‘latest industry news’ page by following this link!

If you are looking for a new career within the IT Industry, check out our latest jobs by visiting our Jobs Page!

 

– Kim Zetter

10 IT Infrastructure Skills every IT Master should know

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Infrastructure is no longer static, immovable, or inflexible — and neither should be an IT pro’s skill set.

Take a look at 10 of the hottest Infrastructure skills that IT pros should be considering today.

 

1. Cloud Security

The sad reality about new IT technologies is that security is often an afterthought. Cloud computing came along and people jumped onboard before a robust and well-planned security roadmap could be established. Because of this, many early cloud adopters are scrambling to re-architect their cloud services with advanced security. While cloud security essentially uses the same tools found in traditional infrastructure security, there are more things to consider. Security considerations ranging from third-party data storage, data access, and even multi-tenancy issues are new skills you can acquire.

 

2. Software-Defined WANs

As a whole, it’s going to take some time for end-to-end software defined networking (SDN) to take hold. But one specific aspect of SDN, namely software-defined WANs, can and should be implemented today. For many companies, SD-WAN will be their first foray into SDN — and it’s a skill that will be the tip of the “software-defined” iceberg.

 

3. Cloud Service Broker

As server and network infrastructures continue to be outsourced into the cloud, some in-house infrastructure administrators are left wondering what role they may play in the not-too-distant future. One skill set that will be useful is that of a cloud service broker. In this role, the broker will evaluate various cloud services and form/maintain relationships with them on behalf of the organisation. And, while negotiating contracts may be a major skills change for many administrators, this role still requires a deep understanding of the underlying infrastructure technologies that cloud providers offer. So if you’re looking to still use the technical skills you have, while also seeking to move toward more of a non-technical role, then this might be the right fit for you.

 

4. Next-Generation Firewalls (NGFWs)

Next-generation firewall skills are currently in very high demand. Today’s NGFWs not only incorporate traditional layer 3/4 access controls and stateful inspection, they also perform layer 7 packet inspection to identify and apply policy traffic based on application type. In many ways, the NGFW is the linchpin for other modern security tools — and thus a skillset that every enterprise will soon require.

 

5. Cloud-Managed Networking

Cloud-managed networking is still in its infancy. Wireless LANs were the first part of the network to move to the cloud. But because of the popularity of cloud-managed WLANs, routing, switching, and network security is also becoming more popular. While networking is networking, regardless of where it’s managed, most vendors are using completely new interfaces that administrators must master.

 

6. Collaboration

It used to be that enterprise collaboration tools consisted of desk phones, videoconference rooms, and perhaps a chat client. But these days, collaboration is far more wide reaching. We’re talking about personal meeting rooms with full HD video capabilities, smartphone apps that fully mimic your office phone and chat applications, and shared project-management tools that tightly integrate with other enterprise tools such as mail and calendaring. Collaboration tools are becoming hugely popular in the new “work from anywhere” world in which we live.

 

7. Mobile Device Management (MDM)

The use of employee-owned mobile devices and laptops in the enterprise continues to explode. Most enterprise applications these days have smartphone or Web-based apps that employees can — and do — use. Companies that were early BYOD adopters are finding that their infrastructure is left vulnerable because there is little to no security protecting potentially insecure devices from accessing company resources — or from preventing the loss of intellectual property on personal devices. Mobile device management is a popular way to alleviate many of these problems — and thus it is a great skill to know.

 

8. Malware Sandboxing

Advanced malware is becoming an increasingly difficult problem for enterprises to tackle. Even with the use of tools like next-generation firewalls, intrusion prevention, advanced security gateways, and desktop malware prevention, advanced malware often squeaks through. Malware sandboxes are one of the newest and most popular tools used to catch malware that other tools can’t. Data flagged as potentially suspicious is placed in a simulated and segregated environment called a sandbox. The data then is allowed onto the simulated network, where it’s run through a gauntlet of tests to determine if the code starts doing something malicious. For security administrators, malware sandboxing is a great tool to have in the tool belt — and one that’s likely to grow in popularity.

 

9. Application Containers

Many people think application containers are the next evolutionary step in data center virtualization. Instead of virtualizing entire servers to host a single application, application containers allow for essentially the same thing, except they’re running on a single OS. An application container does this by creating virtual containers that enable OS settings unique to one particular application and hiding them from other applications. Data centers can run the same number of applications with far lower memory and storage requirements. Those who are heavily involved in server virtualization absolutely must look into containers.

 

10. Data Center Switching

Switching in the data center is far more advanced — and far more specialized — than it used to be. Today’s data centers often use a combination of switching, virtualized routing, and various application load-balancing and high-availability techniques that are growing in complexity. Add to this SDN’s creep into data center switching architectures and you have an area of networking that is highly complex, cutting edge, and in high demand.

 

Conclusion

Not only does this list encompass a wide range of infrastructure responsibilities, the skills also vary in technical complexity. In the end, there is almost certainly a skill or two that any infrastructure administrator has (or soon will have) on their “to learn” lists. The world of IT Infrastructure is growing rapidly, therefore this skill list will continue to expand over the course of time.

 

For more news on Information Technology, visit our ‘latest industry news’ page by following this link!

If you are looking for a new career within the IT Industry, check out our latest jobs by visiting our Jobs Page!

 

– Andrew Froehlich

15 Steps on how to get into Software Development

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Considering a career in Software Development? Read these 15 Steps which could help send you on your way to an exciting new career!

More people than ever before are entering Software Development from non-traditional backgrounds. The number of coding bootcamps is increasing, and there’s a broad push from the industry to attract more diverse developers. Many companies are no longer solely focused on hiring senior developers, and have realised that it may be smarter to train and upskill the next generation of senior developers instead.

Software Development pays well, the industry is booming, and compared to many other careers, software developers get treated very well. But the thing that draws most career-changers to software development, is the search for more rewarding work.

The career transition stage can be a big, scary, but exciting place to be. It can be one of the most challenging life-changes a person could make however, the finishing result could be a more fulfilling career.

If you’re considering a career change, there’s one question that you should ask yourself, above all others: if you make the switch to software development, will you like it? Getting to a level of skill where you are hireable is a lot of work, and you may be leaving behind a promising career in the process. The stakes are high.

If you don’t know whether you’re going to like it, build things with code. Create a Tic Tac Toe game. Start a small online business and do the development yourself. Contribute to open source. Make games. Complete programming challenges. Build a personal website and do all the design and development yourself. If you enjoy any of these things, there’s a good chance you’ll enjoy working as a software developer.

Switching careers can be an epic, challenging journey – but it could just be one of the best things you’ve ever done.

There are a thousand ways to learn to program; the route you take will depend on how you learn best. You can take online courses, find a teacher or mentor, watch YouTube videos, read books, get a Computer Science degree, watch screencasts, or simply jump onto the command line and start experimenting, hitting up Stack Overflow as you go.

 

Here are 15 tips which could help you start your journey to becoming a Software Developer!

1. Have something you (passionately) want to make: Whether it’s a blog, a game, a website, a SaaS startup, an online dating website, or an app to manage your family’s finances, having a project that you’re motivated to build, will push you through the tough times when learning to program. A real-world use-case for your skills will accelerate your learning.

 

2. Attend a coding Bootcamp to get a taster and see if you feel it will work for you: A good coding bootcamp will give you a focused environment, help when you need it, and support when the journey gets tough. When you’re first learning to code, it can be really hard to know what you should focus on.

A good coding bootcamp will also assume no prior programming knowledge, and teach you the skills you need from the ground up, unlike many programming articles and videos, which will be written with professional programmers in mind.

 

3. Connect with other people learning to program: Learning to code can be difficult at times. Having a network of other people going through the same challenges can be hugely important. If you don’t know anyone making the transition, attend local meetups and talk to people there, especially if you’re focused on languages popular among junior developers (Ruby and JavaScript in particular). If you’re lucky, your local programming meetup may even host a ‘Newbies’ night now and again. Make sure to go!

 

4. Find a mentor who works in the industry: A friendship or mentorship with a working software developer can also be immensely helpful in your journey. They will know what the interview culture is in your local industry, will be able to give you advice when you get stuck, help you focus on the most important skills to learn, and give feedback on your code. If you’re lucky enough to find a software developer generous with their time in this way, make sure to give back somehow, even if it’s just buying lunch when you meet. Once again, meetups are a great way to meet potential mentors.

 

5. Focus your learning:If you’re hoping to do backend programming primarily (the engine of most apps, not the visual presentation), focus on learning one language and one web framework as well as you can. Also aim to be somewhat familiar with JavaScript, HTML and CSS, as many roles will have you working with both the frontend and backend of an application. If you’re aiming for a front-end role, focus on JavaScript, HTML and CSS. You might also focus on a popular JavaScript MVC framework like React or AngularJS.

 

6. Be prepared to invest in your career change:You can spend a lot on the transition; books, courses, classes, and screencast subscriptions can add up to hundreds of pounds a month, and many boot camps are over £6,000. Despite the hype around programmer salaries, you can expect to make between £20k and £30k as a junior developer. At first, it might seem like you’ve invested a lot in this career change without much financial reward. Over the long term though, this investment should pay off as you rise to a senior developer level with the potential to earn between £50K and £70K.

 

7. Don’t worry if your journey isn’t linear:Learning to program is tough; it takes time. If you’re juggling a pre-existing career and other commitments, it may be difficult to focus on it for more than a few hours a week. You may have doubts, you may get distracted, and you may stop progressing for days, weeks, or months. Trust that if software development is truly what you want to do you’ll find your way eventually, even if you end up taking the scenic route.

 

8. Create an account on GitHub, build your profile, be selective about what you show: GitHub is an online hosting service for git repositories, best described as version-controlled programming projects. When a repository is public on GitHub, anyone can read through your code. Many hiring managers will check the GitHub profile of applicants, to get an idea of how they write code when nobody is watching. When evaluating junior applicants, the hiring managers may not be looking for amazing code, but instead looking for enthusiasm, work done on multiple projects, willingness to try out new things, and a sense of play. Your GitHub profile is a great way to show this, but keep in mind that hiring managers may only have a few spare minutes to review your profile. For this reason, it’s a good idea to make only substantial or interesting projects public. For projects which you were just using to learn, it might be worth making them private to give your best stuff the limelight.

 

9. It’s hard sometimes:Self-doubt is a common trap for junior developers, especially those from groups who are underrepresented in the software industry. If something feels hard, it’s not necessarily because you’re not cut out for this. It might be because you have more to learn, or perhaps, because the thing you’re working on is actually hard. You may also be concerned when something you find challenging seems easy to someone else, especially when that someone else has a similar level of experience. But stick with that person long enough and you’ll likely encounter something they struggle with, that you find really easy. We’re all different, we bring different pre-existing skills to the table, and we all practice differently. Programming is like any skill: you can become good at it if you persist long enough and care about getting better. Avi Flombaum, co-founder of the Flatiron School, says “I absolutely believe that anybody can learn how to program in the same way that we know anyone can learn how to read and write.”

 

10. Be aware of your blind spots:By all accounts, career-changers have been making waves in the development community. They’re self-starters who’ve sacrificed an existing career, and sometimes a higher salary, in order to become software developers. However, we do have blind spots. The inner-workings of computers and the internet are mind-bendingly complex, especially to anyone from a non-technical background. Mastering one programming language, one web framework, JavaScript, HTML and CSS might take up all your available time. However, when you’re starting out as a junior developer, you probably won’t realize that these things are just a small slice of the technologies you work with every day.

Think about the answers to some of the following questions:
How does your code get run?
How does your language’s interpreter or compiler know when it encounters a syntax error?
How does typing a URL into your browser toolbar result in a web page being rendered on your screen?
How does a web server work?
How do you stay logged into websites even after you close and reopen your browser?
How does your app run on a web server?
Your project is hosted on Heroku or AWS, but what do they use under the hood?
When people say an object is ‘in memory’, what does that mean?
How do you SSH onto a server?
How do you set up and use a build pipeline?
How does your operating system run on your computer?

Of course, this list could be much longer. There’s so much to learn that it can feel overwhelming. The good news is that you don’t need to know the answers to all these questions in order to be hired as a junior software developer, but you should try to learn them as you go further in your career. You can’t get really good at software development unless you have a working understanding of the tools that you work with every day. Increasing your understanding will empower you to make better choices, become better at debugging, and make better design decisions.

 

11. When you’re struggling, take time to appreciate the unique skills you have that computer science graduates may not have yet:If you’ve attended or scheduled a work meeting, been given tricky feedback at work, been through a performance review, or led a team, you already have valuable skills that recent computer science graduates may not have. You may be more at ease talking with stakeholders, better at meetings, planning and organization, simply through having more experience. Most importantly, you may have better perspective. After all, if you’ve previously worked as a nurse in an operating theatre, a bug in production might not seem so overwhelming. After all, nobody is going to get (physically) hurt!

 

12. Get experience with pairing:Pairing is the practice of having two developers share one computer and work on the code together. One developer will write code, while the other watches and does some of the following things: makes suggestions, asks questions, catches errors, and thinks more broadly about how the code being written, fits into the larger program. Since both roles are fatiguing, they will usually swap anywhere from 15 minutes to every few hours.

Pairing is a common practice in the industry and even more common in the coding interview process. You don’t need to be an expert, but pairing for the first time can be a little intimidating, especially when pairing with a senior developer. Despite this, pairing can actually be really fun, and is a fantastic way to learn. If you can, get some practice with pairing before you begin doing coding interviews. If you have a mentor, pair with them. Otherwise, you can find opportunities to pair at hackathons and hack nights in your local area.

 

13. Set up a mock programming interview:Programming interviews are likely to be quite different to the interviews you took to get a job in your current career. They often involve coding challenges, writing pseudocode on a whiteboard, pair programming, and feedback on your code. Learn as much as possible about coding interviews by researching them online. Then practice them with a friend. Find a whiteboard and solve simple problems by writing your code on it. Get your friend to ask you common programming interview questions. It doesn’t matter if your friend is non-technical. The experience will really help when it is time for your real coding interview, as they can be a little intimidating at first!

 

14. Before test-driven development, practice error-driven development:Errors will be your constant companion when learning to code. You’ll be breaking stuff all the time, and will be face a lot of error messages. As once non-technical people, error messages can be scary. Before learning to code, they may have meant that you wrecked your computer while installing a game, or bricked a phone while trying to unlock it. An important mindset when programming, however, is to see error messages as helpful.

When many developers encounter an error message, they react a little like they’ve been slapped on the hand, quickly navigating away from the browser or shell window and peering at the code they  just wrote, trying to figure out what might have made the computer so angry. In most cases, the computer is already telling us, via the error message it just printed, but we need to slow down and read it before we can reap the benefits.

Jeff Cohen, an instructor at my coding bootcamp, encouraged us to practise error-driven development. This method goes beyond slowing down to read error messages, and instead, lets a succession of errors guide you forward in your development. Call a method that doesn’t exist, see a ‘no method’ error, and then write the code to bring that method into existence. Reference a view that doesn’t exist, see a ‘no view’ error, and then create the view. Errors are not to be feared, in fact, they can guide you and help you build your skill as a software developer. Just try to avoid errors in the final product!

 

15. Learn about and practice test-driven development (at least a little bit): Once you’re comfortable with error-driven development, test-driven development is the next step in your learning. Test-driven development is a sought after skill in the industry, and familiarity with it is a requirement to get hired at some software companies. It’s the practice of writing code to ‘test’ how your program behaves, and to drive out a better design for your program. If you’ve ever added some functionality to a program, only to have it break something else that was previously working, this is one of the things that test-driven development (often abbreviated as TDD) can help with!

Few programming resources for beginners focus on TDD, mainly because it can be a difficult concept to teach. When you aren’t sure how to write good tests, it can feel more difficult than writing code. You may encounter a situation where you know exactly how to write the code that will solve a problem, but designing a test around it takes an hour because you’re not sure of the appropriate way to exercise the code with a test. Learning TDD will slow you down at first, but you’ll be repaid with confidence – confidence that your programs work, and confidence that if you break something, you’ll know immediately. Tests are an incredibly useful safety net for junior developers.

You don’t need to be an expert at testing, but some familiarity with TDD will put you ahead of many other junior applicants, especially those coming from traditional Computer Science backgrounds where test-driven development is still not always taught. Bonus points if you can eventually articulate the difference between a mock and a stub.

We hope you have found these tips useful and will have hopefully broadened your knowledge on ways of becoming a software developer. Apply yourself! You don’t need to be a genius to get into software development. Just make sure you remain consistent with your practice and studies. Remember that you will hit barriers and most importantly remember to push through them and never give up. As previously mentioned, becoming a software developer is a challenging career path, but the resulting future prospects can be outstanding. You could find choosing to become a software developer might end up being one of the best decisions of your life. Good Luck!

If you considering a career in Software Development and would like to know more, be sure to get in contact with us here!

If you already have experience in Software Development and you are seeking new opportunities, make sure you check out our latest job role by clicking here!

-Natasha Postolovski

How a Recruitment Agency can help you find the right job

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Looking for a job is a full-time job in itself and can be extremely time consuming and daunting. That’s where a recruitment agency can help.

Not only helping you to manage the ‘workload’ of a job hunt, the benefits of a recruitment agency stretch right through to helping you succeed in an interview. And for job seekers, a recruitment agency is absolutely free to use!

So just how exactly can a recruitment agency prove beneficial when seeking a job? Here are 5 key points:

1. A more tailored job search

The advantages of using a recruitment agency are clear when you look at how they can help tailor your job search. Skilled recruiters will know their clients well – and the roles they have available. As a result, they will be able to target the vacancies they put you forward for.

With a recruitment agency helping you with your job hunt you will be put forward for roles that are right for you, as oppose to applying blindly to companies with only the job description to go on and perhaps the companies website to build up an idea of what they’re about.

2. Support and guidance

A recruitment agency is built on the skills of its recruiters – they know the job market, they’re experts in interviewing and skills assessments, they know their client’s requirements and they know how to help you shine in the eyes of the employers.

A great recruitment agency will be able to help you strengthen your interview skills, tidy up your CV and focus your career goals. Nurture the relationship with your recruitment agency and they could prove instrumental in your career progression.

3. Making the job hunt more manageable

Your job hunt can easily get out of control. You may send your CV off to lots of different companies and get responses coming through here and there. But how do you know if you need to follow up on an application? Do you have a structured way of knowing where you should be and for what interview? Have you had the opportunity to do enough research into the job and organisation you’re applying for?

A recruitment agency will have an organised system to help manage job seekers and clients – and it can take a huge weight from your shoulders. They will be the ones to send your CV to targeted clients, they will organise the interviews and they will give you updates and feedback. They’ll also be able to tell you the details you need to know about the employer, helping you to focus your efforts.

4. An ongoing relationship

A recruitment agency doesn’t need to be a one-off support system. If you make a good impression with recruiters, they will be happy to help you later down the line when you’re ready to make another career move.

In another example, if you work in HR and are placed as a candidate by a recruitment agency you can easily build an ongoing relationship that benefits your work. You can make the transition from candidate to client, using the agency’s skills to help you place candidates in your organisation.

5. Feedback

Finally, a recruitment agency will help you go onwards and upwards by providing constructive criticism and feedback. If you didn’t quite get that job after an interview, recruiters will be able to help you understand why and then help you strengthen your interview skills or otherwise in time for your next attempt.

Here at Graffiti Recruitment, we take the time to get to know you, your business, thoughts, dreams and aspirations. We consider ourselves IT Matchmakers, Artists and Scientists all rolled into one. This combination allows us to be a professional soundboard and advise you on the best options for you!  Our Graffiti team are all self-confessed IT geeks and are proud of it, so when we talk to you we have a genuine interest in your career and business requirements.

If you are interested in a career within the IT Industry, get in touch to see how we can help you on 0330 2233 047 or submit your CV on our website by following this link.

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