Industry Insight with Melica Moshiri, Founder of SkillTorch.
This episode's guest shines a light on the current state of the market, and what a candidate can do to increase their chances of getting hired.

Many software engineers over-optimize their study and interview prep for DSA Platforms like Leetcode/HackerRank, and while they are fantastic learning tool - they're not a good indicator of a real-world developer. A developer's Leetcode or HackerRank score often has little to do with their ability to deliver in a commercial environment, and indeed over-focusing on DSA platforms can mean a considerable skill-gap when it comes to working in a business and capping your employability.

In this episode we discuss the missing pieces that DSA Platforms don't give you, and how you can learn them!

A SeniorDeveloper knows how to write DRY code and will combine common pieces together into generic or abstract solutions, with then smaller implementation classes on top to define the individual differences.

How so? Watch and Learn! 🙌

The second book for our #speakingsoftwarebookbridge project was Shape Up, by Ryan Singer. It’s a refreshing look at the Software Delivery Process that is sure to inspire, and hopefully accelerate your feature output!

It’s so mind-boggling simple and beautiful that you have to marvel at how it’s not more widely known and adopted…

The first book for our #speakingsoftwarebookbridge project was "Code That Fits in Your Head: Heuristics for Software Engineering" by Mark Seemann. Coming in at a hefty 400 pages; it’s no bedtime read! However, it is an invaluable book to have on your shelf - preferably always within arms’ reach of your computer…

A big part of my work is mentoring, guidance and career advice, and amongst the many different things that I get asked, the one I get asked most is:

What is the 1 single thing you recommend that I can do that will have the biggest effect on my career?

The answer? Start a learner log! Read on…

Starting strong on our first #speakingsoftwarebookbridge book pick, I'd like to relay some of my initial impressions and insights.

Our first pick is "Code That Fits in Your Head: Heuristics for Software Engineering" by Mark Seemann, and it's a fantastic read!

Like everyone else in the world, I wanted to dive deeper in Large Language Models (LLMs), Generative Pretrained Transformers (GPTs), and Artificial Intelligence (AI). The hype around this topic is crazy right now!

ChatGPT provided some good fun in my first forays, but it just wasn't scratching the itch. I hate "magic", and always want to know what's happening under the hood. I wanted to *run* this stuff, not just use it…

There are very real and very fixable reasons why many technology professionals don't see advancement or good/frequent salary bumps.

I've seen many talented developers who have become stuck in their careers. And it sucks! It's not a mystery though folks! In this episode we’ll walk through my top 5 reasons why, and how to get passed them.

With the landscape of tech changing under Engineer's feet, it can be hard to see a positive future. Worry not, as there are concrete steps that you can take to ride the rising tide and make it through!

This episode I talk to Steve Orrin, Federal CTO of Intel Corporation. Steve was kind enough to share his thoughts on the current economic climate, and what Junior and Mid-level Developers can do to progress during this disruption.

Mistakes are fantastic, and an essential part of the learning process! However there are some mistakes that Junior Developers make that hinder their career, and can be incredibly difficult to recover from. We’ll discuss those here, as well as how to remedy them so you can level up and become a stronger software engineer!

In this episode we talk about Integration vs Impersonation, and how to not to screw up starting a new job!

Have you ever felt that you had to change to fit in with your new coworkers, or boss? Or ever gotten up a 6am on a weekend to play golf or go hiking in order to impress, or blend in with, your peers? If so, this episode is for you!

Nearly anyone you talk to in technology will agree that tech-hiring is broken. There are many reasons for this, probably the most controversial is the usage of DSA-style problems to test a candidates technical ability.

In this episode we'll talk about what DSA tests do, and don't, cover. We'll also discuss a better approach, that's a new twist on an existing method...

Show notes and script available here:
https://www.speakingsoftwareshow.com/episodes/s3e2-dsa-tests-are-ineffective-theres-a-better-way-to-do-tech-hiring

Bit of an unexpected hiatus, but we're back with a bang! What's the bang? It's a book that I wrote, called Your Dream Developer Job.

Today I'd like to talk about my first internationally published book.

It's about everything you need to position yourself as the ideal candidate for your perfect role in the tech industry. It is now available worldwide; in Paperback, Kindle and DRM-Free EBook formats.

In this episode we talk about what makes a Senior Developer.

• It is Experience?

• Is it Merit?

• Is it Office politics?

The answer to each of these can easily be both ‘yes’ and ‘no’. Let's dive in!

The epic conclusion is here! This is part 3 of 3 in our mini-series about dealing with Knowledge Gaps on your Development team.

We previously talked about how Knowledge gaps can be the silent killer about your delivery team speed, the quality of their output and of course the trust your clients have in you to deliver promised solutions.

In today’s episode we’ll build upon the last, and talk about continuous actions you can take to mitigate Knowledge Gaps.

This is part 2 of a 3-part mini-series on handling knowledge-gaps on your development team.

So last time round we went through the 3 types of knowledge gaps a Development team can face, and how each one can be quite a pain in the butt!

Now that we’ve identified the problem, we can solve it…

In today’s episode we’ll talk about preliminary actions you can take to mitigate Knowledge Gaps

This is part 1 of a 3-part mini-series on handling knowledge-gaps on your development team.

When you really REALLY deep dive into the issues that plague your team, the root cause will nearly always raise it’s many heads as the horrible hydra of Knowledge Gaps.

In this episode we’re going to discuss their 3 types, before talking about how to tackle them in Parts 2 and 3!

Obtaining and maintaining a a healthy balance between your work and your private life can be though!

This episode is part 2 of 2, where we dive into some top tips on how to actively maintain your balance, and your sanity!

You'll hear great advice like:

1. Setting Boundaries

2. Taking your Breaks

3. The golden rule - if it's not your name above the door - it's not your problem.

Obtaining and maintaining a a healthy balance between your work and your private life can be though!

This episode is part 1 of 2, where we dive into some top tips on how to actively maintain your balance, and your sanity!

You'll hear great advice like:

1. How to recognize the signs of a bad balance

2. How to live a whole life, and not just a work life

3. How getting AWAY from the computer can drastically improve things!