Monday, June 18, 2018

Tech Careers: Have You Ever Considered Becoming a Coder?



            Have you noticed that coding is in demand in so many industries?  Have you ever thought about a job in coding or programming and then quickly changed your mind, even before trying?   Do you ever come across something so technical like programming and you think to yourself, “Well I can’t do that” or “That’s way too hard for me.”  You might feel a rush of intimidation.  To tell you the truth, it is not as hard as it seems.   

You have to understand something about programming: there are many different types, such as Java, java script, C++, python, and Ruby.  If I were someone with no clue when it comes to programming, I would start with Java.  It is basically a much more straightforward program that says what it actually does. For example, a programming tool called processing3 uses java and it runs to become java script.

            It’s a matter of learning different terms, the syntax and the concepts. Then after a while you get familiar with the steps, but you also have to practice.  With an algorithm, you’re following a set of rules, and when you follow the set of rules the computer develops the code you performed.  Actually, math is everywhere; it’s what creates the world.   You’ll be surprised when you take the time to learn code because you’ll eventually start to realize how relatable it is to your own experiences.  You don’t feel as though it’s foreign anymore.

It just takes a matter of time to gain experience.  People have the common urge to give up quickly.  You don’t learn everything overnight.  It’s like school-- to be able to pass a test you have to study.   The best way to study is to test yourself with flashcards with the programming word or concept, and the answer on the other side.  (Tip: There’s the popular website, Quizlet, which makes your study set into a game.)  It’s just a repetition of what you’ve learned, and your brain eventually starts to recognize what you’ve learned by seeing it more than once.   That’s how you memorize certain steps or information that you could use to your advantage in coding.

It’s basically like a game, and that game could bring so much joy to college students if they start to be more organized. It’s a matter of patience and critical thinking.  All college students have the ability to do this and follow a path that brings success.  No matter if you succeed the first time or make a mistake and get back up.   You just took another step to a great future.
By Kira Vasquez

Friday, June 15, 2018

Roadmap to Job Search Success with LinkedIn


Guest blog by the LinkedIn Careers Team



LinkedIn helps job-seekers navigate successful paths to their dream jobs through exploration tools and mentorship.

Explore All Your Possibilities

A big challenge facing job seekers is knowing what types of jobs to search for — or even which ones exist. Enter LinkedIn’s new career exploration pages. Browse different careers within job functions (e.g. accounting jobs or education jobs), and from there research top cities, companies and see what opportunities are available.


Looking for engineering jobs? LinkedIn surfaces popular job titles and listings as well as top cities and companies within job functions.

There are twenty-five job functions waiting for you to explore, making it easy to research the industry you want to break into. Plus, you can simply toggle to Jobs, Companies, and Salaries, so you can be fully equipped to figure out your next steps.

Narrow your search for legal jobs to a specific title and research available opportunities.

But finding the perfect job is just one part of the equation. Breaking into an industry can be intimidating, especially if you aren’t quite sure where to begin. One of the best ways to start creating your roadmap to success is learning from those who have been already been in your shoes.

Get Career Advice from Industry Professionals

Mentorship is key to developing and sustaining a satisfying career and improving your professional life. However, knowing where to start is the tricky part. That’s why LinkedIn launched Career Advice, a new feature connecting members across the LinkedIn network with one another for lightweight mentorship opportunities. Whether you need advice on your career path, best practices for a project you're working on, or even switching to a new industry, Career Advice can help you find and connect with the right person.

  • More than 80% of professionals on LinkedIn have stated they either want to have a mentor or be one to others.

  • Over 50% of those surveyed don’t know where to begin, and more than one-third have a hard time finding the right mentor.

 

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With more than 530 million professionals in the LinkedIn community, there is no other place where you can access such a wide range of knowledge, skills, and resources to help you reach your goals.

Getting started is easy! Just go to the dashboard on your LinkedIn Profile and find the Career Advice hub. From there, enter your preferences for the type of advice you’re looking to receive, and LinkedIn's matching algorithm will recommend members based on your network connection preferences, mutual interests, and your specified industry. You’ll be alerted whenever you are matched so you can send a message and start the conversation.  

 

Bonus tip: Rock your resume with Resume Assistant from Microsoft and LinkedIn to help you craft a compelling resume directly within Word.

 

Finding (and landing) your dream job has never been easier!