Forem: Job Ready Programmer

Free Tableau Crash Course with Airbnb Project

Job Ready Programmer — Fri, 27 Dec 2024 05:00:00 +0000

In this Free Tableau Crash Course with Airbnb Project, master the Data Visualization essentials and advance your Data Analysis skills in under 2 hours!

About the Tableau Crash Course

Data Visualization in Tableau

Unlock the power of data visualization with our mini course on Tableau, a leading platform for turning raw data into actionable insights. Designed by our expert instructor Asad Raza Nayani, this course is perfect for beginners looking to master the essentials of Tableau and advance their data analysis skills.

Why Choose Tableau?

Tableau is renowned for its user-friendly interface, rapid insights, and seamless integration capabilities. It offers unparalleled customization and interactivity, allowing users to tailor their visualizations to specific needs. Tableau's scalability and robust performance make it a top choice for professionals across industries. Additionally, a vibrant community and extensive support resources ensure that you're never alone on your learning journey.

Tableau Crash Course for Beginners (YouTube Video)

The Course is available on both YouTube and Udemy for Free:

Udemy: Tableau Crash Course for Beginners
YouTube: Tableau Crash Course for Beginners | Data Visualization

What you'll learn from this course

Install Tableau Desktop (Public) Application
Familiarize yourself with the Tableau Desktop interface
Create different types of visualizations
Create geospatial visualizations using Tableau
Learn more about Mark Cards & Relationship in Tableau
Build Your Own Data Visualization Dashboard using Airbnb Listing Data
Publish your Dashboard on Tableau Public

Course Highlights

Introduction to Tableau
Get started with the basics of Tableau, including how to navigate the user interface and connect to various data sources.
Creating Basic Graphs
Learn to create simple charts and graphs, introducing you to Tableau's powerful visualization tools.
Geospatial Data Integration
Connect and combine data from geospatial tables and review tables, learning the concept of data relationships.
Using Unions for Data Consolidation
Understand how to use unions to merge data from multiple tables, especially useful for combining quarterly data sets.
Exploring Line Graphs
Create views like "Top Hosts by Bookings" and "Listings," enhancing your ability to present data trends over time.
Calculated Fields and String Functions
Delve into advanced calculations by using string functions to parse and aggregate data, such as calculating the total amenities of a listing from raw JSON data.
Creating Histograms and Filters
Learn to create histograms to visualize data distribution and use filters to control data displayed across sheets.
Building Interactive Dashboards
Combine all your sheets into a cohesive dashboard, and add interactive elements to make your data presentations engaging and informative.
Publishing Your Dashboard
Finally, publish your dashboard to Tableau Public, sharing your insights with a broader audience.

Why This Course?

This mini course not only teaches you the technical skills required to use Tableau but also emphasizes practical application through project-based learning. By the end of this course, you will have a solid foundation in data visualization, ready to tackle more complex projects and enhance your career in data analytics.
Join us and start transforming data into insights today!

Course Requirements

All you need is a computer with internet access and a passion for learning Tableau

Who this course is for?

Anyone who wants to learn Tableau

About the Instructor

Asad Raza Nayani is a Senior Data Analyst with over 3 years of experience in the field. He has a strong background as a Software Engineer, having worked at notable companies like Citi and Revature. Asad is proficient in a variety of technologies, including ETL, Java, API Development, Spring Boot, Apache Spark, Angular, and Oracle Database.
Currently, Asad is a Data Analyst and Senior Fraud Strategy Consultant at Citizens. In this role, he utilizes tools such as Tableau, Oracle Database, Pandas, Alteryx, and Python to analyze data and develop strategies to combat fraud.
At Job Ready Programmer, Asad is passionate about teaching and mentoring students. He focuses on imparting knowledge in the latest technologies, including Tableau, to help students stay current with industry trends and enhance their skills in data analysis and visualization.
You can connect with the Instructor on LinkedIn.

Job Ready Programmer Socials

Join Job Ready Programmer Courses and gain mastery in Data Analytics & Software Development.
Access our free Programming Guide (PDF) to explore our comprehensive Job Ready Curriculum today!
Email us if you have questions: info@jobreadyprogrammer.com
Checkout JRP Soocials using our Linktree Profile

Strings in Python: Indexing and Slicing for Beginners

Job Ready Programmer — Fri, 20 Dec 2024 09:15:44 +0000

Strings in Python are a cornerstone of programming, and Python makes working with them incredibly flexible. In this guide, we’ll explore some fundamental concepts of working with strings, including indexing, slicing, and how to handle common challenges. Whether you’re a complete beginner or brushing up on your skills, this guide will equip you with the tools to manipulate and extract data from strings effortlessly.

Getting Started with Strings in Python

In Python, a string is simply a sequence of characters enclosed in either single (') or double (") quotes. Both styles work interchangeably, but you’ll need to choose the appropriate one when handling specific cases like apostrophes.

Example: Handling Apostrophes in Strings

# Using single quotes
sentence = 'This is a sentence.'
print(sentence)  # Output: This is a sentence.

# Handling an apostrophe
sentence_with_apostrophe = "I'm coming home"
print(sentence_with_apostrophe)  # Output: I'm coming home

Using double quotes (") avoids errors when your string includes an apostrophe (').

Escape Sequences

Escape sequences let you control how strings are printed. For instance, \n represents a new line. Let’s look at an example:

# Using \n to print text on separate lines
sentence = "I'm coming\nhome"
print(sentence)

Output:

I'm coming
home

Notice the \n creates a new line. Avoid spaces after \n unless you intentionally want them.

Indexing in Strings

Every character in a Python string has a unique index. Indexing starts at 0 for the first character and continues sequentially. Additionally, you can use negative indexing to count backward, starting from -1.

Example: Accessing Characters by Index

sentence = "This is a sentence"

# Positive indexing
print(sentence[0])  # Output: T
print(sentence[3])  # Output: s

# Negative indexing
print(sentence[-1])  # Output: e
print(sentence[-3])  # Output: c

Using negative indexes is a handy way to access characters without counting the total length.

Slicing Strings

Slicing allows you to extract substrings (a portion of the string) by specifying a range of indexes. The syntax for slicing is:

string[start:end]

start: The index to begin the slice (inclusive).
end: The index to stop at (exclusive).

Example: Basic Slicing

sentence = "This is a sentence"

# Extracting "This"
print(sentence[0:4])  # Output: This

# Extracting "is"
print(sentence[5:7])  # Output: is

If the start index is omitted, slicing begins at the start of the string. Similarly, if the end index is omitted, it slices until the end of the string.

# Slicing from the start
print(sentence[:4])  # Output: This

# Slicing to the end
print(sentence[10:])  # Output: sentence

Skipping Characters in Slices

You can add a third value, called a step, to specify how many characters to skip.

# Syntax: string[start:end:step]
sentence = "abcdefg"

# Extract every second character
print(sentence[0:7:2])  # Output: aceg

If you only want to slice from a given index to the end while skipping characters, simply omit the end value.

Reversing a String

You can reverse a string by using slicing with a step of -1.

sentence = "abcdefg"

# Reverse the string
print(sentence[::-1])  # Output: gfedcba

Practice Challenge

Try extracting the word is from the string below:

sentence = "This is a sentence"

Hint: Identify the indexes of the first letter (i) and the position right after the last letter (s). Don’t forget that the second index in slicing is exclusive!

Resources

Join Job Ready Programmer Courses and gain mastery in Data Analytics & Software Development.
Access our free Programming Guide (PDF) to explore our comprehensive Job Ready Curriculum today!
Check out the Free Python Basics Lecture Series on Job Ready Programmer's YouTube Channel.
Special Discount: 20% Off PyCharm Professional IDE
- Use the promo code "JRP_ProPyPath_24" on this JetBrains Checkout Page: JetBrains Store
- Use this code and get a 20% discount on a PyCharm Professional IDE license, valid until February 5, 2025.
- We recommend this for our learners to explore more advanced features.
- Note: The entire crash course series can be followed using the free PyCharm Community version.
Watch the following free lecture on the Strings in Python:

Wrapping Up

String manipulation in Python is powerful and straightforward once you master the basics of indexing and slicing. Whether you’re extracting specific characters, creating substrings, or skipping characters, these techniques provide a strong foundation for handling text data.

About the Author

Imtiaz Ahmad is an award-winning Udemy Instructor who is highly experienced in big data technologies and enterprise software architectures. Imtiaz has spent a considerable amount of time building financial software on Wall St. and worked with companies like S&P, Goldman Sachs, AOL and JP Morgan along with helping various startups solve mission-critical software problems. In his 13+ years of experience, Imtiaz has also taught software development in programming languages like Java, C++, Python, PL/SQL, Ruby and JavaScript. He's the founder of Job Ready Programmer - an online programming school that prepares students of all backgrounds to become professional job-ready software developers through real-world programming courses.

Arithmetic Operators in Python

Job Ready Programmer — Tue, 29 Oct 2024 16:13:39 +0000

Python makes it easy to perform basic arithmetic operations, which are foundational for any kind of programming. By the end, you'll be comfortable using Arithmetic Operators in Python, including addition, subtraction, multiplication, division, and more advanced operations like modulus. Whether you're working with integers, floating-point numbers (decimals), or need to use more advanced operations, Python has you covered. In this blog, we’ll walk you through how to perform arithmetic calculations in Python, so you can build a solid foundation for your coding journey.

Arithmetic Operators in Python

Python supports several arithmetic operations, including:

Addition (+)
Subtraction (-)
Multiplication (*)
Division (/)

Let’s start by defining two variables and performing some basic calculations. For example, if we have:

num1 = 3
num2 = 10

You can easily perform arithmetic like addition, subtraction, and multiplication:

answer = num1 + num2  # Adds the numbers
answer = num1 * num2  # Multiplies the numbers

If you print these results, you’ll see how Python handles these operations. For instance, multiplying 3 by 10 gives us 30, which is an integer because it’s a whole number.

Division and Floats

When it comes to division, Python returns a float if the result isn’t a whole number. For example:

answer = num1 / num2

This will result in a float like 0.3, because dividing 3 by 10 doesn’t result in a whole number. Python automatically converts the result to a float, making it easy to work with decimal values.

Modulus Operator (Remainders)

A slightly less common but useful operator is the modulus operator (%). This operator gives you the remainder when dividing two numbers. For example:

answer = num2 % num1  # This gives the remainder of 10 divided by 3

In this case, 10 % 3 will return 1, because when you divide 10 by 3, the remainder is 1. The modulus operator is incredibly useful in a variety of programming scenarios, especially when solving problems related to even/odd numbers or cycling through values.

Order of Operations (PEMDAS)

Just like in math, Python follows the order of operations. This means that multiplication and division are performed before addition and subtraction, unless you use parentheses to change the order. For example:

answer = 10 + 3 * 9 - 4

Here, Python will first multiply 3 by 9, then subtract 4, and finally add 10, giving you the result 33. If you want the addition to happen first, use parentheses:

answer = (10 + 3) * (9 - 4)

Now, Python will first calculate 10 + 3, then 9 - 4, and finally multiply the results to give 65.

Working with Different Data Types

Python handles both integers and floats seamlessly. For example, if you work with:

answer = 999 / 756

The result will be a float, because dividing these numbers doesn’t yield a whole number. Understanding how Python automatically converts between types is essential for avoiding bugs in your code.

Resources

Join Job Ready Programmer Courses and gain mastery in Data Analytics & Software Development.
Access our free Programming Guide (PDF) to explore our comprehensive Job Ready Curriculum today!
Check out the Free Python Basics Lecture Series on Job Ready Programmer's YouTube Channel.
Special Discount: 20% Off PyCharm Professional IDE
- Use the promo code "JRP_ProPyPath_24" on this JetBrains Checkout Page: JetBrains Store
- Use this code and get a 20% discount on a PyCharm Professional IDE license, valid until February 5, 2025.
- We recommend this for our learners to explore more advanced features.
- Note: The entire crash course series can be followed using the free PyCharm Community version.
Watch the following free lecture on the Arithmetic Operators in Python:

Conclusion

Arithmetic Operators in Python are straightforward and flexible, allowing you to work effortlessly with integers and floats. Understanding how these operations work will help you build more complex programs down the road. Stay tuned for more as you continue your Python learning journey!

About the Author

Imtiaz Ahmad is an award-winning Udemy Instructor who is highly experienced in big data technologies and enterprise software architectures. Imtiaz has spent a considerable amount of time building financial software on Wall St. and worked with companies like S&P, Goldman Sachs, AOL and JP Morgan along with helping various startups solve mission-critical software problems. In his 13+ years of experience, Imtiaz has also taught software development in programming languages like Java, C++, Python, PL/SQL, Ruby and JavaScript. He’s the founder of Job Ready Programmer — an online programming school that prepares students of all backgrounds to become professional job-ready software developers through real-world programming courses.

Burnout in Tech

Job Ready Programmer — Thu, 03 Oct 2024 04:30:00 +0000

In this blog, I want to share with you about Burnout in Tech, What is it? Why does it happen?

To help you understand what burnout is, let me share a personal experience from working in a startup. I experienced burnout for the first time when I worked for this startup which was later acquired by a big tech company. So, back when I was working, we had a team of 15-20 employees in tech, and including others from marketing and sales, we had around 100 employees or so in this startup.

In the beginning, I had a good experience working there as we were like one happy family, the CTO was hanging out with us and everyone was working together. So, I tried to fit in with this environment. But later, I started to notice that people were coming in late, leaving late, and having lunch for more than 2 hours. Then, I started receiving emails at midnight or even later. And then there were work meetings scheduled at weekends.

I felt like “Oh my god!”, “These guys are working all the time”. And the funny and contradictory thing was that the startup advertised that we can have unlimited vacations. Yet again, these guys were not taking vacations because they were always working. So, when I wanted to take a vacation, I felt guilty and thought “Should I take these days off?” but as you can see nobody else took vacations. So, this environment eventually made me work more as well.

This inability to turn off my mind thinking about my job was the main cause of burnout. And this is true for everyone! You see, coding does not cause burnout, but our inability to get out of our work does. You can also see the same trend in work-from-home setups as well.

Why does Burnout happen?

Now, why does burnout happen? You see the startup company in which I was working, had these facilities like a game room, nap lounge, gym, and even a shower. And you can see the same pattern at big tech companies like Google, Amazon, and Facebook. The reason they have these facilities is that they don’t want their employees to leave the campus. So, people start to sleep on campus and shower in many cases. Now, this is a contributing factor to causing burnout too.

This is what I had fallen into as well. I tried to fit in with my coworkers at the startup by joining them at happy hours, having lunch and sometimes dinner with them for around 2 hours, chit-chatting, talking about my personal life, and just gossiping. Then we would have weekend getaways, where we were renting out cabins, even CTO was there sometimes as it was a startup.

This was all so stressful for me! Because I am a family-oriented person, I have a wife, kids, and friends. But over here, I had to adopt this new family at this startup and spend time with them. This resulted in losing time in my personal life. So, I observed this problem and realized that I’m not in the same situation as compared to these guys. Most of them who worked were younger than me and were just five minutes away from work. Whereas I had to commute 40 minutes for work. You see, the mistake I committed was to show some discipline in my work.

Show Discipline

So, here’s what I did once I observed myself and others.

I started coming in early than everybody else to work. I would spend only half an hour for lunch, then socialize with my colleagues and I'd be the first one to leave the table and go back to my desk and continue to work. So that by the time it was six o'clock, I can leave. In this way, I was able to increase my level of discipline.

And the funny thing is, in the beginning, when it was my time to leave the campus at six, seven, or eight o’clock in the evening and I looked at everyone else who was still working. And I’d feel guilty for leaving earlier than them and that is also a situation that could cause burnout! As I mentioned before, it's not always about the code that causes burnout, it's about your inability to create discipline in your environment and your life. These are the ultimate culprits for the burnout that you might experience.

So I started to work more disciplined because I had certain things to do as part of my personal life. I spend quality time with my family and friends. I work out, I take singing classes, I take acting classes and I read books, I research new technologies and do my own thing, build my apps and stuff on the weekends. I started to learn how to teach coding through courses. I developed several such courses over the years and I continued to update them, re-record them, scratch them, and build new ones.

So here's my advice to you. Anytime you join a company you have to set a certain standard for everyone else's expectations of you. So you come on time, earlier than everybody else which is great. And you can socialize for half an hour with lunch. But you don't spend too much time wasted just chit-chatting. Be a go-getter, and work very hard.

Once you start building this discipline, this is how everyone will start to see in you: “Okay, this guy's a rock star programmer! He works hard but he has a turn-off switch”. And don't send emails after 6 pm or later than that. You have to set free time for yourself. So your coworkers shouldn't expect those emails to come from you.

Now, that’s exactly how my coworkers started to see in me. While I’m at work, I’m a rock star. I work very hard. I was very effective in my job and everyone saw that. They saw discipline in me. But they knew that I had a turn-off switch! And they knew after that I’m not available. Unless there's a big release or there's a big bug in production or testing that needs to be addressed. I understood that and I was available for those times.

Eventually, I left the startup culture and migrated to fintech on Wall Street which had a much more disciplined environment. Employees at fintech come at a certain time, and leave at a certain time. So, at the end of the day, it depends on your personality. As I’ve worked in both environments like hot tech startups as well as fintech companies, I was able to find a job that was better in tune with my personality and I like that discipline structured approach.

YouTube Video

Resources

Join Job Ready Programmer Courses and gain mastery in Data Analytics & Software Development.
Access our free Programming Guide (PDF) to explore our comprehensive Job Ready Curriculum today!

About the Author

Imtiaz Ahmad is an award-winning Udemy Instructor who is highly experienced in big data technologies and enterprise software architectures. Imtiaz has spent a considerable amount of time building financial software on Wall St. and worked with companies like S&P, Goldman Sachs, AOL and JP Morgan along with helping various startups solve mission-critical software problems. In his 13+ years of experience, Imtiaz has also taught software development in programming languages like Java, C++, Python, PL/SQL, Ruby and JavaScript. He’s the founder of Job Ready Programmer — an online programming school that prepares students of all backgrounds to become professional job-ready software developers through real-world programming courses.

Will you be working from home FOREVER?

Job Ready Programmer — Thu, 26 Sep 2024 10:57:06 +0000

The Shady Truth about Work From Home

In this blog, I will share everything related to "Work from Home", including its various aspects, pros and cons, how it is perceived in different industries, and the hidden trap that most people fall into.

We'll begin by sharing a stat obtained from a survey conducted on several tech forums, showing the majority of working professionals prefer working from home. So that’s an interesting fact to note. Rather than jumping to conclusions, let's first understand both employee and organizational perspectives of work culture.

In the current job portals, several job titles, especially those in the software development field, have the keyword "remote" in them. As a result of the pandemic, several industries have changed how they work, and people that prefer to work from home now do so.

In addition to the ease of using the tools and platforms, employees also enjoy the comfort of attending meetings from home. Initially, some employees found remote work culture difficult to adopt, but now most of them are adapting to it. Technology advancements are the only reason for this shift in work culture, and we employees are adapting to it.

People found this convenient, but one thing we forget, and the thing that is commonly experienced these days, is being on a screen all the time. The work-from-home culture resulted in almost everyone in a family becoming addicted to the digital tech lifestyle, which increased screen time, so they stopped interacting with their children.

We, humans, tend to do things in the easiest way possible, which could be one of the possible reasons. For Example, having a scenario that could be handled easily in a text, but in a face-to-face conversation, it may be the opposite. In a text, it is impossible to see the other person's reaction right away.

Pros and Cons of Remote Work Culture

So next let’s get into the pros and cons of this remote work culture. Both convenient and inconvenient factors are involved in this work culture.

From the organization's perspective, they always want to produce and innovate, which is why many such organizations have already invested in infrastructure and facilities to facilitate this culture.

Thus, it is difficult for companies to return to old strategies, but they can take advantage of this by establishing a hybrid work culture, which includes both remote and in-office work cultures.

Additionally, remote work culture is considered a cost-effective alternative for companies. For instance, previously, if an employee was attending a meeting or event, the company had to spare the costs of travel, accommodation, food, etc. Fortunately, companies and employees can now have a free Zoom meeting call, which is convenient for employees and economical for them.

When viewed from an evolutionary perspective, humans are evolving as time progresses, which means that our actions, clothing, lifestyle, and communication are often changing. Thus, it seems natural for the work culture to change.

The possibility of working from home may be argued by some to be less productive than the in-office culture of face-to-face communication. There are some situations where the face-to-face work culture works better. And this is especially true for white-collar jobs, where they are being forced to adapt to a work-from-home culture that is evolving.

Contrary to this, many open-source software developers have built reliable and trustworthy software that is used by many Fortune 500 companies with which they have never physically interacted.

If you are wondering how it's all about the technology that drives people to work effectively and from home. Several developers prefer working from home for this reason.

WFH Burnout

The last thing I will share is WFH Burnout. Working from home makes detaching yourself from your job harder, and that makes you more likely to burn out. Working from home also makes it harder to maintain discipline.

If someone is working from home and has a meeting at 9 AM, they would get up 15 minutes before the meeting and dress in a semi-formal manner, which shouldn't be the case when compared to someone who gets up as early as possible to go to the office for the same meeting.

Make sure that you wake up early on weeks when you're working from home, and that you're aware of the daily emails that you've been assigned. Ensure that you're disciplined when you're working from home.

If you aren't careful, you could get caught up in this trap. You need to let everyone know when your disciplinary hours begin and end.

In conclusion, both work cultures are proven to benefit organizations in many ways, whereas some are more productivity-focused, others are more formalized in their organizational structures and norms.

Hence, from the employee's perspective, it's all about how we utilize these methods and give our best effort no matter where we work. What matters is how we adapt to technological advancements, which can result in a positive impact on society.

YouTube Video

Resources

Join Job Ready Programmer Courses and gain mastery in Data Analytics & Software Development.
Access our free Programming Guide (PDF) to explore our comprehensive Job Ready Curriculum today!

About the Author

Imtiaz Ahmad is an award-winning Udemy Instructor who is highly experienced in big data technologies and enterprise software architectures. Imtiaz has spent a considerable amount of time building financial software on Wall St. and worked with companies like S&P, Goldman Sachs, AOL and JP Morgan along with helping various startups solve mission-critical software problems. In his 13+ years of experience, Imtiaz has also taught software development in programming languages like Java, C++, Python, PL/SQL, Ruby and JavaScript. He’s the founder of Job Ready Programmer — an online programming school that prepares students of all backgrounds to become professional job-ready software developers through real-world programming courses.

Understanding Data Types in Python: A Beginner's Guide

Job Ready Programmer — Wed, 04 Sep 2024 09:42:24 +0000

Welcome to your Python journey! In this post, we'll help you get started by understanding data types in Python: a beginner's guide to one of the most fundamental concepts that will help you write more effective and error-free code.

What Are Data Types?

Before we dive into the specifics, let's clarify what we mean by "data types." In Python, data types are the classification of data items. They tell the interpreter what kind of value you're working with, whether it's a number, a string, or something else entirely.

The Four Basic Data Types in Python

Python has four basic data types that you'll use frequently:

1. Integer (int): These are whole numbers, both positive and negative, without a decimal point. For example, 5, -10, and 1000 are all integers.

2. String (str): Strings are sequences of characters, like words or sentences. They are always enclosed in quotes, either single ('Hello') or double ("World").

3. Boolean (bool): Booleans are used to represent truth values—True or False. These are especially useful in conditions and loops, where you need to determine the flow of your program.

4. Float (float): Floats are numbers that have a decimal point. Examples include 3.14, -0.001, and 7.0.

Working with Data Types

Now, let's look at how you can use these data types in Python.

Integers and Arithmetic

You can perform arithmetic operations on integers. For instance:

a = 10
b = 5
sum = a + b
print(sum)  # Output will be 15

Strings and Concatenation

Strings can be combined using concatenation:

first_name = "John"
last_name = "Doe"
full_name = first_name + " " + last_name
print(full_name)  # Output will be 'John Doe'

However, if you try to concatenate a string with an integer directly, like this:

age = 30
message = "I am " + age + " years old"

You'll get an error because Python doesn't know how to combine a string with an integer. To fix this, you need to convert the integer to a string first:

message = "I am " + str(age) + " years old"
print(message)  # Output will be 'I am 30 years old'

Using the `type()` Function

One handy function in Python is type(), which allows you to check the data type of any value or variable. Here's how it works:

num = 10
print(type(num))  # Output will be <class 'int'>

This tells you that num is an integer.

Dynamic Typing in Python

Python is a dynamically typed language, meaning you can change the data type of a variable after it's been assigned. For example:

var = 100      # var is an int
var = "Hello"  # Now, var is a string
print(type(var))  # Output will be <class 'str'>

This flexibility allows you to write more versatile code, but it also means you need to be careful to avoid type-related errors.

Resources

Join Job Ready Programmer Courses and gain mastery in Data Analytics & Software Development.
Access our free Programming Guide (PDF) to explore our comprehensive Job Ready Curriculum today!
Check out the Free Python Basics Lecture Series on Job Ready Programmer's YouTube Channel.
Special Discount: 20% Off PyCharm Professional IDE
- Use the promo code "JRP_ProPyPath_24" on this JetBrains Checkout Page: JetBrains Store
- Use this code and get a 20% discount on a PyCharm Professional IDE license, valid until February 5, 2025.
- We recommend this for our learners to explore more advanced features.
- Note: The entire crash course series can be followed using the free PyCharm Community version.
Watch the following free lecture on the Basics of Datatypes in Python:

Conclusion

Understanding data types is crucial as you continue learning Python. They form the foundation of how you store and manipulate data in your programs. Practice using these data types, and don't forget to use the type() function whenever you're unsure about the type of a variable!

Happy coding, and stay tuned for more Python basics!

Aging Software Developer

Job Ready Programmer — Wed, 28 Aug 2024 04:30:00 +0000

This blog is dedicated to the Aging Software Developer out there. And this topic was inspired by an older gentleman who reached out to me through the mail. His concern was based on the restructuring that took place at his company where the executives were planning to replace their workforce. And this aging developer was afraid that he might lose his job.

So, in this chapter, we will go over important advice on making yourself better, in these types of situations. Now, if you are just starting in your career, you might ask, “How is this relevant for me? I’m young” but stick till the end because you will learn some valuable lessons that will be useful for you in your career.

Now, we all are getting older. We all go through the process of aging. But every software engineer will come across this one point in their career where they have to choose “What they are going to do for the next 10 years?” and this could be at the age of 30s, 40s, or even 60s. So, if you want to keep your job at this point in your career, there are a few key decisions you need to take.

Pros & Cons of an Aging Software Developer

Before we get into these lessons, there are certain pros and cons concerned with the aging software developer. So, let me go over them first. The pros or the benefits of an aging developer are your age and experience.

Let’s say you are worried about getting replaced by a new kid on the block, who just graduated college or maybe holds two or three years of experience. The new kid is worried about improving themselves in programming, software development, and the fundamentals. They are worried about the design of the application, how to make the software more modular, and extensible, and how to scale them.

Your background in design principles and knowledge of the fundamentals of software development comes from more than 10 years of experience building several applications. As you can see, compared to the new kid on the block, you are far ahead with industrial experience. Since you have developed a lot of applications, learned from mistakes, and are familiar with the concepts, you can work on a problem statement pretty quickly.

The age thing is not important. If you are in your 40s or 60s, your career is not over, don't think that way. I have huge respect for software developers who have been developing software for 10-plus years. Trust me, I've observed some serious engineers in the industry, I have a great appreciation for them and I think you are one of them. I have had the opportunity to manage people who are in their 60s and love software development. They are tremendous at their job.

Now, I have also observed the opposite perspective as well. I've encountered software engineers who have worked for over 30-plus years but got stuck in one domain. These aging developers are easily replaceable. This is a dangerous position to be present in. An example would be a software developer who has programmed only in Perl for their whole life and has never taken a step to learn the trending and new technologies. Again, these developers are easily replaceable. So, make sure you don't fall into this category of aging software developers.

Now, let’s go back to the lessons for you to overcome difficulties in your career as an aging software developer.

Keep up with the trend

Number one is keeping up with the trends. “Now, what do I mean by that?” You need to learn the up-and-coming domain that has a high demand in the industry. You need to learn new technologies. Because guess what, you are in a perfect position to do so. You will have enough experience in the industry, so you can go ahead and learn the trending new technology and get a high-paying job in this new domain.

Logical transition based on domain

Coming to the next key decision. Number two, pick a domain where you can transition that is logical and related to your previous work experience. So, for example, let’s say you are a C++ developer with over 20 years of experience or a Java developer who has worked in the fintech industry. You can pick cryptocurrency as your new domain and start learning the Solidity programing language. Or, if you have been working in the game development industry, you can start learning more about the next trending domain called virtual reality and augmented reality, popularly known as VR/AR. Or, if you are an experienced full-stack web developer, you can learn about Vue JS, which is a new front-end framework.

Keeping yourself updated is the key to gaining high-paying jobs. Pick a new area of expertise that matches your passion, learn the technology, and start your career.

Technical versus Business-oriented careers

Now coming up to numbers three and four, which are to choose your career path concerning the corporate ladder. You can either choose a technical-minded career or a business-oriented career. So, let me give you an idea for both of these career paths so that you can choose based on your interests.

In the case of a technically minded person, promotion to an engineering lead position would give them the responsibility of managing a team of developers or engineers responsible for developing software, architecting, and designing it.

A business-oriented person is someone who might choose to level up on the corporate ladder by switching from a manager position to an executive and CTO role. These people will deal with managing projects, budgeting, hiring and firing, team building, and so on.

From my experience, I've observed engineers who transition into a manager role and lead very successful careers. I have also seen managers who have switched back into technical space and do an awesome job. It’s possible to choose either way.

But my point is that if you're the technically minded type of person, just like I am, who loves to code and develop applications, you just have to keep learning, updating yourself, and advancing in the technical skillset. Don't get too comfortable regardless of age, we all have to continue programming, develop code, and keep practicing if we want to remain technical.

If you are an aging developer who wants to switch to the management side and is interested in dealing with budgeting projects, and dealing with hiring, firing, and managing the overall company’s workforce, climbing up the corporate ladder, and making executive-level decisions. Now, that's a different career for which you'll have to start studying early in your career. Let's say you're 30 and you'd like to be a CTO one day. If that's your goal, you should pick up some management books, or enroll yourself in an educational institution and start learning that alongside your technical learning.

So, these are the key things to keep in mind. So, make sure you understand the pros and cons of an aging software developer. Start applying the four key decisions to overcome the roadblocks in your career and land the next high-paying job role.

YouTube Video

Resources

Join Job Ready Programmer Courses and gain mastery in Data Analytics & Software Development.
Access our free Programming Guide (PDF) to explore our comprehensive Job Ready Curriculum today!

About the Author

Imtiaz Ahmad is an award-winning Udemy Instructor who is highly experienced in big data technologies and enterprise software architectures. Imtiaz has spent a considerable amount of time building financial software on Wall St. and worked with companies like S&P, Goldman Sachs, AOL and JP Morgan along with helping various startups solve mission-critical software problems. In his 13+ years of experience, Imtiaz has also taught software development in programming languages like Java, C++, Python, PL/SQL, Ruby and JavaScript. He’s the founder of Job Ready Programmer — an online programming school that prepares students of all backgrounds to become professional job-ready software developers through real-world programming courses.

How to boost your LinkedIn Profile?

Job Ready Programmer — Wed, 21 Aug 2024 04:30:00 +0000

In this blog, we will look into several tips that will help you increase your LinkedIn profile's visibility and keep it professional.

Importance of profile picture

To begin, let's understand why it's so important to have a profile picture on your LinkedIn profile. If someone looks at your profile and sees your profile picture blank, trust me, it won't have a positive impact on you. Without a profile picture, your profile won't be authentic.

Hence, ensure you have a photo of yourself that shows you smiling or appearing happy. Your profile should have a good attitude. So, just in case, if you appear upset or too worried, it generally doesn't convey a favorable message. Therefore, be sure to smile.

The photo should appear somewhat professional, but it can also be informal. Make sure you're not at a wedding or other event where people can immediately, additionally, make sure your face is visible in the photo. So, make sure you add a profile photo; it's a crucial component that I see is missing from many profiles.

Tips for Profile, Headline & Summary section

Moving on to the Headline, which is typically the area where the job title appears. The phrase "looking for opportunities" shouldn't appear in your header when you are looking for a job. If you include that in your headline, recruiters won't even look at your profile. So, stay away from it.

It's important to note that just because you don't work in the job area that you'd like, doesn't mean you aren't qualified for it. If you have the title of "software engineer", but aren't employed by a company, that's fine.

If you're coding every day and expanding your skill sets, you're still a software engineer. It doesn't matter if you're working at a company as a software engineer or not.

The next section is the summary, where you can provide a brief overview of yourself or your knowledge. Now, having a long summary can be difficult to read. Instead, break things down into an outline.

Begin with your position title and then list technologies that you are pretty proficient in. If you studied a particular technology and want a job in that field, make sure you mention that right at the top of your profile so recruiters can see it right away.

The experience section follows a summary. Some students might not have experience because they are still in college. So, for these students, I recommend checking out upwork.com or freelancer.com, which are websites for freelancers.

And you can sign up as a freelancer, and you can look up jobs and get consulting gigs where you can be paid to do things like software development.

This will enable you to put your experience as a software developer. And it looks much better than leaving it blank. Make sure you include as much detail as possible about the jobs you've worked in. Include those technical keywords near the top of your profile as well as in some of the job specifications.

Skills and endorsements

Next comes the skills and endorsements section, where you can add a new skill by mentioning the course type and URL of the certificate. If you've completed the course, please share your certificate with your friends and community and which will help them to endorse your skill. List all the skills that you are comfortable with here, and ask your colleagues and classmates to endorse you on those skills.

Connections and Google Ranking

I would also recommend you connect with as many people as possible. As I have found that the more people I connected with, the higher my profile is ranked. You must keep things professional on LinkedIn.

Add something relevant to your career to your LinkedIn profile if you have something professional, nice, motivating, or motivational to say. Make sure you share it with as many people as you can. The more people that see your name, the higher your search engine rankings will be.

Never undersell yourself

So before concluding this blog, I want to mention the most important thing to remember when marketing yourself on LinkedIn, which is to never undersell yourself.

In my professional experience, I have seen many people who have worked for 20 years, developing software professionally, but are still not as capable as someone with only two or three years of experience.

As a programmer, it's all about challenging yourself and writing lots of code. If you are in another profession, such as business analysis, database development, or network engineering, make sure you master the profession and skills that you are working on.

In the end, it's not about the number of years someone has, it's about the knowledge they have acquired and the amount of effort they've put forth.

So, those tips were the key takeaways from this blog. Make sure you use them next time when you are planning to boost your LinkedIn profile.

YouTube Video

Resources

Join Job Ready Programmer Courses and gain mastery in Data Analytics & Software Development.
Access our free Programming Guide (PDF) to explore our comprehensive Job Ready Curriculum today!

About the Author

Imtiaz Ahmad is an award-winning Udemy Instructor who is highly experienced in big data technologies and enterprise software architectures. Imtiaz has spent a considerable amount of time building financial software on Wall St. and worked with companies like S&P, Goldman Sachs, AOL and JP Morgan along with helping various startups solve mission-critical software problems. In his 13+ years of experience, Imtiaz has also taught software development in programming languages like Java, C++, Python, PL/SQL, Ruby and JavaScript. He’s the founder of Job Ready Programmer — an online programming school that prepares students of all backgrounds to become professional job-ready software developers through real-world programming courses.

Fastest way to become a Java Developer

Job Ready Programmer — Wed, 14 Aug 2024 04:30:00 +0000

This blog will break down the skills from the Software Developer learning track you must focus on.

Java Programming Language

In this track, you should start off learning the Java Programming language. Here, you will need to learn about the basic building blocks of a programming language such as loops, control flow, and data types, and understand how to implement them with the help of Java. Java is special because of the fundamental concepts it includes such as Classes, Objects, and Interfaces. So learning these concepts and understanding the principles behind them is very important.

Java is also famous for the support of critical features like file processing and exception handling, which you will require in almost every software development project. Make sure you get a good grasp of these concepts by learning them thoroughly and building projects using them. Because this practical approach to Java will help you master programming in an easy and fun way. Believe it or not, once you cover the topics we have discussed till now, you will become so much more confident with Java.

Next up, you need to master practical Java development. Now, what do I mean by that? Well, you need to learn the unique selling points of the Java language itself like the collections, generics, multithreading, JDBC, and lambda expressions. And again the best way to master these topics are by building more projects which involve real-world problem. These types of projects where you build a practical application that lets you handle data, for example, will make you understand the real power of the Java language.

Databases + SQL

By now you will become strong in Java language, its syntax, and programming concepts. Well, next you need to learn databases and the SQL language. Remember that every application needs a database to store data persistently. That’s why databases are a must to learn a skill for software developers. SQL is also critical because it is the data interaction language through which you handle the application’s data.

Now, there are two popular options for choosing database software which is Oracle and Postgres. So, pick a database software of your choice, and learn how to set them up on your computer. Then you can start off learning how you can use SQL to create tables, and perform the CRUD operations where CRUD stands for Create, Read, Update, and Delete. Once you do that, you will understand the real benefits of databases.

Object-oriented design principle

Okay, once you learn databases and SQL, what next? Next, you need to learn about Object-oriented design. This is a very nerdy concept that is required for developing software with an object-oriented language like Java. Why “nerdy”? Well, the real craftsmanship of a software developer is in software design skills. Here’s where you will evolve from being just a programmer to a software developer.

In Object-oriented design, you need to learn the five core design principles popularly known by the acronym “SOLID”. They are:

Single Responsibility Principle
Open-Closed Principle
Liskov Substitution Principle
Interface Segregation Principle
Dependency Inversion Principle

Once you learn these design principles, you can apply these concepts to understand some practical design problems you can find online and that will make you a “SOLID” software developer.

Spring framework with Linux and Docker

Now we will move on to the exciting part of this learning track. You get to use the combined knowledge of Java, and SQL, to learn the Spring framework. Spring is the most popular framework in the Java ecosystem with over 90% of enterprise Java applications built using Spring. So, you can’t call yourself a complete Java Developer without having experience developing using the Spring framework.

You will need to cover concepts like Spring MVC, Spring AOP, Spring Security, Thymleaf, and Hibernate. Not only that, I will recommend you to go beyond this and learn how to design and build an industry-ready application, and learn how to deploy a project on a production-grade AWS server containerized using Docker.

Now, Docker is a very popular tool nowadays to containerize your applications so that you can officially write once and run everywhere. With Docker, you can create a virtual image of all the necessary components that your application needs to run on any operating system and you can just send that package off to anyone and they'll be able to run it.

And you also need to learn about the basics of Linux commands. Now you don't need to be a Linux expert or anything. Learn the 20% of the most important Linux commands that gets you 80% of the job done. And by the time learn Linux and Docker, you'll know just enough knowledge about production to be very proficient in the industry setting.

You may be curious about what type of project you should be building, right?

Well, I will recommend you build a project that solves a problem statement. One such example can be to build a project management tool where managers can assign employees various projects, and track the stages of the project with an infographic to know how many projects are present in the pipeline. Trust me, projects like this where you solve a real-world problem statement are far better than building to-do apps, Twitter clones, and so on.

Front-end knowledge

Moving on, now, I will recommend you learn a little bit of HTML, CSS, and JavaScript for the front-end knowledge but that’s a cakewalk. You can learn these technologies in a week, trust me. After this, you can learn any front-end frameworks like React, Angular, or Vue JS of your choice. These libraries and frameworks are very useful to handle the front-end components. But, the front end is not as crucial as the back end in my opinion.

You see, the Spring framework completes you as a professional Software developer in Java. You will become so strong with the back-end concepts and learn how you can solve real-world problems with software development knowledge. So, keep that in mind while you learn these front-end technologies by yourself. Because there are a lot of templates and website builders that are readily available for you to play around with.

Apache Spark

Next up, you can wrap up this learning track by learning a hot and trending big data skill like the Apache Spark technology. You see, from my industry knowledge of deploying various clusters in a distributed production environment using a variety of technologies like Hadoop, Cassandra, and ElasticSearch, Apache Spark is my favorite one to work with, why is that? It is the next-generation batch and stream processing engine because it is proven to be the fastest big data technology.

Ever heard about Netflix? They use Apache spark extensively to build out their Machine Learning pipelines which recommend users with binge-worthy content every second. So, the demand for Apache Spark has skyrocketed in recent years, and having this technology in your resume is truly a game-changer.

So, Apache Spark comes with various Java dataset APIs to slice and dice data, and also you can apply them to various data transformation techniques. You will need to learn how to configure Spark jobs to run on the cloud and learn about performance tuning to scale out your clusters with big data. You can also get your hands dirty by learning Machine learning algorithms with Apache Spark to perform data clustering and classification. Once you learn the key concepts I will now recommend you build several practical Spark applications to gain practical knowledge.

All right, I hope you are now pumped up about the Software developer learning track.

Time Required for learning track

Let me share the time frame that’s required to go through this learning track. Now it varies for different people as you may be a beginner or have intermediate knowledge of tech.

So, I will recommend that you spend three to four months learning the Java language. Dedicate two to three months to learning SQL and databases. Spend one month covering the software design concepts. Work on Spring and cool projects for two to three months. Then, two to three weeks learning front-end technologies. And finally, one more month to learn Apache Spark. Okay, that sums up one year of dedication and hard work to become a professional software developer in Java who is equipped to solve real-world software problems.

So there you go. That’s the complete breakdown of the Software Developer learning track with the time frame required to complete it. Go on and start learning with this newfound knowledge.

YouTube Video

Resources

Join Job Ready Programmer Courses and gain mastery in Data Analytics & Software Development.
Access our free Programming Guide (PDF) to explore our comprehensive Job Ready Curriculum today!

About the Author

Imtiaz Ahmad is an award-winning Udemy Instructor who is highly experienced in big data technologies and enterprise software architectures. Imtiaz has spent a considerable amount of time building financial software on Wall St. and worked with companies like S&P, Goldman Sachs, AOL and JP Morgan along with helping various startups solve mission-critical software problems. In his 13+ years of experience, Imtiaz has also taught software development in programming languages like Java, C++, Python, PL/SQL, Ruby and JavaScript. He’s the founder of Job Ready Programmer — an online programming school that prepares students of all backgrounds to become professional job-ready software developers through real-world programming courses.

Beginner's Guide to Python: From Installation to Understanding Variables

Job Ready Programmer — Tue, 13 Aug 2024 08:39:17 +0000

Welcome to your journey into the world of Python programming! Whether you're a complete beginner or just brushing up on the basics, this blog will walk you through some foundational concepts. In this Beginner's Guide to Python: From Installation to Understanding Variables, we'll start with installing Python, writing your first "Hello, World!" program, and exploring the essentials of variables and data types.

1. Python Installation

Before we dive into coding, let's ensure you have Python installed on your computer. Python is easy to install and works on all major platforms.

For Windows

1. Go to the Python official website

2. Download the latest version of Python.

3. Run the installer. Make sure to check the box that says "Add Python to PATH" before clicking "Install Now."

For macOS

1. Python 2 comes pre-installed on macOS, but you'll need Python 3.

2. Download the latest version from the Python official website

3. Follow the instructions on the installer to complete the setup.

For Linux

1. Open your terminal.

2. Use the following command to install Python:

sudo apt-get install python3

After installation, open your terminal (or command prompt on Windows), type python --version, and press Enter. If everything went well, you'll see the version of Python you've installed.

2. Your First Python Program: Hello World!

Now that Python is installed, let's write your first program. We'll start with the classic "Hello, World!" example.

Open a text editor or an IDE (Integrated Development Environment) like VSCode, PyCharm, or even the simple IDLE (Integrated Development and Learning Environment) that comes with Python.

Type the following code:

print("Hello, World!")

Save the file with a .py extension, for example, hello.py and to run your program, open a terminal or command prompt, navigate to the directory where you saved the file, and type:

python hello.py

You should see the text Hello, World! printed on the screen. Congratulations! You've just written and executed your first Python program.

3. Understanding Variables

A variable is a container for storing data. Think of it as a label attached to a value, making it easier to reference that value later in your code. In Python, you don't need to declare a variable with a specific type. You simply assign a value to a variable using the = sign.

For example:

greeting = "Hello, World!"
age = 25
is_student = True

Here, greeting holds a string "Hello, World!", age holds an integer 25, and is_student holds a boolean True.

4. Data Types in Python

Python has several built-in data types that you'll frequently use:

Strings: Used to store text. They are enclosed in quotes.

name = "Alice"

Integers: Whole numbers, without a fractional component.

age = 30

Float (Floating point numbers): Numbers with a fractional component.

height = 5.9

Booleans: True or False values.

is_student = False

5. Working with Variables and Data Types

Let’s put what we've learned into practice. Consider the following example:

first_name = "Alice"
last_name = "Johnson"
age = 25
full_name = first_name + " " + last_name

print("Name:", full_name)
print("Age:", age)

This code defines three variables: first_name, last_name, and age. We then combine first_name and last_name using the + operator to create a full_name variable. The print() function is used to display the values.

Here’s how Python handles different types of data:

String Concatenation: Combining two strings with the + operator.
Integer Operations: You can add, subtract, multiply, or divide integers.
Type Conversion: Sometimes you may need to convert one type to another. For example, converting an integer to a string:

age = 25
age_str = str(age)

If you try to concatenate a string with an integer directly, you'll get an error. But by converting the integer to a string first using str(), you can combine them:

print("I am " + age_str + " years old.")

Resources

Join Job Ready Programmer Courses and gain mastery in Data Analytics & Software Development.
Access our free Programming Guide (PDF) to explore our comprehensive Job Ready Curriculum today!
Check out the Free Python Basics Lecture Series on Job Ready Programmer's YouTube Channel.
Watch the following free lecture on Basics of Variables Python:

Conclusion

And that's it for this beginner's guide! You've learned how to install Python, write a basic program, and use variables with different data types. Keep practicing these fundamentals as they are the building blocks of more complex programs. Happy coding!

Free Google Gemini AI Crash Course with Python

Job Ready Programmer — Wed, 07 Aug 2024 06:48:25 +0000

Learn the basics of Google's new Gemini AI model in under 1 hour!

Course Description

Free Google Gemini AI Crash Course with Python

Unlock the potential of Google's Gemini AI model in just one hour with our comprehensive beginner-friendly course! Designed for enthusiasts at all levels, this course will guide you through the fascinating world of Gemini, Generative AI, and Large Language Models (LLMs) using Google AI Studio and Python.

Have you ever wondered what terms like Gemini, Generative AI, and LLMs mean? Are you curious about how these cutting-edge technologies can be harnessed for real-world applications? If so, this course is perfect for you. In just one hour, you'll gain a solid understanding of these concepts and learn how to leverage Gemini to its fullest potential.

Google Gemini AI Crash Course with Python (YouTube Video)

Course Availability

The Course is available on both YouTube and Udemy for Free:

Udemy: Gemini AI Course for Beginners
YouTube: Google Gemini AI Crash Course with Python

What you'll learn from this course

Understand the fundamentals of Google's Gemini AI model
Navigate and utilize the Google AI Studio interface efficiently
Grasp advanced concepts and features of Google AI Studio
Set up and manage Google AI Studio API keys
Develop a simple AI project using Python and Gemini
Create an AI agent for generating blog posts
Integrate Gemini AI with other applications seamlessly
Apply AI principles to real-world scenarios and projects

Course Highlights

1. The Basics of Google AI Studio:

Get acquainted with the intuitive interface of Google AI Studio.
Learn how to navigate and utilize its powerful features to streamline your AI projects.

2. Advanced Concepts of Google AI Features:

Dive deeper into the sophisticated capabilities of Google AI.
Explore the advanced tools and functionalities that set Gemini apart from other AI models.

3. Google AI Studio API Key Setup:

Understand the importance of API keys and how to set them up.
Ensure seamless integration and access to Google AI Studio’s extensive resources.

4. Small Project - Blog Post AI Agent:

Apply your newfound knowledge in a hands-on project.
Create an AI agent capable of generating engaging blog posts, showcasing the practical applications of Gemini.

Whether you're a seasoned professional looking to expand your AI toolkit or a beginner eager to explore the world of artificial intelligence, this course offers valuable insights and practical skills. Join us and embark on a journey to master Google’s Gemini AI model with Python.

Course Requirements

No programming experience needed. You will learn everything you need to know
All you need is a computer with internet access and a passion for learning AI
Basic familiarity with Python is helpful but not required (Python Basics is covered in the Appendix section)

Who this course is for:

Anyone who wants to learn Google's Gemini AI Model
Beginner Python Developers curious about Gemini AI model
AI Beginners who want to gain hands-on experience with AI tools and techniques
Content Creators and Bloggers aiming to leverage AI for generating high-quality blog posts and content

Important Links

Google AI Studio
Source Code of Gemini AI Course (GitHub Repository)
Gemini App
Udemy Course: Gemini AI Course for Beginners
YouTube Video: Google Gemini AI Crash Course with Python

About the Instructor

Gurkeerat Singh is a Senior Software Engineer with over 5 years of comprehensive experience in full-stack development. He excels in a diverse array of technologies, including JavaScript, Node.js, Angular, React, React Native, MEAN, MERN, Java, Spring Boot, Kotlin, Native Android App Development, and Git.

Gurkeerat’s passion for innovation and problem-solving has led him to participate in numerous developer hackathons, where he has consistently performed at a high level. Notably, he secured 1st place in the prestigious Bengaluru Open Mobility Challenge '23, demonstrating his ability to apply his skills to real-world challenges.

In addition to his professional achievements, Gurkeerat is dedicated to sharing his knowledge and expertise with others. At Job Ready Programmer, he plays a pivotal role in teaching and mentoring students in the latest technologies, including Gemini AI. His commitment to education ensures that his students are well-prepared to stay ahead of the curve in the rapidly evolving tech industry.

You can connect with the Instructor on LinkedIn and his Website

Job Ready Programmer Socials

Join Job Ready Programmer Courses and gain mastery in Data Analytics & Software Development.
Access our free Programming Guide (PDF) to explore our comprehensive Job Ready Curriculum today!
Email us if you have questions: info@jobreadyprogrammer.com
Checkout JRP Soocials using our Linktree Profile

Can you become a Software Developer?

Job Ready Programmer — Thu, 04 Jul 2024 04:30:00 +0000

Can you become a Software Developer?

To answer this question, let me bust some myths you might have about a career in Software Development.

Need for a college degree

To begin with, do you need a college degree? Absolutely. It doesn't have to be in computer science or information technology. It could also be anything else like a bachelor's degree in accounting, finance, journalism, history, etc. It doesn't matter. Software developers still need an undergraduate degree to break into the field.

Personal experience related to degree and job

Now, why should you believe me? Well, I'm a living example who does not have a computer science degree. I graduated with an accounting degree many years ago. But through coding on the side and learning this stuff myself. One year after graduating college I was able to get my foot in the door in a software development type role, it was a data role. I learned SQL first. I got a SQL developer job, learned databases, and got good at that. Then learned about the tech space, how the software development life cycle works, how project management works, learned the company culture, and the technical jargon.

And then I started learning about software development, and different programming languages like Python, Java, JavaScript, and Ruby. I learned all of the necessary skills and then I started applying for full-stack software development jobs. Later, I got my foot on that and then the rest is all history. I worked for various large companies, small companies, and tech startups, you name it. I’ve been there and done it. It's possible for anyone and you are hearing it from the right person.

Myths about the no-degree requirement

Now there is news about the tech giants that are getting rid of the requirement for a four-year degree but that's really for people who can get those jobs without a four-year degree are prodigies, to begin with. They've probably been coding since they were four. And have already had quite a bit under their belt and have a very good portfolio to show off. And typically they're already in the spotlight from these companies and they get recruited and they end up just not going to college because they got hired by this company. And then maybe later they do continue their education. That's so rare and you shouldn't be comparing yourself with other people, anyway. There's still plenty of time for you to learn something rapidly and be good at it.

Various types of tech roles

So, if you have some level of a college degree, there is room for you in Tech. There are so many fields within Tech that you can get into. Let’s say you enjoy coding then you're probably going to be a coder. But if you're a more social person, then you might want to go be a project manager or project coordinator, business analyst, or technical support or sales type role.

Or if you have a math degree you can get into a statistics role in a machine learning environment or you know in a data science company. There's Blockchain, Cloud computing, and so on and on.

Opportunities in the tech industry

So, I want everyone to go into Tech because that’s where the world is headed, and that’s the reality of job opportunities. If you do a quick search for “Database developer” or “Software Developer” on any job website like indeed.com or LinkedIn Jobs Portal. You will see that there are so many jobs out there, no matter where you are in the world, you are going to find jobs in the tech industry. Because Tech is it. Everything is headed in the world.

I don’t want anyone to be unemployed or not have the means of making a living. There are many opportunities for you here at Tech and I’m going to help you get there.

So, you know, it's really up to you and how hard you're willing to work.

Now, check out the upcoming blogs where I will be sharing the best way to get into Tech and I will provide you with insights on the right software development skills to learn.

YouTube Video

Resources

Join Job Ready Programmer Courses and gain mastery in Data Analytics & Software Development.
Access our free Programming Guide (PDF) to explore our comprehensive Job Ready Curriculum today!

Forem: Job Ready Programmer

Free Tableau Crash Course with Airbnb Project

About the Tableau Crash Course

Data Visualization in Tableau

Why Choose Tableau?

Tableau Crash Course for Beginners (YouTube Video)

What you'll learn from this course

Course Highlights

Why This Course?

Course Requirements

Who this course is for?

About the Instructor

Job Ready Programmer Socials

Strings in Python: Indexing and Slicing for Beginners

Getting Started with Strings in Python

Example: Handling Apostrophes in Strings

Escape Sequences

Indexing in Strings

Example: Accessing Characters by Index

Slicing Strings

Skipping Characters in Slices

Reversing a String

Practice Challenge

Resources

Wrapping Up

About the Author

Arithmetic Operators in Python

Arithmetic Operators in Python

Division and Floats

Modulus Operator (Remainders)

Order of Operations (PEMDAS)

Working with Different Data Types

Resources

Conclusion

About the Author

Burnout in Tech

YouTube Video

Resources

About the Author

Will you be working from home FOREVER?

YouTube Video

Resources

About the Author

Understanding Data Types in Python: A Beginner's Guide

What Are Data Types?

The Four Basic Data Types in Python

Working with Data Types

Integers and Arithmetic

Strings and Concatenation

Using the type() Function

Dynamic Typing in Python

Resources

Conclusion

Aging Software Developer

YouTube Video

Resources

About the Author

How to boost your LinkedIn Profile?

YouTube Video

Resources

About the Author

Fastest way to become a Java Developer

YouTube Video

Resources

About the Author

Beginner's Guide to Python: From Installation to Understanding Variables

1. Python Installation

For Windows

For macOS

For Linux

2. Your First Python Program: Hello World!

3. Understanding Variables

4. Data Types in Python

5. Working with Variables and Data Types

Resources

Conclusion

Free Google Gemini AI Crash Course with Python

Course Description

Google Gemini AI Crash Course with Python (YouTube Video)

Course Availability

Using the `type()` Function