A new report from SolarWinds suggests that IT professionals are feeling more confident during the pandemic. Thus, according to the survey, tech experts admit to having been more proactive in bringing new ideas to the table and taking on a bigger role.
Also, experts believe this newfound confidence is the result of IT pros being used to sudden shifts and unexpected situations – a quality that has helped them ride the Covid-19 wave as opposed to being swept by it.
IT has been
pivotal to business resilience during this unprecedented crisis, elevating tech
experts within their organisations and putting them closer to the
decision-making process.
IT professionals: Bye to VS Codespaces and Flash Player
Microsoft has decided to end Visual Studio Codespaces (formerly known as Visual Studio Online). The cloud-based development environment will then be merged with GitHub’s version of the same product.
Microsoft’s move comes after some developers expressed confusion between the two nearly-identical products. Unfortunately for developers, there is currently no way to migrate existing projects from one platform to the other.
The company has also warned businesses to get ready for the end of Adobe Flash Player support. Microsoft and Adobe first announced the phase-out of the popular internet media player in 2017. From January 21, Flash will be disabled in both IE 11 and Microsft Edge browsers.
IT professionals are feeling more confident so that the government-funded think tank Tech Nation reports a 36% increase in tech vacancies between June and August.
The sector is
experiencing a fast recovery compared to other industries, with 90,000 new jobs
being advertised every week across the UK.
The most sought-after skills identified in the report include:
Tiobe Software’s latest Programming Community
index points at a revival of C++.
The
35-year-old language is the fastest growing language in terms of popularity,
while C tops the list of most used languages.
Experts at the company believe the new C++20 standard is responsible for the recent uptick, moreover, the standard includes a new modules feature which replaces the infamous include mechanism function.
Other languages gaining popularity are R and C#, whereas Java has experienced a drop compared to last year.
This quick Microsoft Certifications Guide will provide you with a bird's view of all the company's official trainings and help you advance your career.
This quick Microsoft certifications guide will provide you with a bird’s-eye view of all the company’s official trainings and thus help you advance your career.
Microsoft’s Learn portal offers a multitude of courses and Microsoft certifications for anyone to explore. Obtaining one of these certifications is therefore the first step when starting a career in the ecosystem or advancing or shifting your existing one.
Beyond providing you with theoretical and practical knowledge these certifications will validate your expertise within the industry and among recruiters. This is because, certifications demonstrate that you are up-to-date with current best practices and new tools, with some of them requiring to be renewed every year.
Courses to obtain certifications are free through the Learn platform and can be taken at your own pace from the comfort of your home. There are also several MS-vetted third-parties offering guided lessons and complementary coursework.
Students need to pay only for the practical exams, which can be taken online or at designated testing centres. Microsoft has expanded its online testing capabilities since the start of the Covid-19 crisis.
To start, there are several ways in which you can approach Microsoft training programs. You can focus on a particular platform within the Microsoft Technology Stack, or opt for a specific role and then choose a platform to focus on. You can also choose a specific career path or focus on a very concrete skill that you would like to acquire. Then, Microsoft outlines all available career paths, defining the series of certifications you will need to obtain to reach your career goal.
Certifications are divided according to the level of expertise and seniority: Fundamentals, Associate and Expert. Our Microsoft Certifications Guide will give you an overview, but you will have to dig deeper to find what really makes you tick.
Microsoft Certifications guide: Fundamentals certifications
First, as their name suggests, these certifications are the recommended starting point for anyone starting their career or looking to move into another platform within the MS tech stack. They cover:
To continue, some MS certifications encompass more than one platform and require you to multiple individual certifications. Also, each of these certifications is tailored to a specific area of IT (security, networking, cloud, etc.)
Also, there are three tiers of certifications depending on the level of expertise:
Microsoft
Technology Associate (MTA)
Microsoft
Certified Solutions Associate (MCSA)
Microsoft
Certified Solutions Expert (MCSE) /Microsoft Solutions Developer (MCSD)
Certifications targeting specific roles are a great way of specializing or moving from one role to the other within the Microsoft ecosystems. Moreover, roles can comprise multiple MS platforms or focus on a particular one, and include:
Administrator
Administrators oversee the implementation of Microsoft platforms, thus maintaining solutions for storage, networking, computing and security.
AI Engineer
Then, AI engineers design and implement artificial intelligence solutions by leveraging different MS tools.
Data Engineer
Being in charge of mapping out and executing the management, monitoring, security, and privacy of data, Data Engineers are therefore proficient in a platform’s different data services and tools.
Data Scientist
Not to be confused with a Data Engineer, this role requires a deep knowledge of data science and machine learning. Moreover, expertise in data modelling is a must.
Developer
At the frontlines of deployment and operations, Developers partner with architects and administrators to design, create, test, also they maintain cloud applications and services.
DevOps Engineer
Advocates of agile methodologies for software development, DevOps professionals unify teams, processes and technologies in order to streamline the product pipeline.
Functional Consultant
Moreover, functional consultant implements core application setup processes that help businesses in areas like marketing, sales or supply chain management.
IoT Developer
On the other hand, IoT Developer designs, develops and maintains Internet of Things solutions and devices within MS environments. From coding to the set-up of physical devices.
Security Engineer
As the title suggests, security professionals protect the integrity of data, applications and networks by implementing threat detection and security controls.
Solutions Architect
To conclude, the Solutions Architect is the first person to be involved in a platform deployment process. Moreover, Architects must have a deep understanding of the entire ecosystem to design solutions that run on it.
In charge of mapping out and executing the management, monitoring, security, and privacy of data. Data Engineers are proficient in a platform’s different data services and tools, using them to:
Implement data storage solutions
Manage and develop data processing
Monitor and optimize data solutions
Design data storage solutions
Design data processing solutions
Design for data security and compliance
Data Scientist
Not to be confused with a Data Engineer, this role requires deep knowledge of data science and machine learning. Expertise in data modelling is a must.
A good MS Data Scientist knows well how to:
Set up data lake relationships
Learning workspace
Run experiments and train models
Optimize and manage models
Deploy and consume models
Developer
At the frontlines of deployment and operations, developers partner with architects and administrators to design, create, test and maintain cloud applications and services.
Among the core competences of developers:
Development of infrastructure and storage
Development of platforms and solutions
Implementation of security
Monitoring, troubleshooting, and optimising solutions
Connecting to third-party services
DevOps Engineer
Advocates of agile methodologies for software development, DevOps professionals unify teams, processes and technologies to streamline the product pipeline.
Designs, develops and maintains Internet of Things solutions and devices within MS environments. From coding to the set-up of physical devices, the IoT Developer is responsible for:
Implementing the Azure IoT solution infrastructure
Provision and management of devices
Implementing Edge Processing and managing data
Monitoring, troubleshooting, and optimising IoT solutions
Implementing security
Security Engineer
The title here says it all. Security professionals protect the integrity of data, applications and networks by implementing threat detection and security controls.
Functions include:
Managing identity and access
Implementing platform protection
Managing security operations
Securing data and applications
Solutions Architect
The Solutions Architect is actually the first person to be involved in a platform’s deployment process. Architects must have a deep understanding of the entire ecosystem to design solutions that run on it.
They must have expertise in:
Deployment and configuration of infrastructure
Implementing workloads and security
Creating and deploy apps
Implementing authentication and securing data
Developing for cloud and for other storage
Determining workload requirements
Designing for identity and security
Designing a data platform solution and a business continuity strategy
Designing for deployment, migration, and integration
Designing an infrastructure strategy
Want to learn more about the various Microsoft career paths and how to pursue them? Explore our comprehensive Microsoft Technologies careers guide.
The next generation of video game consoles is hitting the shelves this holiday season. Discover news about Game Streaming and Emissions...
Game Streaming and Emissions, or Game vs. the environment
The next generation of
video game consoles is hitting the shelves this holiday season. An epic
marketing battle precedes its launch, with the PS5 and Xbox Series X fighting
to get a head start on each other by selling more consoles than the other.
Yet, ironically, this new generation of consoles might be the
last.
Like it happened in other industries, video games are moving
away from local hardware in favour of a distributed computing model. Why spent
money in a pricey box when you could stream higher-quality video games directly
to your TV or phone in real time?
With companies like Google and Microsoft having already released
their proprietary cloud gaming platforms, it’s just a matter of time before
most gaming is done this way. But, as convenient as it sounds, this could have
severe environmental implications.
A new report suggests emissions could rise as much as 30% in a future where game streaming was the norm.
Earlier this year,
Microsoft announced it was building a low-code Dataflex solution for Teams that
would allow users to easily develop custom applications without leaving Teams.
We got more details this week.
Code-named Project Oakdale, the platform will let teams create
quick applications based on shared databases. No need for third-party tools to
build an HTML or JavaScript feature that runs on Teams. Just install Project
Oakdale and use an Access-like table and form creator to get the job done.
Each team will get its dedicated data environment so that team
members can exchange actionable insights and access more relevant information.
The applications will also be able to connect with the rest of Microsoft’s
ecosystem.
Although it has its limitations, Project Oakdale will be included in the Teams subscription — a big step towards democratising low-code development within the enterprise.
React.js is a JavaScript code library. React.js Developer is mainly responsible for front-end web application development.
The pentester is a role related to the field of cybersecurity security. Its name comes from “penetration test.” The main role of a pentester is to ensure the security of information networks and applications (back end of a site, applications, etc.) and protect systems against cyber attacks.
What is the role of the Pentester?
Check website reliability
As the name suggests, the pentester performs tests with controlled intrusions into the company’s computer systems to find possible vulnerabilities.
Fix issues
After the testing stage, the pentester has to find and implement solutions to resolve the flaws identified. They will then have to reinforce and optimize the security of the applications.
Provide advice and guidance
The pentester also plays an advisory role. They must anticipate threats, put in place best practices and recommend more effective protection tools.
Required skills
Programming mastery
The pentester should be proficient and familiar with programming and web programming languages, cryptography, coding systems, and network security auditing (Python, C / C ++, Java, PHP, etc.)
An educational vocation
The pentester must be able to effectively convey encountered flaws to site and application developers. They must therefore be educators with the ability to communicate well with the developers and technical teams, to know how to clearly communicate problems to help manage them as well and quickly as possible.
Rapid action
When an intrusion occurs or a security problem is identified in a computer system, it must be resolved quickly. A poorly protected system can be devastating for the business. The pentester must therefore demonstrate reactivity and proactivity.
Within the industry
A pentester can progress to a managerial position or any other senior position in the field of cybersecurity. Their job is critical in an IT world where cyber attacks are growing more and more recurrent.
Salary
The average daily rate of a pentester fluctuates between €300 and €600.
Training
To be a pentester, you usually need to have an undergraduate or graduate degree in an IT-related discipline and demonstrate at least a base level of cyber security knowledge and experience.
Python, Matlab, Julia -- R. Who would win the battle of the best language for economic research? Hint: the winner has a woman's name.
The Best Language for Economic Research
Python, Matlab, Julia — R. Who would win the battle of the best language for Economic research? That’s probably one of the most common online queries in the programming world. There is just something about humans and our obsession with chasing the very best of the best.
In reality, of course, each language has its nuances and areas
in which it shines. Anyone claiming to have a definitive answer on the matter
should come up with some solid arguments to back their verdict.
And that’s exactly what two London School of Economics researchers did. They looked at different languages based on the power of available libraries, the speed and possibilities when handling large datasets, and the speed and ease-of-use for a computationally intensive task.
Hint: the winner has a woman’s name.
Thanks, but no thanks
That’s the polite
version of what UK students were shouting in front of the Department of
Education over a week ago. The cause of their anger was an algorithm.
University admission exams had been cancelled because of the
pandemic. Teachers proposed predicting their student’s scores as a way to
compromise. The education department dismissed the idea on the grounds that
previous research had proved such estimates to be biased. Instead, they decided
to use an algorithm.
When it comes to all things enterprise technology, these are the principal platforms that make up the Microsoft Technology Stack.
When it comes to enterprise technology, the Microsoft Technology Stack reaches almost as far as the eye can see. From operating systems and development tools to cloud computing, the company owns an extremely diversified portfolio of solutions that can be hard to keep track of as an IT professional.
Don’t get lost in the clutter. These are the principal platforms that make up the Microsoft Technology Stack.
.NET
An open-source,
cross-platform development framework used to build all sorts of applications.
.NET, allows developers to choose among a wide variety of programming
languages, code editors and libraries, giving users the flexibility and
scalability to build solutions for everything from web and mobile to IoT.
It is these broad
capabilities that make .NET one of the world’s most popular developer
platforms. As such, it benefits from the support of a vast community and an
extensive repository of libraries.
GitHub
GitHub has been part
of Microsoft since the company acquired it in 2018. The platform is used by
both amateur and expert developers to host code, review it and collaborate by
focusing on version control and following a continuous integration, continuous
delivery (CI/CD) philosophy.
Its impressive
community is what really fuels GitHub. Millions of programmers upload their
work and review each other’s code through the platform. As such, GitHub is one
of the world’s largest open-access repositories and collaborative projects
platforms.
Furthermore, the fact
that is used by hobbyists, corporations and top professionals alike has turned
GitHub into a sort of LinkedIn for developers and tech enthusiasts. A place to
showcase one’s talent and concrete achievements.
Microsoft 365
Microsoft 365 is one
of today’s leading cloud-based productivity platforms. It combines the
traditional MS Office suite with a set of collaboration tools and features like
cloud-based storage and Teams to provide organizations and individuals with the
means to get things done wherever they are located.
It is a mix of software like Microsoft Teams, Word, Excel, and PowerPoint, with flexible and scalable cloud storage and security and world-class security. From an IT perspective, it requires companies to deploy, maintain and update an infrastructure that is adapted to business needs while preserving security and a nimble spirit.
Customer Relationship Management (CRM) systems are all-encompassing software toolsets with capabilities extending across marketing, sales and customer service. As a leading CRM, Dynamics 365 allows organisations to easily plan and execute operations from a single platform. The speed, efficiency and cohesiveness derived from its use have made CRM a staple of today’s business management – as well as one of the most profitable specialisations in the IT world.
Dynamics 365 is a scalable solution that allows for advanced customization, making it adaptable to the needs of each company. It is the job of technical MS experts to set up, customize and maintain this environment in a way that maximizes efficiency, user satisfaction and customer loyalty.
Microsoft Azure is the
company’s public cloud computing platform. A competitor to Amazon Web Services
(AWS), Google Cloud, and IBM Cloud, Azure provides companies with a wide range
of cloud services, including computing, storage, analytics and networking.
Azure is an
open-source-friendly, adaptable and scalable platform that fits the needs of
every customer. Furthermore, Azure is industry-specific, providing dedicated
tools to sectors like healthcare, e-commerce or retail. It offers 4 different
types of cloud computing: infrastructure as a service (IaaS), platform as a
service (PaaS), software as a service (SaaS) and serverless.
A whole army of professionals is needed to design, deploy and maintain such cloud ecosystems.
The Microsoft Power
Platform enables businesses to create and deploy custom-made workflow apps and
reports that help them easily extract, process, and analyse data. The Power
Platform is integrated with the rest of Microsoft’s ecosystem of platforms as
well as with other third-party apps.
It is a key tool in
today’s data-driven business world, providing actionable insights in real time.
It requires a team of technical experts to deploy, maintain and expand, as well
as to train end-users and offer them support on a daily basis.
Microsoft SQL
Server
SQL Server is a relational database management system (RDBMS) by Microsoft. Also called MSSQL, it serves as the backbone to data registering, accessing and manipulation for its enterprise customers.
It is protected by high-grade encryption and caters to a variety of businesses depending on size and data needs.
Microsoft Visual
Studio is an Integrated Development Environment (IDE) that can be used to build
anything from the ground up. In a way, IDEs are the word processors of the
programming world, allowing developers to create applications for a multitude
of platforms from a single place.
Visual Studio includes debugging, automation and
team collaboration features, creating a holistic environment to conceive and
deliver high-quality applications.
Learn more about the Microsoft Technology Stack and the various roles within Microsoft Technologies in our comprehensive Microsoft Technologies Careers Guide
Researchers have
discovered what they believe to be the first-ever crypto-mining worm that also
manages to steal AWS credentials.
Crypto-mining worms have been around for a while, stealthily
infiltrating a network and using its computing power to mine cryptocurrency.
This new worm is actually not even that good at it, having only made a mere
$300 in profits.
However, the attackers, who go by the name TeamTNT, have managed to incorporate the credential-stealing feature into their code. The researchers believe the attackers have recycled this functionality from a previous worm that targetted Alibaba’s cloud.
This points to an emerging trend of copy-and-paste, opening the door for future malware to replicate TeamTNT’s code and go onto steal AWS credentials and compromise cloud ecosystems.
Fired for skipping the firewall
A whopping four out of
ten businesses in the UK admit having dismissed employees for breaching the
company’s security protocols. That’s according to a new survey by Centrify, a
privileged access management solutions provider.
Most incidents were related to work-from-home scenarios, as a
large proportion of employees tends to circumvent safety measures in favour of
comfort or portability.
As a result, 65% of companies have made important changes to their cybersecurity policy. Shadow IT was already a huge problem before the workforce transitioned to remote work. Now it’s become even more difficult to ensure that employees don’t use personal devices to access company networks and files.
Well, just keep in mind that you could get fired for it.
Remote hiring has become as much of a necessity and a reality and, just like telework, it comes with its own set of challenges and peculiarities.
Any activity that could afford it went remote with the arrival of Covid-19. Now, as the months ahead remain uncertain and companies discover that is possible to operate remotely, the exception has become the norm. A recent Gartner survey confirmed the writing on the wall: a sweeping 82% of business leaders are planning on allowing at least some level of remote work moving forward, even after the pandemic is over. Yet despite being the other side of the employment coin, recruiting has not received that much attention thus far. In fact, remote hiring has become as much of a necessity and a reality and, just like telework, it comes with its own set of challenges and peculiarities.
Remote hiring & the new recruitment landscape
Gone are the days of overcrowded career
fairs full of eager master’s students elbowing each other to get a minute with
a representative of one of the top companies present. So are the endless rounds
of in-person interviews that have candidates repeatedly come into the employer’s
offices and meet half the team.
From now on, businesses will conduct fewer
and more focused interviews, mostly online. Only the more critical and senior
positions will get greater face-to-face time, with the rest of candidates being
interviewed remotely except for perhaps the last interview, which is often just
used to meet the chosen candidate and establish a more personal connection —
something rather important in the colder remote work environment. In the case
of IT contractors and temporal employees, however, the selection process is
most likely to move completely online as flexibility and speed can be more of a
priority.
Career fairs and other networking events will also move online or even disappear completely, in favour of a new model that can accommodate safety measures while allowing for talent attraction. Eliminating the physical barriers of traditional career fairs will, in turn, expand the pool of candidates available to companies and democratize access to the top positions. Companies will be able to seek the best candidates regardless of location, while candidates will get to apply to positions that otherwise would have been completely out of reach.
A new series of challenges for employers with remote hiring
But moving the hiring process online will
create new problems while solving existing ones. Assessing a candidate’s fit
for the position and the company is more challenging when done through a
computer screen. And there is a lot to assess in today’s candidates.
Additionally, the unique conditions of remote work make soft skills more important than ever. Softer skills like creativity and entrepreneurship were already becoming a must-have for IT experts. Now, interpersonal and communication skills are key to ensuring efficient teamwork dynamics and workflows. So is cultural fit. Employees need to be proactive in reaching to colleagues, making their work more visible and being open about their needs. Unfortunately, soft skills are some of the hardest qualities to assess when not face-to-face.
Looking ahead
Both the new recruitment environment and the difficulties it brings along are forcing companies and hiring managers to come up with new best practices and processes in order to attract and retain the best candidates.
Ideally, the new approach combines a better and more targeted online interview model, with personal know-how and the use of the latest technological tools. For example, AI can help recruiters identify candidates who match the job’s criteria and are a
It can be difficult for hiring companies to assess the technical skills of IT candidates.
Undoubtedly, it can be difficult for hiring companies to assess the technical skills of highly specialized IT candidates. Especially when recruitment duties fall more heavily on the HR or Purchasing functions rather than on the more tech-savvy IT managers.
That is even if you consider yourself to be an industry insider who knows all the ins and out of your company’s market. As a hiring specialist, you probably do not have the level of detail needed to assess a candidate’s skill in any of the technical areas of expertise currently most in demand.
But that does not mean you are helpless. Not at all. Here is a series of steps that will help you identify top tech performers regardless of their specialty.
Need advice on how to start or develop your freelance consulting business in tech or IT? Need to start a new permanent or freelance assignment? Join Mindquest and get support from our team of experts.
Assess the Technical Skills of IT Candidates
Start with the CV
The first step in the process of recruiting any candidate is CV analysis. Beyond providing an overall idea of a candidate’s profile and trajectory, a careful look at a CV also offers an opportunity to start filtering early on and be more efficient.
Tips on indicators to look for
Look at these
indicators to get a first impression of an expert’s technical skills:
Real-world experience: someone who has worked on actual AWS migration projects, as opposed to someone with just an educational background, will have a deeper knowledge of this technology stack and related AWS tools (CodeDeploy, CodeBuild, CodePipeline…)
The level of that experience. Of course, a consultant with 25 years of experience and major projects on their back will be more skilled than a more junior profile
Specific training and certifications on given technologies. Yes. Education is still important. Not as a substitute of experience, but as a complement that demonstrates a candidate’s professional and career-oriented attitude and validates the depth of their expertise.
The level of detail with which a candidate lists all skills and technologies. A truly experienced IT professional will have no problem specifying what programming languages, stacks and platforms. They dominate and to what level. Whereas someone with not as much experience will opt for more general and vague terminology.
Community
involvement
Moreover, not all tech and IT professionals get involved with their community and attend events. Being an active member of the community is not a prerequisite for being good at one’s job. But it sure helps.
If you spot a candidate who attends trade conferences, shares their expertise on forums, or leads workshops on their area of expertise, chances are they are the kind of committed and driven professional you are looking for. Then, positive signs here include having an active GitHub profile, which allows users to share original code and have an open debate a variety of issues.
Ask the right
interview questions
The interview is the next step. Asking the proper questions about the skills covered in the CV and the job offer will allow you to get a more precise idea of the candidate’s level of expertise. Do not hesitate to ask for more detail on the candidate’s past experiences, to alternate open-ended questions and very concrete ones, and to propose hypothetical scenarios. Take the time to prepare your questions in advance.
If your level of
understanding of the candidate’s area of expertise is very limited, do not
hesitate to be accompanied by someone who can help you prepare and conduct the
technical part of the interview.
Nothing beats an old-fashioned test when it comes to demonstrating certain skills. It is very common for companies to have their IT candidates take task-specific practical tests, both to assess their technical capabilities and other parameters such as essential soft skills and cultural fit.
Again, you can enlist the help of a tech-savvy colleague to design the test and interpreted. It is standard practice to develop a range of tests covering the most common positions, but you will need to do some extra work for areas of expertise that are not so ubiquitous or if the candidate needs to fulfil very specific project specifications. Working with an industry-specialized recruiter can also give you an edge here.
Check the
references
Last step: checking a candidate’s references. As it is the case with any other position, this process takes time but is essential to avoid mistakes. Especially when you do not know too much about the skills you are vetting.
Compare the answers that the candidate provided during the interview to what former employers have to say. Ask these employers about the depth of the candidate’s knowledge, as well as their role within the project and overall performance. Here you also have a chance to corroborate your first impressions of the candidates cultural fit and their soft skills.
Find your next assignment on our freelance and permanent IT recruitment platform, or join Mindquestso you don’t miss out on any job opportunity!
