The Ironhack Blog

"Life shrinks or expands in proportion to one's courage," said Anaïs Nin, a Franco-Cuban author. The day you decided to attend this coding bootcamp, you expanded your professional horizons. A bootcamp is an exciting learning experience; it's also about meeting teachers and learners who will form part of your network tomorrow, some of whom may have already become your friends. It's an overall very positive experience, but one that also requires dedication, motivation, and work ethic. If you are sometimes discouraged by the work still to be done, here are 5 tips that have helped graduates before you achieve their professional dream. Reach Out To Your Teachers Your first compass or lifeline is your teachers . On campus, you can talk to them in person and for remote courses, they are also available on Slack. It's important that you feel comfortable asking them whatever questions you may have. What can your teachers do for you? Unblock you on a specific code or methodology point Help you organize your work Offer you additional resources to better understand the course content Simply give you support! As Jason Mraz would say, we're only humans . If you simply lack motivation, a good dose of listening and empathy can get you back on track Give you a new objective. Sometimes making a commitment to another person is very motivating. Reach Out To Your Fellow IronHackers Have you made friends with your classmates? Community is what makes you strong. Don't be afraid to admit that you're struggling with a project or technology or that your motivation to finish the bootcamp has taken a hit. You won't be the first! Feedback from your fellow students will make you feel better. Your confidence will also create a virtuous circle of trust: your fellow Ironhackers will dare to come to you more if they feel overwhelmed or unmotivated. And we bet you'll be happy to help them overcome their own difficulties. We strongly encourage you to keep this spirit of promotion alive in the bootcamp. You'll see, it's magical. Get In Touch With Your Student Outcome Representative You’re struggling with an administrative issue? You feel like your training is not going so well? Something else on your mind? You can always reach out to your student outcome representative. It’s their job to make sure you’ve got everything you need to succeed in the bootcamp. (Re)Focus On Your Why Did your motivation decide to take a holiday? Between two coding projects, are you not too sure why you're here? It's time to zoom in hard on the reasons that pushed you to take on this bootcamp in the first place. Was it... Your unfulfilled passion for code that you finally decided to follow? Your desire to change your job for an activity that you enjoy and that feeds you intellectually? Your wish to receive a better salary at a tech job? Do you want to start your own business as a developer and organize your time as you wish? Do you need to protect yourself from unemployment by learning a trade that is in high demand? Your goal is to work in a start-up or a big company that hires developers? Or several of these points, or all of them at once? Remember : you have chosen this course carefully, read the syllabus, perhaps even taken advice from an alum. And then you decided it was the right course for you. Nothing worthwhile comes without effort: hang in there! Identify What’s Stressing You Specifically Last but not least, your discouragement may have a few sources. Perhaps you should look into how to unravel them... Here is a home-made method to analyze all this: 1. Identify the cause: What exactly is stressing you out? Is it the course itself or something outside the course? Is it something in your personal life? Is it the difficult balance between your job, course, and private life? Worries at work? 2. Think about the solutions: What can you do about the cause(s) of stress? Talk to your boss, teacher, spouse? Organize your work and training routine better? Delegate some things? Have a better lifestyle (going to bed 1 hour earlier is an effective way to regulate your fatigue!). 3. Implement the solutions: Give yourself one goal per week to improve things. It must be achievable, clear, and measurable. For example, go to bed at a fixed time. Dedicate 3 hours a week to working out. Stop working after 7pm. Dedicate 4 hours a week to briefing and training a co-worker to increase their skills. Do a workgroup with a fellow Ironhacker to be more efficient together. There is no shortage of solutions: once you have identified the problem, you can get creative. So, do these solutions inspire you and give you hope? As you may have noticed, most of them come from your interactions with other people: teachers, fellow Ironhackers, work colleagues, relatives... The idea is not to put everything on them or expect them to do the work for you, of course, nor to rely on them or expect them to do the work for you, but rather to remember that a bootcamp is a collective adventure where you can count on the alchemy of the group to move forward. You will create it by asking for support and by supporting others: it goes both ways! Remember: we all have our weaknesses and there is no shame in opening up to others and asking for help. Hold on, you're almost there!

Creating a work environment where everyone is welcome and heard is a goal of the vast majority of companies, but the harsh reality is that many employees are scared to speak up or don’t feel like they are a critical part of the team. This is where psychological safety at work comes into play; a psychologically safe workplace is where employees feel comfortable speaking up, sharing ideas, and feel safe taking interpersonal risks. Generally speaking, psychological safety is built on these four pillars : feeling included, safe to learn, safe to contribute, and safe to challenge the status quo. Why is Psychological Safety at Work Important? It may seem like a no-brainer, but employees are more likely to stay at companies where they feel valued and seen. And that’s not all: Psychological safety at work creates happier teams. Employees in safe workplaces produce better results and have higher engagement. Happier employees stay at companies for longer, lowering recruitment costs and minimizing the need for new training and onboarding. Benefits of psychological safety in the workplace Better ideas Brainstorming is a crucial part of any team’s work and sometimes lots and lots of ideas are needed to truly launch a new project. When team members feel safe and comfortable proposing ideas, you’re more likely to find the right one. On the other hand, however, if they are unsure about offering thoughts to the team due to fear of rejection, that perfect idea might slip through the cracks. 2. Less problems Have you ever caught a small problem in the working stages of a project or had a doubt about an idea that a colleague was presenting? It’s crucial that any doubts are raised ASAP, but employees who aren’t comfortable speaking up will let it pass; this could create a much larger problem in the future if the project is already in production or submitted to the client. 3. Reduced risks When employees feel comfortable at work, they’re more likely to report quality problems, HR concerns, or security issues. In addition to this leading to more success at a company level, it also reduces health & safety and/or non-compliance issues. 4. Better company reputation Employees want to be happy at their job; no one wants to be on the job hunt constantly. And companies also benefit from less turnover, with reduced HR and onboarding costs, not to mention the reputation companies can build of unhappy employees. Pleased employees will also help a company find new talent through talking positively about their experience. 5. Diversity & inclusion A room of like-minded people from the same background might work well together in principle, but bringing diversity and inclusion to the workplace opens the door to new opportunities, ideas, and growth. A crucial pillar of diversity and inclusion is that everyone at the table has the chance to speak and be heard; companies that curate an environment where everyone feels comfortable sharing their ideas are ones with positive psychological safety. Psychological Safety in Your Workplace How can I determine the psychological safety of my workplace? As an ever-changing metric with lots of moving parts, it can be hard to accurately measure a workplace’s level of psychological safety. But to get an idea, create a survey for employees, asking them to rank a few statements on a scale from 1-10 . You can tailor these statements to your specific line of work, but here’s some ideas: I am comfortable suggesting new ideas to the team. I feel that my ideas are valued. No one on the team feels like an outsider. Mistakes aren’t held against the person who makes them. I am comfortable asking for help. My skills are valued and put into use on my team. Once you have the results of this survey, compile the responses and try to answer these questions. This can help you see the level of current psychological safety at your workplace and areas for improvement: Are employees comfortable making mistakes? How helpful are employees? Can employees be themselves? Improving psychological safety in the workplace Have you surveyed employees and can see areas of improvement? Don’t worry, we’re here to help. Here are five steps to improving psychological safety in the workplace: Find out what’s wrong Where exactly are these problem areas? Are they specific to a particular team or is it a general feeling across the entire organization? Senior leadership can have a tough time connecting with employees; use a survey to collect information and go from there. 2. Practice feedback A crucial part of safe workplaces is being able to suggest ideas without judgment or make mistakes without feeling shamed or less-than. An absolutely necessary skill all employees need is how to give effective and constructive feedback ; practice giving positive feedback with the team and you’ll see a difference in no time. 3. Get to know the team and what their needs are We’ve all heard the Golden Rule: treat others as you would like to be treated. And as great as that sounds, we have a little secret: it’s not that simple. Everyone has different needs and ways of doing things - the team must learn how to communicate with each other in conducive ways that both solve problems and are specific to the needs of each employee. 4. Promote healthy conflict Trying to create a work environment that’s conflict-free and everyone is in agreement is a fever dream, sorry! Conflict will happen and that’s good; healthy conflict can help new ideas form and allow the team to challenge accepted ideas. However, lots of people shy away from conflict, especially in the workplace. Try framing any conflicts as a win-win situation, using points from both sides to meet in the middle with an even stronger idea. And, of course, make sure both parties feel that their ideas and contributions are valuable. 5. Make sure workplace culture is strong A strong workplace culture correlates strongly with psychological safety at work ; here are the pillars of culture at work: Leadership/management: do employees feel seen by upper management and are comfortable sharing ideas or suggestions? Workplace practices: is the free time of employees and their personal lives respected? Policies and philosophies: do employees have flexible benefit packages and remote working opportunities? People : is the company made up of diverse people from different backgrounds with a variety of skills to contribute? Mission, vision, and values: are employees aware of the company’s mission, vision, and values and feel comfortable speaking up when something goes against it? Work environment: are employees given the space to work as a team and solve conflicts, such as meeting rooms or private areas? The importance of psychological safety has skyrocketed over the past few years and it’s more important than ever before to retain talent and create a safe work environment for all team members. Are you ready to put what you’ve learned into practice?

If you start to search “how to answer…” on Google, there’s a reason the first result is “...tell me about yourself.” This interview question is practically a given on any interview and you might have asked yourself how you can possibly have a good answer to it! Well, we’re here to help you master your response to help land you that next job or spot in a program. “Tell Me About Yourself” in Different Forms First, it’s important to recognize the different forms this question can take . The following questions are all asking the same thing: “Take me through your resume.” “Describe yourself.” “I’d love to learn more about you.” “Tell me about your background.” Although asked differently, all these questions are saying the same thing: it’s your time to impress the interviewer and tell them about yourself. However, this isn’t a question that interviewers ask to waste time or try to trick you up; it can actually reveal a lot about the candidate. Here’s why: It’s a great way to start the conversation The beginning of interviews can be awkward or uncomfortable, especially if the candidate is visibly nervous. And there’s nothing easier than talking about yourself, right? Well, we know that it can be difficult to create the perfect answer in the moment, but in addition to collecting information about you, interviewers want to get you talking, see what is important to you, and ease into the interview. The interviewer can get a feel for the candidate If you’ve made it to the interview stage, the recruiter has probably already reviewed your resume and experience and decided that you could be a solid fit on paper. But, ensuring your personality matches that of the company is crucial. It creates a lasting first impression This is your first chance to tell the interviewer about yourself and your skills and, more importantly, why you’re the right person for the role. Nailing this question will help you ace the interview. How to Answer “Tell Me About Yourself” Now that you know the reasoning behind this question, let’s tackle the actual question and how to formulate the perfect answer. Step 1: Present, past, future The interviewer has your resume in front of them; they’re not looking for a word-for-word summary of what they’ve already seen. To efficiently and effectively give them a breakdown, start talking about your present, then move to your past, and then what you hope to accomplish in the future. Answer these questions in each section: Present : Where are you currently located? What is your current role? What are your current responsibilities? What have you accomplished at your current job? Past: What previous roles have you had that help you with your current achievements? What courses or programs have you studied to further your career? Do you have any quantifiable results from past roles to share? Future : Where do you see your career in the future? Why are you looking for a change? What will you continue to do to keep improving? Step 2: Practice and be concise This question is so common that you can be sure you’ll hear some variation of it during an interview. And while it’s great to come prepared, make sure you don’t sound too rehearsed. Know the major points you want to mention and let yourself put them together naturally. Remember, the interviewer has your resume in front of them and they’re looking for you to highlight what’s most important to you. It might be tempting to tell the interviewer all your accomplishments, but it’s crucial to be concise. Show your professionalism and keep it to 1-2 minutes. The interviewer will follow-up with questions where you’ll be able to dive deeper into any details. Step 3: Know your audience It’s normal to have experience in a wide variety of sectors, but make sure you tailor your response to the role to which you’re applying and the person to whom you’re talking. In initial interviews, you’ll be chatting with HR managers and they probably won’t know the ins and outs of your data analyst responsibilities. However, they will be looking for specific hard skills; the same goes for later interviews when talking to the CTO. Now’s the time to bring in those numbers, more minute details, and truly important, role-specific points. Interview Question Examples Not sure how exactly to put these tips into practice? Don’t worry; here’s everything you need to ace that interview: Example for new professionals This question can be intimidating for those with limited experience, but don’t stress. There’s plenty of ways to incorporate your educational experience into the answer: “Yes, of course. I’m Sara and attended the University of X, graduating in 2018 with a 3.9 GPA with a B.A. in Communications. While in university, I had the chance to serve on student organization executive boards, intern with X company, and participate in student government. My classes focused on marketing, research, technical communication, advertising, and writing which helped me complete my thesis. I’m eager to put what I learned in university into practice in my next role.” Example for experienced professionals Here, it’s essential to highlight only the important and relevant experience: “Sure! I’ve been at my current role for six years now, where I’m in charge of the entire Marketing department, focusing on both paid and organic marketing. I manage a 10-person team and report to the CMO monthly with our quantitative and qualitative results. Prior to this position, I was the Head Copywriter at company X for three years, where I produced 20 blog posts a month, daily social media posts for LinkedIn, Instagram and Facebook, and managed a freelance translation team of five. This role seems like a great fit for me given my past experience and I’m eager for a new challenge.” Example for program applicants Applying for a program to advance your technical skills? Try this: “Of course! After twelve years leading the HR department at various companies, I’m looking for a change and want to start studying UX/UI design . I’m a creative, hard-working individual that likes a challenge and using teamwork to meet a common goal. Over the last year, my team has been working on creating a new candidate application platform for our website to improve both the hiring and onboarding process at my company. I’m a quick learner and eager to use my unique background as a HR professional to enhance my future career as a UX/UI designer.” You got this! Stick to the present-past-future model, be concise, and show the interviewer that you’re the perfect candidate.

It’s time to break down another of those common areas of tech that you hear all the time. What exactly is UX/UI design ? What does a UX/UI Designer do? First, it’s important to remember that these are separate roles that have some overlap; UI is part of UX, but doesn’t cover all responsibilities. However, they’re complementary and are both necessary to achieve success. UX design handles the overall user experience with a brand, product, or service. On the other hand, UI design deals with interactions between users and computer systems, applications, and software. We know they seem similar, so stick with us and we’ll create a clear picture for you! Why UX/UI Design? Good UX/UI design is crucial to the success of a company ; if a website isn’t defined to meet the needs of specific buyer personas and create meaningful user experiences, the brand won’t be successful. Benefits of being a UX/UI designer You can be creative: You can take advantage of your diverse background: You’ll have a good salary: You’ll get to challenge yourself: Here are five of the most crucial points of UX/UI design: Increasing website conversion Saving money Supporting SEO Building your brand Increasing user engagement The importance of these roles in a company means that employers are looking for skilled UX/UI designers to help transform their digital strategies. These roles are highly-paid and have lots of potential for growth and learning. What Do UX/UI Designers Do? They’re separate roles, so let’s break it down one at a time: UX Designers Putting it simply, a UX Designer makes a product or service usable, enjoyable, and accessible and is responsible for the user’s satisfaction (or lack thereof) with a brand. They’re tasked with understanding both the user and the brand, conducting user research, analyzing what’s been learned, designing the site itself, and conducting user testing. Hard skills: research, information architecture, wireframing, prototyping Soft skills: communication, collaboration, critical thinking, and empathy UI Designers UI Designers, to compare, create the more intuitive and user-friendly parts of a website or application, handling colors, typography, space, visual design, animation, responsive design, and more. But that’s not all: they also have to ensure that the different screens look good and work well together. Hard skills: visual communication, design, usability testing, animation Soft skills: active listening, diplomacy, advocacy, communication Career Options in UX/UI Design One of UX/UI design’s most attractive points is the wide range of job opportunities available - everyone needs a well-functioning website! Your options are diverse; here’s a sneak peak: UX Designer: okay, you probably guessed this one! If you want to be responsible for creating the entire design process, you can begin as a Junior UX Designer and work your way up to managing a team of UX Designers. UX/UI Designer: interested in the creative side of things? Great, consider incorporating UI design into your career plans. In this kind of role, you’ll focus more on the creative and visual aspects of web design, using your experience in design to create incredible user experiences. Freelancer/Consultant : lots of companies are looking for advice on their current UX/UI design or can’t afford to bring on a full-time designer. Working as a freelancer or consultant can help you increase your flexibility while gaining experience in a wide range of fields. Product Designer: instead of just handling the product or service page on the front and back ends, product designers also contribute to the overall project vision and design, creating long term goals. If you’re interested in the entire scheme of things and working with other teams, like marketing, this is the role for you. UX Researcher : if you’re fascinated by the research behind UX/UI design and have a background in analytical fields, UX Researcher may be the perfect fit for you. In this role, you’ll be analyzing results and researching solutions, looking to solve any problems and dive even further into the field. UX/UI Design with Ironhack In just 9 or 24 weeks, Ironhack’s UX/UI design bootcamp is specifically designed to teach out all the basics of the field and prepare you for the workforce. The best part? No IT background is required - or even expected! Online prework This 40-hour online course will teach the basics of design thinking, interaction design and design software, walking you through setting up introductory tools and helping you create your first usability evaluation and site redesign! And, of course, we’ll introduce you to HTML and CSS. Module 1 Understand user experience Let’s get started! The first module will focus mainly on UX design, teaching you UX research methods, interaction design principles, and information architectures. And you’ll have a chance to deepen your understanding of user-centered design and meeting business goals with the help of practical exercises and your first project: your very own app design! Module 2 Learn to design user interfaces It’s time to focus on UI, becoming an expert on designing systems and making the right design decisions. This module centers on branding and design in UI design with the goal of fully understanding the end-to-end production cycle for digital products. You’ll get to try user testing to see what works and create your project for this module: a website design that will leave stakeholders thrilled! Module 3 Design implementation Put what you’ve learned into practice, designing handoff, HTML, CSS, portfolios and geek culture and create your first responsive, one-page website. And it’s not just those hard skills that you’ll be learning; you’ll have the chance to work on your CV and portfolio during this module as well. You’ll be paired with a local company to develop a digital product that will solve a specific problem; final projects will then be presented alongside your fellow Ironhackers where a winner will be chosen. What to expect from Ironhack’s UX/UI Design bootcamp: Adopt the industry’s leading frameworks and mindset… Learn design thinking, agile organization, and lead management while developing innovative solutions for users and stakeholders. …while understanding new tools and technologies… Become familiar with state-of-the-art production tools and learn to use them to track business requirements, user input, and technical constraints. …and implementing the end-to-end production cycle for digital product development. Master fundamental technology to both meet user and project needs and share knowledge throughout the entire team. Why Choose Ironhack? Ironhack’s bootcamps are specifically designed to get you ready for a career in UX/UI design with intensive and practical training. And that’s not all: Ironhack also offers financing options , career services , and a robust alumni network . Are you ready to change your life and enroll in Ironhack’s UX/UI design bootcamp today? Apply now .

Hilary Clinton once said, "Don't confuse having a career with having a life." By this, the former US Secretary of State wanted to draw a clear line between personal and professional life. But if you add studies on top of it, it’s true it can get slightly messy. This being said, your private life, work and studies can be reconciled. Think of your days as something malleable, which you can organize as you see fit. The idea is to calibrate your schedule to avoid stress, achieve your career and educational goals and still have time for your personal life. Keep reading to learn some tried and tested tips. 1. Learn to (really) prioritize We have good and bad news for you. Which do you want first? The bad news? Good choice: you're not going to be able to fit everything into your day if you're simultaneously studying, working, and living your ideal personal life. And the good news? Same thing. How could this be good news?! Because you'll have to learn to manage your priorities and only give time and energy to the really useful and important things . And that's a great thing. How can you prioritize? Imagine that your day is a jar. First, you put in the list of things that are really important. These are big stones. For example, finishing a course or group work, handing in an important project at work, or having lunch with your grandmother on her birthday. Then you put in the smaller things; these are the less important but urgent and/or useful tasks. doing your shopping, seeing a film you've been waiting for in the cinema, or doing some technology monitoring on the Internet in relation to your studies. Finally, you fill in the gaps with sand. These are the mini-tasks that sometimes come first and take up a lot of time, for example, spending time watching TikTok videos. Another way to prioritize is by using the Eisenhauer matrix. Start with the urgent and important tasks and work your way down to the tasks that are neither useful nor time-sensitive. 2. Find a routine that suits you To optimize your time, you have to find the rhythm that suits you. Your mother may keep telling you that you should get up earlier. But if you work better in the afternoon or evening, why not stick with your current routine? In this routine, set aside: - The approximate times when you plan to work and take time for yourself - Sacred moments (e.g. your two workout sessions, your movie outing, dinner with friends...) - Times when you are teleworking, coworking, working for your company... All this will help you structure your weeks and stay motivated. And there's no need to feel guilty if you're not productive all the time. Nobody can be! Just learn to decide to dedicate time to each area of your life... and stick to it. 3. Learn to delegate We can't always take care of everything and at work, be open about the help that colleagues could give you. To do this, be confident, explain clearly how you would like to be helped, and give a clear brief; the more you micro-manage the people in your team, the less time you will have. If you are not yet a manager, the same applies. Non-value-added tasks should be done by more junior people or freelancers if possible , so that you can give your best. In your private life, it's the same thing. Maybe your roommates, spouse or friends can do those errands, organise that dinner or fun outing; next time, it'll be your turn to plan. 4. Compartmentalize and cut Your job or your course is exciting and you could spend 12 hours a day on it, right?! Not so fast. This is a false good idea. That's the best way to burn yourself out. An underestimated skill is clearly the ability to cut. The different spheres of your life deserve to be fully focused on; the human brain is not built for multitasking and you have to give yourself the gift of compartmentalization. When you leave work, turn off your phone and don't check your email at night. After you've finished your study schedule for the day, close the computer and go out for drinks or to spend the evening with friends. And most importantly, make your free time real free time . Staring at the ceiling in silence, going to the cinema, seeing your loved ones, walking around must be done consciously to be fully regenerative. Think about it! 5. Dare to say "no" Last but not least, if you like to please everyone, try to say no. You can do it in a polite, assertive and kind way. But do it. How to say no with panache? You have the right not to give an answer right away and to think about it and formulate your answer calmly. To say no, simply explain why it is not possible for you and offer an alternative if possible. The hardest part may be saying no to yourself, if the instant gratification monkey of procrastination shows up. And maybe it won't work right away or every time. But practice de-cluttering your schedule to really focus on what matters. You now have the 5 keys to improve your work/life/study balance. Did you know that bootcamps give you immense flexibility in your studies? If you want to learn computer development, choose a coding bootcamp with Ironhack!

Are you about to interview for the job of your dreams?! We’re so excited for you. The interview process may seem daunting, but there are straightforward steps you can take to ace the interview and land that job. In this blog, we’ll first explore the generic interview process and questions and then dive into tech-specific recommendations. Ready? Let’s get started! The Interview Process The interview process varies from company to company and even from team to team, but there are certain key points that are constant across the board. Here’s what you need to know: Before the interview: congratulations! You’ve landed an interview at your dream job. Now what? Research the company and the job: make sure you’re familiar with the company, its mission and values, and the requirements and expectations of the job. Prepare questions: the interviewer will always give you the chance to ask questions and it’s best to have a few great ones prepared to show your dedication and interest in the company. Plan for the interview: is the interview in-person? Do you know how to get there? Prepare your commute and plan to arrive early. Is it remote? Ensure you have a quiet, organized place to conduct the interview. During the interview: the day is here! You’re probably nervous, but don’t forget to: Be early: traffic and public transport aren’t totally predictable and you might have to sign-in to the building or have to search a bit to find the right office. Give yourself ample time to arrive early. If it’s an online interview, enter the virtual meeting space a few minutes early; sometimes you might be prompted to download an app or you might have issues with your video/audio. These issues are normal, but give yourself time to fix them! Bring resources : it helps to have a physical copy of your resume, cover letter, portfolio, references, or any other documents at your interview to both reference and leave with the interviewer. Be confident: you got this interview because the interviewer thought you could be a good fit for the role. So act like it! Smile, be friendly, and show what you’re capable of. After the interview: Say thank you : kindness and attention to detail goes a long way; send a thank you email to the interviewer or the team to show you appreciate their time and effort in interviewing you. Complete any tasks: it’s common for interviewers to request tests or case studies to put your skills to the test. Meet any deadlines laid out for these kinds of requests and send any requested, additional information (portfolios, references, etc.). What to avoid in interviews These may seem like no-brainers, but they happen! Make sure you avoid this interview don’ts: Arriving late Using your phone/other tabs on your computer Unclear or rambling answers Dressing inappropriately Having no questions Speaking negatively about current or past employers Showing a lack of interest in the company/role Concerned about accidentally doing some of these? Here’s how to ace these issues: Arrive early: come up with a plan to arrive early, giving yourself ample time to get lost or deal with traffic/late-arriving public transportation. Be focused: leave your phone in your bag and silence it. If it’s a remote interview, close out all other windows and give the interview your full attention. Be concise: know what you want to convey and have answers planned. Try to answer the question without diving too far into unrelated details. Dress appropriately: companies are becoming increasingly more flexible with dress codes, but it’s best to dress professionally for interviews. Be prepared: have a list of questions or talking points you want to mention to show your preparation. These should be questions that indicate you’ve done research, not things you could find on the company’s website. Be professional : even if you’re coming from the worst employer or job, don’t talk negatively about the company as it can make future employers wary. Try to frame things positively and show why you’re ready for a new challenge. Show interest in the new opportunity: just like you want employers to want you, employers want you to want them! Show the interviewer that you are truly interested and dedicated to the company’s mission. Nailing Your Tech Interview Tech interviews are another breed indeed. Employers want to know that you are an expert in your field or are willing to learn what they need you to know. Are you up for the challenge? Tech interview overview Initial interview Typically held over the phone, this interview mainly seeks to gather basic information about you and your expectations, such as start date, salary expectations, skills and availability. Technical interview As the name suggests, this part of the interview wants to see your skills put to the test and is usually completely remotely. You’ve told the interviewer what you can do; now they want to see it. And don’t stress: the interviewer doesn’t want to see you fail! They want to see what you can do under pressure and possible areas for improvement. Above all, they want to see how you would do in the role. Onsite interview/challenge Congrats! You’ve passed the technical interview and you’ve been asked to come in person for an onsite interview, to meet the team, and to complete a challenge in person. Sounds stressful, but you’ve made it this far because you’re talented, the company really thinks you could fit in, and the company wants to watch you work through a problem in your own way . It may seem scary to solve a problem in front of the team, but take your time. You’ve got this! Tips for Nailing Your Practical or Technical Interview Employers want you to succeed; they want to find the next member of their team - we promise! Follow these five steps to nail your interview: Make sure you fully understand the prompt : before you even pick up a pen, ask clarifying questions. Not only will this help you better understand the prompt and solve it, but it will show the interviewer that you take your time and are a good problem-solver. Talk through the process: this will help both you understand the process you’re going to take and help the interviewer understand your thinking process. Laying everything out on the table helps you see the bigger picture; this is what potential employers are looking for. Stay calm and professional : your code or answer isn’t the only thing the employer is looking for; they want to see how you work through problems or with a team. Use the correct vocabulary, stay composed, and be professional throughout the entire interview - even if you make a mistake ! Try new ideas: we’ve all gotten stuck in the middle of a problem; you’re not alone! And interviews want to see how you get out of issues or how you manage when you’ve reached a dead end. Displaying critical thinking skills and the ability to think outside of the box is a definite plus in the employer’s book. Check your work: Whew! You’re done - but not so fast. Make sure you check for errors and walk through the entire process to both ensure that you’ve done everything correctly and to show the interviewer how you reached the final answer/product. Still looking for tips? We got you. Try to avoid these common mistakes : Lack of preparation: there is absolutely no such thing as too much preparation. Use the resources available to you: Try sample online tests Research the company’s interview process to see what kinds of questions they ask Review concepts Working too fast: that age-old adage of “quality over quantity” exists for a reason and employers don’t want to see you break time records when solving the problem; they want to see a high-quality final product. Being too set in your ways : we get it. You’ve spent your whole life working in one way or another and now the interviewer is suggesting another method. Showing that you’re open to change or trying new things is key during an interview. Being too robotic : tech companies or roles might have the reputation of being lone wolves, but companies are looking for candidates that are friendly and will contribute to the team outside of the specified roles. Be open, engage in conversation , and get to know the team outside of their professional roles. No matter how much experience you have or how many interviews you’ve had, the next one will always be stressful. Follow these tips and tricks and don’t panic: you got this.

Nope, the MVP is neither Ronaldo nor Serena Williams... In tech, it's simply the strategy used to build, test, and market that product. The point is to assess the viability of a new business model without spending too many resources. Confused? Don't worry; we'll explain it all in this article. Minimum Viable Product: Definition and Origin Using a minimum viable product (MVP) to test a business model is probably the most common startup launch scheme. Surely you've heard of Uber, Dropbox, Slack, Figma, or Netflix? These unicorns all started with an MVP... And you know the rest! The MVP concept was invented by Frank Robinson and popularized by Eric Ries, the founder of the Lean Startup methodology. If you haven't heard of it yet, you can read the book The Lean Startup , which popularised the concept. It's simply the version of a new product that allows the team to create a product with the minimum required functionality to run and gather as much customer insight as possible to make it evolve quickly. This is supposed to require few resources and allow for rapid positioning of the product or service. In short, it is meant to be a sure path to success for a tech product. The MVP is the personification of this idea: Fake It 'Til You Make It . What is the MVP's Purpose? What is the point, you may ask, of putting a still unfinished product on the market very quickly? Very good question, indeed. It's simple: you don't have to invest too much money in something that might not work . Test your idea to improve it. Allow a product to reach its public. The basic observation is clever: too many companies fail because they have not reached their audience. The MVP gives the founders and the first employees the means to avoid this pitfall. Once the product is in the market, you can improve and enrich the product through agile development methods. Buffer started as an agile MVP. In 2010, its creator, Joel Gascoigne, had a disruptive idea for an application that would allow him to schedule his social media posts. He started by creating a landing page to test his concept and after reaching a critical mass of pre-registrations, Gascoigne developed the first version of his application in seven weeks. The initial version of Buffer contained limited functionality and only allowed access to Twitter. Nine months after its launch, the application had over 100,000 users and gradually became the product we know today. How Can I Create a MVP? 1. Validate the idea First, define and validate your idea. It sounds simple, but you have to spend some time and be able to answer these questions with ease: What problem are you addressing? Who is your target audience? What will the solution consist of? To which market do you intend to sell? All these answers will help you to calibrate your MVP. This is also crucial for step 4 (don't worry, we will come back to this!) Don't go into too much detail about the features yet, that will come later. The aim of this stage is to define your concept — that's good enough for now. 2. List the competitors Of course, this second step is complementary to the first. Calculate the market potential (are you going to sell to 500, 1 million or 1 billion potential customers?) and see which competitors have already invested in it. With this data, you will know if you are facing a blue ocean, i.e. a commercial space full of potential. 3. Establish the user journey to the main goal of your agile MVP The next step is to define the main user objective that your product serves. Carve out a very simple, first user journey that will lead them to this goal; it will inevitably evolve, it is not set in stone. The deliverable is usually a clickable mock-up. The simpler and more aesthetically pleasing the design, the more attractive your product will be. 4. Prioritize core functionality It's time to think about the main features of your product. Don't go into too much detail! Did you know 50% of product features are never used ? It makes you think. You might as well focus on the 20% of features that will bring 80% of benefits to potential customers. 5. Develop and test your agile MVP This penultimate stage is the heart of the reactor. This is where we really get to the heart of the MVP, where you will start to develop your MVP. You will have previously defined several scenarios to be tested on the wireframes, for example: functionality, usability, user paths, and more. And you will list and prioritize the changes to be made to the most promising scenario. 6. Adjust the product to the needs of the customers identified during the testing phase The very last step is marketing. You are no longer in a small committee; your product is open to the world (and its opinions!). This is where you will get the most feedback and can speed up the update. And only at this point can you add the secondary features of your product roadmap. Fake it until you make it: this credo of tech stars has worked for hundreds of popular start-ups. Are you intrigued by this environment and want to develop tech products via MVPs or maybe even launch your own company? Enroll in an Ironhack Bootcamp to get started today!

Culture in the workplace is one of those buzzwords that appears frequently in job ads, LinkedIn posts and interviews . But, what exactly is culture at work? Does it mean the diversity of the staff? Or how the company’s leadership is structured? Neither of these fully sum up the true meaning of culture in the workplace and in this article, we’ll break it down for you. And more importantly, we’ll come at it from two key angles: how to create a work culture that attracts quality applicants and how to find the right company for you. Culture in the Workplace Your workplace’s culture is essential because it’s the character & personality of the organization, bringing together its values, traditions, beliefs, interactions, behaviors, and attitudes. And while this may seem like something that’s created naturally, it’s key to clearly define workplace culture at the beginning and not letting it form on its own. Here’s what makes up workplace culture: Leadership Is your company led by a few head honchos that don’t even know the rest of the staff? Are decisions made without seeking the experiences and feedback of other team members? Your team’s leadership can make all the difference; a company with trustworthy and communicative leaders creates a strong work culture. Management How is your workplace managed? Are employees micromanaged as if they were children? Or are they given the space to meet their goals and have a personal life? The very workings of your company are key to creating a healthy workplace culture. Workplace practices Workplace practices in a company with a strong workplace culture have a clearly defined interview, onboarding, and review process, taking into account the needs of employees and respecting their time and efforts at all times . This can also include vacation and sick policies, benefits, and rewards and recognition. Policies & philosophies Further than vacation and sick day policies, good workplace culture can include flexible dress codes, remote working options, internal growth opportunities , and inclusive codes of conduct. People This may be the most crucial part of the workplace culture. Do the people in your company represent the values your company wants to be promoting, such as diversity, collaboration, support, and growth? Workplace culture can be implemented in the beginning as an idea, but it’s only when people put it into practice that it truly shines. Mission, vision, and values Your workplace’s mission, vision, and values should be clearly defined and communicated to employees. And if there’s any doubt, take time to review them and ensure they’re being implemented across the organization. Having outlined goals and objectives helps you stay true to them and check back if there’s an issue. Work environment Is your office conducive to working? Are there areas for breaks and lunches, or even team meetings that won’t disturb the rest of the staff? Having free snacks and coffee and ping-pong tables seems like something that’s used to compensate for other problem areas, but if they’re used correctly, they can create a positive environment at work. Benefits of healthy workplace culture Talent : word of mouth is key in the professional world and companies with generous benefits and strong workplace cultures will attract the best talent. And attracting talent options means that HR will have the chance to pick the candidates that best fit with the organization. Retention : it’s obvious: companies that have happy employees will retain their talent for longer, creating team members that become both more skilled and more dedicated to their role and the organization as a whole. Performance: happy employees are ones that perform well and create the best results. How to Find the Right Applicants for Your Open Role Apart from a candidate’s hard skills, trying to decide if a candidate is a right fit for the company’s culture can be a challenge. Here are some tips: Be familiar with your company’s culture and look for signs during the interview : try to compare the candidate with current employees that best exemplify your company’s culture. Do you sense similarities? Does the candidate seem to agree with and fit within your company’s culture? Don’t be afraid to ask questions about what the candidate is looking for as well to get a better picture. Involve the whole team: you know that two minds are better than one, right? Well, schedule an interview with different team members to see how the candidate would fit in with the team. Determine the candidate’s aspirations: lots of times, a candidate’s goals can determine what they’re looking to get out of a job and that ties in closely with company culture. Try to get a full understanding of the candidate; that will help you make your decision. Trust your gut: is the candidate not convincing you 100%? Is there something that makes you unsure? Trust your gut and remember that fitting with the company culture is key: the costs of onboarding, correcting work, and another interview process are not worth having to quickly dismiss an employee if they’re not the right fit. Unsure where to start looking? At Ironhack, we’re producing the next generation of tech leaders and we know they’d be the right fit for your company. That’s why we offer a few programs where Ironhack finds the top candidates for your needs - and trains them in exactly what you need! Not sure what you need? Here’s a few programs that Ironhack offers to employers to help accelerate onboarding, create social impact programs, and launch digital transformation plans. Ironhack’s Emerging Talent Pool This end-to-end talent management will provide you with the top candidates for a role , a private class for up to 25 people, access to alumni networks and partnerships with top universities and organizations, 2-year planned salaries with semi-annual reviews, mentoring, training, and monitoring, low turnover and a replacement warranty, and a strong commitment to diversity and inclusion which means you’ll meet any necessary goals. Ironhack’s Access our Graduates In just 48 hours, receive qualified resumes; we match our graduates with your company based on their profiles and experience , in addition to co-hosting recruiting events to meet our alumni personally. You can also host speed interviewing events and publish job openings on our exclusive alumni network. Ironhack’s Train my Employees Looking to avoid firing expenses and reduce turnover while creating more valuable employees? This specific program trains a select group as your Innovation Committee, making them more tech savvy and data-oriented. This helps you both stay competitive with emerging market needs and increase employee retention and satisfaction. Interested? Here’s everything you need to know. How to Find the Right Job for You Ready to transform your career and jump into tech but worried about the career options available to you afterwards? That’s why we created Careerhack , a three-stage course we’ve created over 5 years to help you navigate the tech job market. Stage 0: Discover It’s hard to meet your goals if you don’t know what they are! This stage helps you define your motivation and skills and work on your personal branding before your bootcamp even begins to help you create a clear picture of what you want to achieve. Stage 1: Digital Foundations During the bootcamp, you’ll meet with our career coaches to create your profile and discuss your goals. Now’s the chance to try and define exactly what you want to do and take advantage of networking opportunities to start advancing your career. Stage 2.1: Job Hunting This warm-up stage prepares you for the job hunting process, interviews , and more. Throughout a week, you’ll be able to attend workshops and webinars and take part in challenges that will leave you ready to jump head first into the job hunting process. Stage 2.2: Job Hunting It’s your time to shine! We’ll match you with prospective employers that are looking for new talent by outlining your language skills, location, culture expectations, and hard and soft skills and connect you with opportunities that are right for you. Once a week, you’ll also have one-to-one guidance meetings with our career coaches; you’ll be fully supported throughout the entire process. At Ironhack, we’re committed to providing our students with the tools they need to be successful throughout the entire process. Want to see how Ironhack can help you grow your tech talent at scale? Check out our Enterprise services today.

2023 is around the corner and you might be thinking it’s the right time for a career change. Does web development seem like an interesting move? We agree: here’s everything you need to know about becoming a Web Developer in 2023. Why Web Development? To put it simply: web developers both create and maintain websites and focus on the backend of the website, such as its technical design, performance, capacity, speed, and capabilities. Depending on the role itself, web developers could also help create content for the site, thanks to their expertise in the area. The reasons to become a web developer are numerous, but here’s a quick outline of the five main ones: Web development is an up-and-coming career: web developers are in high demand thanks to their essential role in basically any company. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics , web development is supposed to increase by 23% by 2031 - well above the average! Web developers are well-paid: as such an in-demand role, web developers are well compensated for their work. And some roles don’t even require advanced degrees; bootcamps or specialized courses can set you on the right track. Web developers have a wide range of career options : did you know that web developers can work in a variety of roles in a diverse range of industries? We did. That’s another reason why web developers are in such high demand. Web developers can use their creativity: lots of people associate technology jobs with staring at numbers and computer screens; that couldn’t be further from the truth. The wide range of roles that developers hold means that there’s lots of room for creativity and fun. Web developers have flexibility : whether you want to work as a freelance web developer or join a company, you have lots of options. Choose what best works for you, especially as you begin your career in web development. What Do Web Developers Do? As we mentioned above, web developers can take on a number of responsibilities and roles. However, most fall under these categories: backend developers, frontend developers, and fullstack developers . Here’s a quick breakdown: Backend developers This is the more technical part of web development: backend developers write the website’s code, create its structure, and ensure everything runs smoothly . When there’s an issue, other team members come to backend developers for support. Frontend developers As the name suggests, frontend developers work on the side of the website that visitors see and design the physical layout of each page, incorporate graphics and use HTML and JavaScript to improve the script. Fullstack developers You might have guessed it: fullstack developers work on both the back and front ends, typically on teams that don’t have the budget or resources to employ both frontend and backend developers. However, these developers must have the knowledge necessary to complete both roles. Career Options in Web Development Web developers are in high demand because basically every company needs a website and skilled developers to help them make the most of their site. Web developers boast the following hard skills: Technical communication Computer programming Website design and development Cybersecurity Project management That’s why web developers have a wide range of career options available to them: Graphic design Database administration Application development UX design Cybersecurity Web Development with Ironhack Ironhack’s Web Development bootcamp is specifically designed to kickstart your career in the web development industry. Ready to take on a new challenge? Here’s a breakdown of our web development bootcamp: Online prework Decided to take Ironhack’s web development bootcamp? Amazing! Once you’re accepted into the course, you’ll be given 50 hours of prework to learn the fundamentals of HTML, CSS, and JavaScript. Once completed, you’ll have the skills to succeed in the bootcamp, know the Ironhack team both globally and at your campus, and be ready to take on the course’s challenges. Module 1 Responsive design with HTML, CSS, & JavaScript During the first two weeks of the course, you’ll get the necessary foundations of web development , focusing on JavaScript. You’ll also learn about HTML and CSS basics, responsive web design with Flexbox and Bootstrap, JS basics, and the core concepts of objective-oriented programming, DOM manipulation and version control. Whew! That’s a lot. And during your third week of the course, it’s your time to shine. You’ll get to code a game of your choice. Module 2 Backend You’ll learn how to create a service and the details of data modeling, including NodeJS, ExpressJS, Handlebars, MongoDB, Mongoose and much more. And in week 6, you’ll start your backend development project, creating a full stack web application with a partner. Does this seem like a lot? Well, Ironhack’s bootcamps are intensive but we’re with you every step of the way. Our TAs and expert teaching staff are right by your side to help resolve any kind of doubts. Module 3 Frontend We couldn’t create the world’s next web developers without including frontend development! During the last weeks of your bootcamp, dive into ReactJS, Single Page Apps, component-based frameworks, and creating your very own full stack application. Today’s companies are looking for well-rounded web developers with skills in a wide range of areas. What to expect from Ironhack’s Web Development bootcamp: An understanding of the most in-demand tech skills… Learn HTML, CMS, and JavaScript, gain expertise in important frameworks, learn about version control with Git and GitHub, increase your knowledge of servers and hosting, and understand working with databases and the agile methodology. …with a balanced methodology… At Ironhack, theory and practice come together to help you enter the workforce as successfully as possible, incorporating hard skills at a manageable pace. …while developing soft-skills… Improve your problem solving and analysis skills, attention to detail, creativity and continuous learning journey. …both in a team and cross-functionally. Learn with real-world situations while collaborating with other Ironhackers and bootcamps. Why Choose Ironhack? Ironhack’s bootcamps are specifically designed to get you ready for a career in web development with intensive and practical training. And that’s not all: Ironhack also offers financing options , career services , and a robust alumni network . Are you ready to change your life and enroll in Ironhack’s Web Development bootcamp today? Apply now .

In tech, there's always something exciting going on. What were the highlights of 2022? Here's a look back at the 2022's most surprising, crazy and what the heck moments. Figma Swallowed up by Giant Adobe The news was a bombshell in the design world, to say the least. 20 million dollars . That's how much Adobe had to pay to stifle its talented competitor. Figma made a high-profile appearance in 2015 after a few years of underground development, with its vector-based, collaborative interface prototyping editor and brainstorming whiteboard FigJam. It was a stunning entry at a time when Adobe was presenting its own prototyping tool. It's not as intuitive, but Figma had set the bar very high. Co-founder Dylan Field will remain at the helm and gradually integrate Adobe's expertise in image processing, illustration, video, 3D, and typography. It remains to be seen whether the soul of this software, which is the darling of UX designers, product managers and entrepreneurs, will be preserved. Google Retired Google Analytics Universal Another big earthquake in the tech microcosm was Google's announcement in March 2022 that it would sunset Google Analytics Universal on 1 July 2023 . It's true that regulatory advances in user data protection, especially in Europe, had rendered this product obsolete. After 10 years of data collection on this emblematic tool (if you are a data analyst, you must have shed a tear!), Google will offer GA4, the alternative. Unlike its predecessor, this tool will be based on events and their parameters. So you officially have 7 months left to migrate your data collection system or adopt the new GA. Friendly advice: if this is your plan, start collecting data on it now! Twitter Acquired by Elon Musk SpaceX's boss announced his interest in Twitter in July; three months later, he had acquired it for $44 billion. Easy . The rest of the story, as you probably know, is rather gloomy. But it's hard to miss, so let's have a look at the highlights! As soon as the acquisition is complete, Musk tweeted: "The bird is free." Thierry Breton, the European Commissioner for Digital Affairs, replied straight away: "In Europe, it will fly according to our rules." The tone was set. But this is the least of the billionaire's worries. As soon as he took over, Musk cut the workforce with a knife. On 21 November, there were only 1000 employees and 1100 contract workers left, an 86% staff reduction. The hashtag #quittwitter arises after Musk explained to the remaining staff that they will have to work long hours or leave. And on and on it goes. DALL-E: the Artificial Intelligence Artist Unveils its V2 Let us return to a happier subject. Funny and even poetic at times: DALL-E. The concept? This IA creates images from your own key words. This gives creative and sometimes crazy ideas to the 1.5 million people who use it every day to create 2 million images. V1 of the tool was so popular that you had to be on the waiting list to use it but fortunately, V2 is now open to all, within the limit of 50 creations. Intrigued and want to see what it looks like? Check out our article on what's new for creativity in Web3 , where we generated images with a competing service. Architecture: Cultural Buildings Digitalized in Besieged Ukraine It's been a trend since the Islamic State destroyed the sublime remains of Palmyra in Syria. Engineers, historians and entrepreneurs are using 3D to digitise historical monuments to keep track of them and facilitate their reconstruction. This technology was used in 2022 by a Frenchman in Ukraine, Emmanuel Durand, who works for Amann Engineering in Geneva. He uses a laser that scans 500,000 points per second to create an exact digital replica of the building. The issue here is as much artistic and cultural as it is political (in order to reconstruct, but also to use this data to prove war crimes). According to journalist Stéphan Siohan, the Ukrainian Ministry of Culture counted 367 "cultural war crimes" with the destruction of 29 museums, 133 churches, 66 theatres and bookshops, and even a Jewish cemetery after three months. For the Ukrainian government and historians, Russia is engaged in a strategy of "cultural genocide." So what do you think? What's the craziest news you'll hear in 2023 in tech? If you want to be involved in what the tech industry will bring next year, Ironhack can help you get through the doors! Find out more about our 100% hands-on bootcamps to learn about tech jobs in the blink of an eye.

What Are Retrospectives? Typically employed within the realm of product development, a retrospective is a meeting held post-product launch to discuss the development and release process to identify and address any possible problems. We’ve all heard that those who don’t learn from the past are doomed to repeat it and retrospectives seek to avoid just that; they provide valuable feedback to improve future launches. During retrospective meetings, all problems are outlined in front of the entire team with the goal of both solving them and improving processes in general. Many product development processes involve many teams that work separately: retrospectives are unique opportunities to bring the entire team together. Benefits of retrospectives: Transparency for all: retrospectives provide the unique opportunity for the entire team to get together and review the product launch from start to finish. What went well? What needs to be improved? Take advantage of the entire team’s presence to make key decisions. Better teamwork : every team member from different departments will be in attendance and this is a great time to not only hear from each member, but also stress the importance of everyone’s role. Problem solving : improving is close to impossible if the same problems keep happening. Identify issues and try to find the reason behind it; hear the entire team out and make the necessary changes. Improved processes : here’s another time to flag possible issues: is there a team that’s continuously missing deadlines or running into issues? Work with them to create a process that helps them better submit work. Reduced conflict: large projects with various teams can mean that there’s a lot of conflicting opinions or perspectives: it’s crucial to have clear expectations about the project’s direction and hear out all team members. How do retrospectives work? Here are five quick steps to planning an effective retrospective meeting: Prepare Schedule a meeting with the entire team, choosing a date/time that works for everyone. Retrospective meetings can take a bit, so make sure you schedule at least an hour (we recommend more, however!). It also helps to have everyone in the same room together so encourage your team to come into the office that day if possible. To help planning, you can also ask team members to submit their feedback/results beforehand. 2. Collect data Now that the meeting is scheduled and you have the results of the product launch, start creating the meeting’s agenda to streamline and organize the meeting . Write down the main points and any questions you may have. Check out the team’s feedback as well and incorporate that feedback into your meeting plan. 3. Create insights After hearing the team’s feedback and opinions, create main bullet points about each of the issues addressed. Lay them out clearly so that everyone understands the crucial areas of improvement and ask for any last opinions before starting the problem resolution process. 4. Problem resolution With the problems clearly defined, it’s time to propose solutions. If there are lots of areas for improvement, choose a few key areas to focus on in the next sprint. And make sure action items are clearly defined and understood by the entire team. 5. Wrap it up Both problems and solutions are clear; it’s time to get to work. Answer any last questions and make sure the plan going forward is understood. What Is a Personal Retrospective? Retrospectives don’t have to apply just to product development. If you follow a similar layout for your personal goals , you can find obvious benefits. And as we’re heading into the new year, decide what you want your 2023 to look like and plan a personal retrospective. Here’s how to do it: Step 1: Create a space & plan It can be hard but find an hour or two where your personal retrospective will be your only priority. Try to disconnect and leave devices in another room; true concentration will help you find your areas of improvement. Now create your list of essential points for both the past and upcoming year. Here’s a few suggestions: Career goals Family/relationships Social life Key values Overall goals Step 2: Review & Prioritize For each area listed above, try to summarize both major events over the last year and your goals in each category for 2023 . Is there anything you specifically want to accomplish? Or is there an area you know needs improvement? Make a list of both accomplishments during 2022 and goals for 2023; include specific action items. Pro tip: use the SMART goal format to help you. For example, if you want to make a career change and learn a new skill, like UX/UI design , set up a realistic plan. Here’s how to plan that out: Specific : clearly define your goal: beginning a UX/UI course. Measurable : find a way to track when you are researching programs, studying, and working towards your goal. Achievable : with your current situation, is taking a 9-week break from work realistic? Should you be considering part-time programs ? Relevant : revisit why this goal is important to you to help you place the proper importance on it. Timebound : schedule check-ins or reminders for yourself to see if you’re meeting your goal. If now isn’t the best time for a career change, set a check-in date within a few weeks or months to revisit it in the future. Step 3: Come back to your plan It’s great to plan and set goals but a crucial part of that is checking in with yourself to see if you’re meeting them. Monthly or bi-monthly check-ins can help you track your progress, set new goals, and prioritize what’s truly important to you. And don’t get carried away! Setting realistic goals may not be as exciting in the beginning, but it will help you make progress and work your way up to some truly thrilling goals. As the new year approaches, take advantage of the holidays to reflect and start looking ahead . You can do anything you want, so start planning both your professional and personal retrospectives to make 2023 the best year yet.

What Is Personal Branding for Job Hunting? Unlike the Backstreet Boys, tech recruiters DO care who you are (your values), where you’re from (your achievements), and what you do (your aspirations). Develop your personal brand to show them that you’re both meant to be. What’s a personal brand, you ask? Essentially, it’s the traits and narratives that define someone in the public eye . Whether you’re a seasoned professional or a recent grad, you can use a personal brand professionally to give recruiters an idea of who you are in an accessible manner. It allows you to showcase your value and expertise, establish your industry authority, and convey your genuine interests. Your personal brand highlights the skills you bring to the table, the professional goals you’ve accomplished, the schooling you’ve undergone, and even the personal traits you bring to the team. Since a personal brand allows you to authentically tell your story, it is key to accessing opportunities you want and building a career you love. So, what should you focus on when building a personal brand? Keeping your core values at the heart of your brand Considering your digital footprint (professional and personal) Utilizing traditional branding tactics and modern day tools With these in mind, you can make personal branding do the heavy lifting in your job hunt — rather than needing to seek out positions, recruiters will start to come to you. Basically, a well-curated and well-developed digital footprint makes you a desirable candidate to recruiters and managers. How to Start Building Your Brand Like any relationship, to start off, you have to build a foundation first. Set your direction by reflecting on your motivations, goals, strengths, and achievements in your professional life. You can consider some guiding questions to start you off: What are your professional goals and values? Who do you want to achieve? What strengths do you bring to the table? Now that you’ve thought about who you are, you’re ready to think about how you want to show it. Your objectives are the crux of your personal brand — everything else is just the presentation. You can use social media and e-portfolio websites to convey your personal brand to HR specialists and other tech professionals. When you make the effort to establish your professional digital profile, you not only distinguish yourself in the positions you apply for, but also attract new opportunities that you didn’t even seek out. Optimize Your LinkedIn Profile If you’re looking to make a good first impression online, ensure your LinkedIn profile showcases your strengths. LinkedIn is not only a social media site, it’s a search engine as well . If you search engine optimize your LinkedIn profile using keywords from your desired roles, you can make it easier for recruiters to find you. Start by completing all sections of your profile, including your location. Make sure to include keywords in your headline, job title, summary, and job descriptions. If you have industry specific expertise or tools that are mentioned in the LinkedIn postings of your desired role, include them! And if you want to leave a lasting impression , make sure your profile picture, heading, and summary depict your personal brand. Use a clear headshot – and use the same profile pictures on every professional site. Update your heading to reflect your targeted positions using keywords. Use your LinkedIn Summary to tell your story and inject your personality into your profile. You can talk about your motivations, experiences, and passions, showing off your worth with data to back it up. Include relevant keywords in your summary as well and last but not least, end with a call to action to encourage readers to connect with you. If you’d like to build your network, promote your work online and make connections. Link your website or portfolio and make posts about personal projects, request online endorsements from coworkers and customers to validate the skills you’ve highlighted, and engage with new professionals. Throughout your profile, make sure you’re showcasing your personal brand. Think about those guiding questions and incorporate your answers into your profile. Engage with others online If you’re looking to network with professionals in your field, connect with them using social media . By staying active on LinkedIn and other professional social media platforms, you make it easier for other like-minded individuals to find you. Create Your Online Portfolio If you’re looking for a place to display your projects, build an online portfolio. By anchoring all your online professional activity to your portfolio or website, you can make sure recruiters have a easy way to find all your work. This is especially true if you use a recognizable domain name and the same profile picture across the web. You can also take this time to audit your online image to make sure everything found on the web depicts accurate, comprehensive, and consistent info. How to Improve Your Personal Profile Now that you’ve gotten your foot in the door, you can use your industry experience to get noticed. You have the skills, but now you’ve got to show it . When you join professional groups, you can make connections based on your interests and build relationships with other professionals in your field. By producing online content, you can show managers that you have both the knowledge and expertise to improve their team. Join Professional Groups If you’re looking to create professional relationships based on your interests and passions, join a career network or alumni association. You can grab even more opportunities by reaching out to former coworkers or volunteering in your industry. Not sure where to start? Ironhack is on Meetup! Check us out! You can use Meetup , TechMeetups , or Gary'sGuide to find events in your area. Or you can search for company posts on LinkedIn, Twitter, or Facebook. Write Blogs If you’re looking to showcase your industry knowledge, write your own articles with LinkedIn Publishing, Medium, or other tech websites. Not sure where to look? Ironhack is searching for tech experts to write guest blogs. Join Podcasts If you’re looking to prove your expertise, be a guest on a podcast or make your own. Not sure where to look? PitchPodcasts has a list of technology podcasts looking for guests. Browse the site to find one in your niche or just search Google using the keywords {guest, podcast, tech}. There are so many options out there ! Even if appearing on a podcast isn’t your thing, you can still use them as a resource to learn more about your industry. Take Your Career to the Next Level So, you’ve shown the online world what you can do, but what’s next? Become even better, of course! You can use learning experiences and career services to boost your career in tech. Looking to learn new skills? Attend a workshop for leadership training, read a book, listen to a podcast about a new technical concept, or maybe enroll in a tech bootcamp. Check out all our opportunities at Ironhack ! Want to build your career? Ask for feedback from other tech professionals… or enroll in a bootcamp that offers employment assistance like Ironhack’s career services . Remember you are more than your digital identity. What you do offline is just as important as what you display online; develop your online branding to kickstart your career. If you’re looking to make your offline persona as good as your online one, learn with Ironhack. Plus, all our bootcamps come with career services to help you land that new job. What are you waiting for?!

If you're at a library to find some information, a librarian is often your go-to source. Sure, you could aimlessly browse the bookshelves or blindly peruse the magazine rack, but we all know that isn't really effective. If you want to find what you need to know when you need to know it, the best course of action is to head straight to the librarian's desk as soon as possible. A librarian's recommendations can make or break a book, just like a search engine's results can make or break a website. To get more eyes on your page (in both the physical and digital sense), you want to be guided by whoever - or whatever - is doing the suggesting. That's where search engine optimization (or SEO for short) comes into play. What Is SEO? Search Engine Optimization is the process of improving your website to increase search engine visibility. Since users primarily navigate the web with the help of search engines, a company's site must be higher up on the search engine's results page (SERP) in order for a business to be viable. A higher ranking leads to increased website traffic which leads to more customers. Search engines employ algorithms to access site quality using core metrics, such as site content, page structure, and outside links. Much like librarians, algorithms take into account usability and relevance before making recommendations. So, along with other copywriters, marketers, or developers, you must make sure you’re using best practices to get eyes on your site. Since Google towers over other search engines with over a whopping 90% of the market share, you have to cater to Google’s algorithm first and foremost . If there were only one library branch in town, as a writer or publisher, you’d have to cater to their display rules, too. Search Engine Optimization can be broken down into three parts: On-page SEO focuses on site content — mirrors the information, images, layout, keywords, references of a library book Off-page SEO focus on backlinks from other sources — mirrors the marketing tactics and outside references of a library book Technical SEO focuses on website infrastructure — mirrors the title, format, table of contents, duplications, readability of a library book When making a recommendation or display, a librarian considers all of these aspects of a book. Writers and publishers have to take these into account when releasing their book into the market, just like developers, copywriters, and marketers. On-Page SEO Any content that helps search engines understand and rank your website is considered to be On-Page SEO. Copywriters and marketers utilize meta-descriptions, keywords, alt-text, H1 tags, and URL linking to display relevant information and build accessible experiences. Off-Page SEO Any action that helps search engines see your site’s authority and relevance using outside references is considered to be Off-Page SEO. Marketers incorporate link building, content marketing, guest blogging, and social media promotion to drive awareness and build referrals from external platforms. Technical SEO Any site infrastructure that helps search engines find, crawl, understand, and index your webpage is considered to be Technical SEO. Developers optimize HTTP status codes, XML sitemaps, canonical tags, breadcrumbs menu, and page speed as well as remove duplicate content, orphan pages, and broken links to make the site easier to navigate and improve its overall performance. Crawlability Strategies Create a sitemap Add a roadmap using structured data Update robot.txt files Check for low-quality or duplicate content Remove broken links Improve site loading speed Create mobile-friendly web pages Indexation Strategies Submit sitemap to Google Search Console Submit pages for indexing to GSC Update content regularly The Google Crawler Much like how “Googling it” is used as a general expression for searching for something on the web, “Google Crawler” is used as a generic phrase for any program that search engines use to find, review, and track websites. Sometimes referred to as a robot or spider, the software follows linked paths to store, catalog, and record websites. As a developer, you must optimize your site’s crawlability and indexation to make sure your target audience can find you using a search engine. Algorithm Updates Changes to the way a search engine ranks or displays website results affects the way writers and developers get eyes on their sites. Usually, these algorithm updates don’t cause major issues, but since the algorithm is subject to a lot of change, catering your site to the rules of rank can involve some guesswork. In a core update, the search engine implements a broad, significant change to improve how systems assess content. These updates are not frequent, since search engines usually only release a few per year. In a focused update, on the other hand, the search engine applies specific changes based on ranking factors such as content, reviews, links, or page experience. These types of updates are much more common, sometimes with thousands made per year. Google makes around two to three major updates per year but makes hundreds to thousands minor updates during that time. Google makes sure to let website builders know about any major updates to allow them to get ahead of the change and ensure their content continues to reach their target audience. By breaking down the effects, developers can understand just a little bit better how to cater their site to their desired search engine. Why is SEO Important? Search engine optimization doesn’t just make it easier for bugs to access your content; it makes it more accessible for people, too! Since the algorithms are created with people in mind, building for the algorithm means building for individuals. What can SEO do for you? Enhance user experience Increase site security Improve customer engagement Build brand credibility Whether you’re specifically working on on-page, off-page or technical SEO , you can ensure that your site consistently ranks high on the search results and reaches your target audience by utilizing best practices. If you’re interested in learning more about the technical side of search engine optimization, check out our web development bootcamp !

We’re so happy you’re considering applying to Ironhack! We know the decision to redirect your career was a tough one and you’re ready for the next step. This article will serve to breakdown the application process at Ironhack, detail the decisions you have to make before you submit your application, and answer any burning questions you may have. Why Ironhack? Choosing to pursue a career in tech is a big decision. And we want you to know we’re here to help you solidify your decision and give you the best possible start to your tech career. We offer full-time, part-time, in-person and remote tech bootcamps in the following areas: web development, UX/UI design, data analytics, and cybersecurity. Here’s why Ironhack is right for you: Wide range of financial solutions: every one of our students has a different background and comes from different circumstances; we celebrate and appreciate this. We also have specific financing options per location and flexible payment plans. Diverse community : with more than 10,000 graduates and professionals across the world, both our courses and students themselves are diverse. Career support : we know you are interested in Ironhack to further your career; we provide our students with extensive career and professional support to help you send your career in the right direction. Flexible learning processes : Are you interested in an Ironhack bootcamp but can’t commit to 9 weeks? Or would love to take an intense course but there’s no campus near you? Ironhack offers part-time and remote learning opportunities for those that can’t come to our campuses every day. Wide ranging alumni network : 10 campuses in nine countries means that our alumni span the world. No matter where you or what you’re interested in pursuing professionally, we’re sure we have alumni ready to help. Applying to Ironhack Alright, we’ve convinced you! It’s time to apply. Here’s what to expect: Step 1: Online application: this written application form is simple! We want to know what program you’re interested in, why, your background and preferred learning method. Don’t worry - this simple, straightforward application is just to help us get to know you better. Step 2: Personal interview: once our admissions team has received your application, they’ll reach out to schedule an interview. In this interview, we’ll try to evaluate your circumstances, understand your motivations, and focus on your career path and goals. Step 3: Online test: we know the word test can be scary, but this isn’t! It’s a one hour logic test that we use to test your analytical skills. There’s nothing to worry about here - no previous tech knowledge is required. After your test is submitted, we’ll be in touch with our final decision. Then it’s time to become an official Ironhacker! Which bootcamp should you apply for? One aspect that contributes to the diversity of Ironhackers is our range of enrollment options; we offer remote, in-person, part-time and full-time courses. Remote or in-person? Interested in kickstarting your tech career but can’t head to campus? We offer remote programs across our campuses in a variety of languages to make our programs accessible. And the best part? You’ll still have access to our campuses , high-quality teaching staff and Ironhacker events. For those that are looking to study in-person, check out one of our 10 campuses across three continents. Part or full-time? Here’s a quick breakdown of our part and full-time programs: Part-time: we designed the 24 week, part-time program for those looking to simultaneously work and study. Held two nights a week and on Saturdays, this program is still intensive; plan to dedicate 10 to 15 hours a week to studying outside of class. Full-time : expect to spend the majority of your time studying during this 9 week bootcamp. Classes are held Monday-Friday from 9am to 6pm and lots of additional work is needed at night and on the weekends. It is not possible to work and complete the bootcamp at the same time. Ironhack Bootcamp FAQs We know you probably still have some questions. Lucky for you, we have the answers: Why do I have to apply? Can't I just buy a course? We want to make sure our students are both capable of graduating from our bootcamps and have a clear reason for taking one. The application process also makes sure you're enrolling in the right bootcamp for you. 2. What is the aptitude test for? Our courses are beginner friendly but that doesn't mean they're super easy! An aptitude test measures your basic logic and language skills. Acing it will give you the confidence to dive into your bootcamp knowing that you CAN do this! 3. How exactly do you help me get a job? Our curriculum is designed around the skills hiring managers are looking for and our Career Services is designed to train you for the job hunt. We also have local, regional, and global hiring partners to match you with, using matchmaking to make sure you're paired with roles you'll actually enjoy. 4. I already work in tech: is Ironhack for me? Yes, our bootcamps can help you upskill or reskill to land the role you want (if you're a Senior Developer, our beginner-friendly bootcamp might be a little boring for you!). It can also help you become better at your current role (eg, a Developer learning more about UX Design to better understand how to work with designers). 5. How much does an Ironhack bootcamp cost? That depends on which Financial Option you choose. We can help you find an option that makes paying easier and can even help you find a full or partial scholarship. Okay, we think we covered it all. Are you ready to take the next step in your professional growth and become a tech expert? Submit your application today and start learning!

Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed in this article are personal opinion and thoughts of the author, based on publicly available information and do not necessarily reflect the views or positions of any entities the author represents. Maria is a customer-centric and entrepreneurial Product Manager with in-depth knowledge of interactive multi-platform B2C content-based products that improve users' daily life. She has successfully led high-value products to new markets, developed new concepts 0-1, and built digital ecosystems using modern technology across the wellness, gaming, and entertainment industries. She is driven by innovation, a creative environment, and curiosity. Currently, Sr Product Manager, leading the Core Product Experience Team in the Virtual Reality fitness application. A Step into Metaverse with VR/AR Headsets A piece of Tech Virtual reality (VR) is an immersive experience that, once you put the headset on, transfers you into a virtual world. There are some documentation and articles explaining the ideation of something similar to what we know now, as virtual reality (VR), which existed as fictional stories even back in the 1830s. At the end of 1980 virtual reality was a high-end technology used exclusively as simulators for pilots, astronauts and researchers. In 2016 a company called Oculus (acquired by Facebook, now Meta) introduced a consumer version of a virtual reality headset, which triggered the development of one of the fastest-growing industries  today. There are currently mixed opinions around this topic, but I encourage you to look at it objectively, as a piece of tech that creates new opportunities. There is a lot of curiosity around VR. Right now it is hard to tell if its just another trend in tech, like 3D TV’s, or whatever happened to those. Or it is actually twill be mass-adopted and become part of our reality. However, unlike 3D TV’s, there is one giant company, which is Meta, that is driving all their chips onto Metaverse definitely being a part of our reality. The driving force In 2021 Facebook renames itself to Meta, which according to their CEO, Mark Zuckerberg “reflects the company's growing ambitions beyond social media and allows people to make meaningful connections”. According to the official source, there were 10 million Oculus  Quest 2 headsets sold in the same year. In October 2022, Meta launched their new high-end device, Meta Quest Pro, designed for work. Thanks to colour passthrough cameras, apart from VR it also allows us to experience Augmented Reality (AR) which is overlaying virtual objects on top of the real world. AR allows more engaging experiences to share, collaborate and have more like an “in-person” experience. Now, towards the end of 2022, the headsets are not just a tool for gamers and tech-savvies but also an appealing gadget to new demographics such as women in their forties, as a tool to keep themselves active and elderly people to show them the place that they’ve never been. All this infrastructure needs a talent force and this is the topic I will explore in this article. Metaverse Infrastructure Stepping back from all the “shiny” consumer-centric products that Meta is presenting to us with this excitement, let’s take a look into what actually makes this all happen. I am talking about the tech stack of the Metaverse technology such as fundamentals like networks, 5G, electrical grids and cloud computing services. Without this, it simply would not be even possible. The second on the list is the hardware and the special computing. Metaverse hardware will be key to transporting people to these different worlds and making them as realistic as possible. VR/ AR headsets discussed earlier are falling into that group. The third component would be the logic based on the principle of Blockchain and Web3, commonly known as Decentralisation. Smart contracts, open-source code, and what the community calls self-sovereign digital identity. The fourth component is the content creator economy. In other words, the tools and apps that developers and designers use to create digital assets or experiences that attract users. I will explore this further later in this article. To finalise this ecosystem there are two more components that I want to outline separately. They are discovery platforms such as app stores, search engines, rating sites, or even display advertising, and the experience or the product itself. The trusting platform is an important step to explore new technology, protocols, and communities. To finalise with the king of kings, the Products themselves and the reason what will support all that infrastructure. Based on the industry trends, I’ve picked three categories, that I believe will be developing very fast in the next couple of years. As a side note, gaming is the number one category, however, I intentionally leave it out as the most obvious one. Collaboration Tools With the most advanced hardware Meta Quest Pro, targeting working professionals as productivity devices and creators such as designers, architects and other creative individuals it is no surprise that these types of products will be in demand. Microsoft joins Meta to pioneer the Metaverse world with their Teams- a collaboration tool, allowing direct access via Horizon Rooms (Meta’s product*) allowing cross-device and cross-screen experience is a foundation of the virtual offices. Accenture is the large enterprise driving the Metaverse ideology with their project called Metaverse Continuum and an internal platform for their employees Nth Floor, where freshers can get complete onboarding, participate in large presentations or simply meet for coffee. A 3D design and modelling software called Gravity Sketch allows designers collaboratively to sketch and prototype, and then display on the screen in 2D for final preview. We can definitely expect a similar type of product to appear to solve other pain points for different audiences. Education and training I’ve already mentioned that the first use cases of Virtual Reality were invented for simulation training purposes. A few decades later, this technology can be available to broader audiences. Think of how it can help medical students re-create and experience some of the most difficult surgeries, firemen practice unique situations or young professionals practice some stressful/ uncomfortable situations within the work environment to better prepare for real-life scenarios. In fact, there are two products that I really like- Tale Spin is the app that helps you to train Soft skills with a virtual avatar in an office-like environment and Job Simulator- an app that allows players to relive the glory days of work by simulating the ins and outs of being a gourmet chef, an office worker and even a convenience store clerk. I wish I had this app before I faced that tough decision of choosing the career path. Health and Wellbeing This category is my bread and butter. This a topic I can go on about for many more chapters but I will keep it short this time. The amount of Health and well-being apps are so high that Oculus recently broke them down into a few more categories such as Kinetic Sports- for real environment sports activity like basketball or ping pong; music games for experiences that are beat-driven, with some physical action elements and health and fitness category with apps like meditation and actual fitness workouts. The reason I believe in these particular categories is that they are helping and solving some meaningful problems for many people. Working for a truly meaningful product is a joy and incredibly motivating. Conclusion What shape and form the Metaverse world with VR/ AR headsets will take, only time will show. Chances are we can expect a mass-adopton when the technology will catch up on it and the “headsets” will turn into a light pair of glasses. Meantime, it is no doubt that the industry made a massive progress in the last few years and show no signs of slowing down. Which means many new job opportunities on the market and the barriers of entry are lower. For someone who is at the beginning of their career this might be an amazing opportunity to get into it early, learn on innovations and become an expert. As technology developing so fast there are high chances of faster career growth than in the traditional tech companies, which might be a little saturated. There are many products from, for example, bricks and mortom industry migrating into VR. I would suggest to research who are the rising players in the field that is already familiar to you. You might be surprised, how your skills might be applicable in there.

Anyone who’s been in charge of any kind of responsibilities knows the importance of time management; we truly mean any kind of responsibility. Whether it’s at work, at school, in the kitchen or planning a vacation, ensuring you properly allot your time can be extremely challenging. While it’s true that everyone has 24 hours a day and 7 days a week, people have extremely varied ways of managing their time. Some prefer to get up early and bang out their work; others do their best work in the early hours of the morning. No matter what your preferred method of work is, mastering effective time management is key. Keep reading for tips and tricks for mastering time management. Why is Time Management Important? It may seem like a no-brainer, but effective time management can make all the difference in both the short and long-term. Here are the main benefits of time management: Easier to achieve goals : have you ever looked at your workload and doubted you could get it all done? We’ve all been there and time management is key to achieving your goals. Reduces stress : have you ever felt overwhelmed and stressed out over everything you have to do? Stress can be reduced or even eliminated with time management. More energy : all of that energy wasted on stress will be yours once again; your free time is all yours. Improved focus: your time dedicated to tasks will be just that; there’s no concern about other things to do or if you’ll finish on time. Increased confidence : when you dedicate your full attention to your task, the final result will be much better and increase your confidence in the work you produce. 10 Steps to Effective Time Management Review your time This may seem like a no-brainer, but it’s impossible to improve if you don’t know where you have room for improvement. Take a look at your tasks or responsibilities over the past month or two months and try to highlight exactly where you missed deadlines or had to pull an all-nighter. Are there patterns? Are you always rushing to meet due dates towards the end of the week? Pro tip: highlight these problem areas to focus on them later on 2. Organize Now that you understand where problems arose in the past, take a look at your current workload. Are there certain dates that have a lot of work due? Or a family event that you know will take up lots of your time? Make sure to write these important dates down so you can pay special attention to them later on. Pro tip: Make a note of these high-traffic dates to plan ahead. 3. Prioritize Alright, you have your previous issues and your upcoming tasks highlighted. Now it’s time to choose where to place your attention and decide which tasks are most important. Although it might be ideal to accomplish a long list of tasks in record time, the truth is that isn’t quite realistic. Pro tip: choose the most important tasks with the strictest deadlines to take on first. 4. Plan/Schedule With your priority list clearly defined, it’s time to start making your schedule! Take a look at those priority tasks and make sure you allot the time needed to complete them. Once those are clearly scheduled, start planning the less crucial tasks to fit around the ones you must absolutely accomplish. Pro tip: try to estimate the time you’ll need to complete each task. This will help you accurately determine the number of tasks you can finish. 5. Combat procrastination It’s an annoying reality that we’ll have to do tasks that we don’t want to do. But leaving those unwanted tasks for the end of your day will just make the day drag on and actually slow your process. Do those heavy, tough tasks first and you’ll find that your productivity will actually increase throughout the day. Pro tip: if you’re really having trouble getting that task done, try motivating yourself with a reward: a quick stop at your favorite coffee shop or an extra 10 minutes on your lunch break. 6. Be realistic As much as we’d like to think we’re capable of achieving anything we put our minds to, the sad truth is that we all have limitations. And part of managing time effectively is setting realistic and achievable goals; if you put too much on your plate, you’ll find it negatively affects both your mental state and the quality of your work. Pro tip: err on the side of caution and conservatively estimate how long you need per task. Once you establish the actual time needed later on, you’ll be able to add more tasks comfortably. 7. Minimize distractions Everyone’s ideal work environment is different and you have to find the one that works for you. Do you need complete silence and to be alone to get a task done? If you work at home, are you distracted by household chores or roommates? Figure out what you need to be productive and create that space. Pro tip: every day is different and you might just need a change of scenery every once in a while. If you have an office, co-working space, local cafe or library nearby, try heading there with the specific goal of completing one task. 8. Build in breaks No one is capable of working 8 hours a day straight, no matter what you might read! And studies show that those who take breaks are more productive and produce better results. We don’t just mean your lunch break, by the way. Take a break to walk the dog, get fresh air or grab a coffee. It will help you feel more refreshed to take on the next task. Pro tip: try scheduling your breaks directly into your calendar. This will help both you remember to take them and avoid co-workers scheduling meetings during your breaks. 9. Say no It seems easy but it might be the hardest point on this list. The idea of outlining your priority tasks is to ensure you get done what you need to get done. If people are continuously adding tasks to your plate without taking into account your existing tasks, you need to set boundaries. Pro tip: if coworkers are adding too much to your plate, talk to your boss about limits or set up a request system that can help you manage a realistic amount of work. 10. Delegate Even if you take the aforementioned 9 points into account, there will still be times when your workload seems too heavy to handle. This is the ideal time to try to see if any coworkers can take on your tasks or delay due dates. Remember, being realistic with your workload and availability can make all the difference. This may seem like a lot, but once you start putting these tips into practice, you’ll see both your mood and workload improve significantly. Take it day by day and soon you’ll be a time management expert!

Daute Delgado is a Lead Instructor at Ironhack and security engineer with a background focused on large infrastructures, in charge of deployments and team management for success with different clients. With a considerable number of graduates, his all-star instruction leads to a high percentage of employability in the sector during the first months after graduation. Cybersecurity Myths and Misconceptions Only big companies need cybersecurity: hackers don’t go for small/medium sized companies When we think of cybersecurity, we typically relate it to large companies. But medium and small companies are the most frequently attacked for a simple reason: crackers know that they lack cybersecurity in a high percentage of cases. That is why attacks on this type of company are common, on the rise, and have been increasing after the pandemic . On the other hand, more and more companies are betting on cybersecurity; different companies in the sector have focused on this kind of companies through shared services (SOC - Security Operations Center) and adjusted their budget to their infrastructure. Cybersecurity is really complicated: you need to be a tech genius! No one can really know everything in any industry. It is true that in cybersecurity, we choose different paths to specialize in and this is where the role we want to play in our career comes into play: pentester, security analyst, engineer, infrastructure specialist. We certainly don't have to be geniuses, but we do have to study during our day to day in this field: keep gaining certifications, stay up to date with different actors, use different security tools and quickly get used to a sector where changes are common and every day is different. There aren’t a lot of jobs in cybersecurity There are no secrets here and we have data: too many professionals are lacking and, as we mentioned earlier, there is also a lack of qualified professionals for different actions within the different teams. Although the numbers keep growing, employees are specialized in these different branches. If I hire a member for the incident response team, he is not an expert in architecture and is dedicated to incident response; if I hire an expert in architecture, he is not a specialist in SIEM (Security information and event management). This is why there is such a lack of talent, because the different specialties make up a wide range of our work; as we said before, we can't know everything. In cybersecurity, we multitask! It’s hard to grow in a cybersecurity career This is a simple equation to solve: work + study + keep up to date is the key point to be able to advance in cybersecurity from my point of view. In addition to this, if you want to be successful, you must have the necessary soft skills such as communication with customers and your own team, knowing how to deal with different situations that you probably don't like. But it's the key to success. Adapt and advance without rushing; let's remember that the first cybersecurity vacancy was offered in the 90s. In addition, we have other departments where we are needed beyond technical cybersecurity: sales, management, strategy and more. How can it be difficult to grow in today's market? Cybersecurity jobs are really boring, they’re only exciting when there’s a big attack you have to deal with It is easy to make the assumption that cybersecurity equals incident; however, this is the part we probably deal with the least in the industry. Yes, we get a lot of alerts every day, but alerts do not equal incidents. And during all those hours that we analyze alerts, improve infrastructures, train teams, and investigate potential threats to the industry, among many other actions, we dedicate many hours to passive security. Passive security tries to try to minimize risks , while active security is the response to an incident, broadly speaking. You have to be young to work in cybersecurity. If you’re older than 30, you’ll stick out like a sore thumb! In our bootcamps and in mine especially, I have had students ranging from 18 to much older: it's never too late for a career change . Cybersecurity is about a passion for knowledge of the internet and everything around it; we all speak the same language here. I think age is just a number and remote work has opened doors for that: professionals from all over the world can join different companies and teams without having to move, relocate, or adapt to new cities. This has opened up a whole world for us today and everyone can join this movement. You have to go back to college if you want to get started in cybersecurity Everyone can decide how to train to enter the world of cybersecurity; there is no discussion there. There is also no doubt about the job opportunities that Ironhack alumni have during the first months following the bootcamp , nor that our work model is one of the most demanding and that is one of the added values we have. Simply put, investing in education (and travel!) is the best investment you can make in your life. I'm not going to tell you how we do it inside Ironhack because I invite you to experience it first hand. Once you've done that, come back to this article and underline everything I've told you. Ready to check it out? In just 12 or 26 weeks, your career as a cybersecurity professional could be taking off. Check out our bootcamp here and get started on your cybersecurity career.

In the tech industry, the skills section can let an employer know whether you even qualify for a role to begin with, and potentially move you up to the next stage of the recruitment process. In general, employers will look for a combination of soft and hard skills when analyzing resumes, both of which are extremely valuable. In this article, you can discover 5 essential hard skills to include in your tech resume, and how to ensure they make your CV stand out in a crowd. 1. Web development The tech sector has no shortage of web development positions, so stressing that you possess these skills can make your entire resume a lot more appealing to potential employers. The problem with web development is that by itself the topic is very broad. Sure, it showcases your ability to build websites, but chances are, your potential employer is looking for something a bit more specific. This is why you should research the company you are applying to, and see if they have any specific requirements that could set you apart from your competitors, whether it’s in terms of hard skills or soft skills. Resume example Presentation is key when creating your resume. How you present your web-development skills matters greatly in your CV’s ability to convince a recruiter or potential employer to give you a call. For example, look at this resume snippet: Web development skills: Worked as a web developer at a major tech company Handled the day-to-day cloud computing Helped reduce costs Helped improve the user experience for web pages Technically, you have a lot of web development qualities a recruiter might be looking for, but the wording doesn’t really help paint a good picture of your abilities. Now compare the above section with this one: Worked as a full stack developer, handling end-to-end web app development Managed 2 development teams of 3 employees each Reduced costs 10% by streamlining work processes Enhanced user experience by 40% when compared to company-wide metrics Same ideas, but a lot more specificity. As you read it, you can actually see the individual in action in a sense, and get a better idea of what they can bring to the table. And that’s the type of resume recruiters love to see. 2. Programming When it comes to listing programming skills on your resume, you want employers to know what technical skills you have that make you an asset. You should check to see what specific programming languages the company is looking for, and target those on your resume. However, be sure to include all of your relevant technical skills including programming languages, software, and hardware. Resume example Let’s assume you found out the company is looking for someone who knows JavaScript, has some team-leading experience, and can cooperate well with other departments. One way to write your resume could be like this: Designed and developed web applications using JavaScript for company X Worked with the data analysis team Took part in client meetings Led development team It’s a fine resume, but it doesn’t really make your skills pop. Compare it to the following: Designed and developed up to 12 dynamic and interactive web applications per year using JavaScript Collaborated with the data analysis team to design project requirements Worked closely with technical staff members, business analysts, and client representatives to ensure development compliance Led the 4-member development team Again, there is a lot more specificity. You understand the type of workload this person handles, how much collaboration their job really involves, and what type of responsibility they have regarding their team and overall projects. 3. Cybersecurity Cybersecurity is a huge buzzword in the tech world. With concerns regarding data safety on the rise, all members of a tech department are expected to know at least a little bit about cybersecurity. Whether it’s for ensuring company data is secure or developing new products that need to protect user data, adding cybersecurity skills to your resume is not something you’ll want to skip. When it comes to cybersecurity, companies may be looking for a lot of different things: Help with improving in-house compliance with state and federal cybersecurity requirements Monitoring company networks for threats Developing a proactive approach to cybersecurity Help training in-house staff to protect company data and assets against leaks, phishing attacks, and other threats, etc. As you can see, the requirements can be really broad, so it’s worth looking at what the company is looking for specifically. If the company operates in the cybersecurity sector, then it stands to reason that they are looking for individuals highly versed in the practice of data safety and protection. But even if they are from other industries, they will likely want to see a candidate’s abilities to help secure their information. Resume example Here are some common cybersecurity skills you might see on a resume: Removed viruses from company devices Installed anti-malware software Monitored company network and systems While yes, these are the basics of cybersecurity, they don't say a lot about what you can actually do to help a company protect its data or even develop secure products. Instead, give more insights into your skills like this: Secured and monitored over 30 websites successfully, with no major attacks recorded Discussed client cybersecurity concerns and needs, and developed a strategy to defend client assets from potential attacks Conducted employee training regarding cybersecurity protection to reduce the risk of breaches and leaks This second version tells a recruiter more about how much the candidate’s cybersecurity experience extends, as well as what exactly they can bring into the company. 4. UI/UX design UX and UI design are complementary skills, and to impress employers you should be able to demonstrate foundational knowledge of both. It’s easy to understand why both are so important. Say you’re developing a great web application. Now, choose to sacrifice one of the two: Make a stunning-looking application that wins design awards, but that users just can’t figure out how to use Make a highly intuitive, solid application people love to use, but hate to look at Neither option isn’t really preferable, is it? So when you’re adding UX or UI skills to your tech resume, you don’t necessarily need to worry about not being an expert in both these design fields. But you do need to make it clear you have a solid understanding of what makes for user-friendly and stunning designs. Resume example As always, look at what the company expects its new hires to know regarding UI/UX design, and try not to be vague with your abilities: Followed company UI requirements Ensured brand consistency Improved UX for new products Dig a little bit deeper with the presentation of your skills: Received 90% positive feedback from clients regarding UX/UI design Created UI in accordance with brand image, and balanced brand image with modern web design elements Improved UX scores by over 20% on the 4 last projects Providing numbers that quantify the what you achieved in your design work shows employers what tangible benefits you can offer as an employee. 5. Data analytics The world is now driven by data , so employers looking for candidates with data analysis skills and experience is no surprise. Data helps you work more efficiently to create better products, and helps a business reach its financial goals, so of course hiring managers are curious to know how well you can interpret a chart. When adding these skills to your resume, it’s a good idea to focus on what the data analysis has led to - the results of the process. After all, it’s the entire reason an employer wants you to have these skills. Resume example Here are some of the duties associated with data analysis: Used several types of data analysis software Analyzed data to understand product shortcomings and create solutions Communicated data analysis results to clients These are things you’d maybe say to a friend when trying to explain a bit about what a data analyst does. But a recruiter will be looking for something like: Used SPSS to track and analyze company data Interpreted data to assist the sales and design departments in optimizing operations, resulting in a 21% boost in sales Reduce operation costs by 10% Improved client retention 30% by providing better insights into project monitoring and review. Data analysis is all about numbers, so don’t be afraid to feature them in your resume to showcase what results you can achieve. Final thoughts: building your tech resume Once you write your resume and know exactly what types of skills you want to add in order to land your dream job, it’s time to consider the best resume format to complement your text. The right format can help support your goals and make it easier for recruiters to get a good overview of your qualifications. Not to mention, it’s a great way to make a good first impression! To create a great tech resume, try using an online resume builder that can help you generate work experience bullet points and write an attention-grabbing resume summary.

Become a Better Digital Nomad... With Books! Are you looking to learn some new skills to begin your adventure into remote work as a newbie wayfarer? Or are you looking to gain some practical advice for the next step on your journey? Maybe you're looking to discover a new sense of appreciation after being on the road for a while? Well, there’s a book for that... and, we’ve made a list! Check out some of our top choices of books for digital nomads: 1. The 4-Hour Workweek by Timothy Ferris For time management and ‘getting more out of life’ advice The 4-Hour Workweek is considered to be THE guide to becoming a digital nomad. Remote workers have used this blueprint for the past 15 years to escape their 9-5 jobs ... and you can too! If you’re looking for a good starting point to break into remote work , this is the book for you. Using real life examples, practical tips, and step-by-step guides, Ferris gives you the lowdown on how to make money online. He breaks down how to use online tools to automate and outsource your job, leaving you more time for a new adventure. As a digital nomad himself, Ferris offers a new perspective on work and provides realistic ways to achieve it. Throughout the book, he teaches you how to design your work and life so that you can take advantage of everything the world has to offer. 2. Wild Tech: Becoming a Digital Nomad by Ironhack The ultimate guidebook to taking your tech career on the road Our guidebook, Wild Tech: Becoming a Digital Nomad , teaches you everything you need to know about taking your remote job on the road, finding work-life-adventure balance, and building a life – and career – you love. If you’re looking the ultimate guide to combining work and travel, with tips and advice from experts in the Ironhack community , you ‘ve come to the right place! With our community in mind, we created a digital nomad toolkit with practical advice, handpicked recommendations, and travel inspiration from explorers who have been there before. The guide includes key time management tips for staying productive whilst also exploring your new surroundings as well as strategies to get out of your own way by facing your biggest fears and finding the motivation to chase your dreams.  Discover how to connect with other digital nomads, learn on the road, and fully the advantage of remote work with this guide by your side. 3. The Digital Nomad Handbook by Lonely Planet Practical advice and inspiration for living and working on the road With The Digital Nomad Handbook, Lonely Planet, a company famous for creating high-quality travel guidebooks, provides a different type of guidebook for travelers. Instead of describing where to go, they’ve taught us how to get away from the 9-5 life and become a digital nomad. Without shying away from the struggles of making it out on your own, Lonely Planet breaks down how to create a flexible and practical work-life balance on the road while managing career changes, maintaining relationships, staying healthy, and taking advantage of your travels. Digital nomads like yourself can take advantage of this template for working remotely while traveling the world to learn about destinations and occupations that would best fit various travel and career goals. Get motivated and gain some insight from travelers who have done this before. 4. The Mountain Is You by Brianna Wiest Transforming self-sabotage into self-mastery With a focus on mental health, The Mountain is You provides a different perspective on becoming a digital nomad. By using a mountain as a metaphor to represent the challenges we face, Wiest teaches us how to excavate trauma, build resilience, and prepare for the climb. Wiest discusses behavior patterns and negative thinking that prevents us from achieving our goals and provides strategies to overcome them. Since traveling can be such a mentally challenging task, this self-help guide is essential reading for any digital nomad that wants to learn new tools to drop negative habits and transition to new positive ones. You can achieve your potential and live life to the fullest with a new perspective and mindset using the tools in this guide. 5. The Art of Travel by Alain De Botton Understanding how and why we travel Unlike most guidebooks, The Art of Travel explores the reasons behind why we travel and how it changes us. In this collection of essays, De Botton mixes individual musings and historical insights to take a philosophical glance at the intricacies of travel and provide insights on ways to view it differently. If you’re looking for a new perspective on travel, this book will help you examine it from all sides. Learn how to take your tech job on the road as a Digital Nomad with these guides. Each of these books provide a different outlook on remote work and travel, so you can check them all out! If you’re looking for a place to start, download our free eBook. There, you’ll tackle the big ‘what if’ questions, learn tips on staying productive whilst having adventures, and get inspired to take the leap into your Digital Nomad journey. Check it out: Digital Nomad eBook | IronHack. Don’t just get a tech job you love. Build a life that’s adventurous!

It's a short step from big sister nanny to truck engineer or even to president of one of the world's most famous Tech companies. Virginia (Ginni) Rometty was anything but pre-destined for a thrilling destiny as a tech company leader . However, through hard work and perseverance, she became one of the very few women CEOs of a top 500 US company, IBM, from 2012 to 2020. This woman symbolises the essence of existentialism , the philosophical movement embodied by Jean Paul Sartre and Simone de Beauvoir in 20th century France. Its key idea is very simple: " existence precedes essence ". Ginni is the very embodiment of the fact that everyone is the master of their own destiny. Contrary to pre-written life scenarios from which there is no escape, this strong-willed businesswoman shows us, in her own words, that " where there is a will, there is a way. " Portrait. A childhood of hardship and resilience Ginni was born into a middle-class family. Her mother was a housewife, raising her and her three siblings. When she was 16, Ginni’s father left home. Her mother and her four young children were left destitute, with no money and no home. “ We were on food stamps and my mother felt ashamed to have to do something like that, she stated. But she was determined that this would not be as the story ends . She went back to school, got a job and then a better job, and so on. It was one of the most defining elements of my life ”. This image of a determined and brave woman certainly shaped Ginni’s mantra for the rest of her life... ‘Only you define who you are’ Ginni  started from nothing and struggled to build a career that matched her ambitions. She graduated at the top of her high-school class, earning a big scholarship from General Motors to further study. With this money, she attended Northwestern University, as one of the few women in their engineering program. “ I came from no money, no anything, to go to a great school. It was just not the norm. This is why I feel so strongly when there is a will, there is a way ”. After graduating with honors in 1979, she took her first job with General Motors, working as an engineer on trucks and buses. A year later, she took a job with IBM as a systems engineer. She quickly became a rising star within the company… You think you know the rest? Not quite yet! ‘Stand up to scary challenges.' The scarier, the better Like many women, Ginni almost missed out on a successful career because of impostor syndrome. “ 10 years into my career, I was offered a promotion. The man who had offered it said: ‘you should take my job’. I said, ‘I’m not ready for this thing yet. Just give me a little more time…’. I went home that night and my husband said: ‘ do you think a man would have answered the que/stion the same way?’ So, I went back the next day and I took the job." Let's make a little digression that is not (really) one. It all began in 1995 in Pittsburgh, USA, when a man named McArthur Weeler decided to rob two banks with his face uncovered. He was arrested and stunned. He had smeared lemon juice on his face, convinced that it would make him invisible to the cameras. Psychologists David Dunning and Justin Kruger conducted a three-part study on students to find out how someone so ignorant could overestimate himself that much. They found that the more gifted students tended to underestimate themselves, while the less skilled clearly overestimated themselves. But what accounts for this 'overconfidence' on the part of the less gifted? According to the Dunning Kruger effect , the answer is simple: the less skilled the person is, the less likely they are to know they are ignorant . This syndrome leads to some pretty funny situations, where men usually take the liberty of explaining life to women who are more expert than them on the subject they are distorting. Rebecca Solnit, an entrepreneur and author of ' Men explain things to me ', has coined the concept of mansplaining . It is the act of explaining to a woman what she already knows. She once found herself in a conversation where a gentleman was trying to explain her own book to her without listening to the fact she was actually the author. In short, Ginni's husband's words resonate with Rebecca Solnit's work, as several studies have shown that men are far more likely to take a job they are not 100% confident to master . Ginni's journey teaches us that you have to throw yourself into the void and build your glider in flight. In 2012, Ginni became the first woman CEO in IBM’s 100 years history. With 30 years of experience under her belt, she blows a mischievous look in an interview: “ Growth and comfort never coexist. If you want to grow as a leader, you welcome challenge, you welcome risk. Because you know you come out better on the other side."

So, you’re thinking about learning UX/UI Design. Perhaps you’re just looking to pick up some new skills to help your day job, or maybe you’re a budding entrepreneur with dreams of building something for yourself. Or maybe you’re on the outside looking in, imagining what an amazing career in the tech industry might look like. Going back to college or university to start learning UX/UI Design might sound like overkill- especially when you can pick up new skills anytime, from any place. What better way to spend the summer than Learning From Anywhere? We’ve picked some of our best online masterclasses in UX/UI Design so you can have a taste of bootcamp life, and get yourself ready for the adventure of a lifetime! We’ve also selected some great beginner resources to help you get started. Looking for something different? Whether you’re building apps in Bali or studying data from the comfort of your own sofa, we’ve got plenty to keep you busy and get your mind moving. Check out the rest of the Learn From Anywhere series: Web Development Basics Cybersecurity Basics Data Analytics Basics UX/UI Design Basics: The Masterclasses Grab yourself a coffee (iced, if you’re somewhere tropical) and dive into these beginner masterclasses. Give yourself the full bootcamp experience from the comfort of home or…wherever you are! UI Design Crash Course with Figma Figma is a collaborative prototyping tool that helps generate user interfaces in an efficient way. You’ll learn about the basics of this amazing design tool, and apply what you’ve learnt by building a real project! Make sure you have Figma installed so you can practice and learn by doing. It’s free! Looking at the Future - What Designers Need to Know Technology is evolving. Are you ready for it? This webinar walks you through the future of design, with a particular focus on AR/VR, automation, and voice design. Future-proof your career in UX/UI Design! An Introduction to The Design Thinking Process Design thinking is a human-centered, iterative process that designers use to understand users, challenge assumptions, and redefine problems. This webinar will introduce you to the design thinking process and show you why it’s so important. UX/UI Design 101: Customer Journey Mapping Customer journey mapping is building a visual representation of your customers’ interactions with your brand. In this webinar we’ll explore this design concept from both a theoretical and practical perspective, and you’ll learn what to keep in mind when applying it, along with best tips. Build Your First App Prototype With Figma Figma is a collaborative prototyping tool that helps generate user interfaces in an efficient way. You’ll learn about the basics of this amazing design tool, and apply what you’ve learnt by building your first prototype! UX/UI Design Basics: Further Reading Don’t stop now! Your brain is buzzing and hungry for knowledge. Check out these great resources to keep you inspired and keep you learning. Learn how to build a UX/UI Design portfolio that recruiters and employers will love Find out how this Ironhack student went from artist to designer with an Ironhack bootcamp Check out these 8 books that we think every designer should read Learn UX/UI Design From Anywhere With A Remote Bootcamp! These masterclasses are just a taste of what you can get done with Web Development. If there’s nothing that fuels your fire more than learning new skills, and you’re excited about becoming a part of the tech industry, check out our remote UX/UI Design bootcamp ! While you're here, did you know that we wrote a whole eBook on becoming a digital nomad in tech? That's right! We did! Get your free copy for all the tips, tricks, inspiration, and non-nonsense advice.

What to Look For and Who To Work For So, you’re looking to leave the office life behind and become a digital nomad. We’re here to help make sure you find the right company for you.  Here are a few things to look for in a tech company as a digital nomad: Remote-friendly workplace Generous compensation Career growth options Positive company culture And to make it easier for you, we’ve made a list of some of our top choices: Doist Doist is a software company that builds productivity tools such as Todoist and Twist to help companies, teams, and individuals communicate with others and achieve their goals. With 100 remote workers in more than 30 countries, the team boasts 15 years of experience as a fully remote company. Their core values indicate a focus on working independently without borders, which can be seen in their emphasis on the asynchronous work of their virtual team of designers, engineers, and communicators. Doist provides industry benchmarked salary compensation and comprehensive health and well-being benefits, in addition to up to one month per year to work on a passion project. Toptal Toptal is a web-based app that connects businesses with freelancers. With over 1,000 remote workers across more than 90 countries, Toptal curates a network of skilled freelancers in various fields and helps companies scale teams on demand. A remote-first company since its founding, Toptal is one of the widest reaching companies in the world, offering positions in publication, business operations, and products, with flexible time off in all departments. American Express American Express is a financial services company with over 50,000 employees around the world. Although they are not a remote first company, AMEX offers remote or travel-friendly positions in many of its departments with one caveat – you need to have a quiet, dedicated office space with company-provided high speed internet.  American Express has been named one of the top 20 companies for remote workers for multiple years in a row and has positions not only in credit and banking services, but also insurance, travel, and other financial device services. Automattic Automattic , a tech developer with the goal of democratizing online publishing and commerce, is the parent company behind WordPress.com, WooCommerce, Jetpack, and Simplenote.  With 1,971 remote workers across 96 countries speaking over 120 languages, Automattic is committed to diversity, equity, and inclusion in their remote workforce.  Most roles available are in engineering, business development and marketing with additional roles in sales, finance, and design. Appen Appen , an IT company that uses crowdsourcing to collect and improve data for artificial intelligence and machine learning products , has been ranked one of the top remote employers by Forbes. With 350 permanent employees and over 1 million contractors, Appen has a wide reach in over 130 countries – and 180 languages – around the world. FlexJobs has ranked Appen one of the top companies with remote positions multiple times in the past 5 years and the company offers a commitment to fair pay, inclusion, communication, and well-being. Multiple remote positions are available, including roles in software engineering and project management. Swifty Swifty , a transit data software platform, manages public transportation and urban mobility . With 85 employees across the U.S., Spain, and the U.K., Swifty strives to offer a flexible work environment as a fully remote company. Their platform is used in over 300 cities to analyze real-time passenger and vehicle information as well as historical transit data. The company offers flexible work environments, unlimited PTO, education reimbursements, and paid family leave, among others. With open positions in customer success, sales, and engineering, they’re a great place to start your journey as a digital nomad. Atlassian Atlassian , a software company that creates project management and software development tools like Jira, Confluence, and Trello , has over 5,000 employees with offices spanning across seven countries.  With flexible schedules and remote work options, Atlassian strives to give their employees more control over where they live and work. Atlassian offers a competitive salary, robust benefit offerings, and professional development opportunities and strives to recruit and retain top talent in various departments such as Technology, Product, and Business Operations, so they’re a great place for enterprising digital nomads to work. Octane AI Octane AI, a Facebook Messenger & SMS platform for Shopify brands, helps merchants create quizzes, recommend products, and sync marketing data . Octane AI employs around  30 remote workers in 12 countries with a focus on fully remote work, unlimited time off, and professional development opportunities. If you’re looking for a smaller startup, this is the place for you. Articulate Articulate , a e-learning app used for workplace training, provides an all-in-one training system for small businesses . With than 400 employees located in more than 90 cities, Articulate gives employees the flexibility to decide where they work. Join Articulate’s goal to make it easier for the world to learn by creating products with easily customizable courses and training. Buffer Buffer , a business toolkit that helps small businesses build their social media audience to grow their businesses, employs 82 remote workers across 21 countries while supporting over 140,000 customers around the world. Buffer tries to offer transparency in everything they do by making their salary data, code, and product roadmap publicly available. Their commitment to quality products and trusted relationships can be seen through their company benefit offerings, including 4 day workweeks, professional development fund, and paid family leave. Are you looking to learn some new skills before you make the pivot into remote work? Check out our bootcamp offerings: Learn Web Development, Data Analytics & UX/UI Design | Ironhack Or read our new digital nomad eBook: Digital Nomad eBook (ironhack.com)

So, you’re thinking about learning Web Development. Perhaps you’re just looking to pick up some new skills to boost your current career, or maybe you’re a budding entrepreneur with dreams of building something for yourself. Or maybe you’re on the outside looking in, imagining what an amazing career in the tech industry might look like. Going back to college or university to start learning Web Development might sound like overkill-- especially when you can pick up new skills anytime, from any place. What better way to spend the summer than Learning From Anywhere? We’ve picked some of our best online masterclasses in Web Development so you can have a taste of bootcamp life, and get yourself ready for the adventure of a lifetime! We’ve also selected some great beginner resources to help you get started. Looking for something different? Whether you’re building apps in Bali or studying data from the comfort of your own sofa, we’ve got plenty to keep you busy and get your mind moving. Check out the rest of the Learn From Anywhere series: UX/UI Design Basics Cybersecurity Basics Data Analytics Basics Web Development Basics: The Masterclasses Grab yourself a coffee (iced, if you’re somewhere tropical) and dive into these beginner masterclasses. Give yourself the full bootcamp experience from the comfort of home or…wherever you are! Coding 101: Writing Clean Code Writing clean code should be the number one goal of any aspiring web developer. This helps you find and fix bugs, helps other developers review and build on your code, and ultimately leads to a better and more efficiently run program. In this webinar, you’ll be guided through some of the best practices to help write clean code. Remote Web Development: Intro to Git, JS, HTML, & CSS With remote working becoming increasingly common, we need tools that can allow us to simultaneously work on projects from anywhere in the world. For developers, Git and Github are THE tools that help us do that. In this webinar you’ll be introduced to Git and Github, and practice using them while coding your first mini project using HTML, CSS and Javascript. Build a Website in 60 Minutes with HTML & CSS HTML and CSS form the building blocks of any web application. In this workshop, you will learn some important HTML & CSS basics and apply what you’ve learned to build your very own website in just 60 minutes! Time to get creative! Blockchain 101: Coding the Basics Do you want to understand the exciting world of Blockchain? In this webinar we will cover the basics of blockchain to help you understand how this promising technology works, and how you can take advantage of it. Build an eCommerce with Javascript Have you thought about launching an e-commerce, but you don’t know where to start? If the answer is yes, this is the tutorial for you! You will learn the basics of coding to build your first MVP for your e-commerce. Web Development Basics: Further Reading Don’t stop now! Your brain is buzzing and hungry for knowledge. Check out these great resources to keep you inspired and keep you learning. Take our free JavaScript short course and master the basics. Find out if you have what it takes to be a developer . Learn how to overcome imposter syndrome as a developer . Find out how to land your first job in tech with no experience . Check out our YouTube channel for more free knowledge and tech-industry fun! Learn Web Development From Anywhere with a Remote Bootcamp These masterclasses are just a taste of what you can get done with Web Development. If there’s nothing that fuels your fire more than learning new skills, and you’re excited about becoming a part of the tech industry, check out our remote Web Development bootcamp ! While you're here, did you know that we wrote a whole eBook on becoming a digital nomad in tech? That's right! We did! Get your free copy for all the tips, tricks, inspiration, and non-nonsense advice.

So, you’re thinking about learning Cybersecurity. Perhaps you’re just looking to pick up some new skills to help your day job, or maybe you’re a budding entrepreneur with dreams of building something for yourself. Or maybe you’re on the outside looking in, imagining what an amazing career in the tech industry might look like. Going back to college or university to start learning Cybersecurity might sound like overkill-- especially when you can pick up new skills anytime, from any place. What better way to spend the summer than Learning From Anywhere? We’ve picked some of our best online masterclasses in Cybersecurity so you can have a taste of bootcamp life, and get yourself ready for the adventure of a lifetime! We’ve also selected some great beginner resources to help you get started. Looking for something different? Whether you’re building apps in Bali or studying data from the comfort of your own sofa, we’ve got plenty to keep you busy and get your mind moving. Check out the rest of the Learn From Anywhere series: UX/UI Design Basics Web Development Basics Data Analytics Basics Cybersecurity Basics: The Masterclasses Grab yourself a coffee (iced, if you’re somewhere tropical) and dive into these beginner masterclasses. Give yourself the full bootcamp experience from the comfort of home or…wherever you are! Cybersecurity 101: Learn the Basics If you are thinking of joining the cybersecurity world, with this talk you'll understand why Cybersecurity specialists have one of the most in-demand skill sets nowadays. Cybersecurity: Risk Management and Strategy David Garcia, Global Head of Cyber Security and Security Operations Center in Boehringer Ingelheim, explains in this video how to perform a risk assessment as well as how to design a Cyber Security Strategy. Become the Hacker of the Future Enrique Aparicio is the founder and CEO of Hackrocks, the cybersecurity learning platform which encourages you to continue learning by doing challenges. In this video he explains what you need to be a hacker. Thinking Like a Hacker: How Hackers Bypass Anti-Malware Software In this video you will learn from cybersecurity experts and gain insights into the mind of a hacker. You will learn how hackers plan and execute cyberattacks and see firsthand how attackers work. Defending Networks like a Spartan Do you know what it takes to defend an organization from cyberattacks? Carlos Valderrama - SOC Director at Proficio - will show you what it is like to defend networks like a spartan. Hacking campaigns affect Banks, Governments, Critical Infrastructures, all the industries, users, you name it. It’s the most critical issue we face as a society. Cybersecurity Basics: Further Reading Don’t stop now! Your brain is buzzing and hungry for knowledge. Check out these great resources to keep you inspired and keep you learning. Discover Ethical Hacking , and perhaps meet your next career path Understand the basics of password hacking , and understand how to keep your accounts secure Find out how this Ironhack student went from Aerospace to Cybersecurity with a remote bootcamp Learn Cybersecurity From Anywhere With A Remote Bootcamp! These masterclasses are just a taste of what you can get done with Web Development. If there’s nothing that fuels your fire more than learning new skills, and you’re excited about becoming a part of the tech industry, check out our remote Cybersecurity bootcamp ! While you're here, did you know that we wrote a whole eBook on becoming a digital nomad in tech? That's right! We did! Get your free copy for all the tips, tricks, inspiration, and non-nonsense advice.