Many companies employ technical project managers to oversee IT projects. While the precise nature of the work can vary from one organization to the next, many technical project managers have similar experiences and challenges while working in their roles.
As a result, by taking a look inside the mind of a technical project manager, you can learn more about what the job is like from people who actually work in these positions. Here’s what you need to know.
Make a Mistake and Leave? Here's How to Get Your Old Job Back
Written by Jennifer Ireland
When you leave for a new job, you are usually working on the assumption that your new role will be either a better fit or that it can help you advance your career. While this may be the case in many situations, sometimes you only realize that the position isn’t what it seemed to be after you start in it. If that happens, you might find yourself wishing that you hadn’t left your old job and wondering if you can go back.
While getting your old job back isn’t necessarily impossible, there are some challenges you may face. However, you may also come with some benefits that your previous employer will appreciate, which may make it easier to convince them to give you another chance. If you want to get your old job back, here’s what you need to do.
What Changes When You Get Promoted from Java Developer to Senior Java Developer
Written by Crystal McKee
When you are an amazing Java developer, landing a promotion isn’t out of the question. While becoming a senior Java developer is exciting and is a major step forward in your career, it also means you need to be ready for some changes.
Once you begin as a senior java developer, your duties and responsibilities are going to be different. By understanding what is on the horizon, you can make sure that you are prepared to take on the new role. With that in mind, here’s a look at what changes when you get promoted from Java developer to senior Java developer.
The world of software development changes rapidly. Companies have to modernize their approach if they are going to remain competitive or adept in this particular arena. While the adoption of continuous integration (CI) and continuous delivery (CD) is fairly widespread, many businesses fail to implement continuous testing (CT) modalities.
Without CT, the speed of delivery and the quality of the code tend to suffer. When CT is integrated into the software development approach, the end results tend to be more functional and robust.
If you want to be a leading programmer, programming logic is a fundamental skill you need to cultivate. It will help you be more adept at a range of coding languages and can assist you with problem-solving and troubleshooting on the job.
Improving your programming logic capabilities doesn’t have to be challenging, particularly if you take the proper approach. Here are five ways you can improve your programming logic capabilities.
The Skills You Need to Become an SRE in Silicon Valley
Written by Crystal McKee 
Site reliability engineers (SREs) have actually been around for longer than DevOps specialists. The concept was created by Google in 2003 and, when the initial project was successful, other organizations added the SRE role to their ranks.
For many, the idea of becoming an SRE is intriguing. The work comes with many engaging challenges, and the positions are typically very lucrative. In Silicon Valley, the average SRE annual salary comes in around $145,000. Those in the upper tiers can even cross the $200,000 mark, which shows just how much you can earn once you have a substantial amount of experience in the field.
SREs do need a strong skill set, and typically a very diverse one. If you are wondering what skills you need to bring to the table to become an SRE in Silicon Valley, here’s what you need to know.
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Many tech professionals would assume that switching to a new IT specialty wouldn’t be overly challenging. After all, they have a base level of technical expertise to draw from, so wouldn’t many of their existing skills be highly transferable?
While that is true to a degree, that doesn’t mean there won’t be some difficulties ahead. Changing IT tracks does take work, particularly if you are shifting into a tech field that is highly different from where your career is today.
However, just because it may pose a challenge doesn’t mean it is impossible. If you want to change IT tracks mid-way through your career, here are some tips to help you pull it off.
3 Things You Should Have on Your Golang Developer Resume
Written by Jennifer Ireland
When you start looking for a new Golang developer position, your resume plays a big role in your level of success. If this critical document is subpar or if you don’t differentiate yourself from the competition well, you may struggle to land your ideal role.
Luckily, whipping your Golang developer resume into shape doesn’t have to be a challenge. If you want to make sure you Golang developer resume stands out from the crowd, here are three things you need to include.
The C programming language can easily be viewed as an anomaly. Unlike some languages, it has really stood the test of time, remaining relevant after more than 45 years. Plus, C is consistently popular, with many developers still enjoying the language to this day.
However, even with its longevity, that does not mean C does not experience change. With that in mind, here is what you need to know about the C programming language this year.
C18: The New Standard
In late 2018, a new C standard was ratified. Labeled C18, the updated standard is not necessarily something that is dramatically different from prior versions. Instead, it includes more fixes, essentially functioning as more of a continuation of C17 than anything else. In fact, there hasn’t been a significant change to C since C11, where multi-threading support, variable length arrays, anonymous structures and unions, along with a few other differences became official.
By and large, only compiler writers who have a desire to be 100 percent conformant will need to take a deep dive into C18. Nearly everyone else will be able to continue per the usual.
C Remains the Common Language
C is still considered the lowest-level portable language. As a result, many compilers still output C source code, and will likely continue to do so for the foreseeable future.
Since C is considered a common language, its long-term use is still supported by the community. While C++ has made some headway in recent years, including for open-source compilers, C++ code is usually a bit larger than if C is used. Code size can be important, particularly when it comes to IoT and the use of microcontrollers, allowing C to actually gain market share between 2005 and 2018.
Programmers Support C
While most programmers do not learn C as their first language, C is incredibly popular as a second or third language to pick up. Additionally, it is a functional stepping stone for learning C++, which is technically a superset of C, thanks to how easy C is to pick up by comparison.
As a result, most programmers support using C professionally. This increases the likelihood that they will consider it as a viable option for a variety of projects, as enjoyment and prevalence can play a role. Additionally, it is still encountered by programmers on a regular basis, keeping it highly relevant for them and increasing the odds that they will add it to their repertoire if they do not know C already.
Ultimately, while options like Go and Rust are increasing in popularity and, at times, are considered more modern and better alternatives, C is so integrated into the world of technology that the likelihood it will fade into obscurity remains very slim. C is as much a part of the past as it is the future, and programmers from around the world are not inclined to see that change.
Looking to Brush Up on Your Skills? Contact the Experts at The Armada Group!
If you would like to know more about the C programming language, the team at The Armada Group can help. Contact us to speak with a member of our skilled team today and see how our programming trends expertise can benefit you.
3 Risky Areas Where Automation Shouldn’t Solve Your Business’ Issues
Written by Lisa Sullivan
Automation has been a blessing for many businesses. Not only can it help cut costs, but it can also achieve amazing results while removing tedious tasks from the hands of your employees. In essence, it’s a win-win-win, making it hard to ignore.
However, automation isn’t always the way to go. There are some situations where using the technology introduces significant risk, at times in unexpected ways. Before you automate every aspect of your operations, here are three potentially risky outcomes.
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When It Allows the Manual Skill to Disappear
While automation is touted for reducing the need for manual processes, freeing up employees to focus on activities that genuinely require the human touch, using automation to the point where the manual approach is no longer known isn’t a great idea.
Even though technology is robust, it is bound to fail at some point. Technical issues happen every day, so you can’t assume that your company will be immune to trouble. If you rely too heavily on automation, when that problem occurs, no one will know how to default back to the manual process. This can bring business to a standstill.
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When It Leads to Disengagement
Automation is often an excellent way to boost engagement as it gives your workers the ability to handoff duties that are a bit mundane or repetitive. However, when technology is used to make decisions for employees or allows them to distance themselves emotionally from the company’s operational essence, disengagement can occur.
For employees to feel satisfied on the job, they need to connect with the company. Automation has the ability to eliminate core business knowledge over time, making it harder to create a bridge between what the worker is doing and the success of the organization. If morale begins to decrease, productivity generally falls and turnover increases, creating a less than ideal scenario for everyone involved.
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When It Creates Poor Customer Experiences
At some point, everyone has had a poor customer service experience thanks to automation. For example, being stuck talking to an automated call attendant that won’t let you reach out to a person can be infuriating, especially when the system can’t provide you with the information you need.
While using automation to make customer interactions easier can be wise, it shouldn’t be used to dehumanize the entire process. Instead, striking a balance is essential. Otherwise, customer frustration is going to lead to poor word-of-mouth, and that can be incredibly damaging to your business.
Ultimately, automation is a powerful tool, but it must be used wisely. Without an adequate balance between technology and the people-factor, automation can actually do more harm than good.
Ready to Hire Talented Developers? The Armada Group Can Help!
If you would like to learn more about how to use automation to your advantage without harming operations, morale, or customer service, the professionals at The Armada Group can help. Contact us to discuss your questions with one of our experienced team members today and see how our workplace automation expertise can benefit you.
