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5 essential habits of highly successful programmers

Posted on October 10, 2022November 14, 2022 by seoteam

Software engineers are part of a highly dynamic industry. Millions of people are passionate about software development but often struggle to find the pathway to becoming part of the industry. Developer, programmer, coder, software developer, and software engineer are often used interchangeably but differ a bit. Anyone can be a coder or developer, but you need more than just familiarity with a programming language or syntax to be a good programmer. Being a programmer requires teaching habits that put you on a track to becoming a highly successful software professional.

Here we list the critical programmer habits that can help you develop your skills as a programmer.

1. Be on a path to lifelong learning

Even most experienced programmers never stop learning. As a successful programmer, you must try to learn and be the best you can be. Computer science is a vast field with limitless scope for innovation and creativity. Many new technologies, concepts, and principles appear in the industry every day, and to be at the top of the trade, you have to keep learning. For instance, JavaScript has seen fast-paced development over the last two decades. A JavaScript developer must keep learning the new frameworks like Reach, Angular, Vue, Node, and more to benefit from the new features and capabilities these frameworks offer.

As a successful programmer, you won’t just write code but will also be tasked with helping others through online communities like Stack Overflow and GitHub. You must select some reliable resources that provide news and updates on your chosen tech to keep ahead.

2. Learning and mastering multiple programming languages

As a beginner, a developer can start with a single programming language and work their way up. To be a successful programmer, you must learn and master several programming languages. Programming languages always have different areas for which they are best suited. As an experienced programmer, you will have to use multiple languages within a project to solve various challenges.

For example, Java can be your choice for cross-platform development, and C/C++ may be used for developing much faster systems. For writing a web application, you will have to use PHP, Ajax, ASP, or JavaScript, and for the server-side of things, Perl, Python, or Ruby are best suited. One of the essential programmer tips we want to share is that you must keep exploring more technologies to broaden your horizon. The more familiar you are with multiple programming languages, then your approach will be more holistic.

3. Avoid restricting yourself to a single development environment

Every programmer has their own favorite tools and technologies to be more productive and write better code. Some programmers prefer veteran IEDs like Vi and Notepad, while others go for Emacs and Gedits. Most new-age programmers prefer GUI code editors like VS Code and VC++. There is much debate about what tools a programmer must use to be productive, but successful programmers know that tools don’t matter as long as they provide the ability to write clean and concise code faster.

This is why experienced programmers never limit themselves to a particular development environment. They explore and optimize several environments that allow them to compare several tools and learn which one is best suited for the job. It also helps them develop attention to detail. Being a skillful developer involves learning tools faster and sometimes on the go.

4. Be a good team player

Successful programmers have more than just technical attributes; they are also skilled team players. For programmers, soft skills are as necessary as technical skills. There is hardly any software you can write alone, and if you cannot bring your abilities to a team, it is doubtful that you will ever be a successful programmer.

Team play is a vital habit that separates good software engineers from great programmers. Answer the following honestly:

Do you have the correct manner of communicating with other team members?
Do you communicate regularly to anticipate and welcome their ideas?
Do others enjoy discussing projects with you?
Think outside the work. Are you a great team player in activities?

These are a few questions that will help you understand whether you are a team player or not. Apart from this, there are other mandatory soft skills that developers should have.

5. Turn your work into documentation

A clean and maintainable code has comments. But a well-documented code is the tell-tale sign of an expert programmer. When documentation is available, it helps other developers and team members understand your code. It also makes it much easier to transfer knowledge and conserve the thought process around the code. Make it a habit to always document your code to make it readable and maintainable.

Inculcating these programmer habits will ensure you are successful in your career. To explore better job opportunities as a successful programmer, join Talent500.

4 salary negotiation rules for software developers

Posted on October 7, 2022November 16, 2022 by surya

It is observed that in the software industry, there is a high pay variance. Developers with equivalent experience may have a salary difference of thousands of dollars. Sometimes, this variation is due to the company size and salaries for the very same profiles may widely differ due to a variety of factors such as more experience, additional qualifications and such in favor of the employee.

However, this could also be a result of skillful salary negotiation. A employee study conducted by Payscale revealed 28% of employees felt uncomfortable asking for a pay raise.

The difference in developer salaries among various job profiles can also be stark because programmers are never taught how to lead salary negotiation talks. Hence the lack of understanding of the rules of pay negotiations results in settling for less pay. Whether you are a beginner developer or have years of experience, salary negotiation skills will play a key role in deciding your earnings.

Here we share some essential salary negotiation rules that developers should know.

1. Learn to be strategic with timing

One of the leverages you can have as a candidate is to have multiple offers on the table. When you have offers from various employers, you can push the interviewer to match other offers or compare benefits. The problem arises when a developer gets staggered offers, making negotiation more challenging.

You cannot negotiate the salary skillfully if the offers are too close. You might lose multiple offers if the negotiations fail. It is why you need to plan the timing of interviews carefully. For instance, if you have an interview lined up with one company and the second round of interviews with another company, choose the latest interview slots to keep them separated as much as possible.

Another scenario when the timing is essential is when pursuing a pay raise. Often developers ask for a raise during the review season. By this time, most managers have already decided who will get a raise and who won’t. Asking for a pay raise early on will be helpful for both developers and managers. It will provide feedback to the managers about the pay raise expectations, or it can result in an immediate pay raise.

However, a necessary precaution to take is to be polite with your words and avoid ultimatums. No manager will like to be told “or else.”

2. Do not tell the salary you want

Another important rule of salary negotiation is not to specify a number when discussing your expected pay, even when you know what your skills are worth.

When you explicitly give them a number, you set a ceiling. That’s the maximum salary you will be offered, but often interviewers will negotiate the pay lower than the number you quote. In the worst case, you might mention a number lower than the company is willing to pay, lowering your payments. There is no win-win in telling them what salary you want; it will only go down from the figure you state.

Instead, ask the interviewer about their developer salary budget. They must lowball the budget, and it will give you a salary floor to negotiate up from. Similarly, you might be asked about your current compensation. Avoid answering this question as well.

You can answer such queries with something like, “I’m not comfortable sharing my current salary. Rather I would like to focus on the value I can add to the company.”

3. Focus on what the company wants, not what you prefer

All salary negotiation talks ultimately come down to what you can do for the company. You undermine the negotiation if you lead the argument by stating that you want or deserve higher pay.

When you are not logically justifying why you deserve the salary you expect, you are just making an empathetic request to the company to fulfill your desire for higher pay. It will damage salary negotiation efforts, so you must focus on the company’s needs. Tell them how you can meet them. Focus the conversation on what you bring to the table and let the company see how your skills deserve fair compensation.

Even if your developer salary demands are rejected, ask the company about its requirements. Ask what performance they expect in the next six months to feel comfortable approving your salary raise request.

The onus will be on you to prove that you can deliver what’s asked for.

4. Practice your negotiation strategy

Salary negotiation, as you read here, is easier said than done. It would help if you practiced before you could successfully negotiate your salary. Do mock negotiations with a friend to eliminate the fear of talking about money; it is an essential negotiation strategy. We are conditioned not to do so, but it’s crucial for a raise.

Practice will help you develop a natural flow to ensure you walk through the critical salary negotiation points without being anxious.

Conclusion

Salary negotiation is one of the essential soft skills for a developer. If you are a skillful negotiator, you can earn steeply more. We hope these developer salary negotiation rules will help you confidently walk into your next negotiation.

Talent500 is a platform for companies to build remote engineering teams. Join our elite talent pool to be discovered by Fortune 500 companies and fast-growing startups. Sign up here.

4 habits that keep programmers from becoming senior developers

Posted on October 6, 2022 by seoteam

A career as a software developer ranks as #2 in the best technology jobs. Computing technology is growing exponentially, and we are at the cusp of automation. The US Bureau of Labor and Statistics predicts software developer jobs will grow 17% between 2014 and 2024, a much faster growth rate than any other profession. Still, there is a server shortage of senior developers, and over 40 million technical jobs go unfulfilled due to a lack of skilled talent. One might argue that with so many people passionate about software development, why do they lack the skills to advance in the field?

The problem is a lack of understanding of what makes successful senior developers. Your technical skills and experience can only get you so far. To be a highly successful developer career, you might have to keep away from some of the fairly common developer habits.

Talent500 team evaluated several successful developers and noted their habits and traits. Here are the programmer habits that can keep you from becoming a senior developer.

1. Not making active decisions

As a programmer, you will spend most of your time coding. However, you must work proactively and make operational decisions for career progression. There is no set path to becoming a senior developer. It is not a position that you will be upgraded to automatically after spending a few years as a junior developer. Depending on the competition within your organization, it can take time.

At most IT companies, even with exceptional skills, developers wait a long time to become senior developers. To stay ahead of the competition, you should not depend on your manager to progress your career. Instead, make an effort and take calculated risks based on your skills and experience. If you are stuck in a dead-end job, don’t expect your leaders to rescue you, upskill, seek more responsibilities, and take risks to break free.

2. Incessant complaining about the workplace issues

As a programmer, you are expected to be good at solving problems. But, when it comes to workplace issues, just your coding skills aren’t enough. Suboptimal tools and processes can hinder your productivity and reduce the code quality. Another challenge developers face when working within a team is uncollaborative teammates. When faced with such workplace issues, you have two options: solve them or complain about them.

What do you think senior developers do?

Emotional maturity is another trait of senior developers that employers look for. If you incessantly complain about workplace issues, you lack the maturity to become a senior developer. Senior developers never blame the team or management; instead, they put effort into solving workplace issues to create a healthy work environment.

Complaining and blame-game are programmer habits that prevent developers from growing in their careers. Such professionals are seen as troublemakers by leaders. Therefore, nurture patience and maturity that will earn you the respect of peers. It ultimately contributes to your promotion to a senior level.

3. Assuming the user, or the environment of the product

This comes from the desk of Karen Panetta, IEEE fellow and associate dean of the school of engineering at Tufts University. She explains that a habit that can limit a developer’s career is to assume what’s not specified within the functional requirements of a product. Wrong assumptions can kill the product. As a developer, it is your responsibility to anticipate the needs of the product as often clients are not tech savvy and depend on you to lead the project development. Senior developers are outstanding communicators with presentation skills and the ability to convey a concept to any audience.

Developers who lack the skill to communicate with stakeholders and help them understand the requirements and needs of a product will find it hard to climb up the career ladder.

4. Lacking professional discipline

Professional discipline is a virtue necessary for success in any career. Any programmer aspiring to become a senior developer must have a disciplined approach.

What does professional discipline for software developers encompass?

Developers must possess important discipline elements, among other essential soft skills, including fulfilling commitments at work, meeting deadlines, being collaborative, showing empathy, asking for help when needed, effective delegation, and assisting team growth.

In theory, these traits might sound easy to possess, but on the ground, many software engineers fail to adhere to them. The most common reason for their failure is the lack of understanding or willingness to amp up their performance to become better developers. However, any senior developer will have these attributes, and if you aspire to be one, you must actively work on nurturing them.

Being a senior developer requires working hard to meet deadlines, delivering products under pressure without venting out on the team, guiding the team through challenges, and being fully aware of your capabilities and limitations. If you lack professional discipline, you will become a bottleneck for your growth and the entire team.

Conclusion

These four programmer habits can prove costly to your career growth. To become a senior developer, you proactively need to adjust your technical and soft skills to avoid or overcome these habits.

Talent500 is a platform for developers to find senior roles with global companies. Sign up here to join our elite pool of talent.

Top 4 algorithms to improve your JavaScript skills

Posted on September 28, 2022 by venkatesh

JavaScript is a skill that makes a developer a valuable candidate for any front-end or back-end position. When more than 98% of websites use JavaScript, it is evident that no web development project can take place without JavaScript components. It is required for any interaction between the user and a web page.

Suppose you are building a website to display the score of an ongoing sports tournament. As a developer, you can take two approaches here. First, manually update the value on the server, and users have to refresh the browser screen for score updates. Second, the viewer screen updates automatically every time there is an update in the value on the server.

Without a doubt, the latter approach is preferable. This is what JavaScript can achieve. It can significantly automate the functionalities and components of a web application.

To truly utilize the functionality of JavaScript, you must master some algorithms. This article will list the top four algorithms a JavaScript developer should know.

1. Linear search

One of the simplest JavaScript algorithms is linear search used for searching a data set. This algorithm starts from the 0th element, comparing the user’s input to return the positional value of the element finally.

It is often used to find missing elements in an array using JavaScript code. Here’s an example:

Find the missing number in this array:

Input: [1, 2, 3, 4, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10]

Algorithm:

const find_missing = function(input) {

let n = input.length + 1; let sum = 0;

for (let i in input) {

sum += input[i];

}return Math.floor((n * (n + 1)) / 2) – sum;

};

Output: 5

2. Reversal algorithm

It is the algorithm used in JavaScript to reverse an array. The reversal algorithm creates subarrays and changes them to perform the rotation of an array.

Array alignment is one of the essential JavaScript skills to master. You can achieve the same with the reversal algorithm. Here is an example of a realignment in JavaScript:

Input: [1,2,3]

Code:

const permute = function(nums) {

let results = [];let go = (current) => {

if (current.length === nums.length){

results.push(current);

return;

}

nums.forEach(n => {

if (!current.includes(n)){

go([…current, n]);

}

});

}

go([]);

return results;

};

Output: [[1,2,3],[1,3,2],[2,1,3],[2,3,1],[3,1,2],[3,2,1]]

The same algorithm can be used for string array alignment.

Here is an example of two input strings that we check for alignment using the reversal algorithm.

Input: s1 = “ab”, s2 = “eidbao”

Output: true

Input: s1 = “aa”, s2 = “eidbao”

Output: false

JavaScript code:

const checkPermutation = function(s1, s2) {

const len1 = s1.length, len2 = s2.length;

if (len1 > len2) return false;const count = Array(26).fill(0);

for (let i = 0; i < len1; i++) {

count[s1.charCodeAt(i)-97]++;

count[s2.charCodeAt(i)-97]–;

}

if (!count.some(e => e !== 0)) return true;for (let i = len1; i < len2; i++) {

count[s2.charCodeAt(i)-97]–;

count[s2.charCodeAt(i-len1)-97]++;

if (!count.some(e => e !== 0)) return true;

}

return false;

};

3. Number-to-word conversion

This algorithm converts any given number into an English word string. It uses some predefined strings, and the output is generated using the values from these strings.

Input: 786

Output: Seven hundred and eighty-six

JavaScript code:

#include<iostream>

using namespace std;

string getUnit(int n) {

//Return single digit to word

string unit[10] = {“Zero”, “One”,”Two”, “Three”,”Four”,”Five”, “Six”,”Seven”,”Eight”,”Nine”};

return unit[n];

}

string getTwoDigits(int n) {

//Here n is 2 digit number

string td[10] = {“Ten”, “Eleven”,”Twelve”,”Thirteen”, “Fourteen”,”Fifteen”,”Sixteen”,”Seventeen”,”Eighteen”,”Nineteen”};

return td[n%10];

}

string getTenMul(int n) {

//Here n is a multiple of 10

string tm[8] = {“Twenty”, “Thirty”,”Fourty”, “Fifty”,”Sixty”, “Seventy”,”Eighty”,”Ninty”};

return tm[n-2];

}

string getTenPow(int pow) {

//The power of ten in words

string power[2] = {“Hundred”, “Thousand”};

return power[pow-2];

}

void printNumToWord(int n) {

if(n >= 0 && n < 10)

cout << getUnit(n) << ” “;

//Unit values to word

else if(n >= 10 && n < 20)

cout << getTwoDigits(n) << ” “;

//from eleven to nineteen

else if(n >= 20 && n < 100) {

cout << getTenMul(n/10)<<” “;

if(n%10 != 0)

printNumToWord(n%10); //Recursive call to convert num to word

}else if(n >= 100 && n < 1000) {

cout << getUnit(n/100)<<” “;

cout <<getTenPow(2) << ” “;

if(n%100 != 0) {

cout << “And “;

printNumToWord(n%100);

}

}else if(n >= 1000 && n <= 32767) {

printNumToWord(n/1000);

cout <<getTenPow(3)<<” “;

if(n%1000 != 0)

printNumToWord(n%1000);

}else

printf(“Invalid Input”);

}

main() {

int number;

cout << “Enter a number between 0 to 32767: “; cin >> number;

printNumToWord(number);

}

4. 4sum algorithm

4sum is another important JavaScript algorithm that finds several uses in computational applications. It is used to find the four elements in an array whose sum equals the required answer.

JavaScript code example:

const fourSum = function(nums, target) {

let result = [];

let length = nums.length;

if (length < 4) return result;

nums = nums.sort((a, b) => a – b );for (let i = 0; i < length – 3; i++) {

if (nums[i] === nums[i – 1]) continue;

for (let j = i + 1; j < length – 2; j++) {

if (j > i + 1 && nums[j] === nums[j – 1]) continue;let k = j + 1;

let l = length – 1;while (k < l) {

const sum = nums[i] + nums[j] + nums[k] + nums[l];if (sum === target) {

result.push([nums[i], nums[j], nums[k], nums[l]])

}if (sum <= target) {

k += 1;

while (nums[k] === nums[k – 1]) {

k += 1;

}

}if (sum >= target) {

l -= 1;

while (nums[l] === nums[l + 1]) {

l -= 1;

}

}return result;

};

Conclusion

Whether you are a front-end or a back-end developer, these are four important JavaScript algorithms to learn. They are widely used in web applications, from delivery tracking websites to ticket booking apps.

Talent500 has some great learning resources for JavaScript developers. And, if you are looking for job opportunities, sign up here.

4 great tips to stand out in a coding interview

Posted on September 28, 2022 by seoteam

Software developers often have to feel the weight of the struggle of preparing for interviews more than several other professionals. This is because, as a developer, you will have to persist through verbal interviews and several coding exams, whiteboard tests, and behavioral interviews.

Unsurprisingly, developers work hard to prepare for technical interviews by solving challenges, reading tutorials, and exploring tricky interview questions.

A typical coding interview involves writing the code in real-time on a whiteboard or collaborative editor. You are given 30 to 45 minutes to solve the problem. The interviewer will look at your code to see if you meet the role’s requirements. It is your responsibility to show them that you have the skills. Your communication skills are important as you must explain your thought process while typing code.

To stand apart from the beginning, you can communicate your approach to the interviewer even before you start to code to validate your approach. Most candidates do not care about sharing their thought processes and end up coding an unacceptable approach.

This article shares some tips to stand out in a coding interview.

1. Ask for clarifications

A significant distinction between verbal and technical coding interviews is that you can explore the question on deeper technical grounds. You can ask for clarification if you are unclear about the exact expectation from the question.

It is not uncommon to see many candidates start solving problems without asking for clarification. Most of them realize half the way through solving the problem that they went in the wrong direction. For instance, if the question is about resetting an array by removing all the empty elements, you can ask the interviewer whether you are allowed to use an array.length function or not.

An ideal software development candidate is the one who asks for every detail and the requirement of the project to ensure that all business needs are met. To practice, you can have a brainstorming session with your colleagues or friends.

Remember, you must ask good questions that demonstrate your problem-solving strategy, not random queries.

2. Demonstrate analytical thinking

The primary goal of a technical coding interview is to challenge your analytical thinking. Learning a programming language is not difficult; nurturing problem-solving skills makes you unique as a candidate. The interviewer is trying to evaluate your ability to foresee potential issues when writing a program.

Be prepared to defend yourself against why you chose a particular technology for the problem. For example, if you opted for a relational database instead of a nonrelational one, you can be asked to clarify your approach. The trick here is not to be biased toward a particular technology. Instead, it would be best if you focused on the needs of the business rather than your personal favorite. Analytical thinking is a valuable skill that indicates that you will take a logical approach to complex problems to deploy optimized solutions rather than sticking with a programming language, framework, or platform you like.

3. Show willingness to learn

An example of a bad interview is when a candidate states they have fluency with a particular programming language and don’t want to explore new technologies. It portrays you as someone who is not willing to learn. Such an approach might be okay if you’re a freelance developer, but companies prefer software engineers who are self-driven learners.

Not just for technical interviews but as a habit, you must explore new domains that might interest you. For instance, you might find DevOps and AI interesting if you are a backend developer. Make it a point to mention during an interview what you are interested in and how you are educating yourself. When you show your willingness to learn, you become an attractive candidate. You don’t have to worry about mastering the new programming language or technology completely. The point of this approach is that you keep learning more about technologies to broaden your knowledge. It helps you find new strategies to solve a given problem.

4. Tell them about your hobby project

You need to start one if you already don’t have a hobby coding project. Companies find developers who are passionate about hobby projects attractive. It not only demonstrates your dedication to the profession but also speaks of the technology you are currently using or exploring.

While it might seem odd, only a fraction of software developers have hobby projects, so if you maintain projects outside the work, don’t be shy to show off your accomplishments at home.

Conclusion

Today, coding interviews evaluate more than just your technical skills. Companies strategize technical interview rounds in a manner to anticipate your structured analytical thinking, eagerness to learn, and ability to persevere under pressure. We hope these tips will help you prepare for your following technical interview.

Talent500 is one of the most popular global remote team-building platforms that Fortune 500 companies and fast-growing start-ups use. Join the elite talent pool to get discovered by the best companies. Sign up here.

How to provide criticism to your team as a senior or lead developer

Posted on April 29, 2022April 29, 2022 by seoteam

It can be challenging to share criticism with your team as it requires you to be mindful of the type of personality you are dealing with.

Still, sharing criticism is part of managing software development teams. It can be a formidable tool for creating high-performing engineering teams that yield results with the right strategy.

A typical development team will have several developers working together at the helm of a team manager. It consists of back end developers, front end developers, designers, testers, and copywriters. As a lead developer, you are at the task of handling the needs and wants of the clients while monitoring developers for performance and skills. You also have to share honest feedback with team members that may not always be positive.

Unfortunately, while providing criticism is essential, few managers understand how to do it right. In fact, according to a Gallup survey, only 26% of employees agree that the feedback they received made them work better.

We aim to help senior developers become effective managers by sharing tips on how they can help their teams get better at what they do. Let’s begin and know how to be an excellent senior developer/ lead developer.

1. Know your team

Before you provide criticism, you must know each programmer in your team at the individual level. Profile each person to understand their strengths and weaknesses. It will help you anticipate the areas in which each team member is most likely to fall short.

Your goal is not to stop providing criticism but to enable the learning and growth of the team members. As a lead developer, mentorship is one of your core responsibilities. Before you call upon an unacceptable behavior or shortcoming, first ensure that you understand the other person’s concerns. If their opinion is different from yours about the given task, look at things from their perspective.

If you find that the criticism is acceptable to you personally, you can confidently share it with the concerned person.

2. Practice empathy and encouragement in communication

To err is human, so be mindful of this wisdom, and you will never make the feedback a one-way monologue. Show empathy in your communication and ask the recipient about their perspective of things. It should go without saying, as a senior developer, you must make subordinates feel valued.

Encouragement must accompany criticism, and when you maintain a respectful tone, your message is much more effective. Replace ‘you’ and ‘your’ with ‘we’ and ‘our.’ Remember, you are trying to create a dialogue, not single out the mistakes.

3. Directing people, not code

A development team will have different levels of seniority and experience working on the same product. Not all teammates will have the same coding style, and each person will take a different approach to solve the same problem. As a lead developer, your job is to keep each team member motivated while demanding code quality, stability, and optimization. It is not possible without criticism but be careful.

How you will deliver the criticism can be the difference between leading an average coder on a path to becoming a great programmer or placing him into a vicious cycle of unproductiveness where he will leave the job or get fired.

You have to lead the person, not the code. Avoid punishing a developer for the mistakes he commits when coding. Instead, convey what is expected from him, making him realize that he can improve.

4. Provide clear and actionable feedback

In your career progression, you might have come across managers who told you something like, “You should be more reliable,” or, “Try to be more proactive.” That’s ambiguity at its best. How are you supposed to know what they are referring to? Never initiate talks or provide feedback with such blurry statements.

Instead of saying, “Try to be more proactive,” be more specific. Something like, you told me you would come up with some solution to improve server response time, but still haven’t. Are you facing any issues?

If you are not sharing specific criticism, you are confusing developers in your team. They cannot identify which behaviors are inappropriate for successful performance. Providing constructive and transparent criticism lets them know that they are doing things right, but there is room for improvement.

Furthermore, always keep in mind that you target a specific action or behavior with criticism. Please avoid commenting on the person or their personality at all costs. It includes things that are beyond their control. For instance, if you share feedback on an employee’s speech, talk about the content, body language, presentation, etc., rather than telling them that their voice is too husky.

5. Value their opinions and vision

Incentives and benefits might make employees happy, but their opinions and vision keep them engaged at work. Being dismissive of their views might break their spirit. Unless you appreciate your team members’ ideas, no number of team-building events and company retreats can motivate them to work.

Conclusion

Delivering criticism without hurting anyone is the difference between ineffective and efficient managers. As a lead developer, focus your criticism on helping your team grow rather than forcing them to deliver short-term gains.

Talent500 is the platform where many fast-growing startups and Fortune500 companies hire senior developers. Join our community of elite talent today.

The tech hubs of tomorrow

Posted on December 17, 2021December 17, 2021 by shanthamurthy

The pandemic catalyzed the shift to a digital working interface, and remote working opened the door to a world that many companies had not yet considered – recruiting across borders. Companies, especially when recruiting for tech roles, now have access to an unlimited pool of highly qualified technical talent from hubs across the globe.

A key factor that companies assess when choosing a country to migrate over a digital-run economy, is its readiness. More importantly, the existing infrastructure should be able to withstand the bandwidth-intensive spike in traffic.

Some additional factors taken by businesses when hiring globally include:

Existence, robustness, and resilience of platforms key to business continuity
Digital payment solutions in use to ensure seamless transactions

Research conducted at Tufts University’s Fletcher School measured the readiness of 42 countries in this regard. This data is important because it shows which locations have the required infrastructure and resilience to accommodate the needs of companies. The findings showed that advanced economies were usually better prepared and a better choice, but such was not always the case. The EU, for instance, was found lacking due to archaic infrastructure and many limitations.

So, which locations make the cut for ideal tech hotspots in a digital world? More importantly, can any of these locations emerge as tech hubs of tomorrow? Read on to find out.

Argentina

Among Latin American locations, Argentina is a hotspot for tech companies looking to find remote workers in the industry. Its IT sector has seen tremendous advancement over the past years, but its appeal to industry leaders is due to its talent pool.

Per Coursera’s Global Skills Index Report 2020, Argentina secured Rank 22 globally for Data Science Skills. Some of the categories in which it outdid other Latin American countries were:

Cybersecurity
Cloud computing
Application Programming Interface
Convolutional Neural Network
Web development
UX design
Internet of Things

That’s not all. The same year, Argentina also secured 1^st place in the global ranking in technology. The Argentinian government is also actively involved in the development of this sector, with one of its campaign goals centered around increasing the number of women in technological fields. As per a report, this has proven effective and is expected to grow to include 40% of females by 2024.

The wages for such professionals are another reason why tech companies are likely to jump at the opportunity to set up remote teams here. The average monthly income for software developers is about $1000, and can go up to double the amount based on seniority.

Poland

Nearly a quarter of the 1 million IT professionals in the Eastern and Central European regions live and work in Poland as per data published by Stack Overflow. For a country in the heart of the EU, the sheer numbers alone make it a tech hub for the world. Teams working in this region enjoy easy collaboration benefits, and their stable economy reduces the risk of attrition.

From an employer’s standpoint, Poland is one of the ideal locations to set up a remote team for a number of reasons:

Ranked 3^rd globally on the HackerRank challenges.
Nearly half, 43.5%, of the population has a tertiary level education across STEM fields.
Salaries in Poland can be up to 50% lower than the average salary in the US or Western Europe. In fact, the average salary is around $25,800, which is nearly 3X less than the salary offered in the US for the same quality of service.
Professionals often work with international companies and are proficient in English. Communication problems are few, and this is key for a remote team.

Brazil

With over 450,000 developers, Brazil has steadily become one of the locations that tech companies choose when hiring or setting up distributed teams. Much like the other Latin American powerhouse, Argentina, the IT infrastructure in Brazil is booming. Tech parks, accelerators, and high-density research centers churn out some of the most talented professionals, most of whom are sure to be assets.

A key reason why Brazil is soon to become the go-to in the future is because of its proximity to the United States. Collaboration is much easier, and top tech companies located in the valley won’t have trouble with the time difference and can work in real-time. Lastly, Brazil offers cost-effective talent that is reliable with high retention rates. The average yearly salary here is $18,043 and as the market isn’t as competitive, the risk of attrition is negligible.

India

India has always been known to be one of the most cost-effective locations for technology-related services. The country has more than 2 million people working within the IT sector, meaning that companies have a rich vein of talent to choose from.

Besides this, tech companies looking to set up remote teams in India also benefit from the fact that it is a cost-effective option and that it has a booming IT market. The average hourly wage for IT professionals in India is between $25 and $49 per hour, and it is possible to work with experts at a significantly cheaper rate. Communication is another plus point as English is a primary language. Combining the largest talent pool with the evolving IT sector, companies looking to set up efficient remote teams needn’t look any further.

According to Gartner, as many as 51% of knowledge-intensive workers like engineers and writers will work remotely by the end of 2021. This seems more than likely considering the vast pool of talent spread around the globe and tech companies are sure to leverage them to the maximum. However, choosing skilled workers from the tech hubs is just one-half of the battle. The other is extracting true value from the exchange. Oftentimes the price-to-quality ratio isn’t all that favorable. This is especially the case with remote software development teams and fixing issues could easily cost twice as much.

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Node.js vs. Django: How to pick the right development tool

Posted on December 9, 2021December 9, 2021 by vallish

A good web app or website interacts with users seamlessly, attracting them and keeping them engaged. This makes choosing the right developing tool a critical first step. However, this is no simple task, especially when you have to choose between two equally resourceful, robust, and popular technology stacks.

Node.js is a JavaScript-based cross-platform that can run on both the client and server sides. On the other hand, Django is a Python-based cross-platform that eliminates repetitive tasks, enabling speedy and agile web app development.

Both Node.js and Django are popular open-source frameworks, replete with unique features and functionalities. Choosing between the two can be difficult. To make a sound decision, take a look at this comparative analysis of the two frameworks and make a decision that best suits your needs.

Django

Django is a free, python-based web development framework that is open-source and designed on the model-view-controller architecture. This enables you to develop a powerful back-end to your web application speedily.

Popular web apps developed using Django

YouTube
Bitbucket
Spotify
Mozilla
Instagram
Dropbox
Disqus

Advantages of Django

Django is a resourceful framework that is not only easy to implement but also easy to learn. Anyone with basic knowledge of Python can master this framework in no time.
Django offers several in-built frameworks that enable the quick and easy development of web applications.
It offers strong security provisions.
Its resourceful framework is capable of running several complex and high-level processes.

Disadvantages of Django

While easy to learn and implement, Django is extensive and requires several lines of code. It may become infeasible for websites with low bandwidth.
Django is ideal for big, interactive, feature-heavy web applications. The performance of a small website with fewer features based on the Django framework deteriorates over time.
The framework can only support single-layered applications.
Django is not built to handle numerous individual requests simultaneously.

Node.js

Designed in 2009, the Node.js framework is based on C, C++, and JavaScript. Similar to Django, Node.js is an open-source platform, using which you can write on the client and server-side. The code is accessible outside the web portal, making Node.js a light and fast tool to build scalable network applications.

Popular web apps developed using Node.js

eBay
Medium
Uber
PayPal
NASA
Netflix
LinkedIn

Advantages of Node.js

It is a flexible and robust framework used to develop both the front-end and back-end of a project.
Node.js helps develop platforms that can be scaled both vertically and horizontally.
It is easy to use with minimum complications.
Node.js is a popular web development tool that has a widespread global community. As such, it is easily accessible and promotes easy troubleshooting.

Disadvantages of Node.js

It requires highly skilled web developers.
Its API changes frequently, resulting in effort-intensive code changes.
Node.js is not as secure.
It does not support coordinated programming, making it complicated for many developers.
It cannot handle intricate CPU-based tasks.

Decoding how Node.js and Django are different

Which developing tool should you choose?

Your choice of developing framework can define the success or failure of your web application. While both are robust and highly advanced frameworks, choosing one comes down to your web-app requirement and your preference. Using the above-mentioned information regarding various parameters, make an informed decision that aligns with your project requirements.

For example, if you require a web app with tight security features and have a short development window, choose Django. On the other hand, if you want to build a highly flexible, feature-heavy, and customizable web app, opt for the Node.js framework.

Remember, there is no wrong answer here! Choosing the one that helps deliver a successful project is pertinent. With enough experience and learning, you can make the right choice and deliver highly satisfying projects. These are the makings of a developer innovating at leading and renowned companies.

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