Have you ever wondered about the career tracks in the technology industry? Are you still in the college hesitating whether to change your major to CS or not? Are you still considering a double major in computer engineering? Do you want to become just a boring programmer who will earn $100,000+ per year, or make innovations no one has ever done before? This article is all about jobs in the tech industry and how you can stand out among others in this field.
With the development of high technologies and everyday’s innovations, the field of computer science and technology is going to have great demand for more than 10 years. Learn more about this article come to https://fireessay.com/. Software developers, computer programmers, data analysts all will be in charge of technological innovations in artificial intelligence, machine learning, deep learning, etc. Let’s look at the top-4 interesting job titles and career paths:
- Systems Architect. It’s a person who develops and implements computer systems and networks, builds and maintains the network in computer systems.
- Computer Network Architect. There is a great number of career paths in this field. You can combine neuroscience and computer applications to develop biotechnological devices or be a cognitive neuroscience researcher for Facebook, or intern in AI research in Google, or just a senior network architect at Apple.
- Web Developer. Web developers can work in any field, starting from fashion, architecture, and media to genome biology or business.
- Product Manager. These people manage the processes and get the goals achieved.
We talked to several representatives of the company who were happy to share their stories with us. We learned that one of the main features of Blackbaud is the acquisition business model which made it possible to merge partners under one company. We also interviewed the Director of Product Management field.
Where do you think the company is headed during the next 5 years?
Our next mission is Blackbaud SKY targeted to a more consistent system where everything will be in one place, including the application services, cloud infrastructure, cloud operations along with SKY API and UX (User Experience). We are heading towards developing one platform that won’t require any transitions to, for example, a separate page for Smart Tuition or any other site. Our goal is to centralize the platform.
What are the biggest challenges the company/department is facing right now?
Compensation structures, employee engagement, and performance discussions.
What do you like the most about working for this company?
I love our company’s mission statement which is “social good.” Our employees have a great number of opportunities to grow professionally by volunteering and getting through professional training in different countries all over the world.
What’s different about working here than anywhere else you’ve worked?
Our working process is called SPRINT. Every five weeks we make monthly releases. Every release consists of two chances of SPRINTS which, in its turn, chunks the prototypes into user stories, such as “As a teacher, I would prefer this and that work”, or “As a student, I would like to change this navigation system”, etc. When we collect these users’ stories, we are defining the main points which will solve all these issues. And this stage is called the planning poker where we estimate the effort for every issue to be solved.
In practice, we can get 70 points to be done in two weeks. And that is our velocity. As a product manager, I am responsible for negotiations, constant meeting with salespeople who help to sell the product on the market, as well as conduct ritual meetings. At the end of the two week cycle we have two types of meetings: retrospective or “feelings” meeting (where everyone is able to share how they feel about the product – good/bad), and demo-day (where developers show their progress).
How does the typical day look like?
It really depends on which job position you occupy. Analysts’ workday, for example, consists of two main parts: they answer phone calls and chats 6 hours/day and then have what we call “research time” for 2 hours/day where they can get involved in different cases. Some analysts then move to professional services such as technical writers or force management team.
How do you create products tailored to your customers and maximize user interaction while minimizing distractions in the user interface?
We stick to the compatibility mode which makes a smooth transition to happen as well as stick to the process called “gentle deployment”, meaning that we are always aware of the appropriate timing of updates releases and changes.
Who are you looking for in your company and how do you measure the employee’s effectiveness?
Right now we are looking for engineers who will support the technical side of the product and who will be professional in the object-oriented programming skills. We are looking for candidates with skills in multiple languages such as C++, C#, Microsoft Sequel, etc. Another important aspect we are looking for in our candidates is their flexibility and multitasking knowledge. Nowadays, every tech employee should have persistence layer (technical knowledge), business layer (logic), services layer (API methods), and presentation layer. All these layers require different skills and techniques.
Can you tell us more about your interview process?
– So, our interview process has been transformed from the traditional form where we meet in person to a more convenient system. We ask the candidates to answer the prompt question by making the video. When they send us their video, we distribute it to all managers working in the hiring field, and in this way, we are involved in the final decision on the candidate.