Tobe
What are some technology tools I should be familiar with?
#tech #technology #computer interview #job-application
5 answers
Nicholas Johnson
Nicholas’s Answer
It all depends on what exactly your career goals, and intentions are. A thing to keep in mind when looking into the computer and technological career options is that they are changing on a daily basis! What companies look for is not only degree's but more so the certificaitons you hold, COMPTIA is one of the biggest well known certifiers, they have basic certificaitons from A+ (which is your standard computer in's and out's) all the way to cybersecurity certificaitons. You can also look into Cisco Certications, cisco is a company that creates a lot of different network equipment and their certifications keep you up to date and relevant not only on their products but other pretty common issues you may run into while diving into the cyber work force. I hope this helps and may be a starting point for now. Please feel free to reach out for more information.
It depends on which domain you are targeting, for software developer one should work on data structure, algorithms, system design problems. https://leetcode.com/ is a good place to go.
Shruti Jauhari
Keith Morris
Keith’s Answer
Hi Tobe,
There are a few ways to look at this based on where and what you you are wanting to do. I think there is a two-facet approach here where you go both wide and deep. I would suggest to any aspiring technologist that you look at gaining general knowledge and understanding in a broad range of technologies (e.g backend development, frontend development, database servers, server configuration, networking essentials, scalability strategies, security, etc.). At the same time, find a technology stack that interests you and got deep on it.
For new developers in the web space, I recommend looking at the Node.js ecosystem along with the frontend frameworks that exist there (e.g. ReactJS, Angular, Vue, etc.). This has some key advantages:
- Reduces the number of languages you need to learn (Javascript on both the server side and client side)
- Helps develop an understanding of server configuration, security, network protocols, and routing
- It's VERY marketable right now
The downside is that Javascript is often considered a "baby" language by the more traditional OOP developers. It is really more about the language doesn't hold your hand and prevent you from making mistakes via IDE type checking and compile time error checking. However, it does allow you to start being productive and seeing immediate feedback without having to learn a love heavier computer science concepts.
Akash Siraswar
Akash’s Answer
As the number of IT certifications and available software on the internet is always growing/changing it can often be confusing when you are first starting out. This is a perfectly normal reaction. I would suggest first picking an area of IT you want to focus on, for example software development, computer networking, cyber security etc. Once you have narrowed down the scope, you can look up beginner courses in the selected field which are available on websites like udemy, coursera etc. These platforms have a good offering of free beginner courses. The good part about following a structured curriculum is that you wont have to worry about looking up resources on multiple different websites. You will also receive a certificate of completion at the end of the course which you can add to your resume. I hope this information helps you. I wish you all the best in your career.
Best Regards,
Akash
Kevin Downs
Kevin’s Answer
Your question is a little open without knowing your ‘technology’ interests. You’ve received some great answers that should help you understand that there is a wide variety of technology you can focus on.
* Have an understanding of computers
* Have an understanding of programming
* Have an understanding of networking
* Have an understanding of security
If you are interested in ‘hands-on’, Nicholas’ answer is spot on - CompTIA A+ is a great starting place.
If you are interested in programming/developing, there are MANY avenues on the Internet to look into as a few answers point out.
For networking, look no further than Cisco.
From a security point of view, check out ISACA.
I’m going to take a different approach. If you look at this list there is an overarching technology that includes them all. Do you know it?
While there are MANY companies that still own, maintain, and administer their own on-premises data center(s), the view today is that the *cloud* is the place to use for your data center needs. This means that older companies are moving (migrating) to the cloud. And, you can't use the internet without going to a company that was 'born in the cloud' - where they NEVER had an on-premises IT environment. This means that almost all companies have a cloud strategy - and they NEED people to help them.
In most of the world, the cloud means Amazon Web Services (AWS), Microsoft Azure, and Google Cloud Platform (GCP). There are others but these are the three that most companies use with AWS and Azure being the top two - and AWS the largest by a large margin.
You can easily learn about the cloud while still in school and I highly encourage it. Open an AWS (or the others) account and start playing around. Note: this will require a credit card or debit. However, if you properly manage your cloud usage, you can easily stay under the ‘free’ tier.
Side note - do a Google search for: top it certifications 2020. This is always a great measuring stick for what's in demand from the job market.
For a beginner, I recommend looking at the AWS Cloud Practitioner certification. Studying for this certification will give you the basics of what cloud providers offer.
Go back and check out that list of technologies above and you'll notice that the cloud offers all of them!
Next, check out acloud.guru to look into achieving an AWS Certification. Getting a college degree is great. However, think about walking into that interview with one or more highly sought after cloud certifications on your resume. Note: depending on how much of the cloud you ‘use’ during your studying, your cloud bill can easily get out of hand. Keep track of your usage!
Bottom line, the cloud offer a great place to expand your skills in a wide variety of technology tools. You can have a wide general knowledge (think cloud architect) or a deeper speciality (think data scientist or security expert). Or, if programming is your interest I guarantee you will be developing an application for the cloud where cloud knowledge will really help you succeed!
Good luck! (However, with a cloud certification, luck is less needed.)
If you liked this answer, please upvote it. ;) Thank you
Kevin recommends the following next steps:
Shruti Jauhari
Shruti’s Answer
Depends on which domain you are targeting, for software developer interview one should work on data structure, algorithms, system design problems.
https://leetcode.com/ is provides a good content for preparation