I was recently chatting with a computer science student about her personal career goals. She was struggling a bit to name anything specific that she’s hoping to accomplish, saying it’s largely because there are so many possibilities. She asked me, “What tools should I know? What things are most likely to get me a job?” […]

As a student, it was during my final portfolio review that I got my big break (by talking to the person that would become my first boss and employer). It was also during the portfolio review process that design professionals reinforced what my professors had been teaching us all along (which, maaaaaaaybe, I was too […]

Franklin Barbecue is one of the best-regarded barbecue spots in the country. A few years back, my wife and I took a trip to Austin, with one goal being to get some of the world-famous smoked meat. Like a lot of best-in-class spots, one doesn’t merely walk in and get some food (I’m looking at […]

Yesterday, you learned how to select a conference that aligns with your professional development goals. Hopefully, you’ll take the plunge and register for a conference soon. Here are a few ways to maximize your experience and get the most out of your investment. 1. Fully Engage For most people, work responsibilities don’t disappear when you […]

Conferences aren’t cheap. Registration fees, travel expenses, and time spent away from the office can add up fast. How can you get the most value from your investment? In this two-part guide, you’ll learn how to pick the right conference and make the most of your time attending.

Last fall, a small group of us at Atomic Object Grand Rapids decided to sign up for Amazon’s AWS Certified Cloud Practitioner Exam. The cohort consisted of Dan, JoeC, Lydia, PatrickB, and myself. Even though most of the group had prior exposure to AWS, we were interested in a more focused look at the services […]

Last week, the tech leads in Atomic’s Grand Rapids office got together to share professional development interests and brainstorm opportunities for 2020. Atomic has sponsored employee professional development since its beginning, including an internal conference (“Atomic Con”) and funding for conferences, certifications, classes, reading groups, etc. This year, the Grand Rapids tech leads wanted to […]

I’ve been recruiting folks to join Atomic for a while now, but this year’s a bit different. The folks I’m offering jobs to this year were born after I finished college. I’m officially old! Stack Overflow’s developer survey confirms it: if development was still my primary role, I’d be in the top 15% of developers […]

Pair programming is fantastic. And daunting. It’s one of the most effective ways to build high-quality code quickly and efficiently in a flexible way. But your first time pairing can be terrifying. If solo programming is like making your own lunch in the morning, switching to pair programming can feel like being asked to make […]

In the workplace, we often talk about how to be a good mentor and offer the most to those trying to learn from us. But how can you best take advantage of a situation when you are a mentee and not a mentor?