305: Why You Should Become A Software Engineer and How To Get Started with Patrick Lynott

In this week's show, Phil talks to Patrick Lynott, the Head of UK Admissions & Placement at Boolean, a tech education company that teaches their students to be software engineers and then helps them to land their first job in tech. Patrick talks about why people should consider a career as a software engineer and how Boolean can help. He also discusses the positive ways in which investment is changing the shape of the tech sector in the UK, the best ways for aspiring engineers to begin their careers, and the best resources that can energise your own tech career plans.   KEY TAKEAWAYS: WHY SHOULD I CONSIDER BECOMING A SOFTWARE ENGINEER? Software engineering and coding provides a problem-solving approach and set of challenges that many with an analytical mind find appealing. The career prospects are incredible, and potential for diversity and growth is limitless.   WHAT DO I NEED TO LEARN? Begin by building a mental map of the industry itself, We can best achieve this by hearing from people in the industry through YouTube, blogs, vlogs and other social media. Forming this map of the sector in your own mind will give you a far better idea of what kind of role you'd like to play in it.   WHAT'S THE BEST WAY TO GET STARTED? Networking in places such as LinkedIn and Eventbrite are a great way to begin getting to know people and the kinds of skills that have helped them. Resources such as Codebar can help those at the start of their tech journey, and pairs you with people already in the industry, and allow you to solve problems together.   WHAT'S THE STATE OF THE TECH INDUSTRY IN THE UK (AND THE WORLD) RIGHT NOW? The tech industry is a boom town right now, and has proved resilient and robust, even through the pandemic. The UK right now is the third hottest area for investment in tech, behind only the US and China. Most investment is staying in the south of the country, and specifically London. This has led to a hiring frenzy in the sector.   HOW DOES A NEWBIE OR JUNIOR DEV GET HIRED? The first step is to combat any feelings of impostor syndrome and build confidence in the skills you've accumulated. Gathering effective feedback will help you to identify any potential parts that may need development in your skill set. The next step is correctly identify the terms being used when it comes to tech roles, and better select the career path you want.   WHAT IS BOOLEAN AND HOW IS IT DIFFERENT FROM OTHER TRAINING PROVIDERS? Boolean is an online international tech academy that began in Italy three years ago, and which has partnered with 800+ companies on its hiring platform. It follows a "Six months course with six months career coaching" program of learning. Boolean prides itself on its one-to-one support, and the fact that it directs students in how to solve problems on their own.   HOW MANY STUDENTS HAVE BEEN THROUGH YOUR COURSE, AND GONE ON TO SECURE JOBS? 1,300 students have been trained by Boolean. Last year alone Boolean had a 95% placement rate for students.   BEST MOMENTS (1:50) – Patrick - "The aim is to turn coding newbies into software developers" (9:17) – Patrick - "A question you should ask yourself is 'As a developer at this company, what would my role be in helping a company to achieve its goals?'" (14:55) – Patrick – "Tech is genuinely a way in which we could level up" (18:38) – Patrick – "The tech community is so powerful, so strong. Not just for finding a job, but also for personal growth"   ABOUT THE HOST – PHIL BURGESS Phil Burgess is an independent IT consultant who has spent the last 20 years helping organizations to design, develop, and implement software solutions.  Phil has always had an interest in helping others to develop and advance their careers.  And in 2017 Phil started the I.T. Career Energizer podcast to try to help as many people as possible to learn from the career advice and experiences of those that have been, and still are, on that same career journey.   CONTACT THE HOST – PHIL BURGESS Phil can be contacted through the following Social Media platforms:   Twitter: https://twitter.com/_PhilBurgess LinkedIn: https://uk.linkedin.com/in/philburgess Facebook: https://facebook.com/philtechcareer Instagram: https://instagram.com/_philburgess Website: https://itcareerenergizer.com/contact Phil is also reachable by email at [email protected] and via the podcast's website, https://itcareerenergizer.com Join the I.T. Career Energizer Community on Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/groups/ITCareerEnergizer   ABOUT THE GUEST – PATRICK LYNOTT Patrick Lynott is the Head of UK Admissions & Placement at Boolean, a tech education company that teaches their students to be software engineers and then helps them to land their first job in tech.   CONTACT THE GUEST – PATRICK LYNOTT Patrick Lynott can be contacted through the following Social Media platforms: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/patricklynott/ Website: https://boolean.co.uk/