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Mateo

So, you’ve been studying at a university or college for some time now and want to become a developer. A lot of questions are probably popping up: “What should I do? Which technology should I learn? Where should I look for an internship and/or a full-time job?” I’m here to help you out.<hr>The number of questions can be overwhelming. What’s even more overwhelming are the results you get when you Google all of them.Looking back now, as a professional web developer for the past 5 years, I decided to give my younger self the answers to all of those questions.The first lesson is - grab a coffee. You’re gonna need it as a dev. Now we can talk.&nbsp;So, tell me what’s bothering you, young padawan.<h2>1. What should I learn to become a developer?&nbsp;</h2>You probably feel there are so many options and are not sure where to start. And you wonder if you can really learn everything you need in a 60-hour course.The short answer - no, you can’t.&nbsp;It’s a painful path. You’ll be going back and forth and facing frustrations and mistakes. However, it’s also very rewarding. You’re a problem solver. You’re doing this because you love identifying problems and finding solutions for them.&nbsp; If you don’t know where to start, try the first thing you come across. Imagine you’re Alice in Wonderland (making me the Cat): “Would you tell me, please, which way I ought to go from here?” “That depends a good deal on where you want to get to,” said the Cat. “I don’t much care where—” said Alice. “Then it doesn’t matter which way you go,” said the Cat. “—so long as I get somewhere,” Alice added as an explanation. “Oh, you’re sure to do that,” said the Cat, “if you only walk long enough.”My point here is that you don’t have experience, and you won’t get any if you remain idle. Try whatever seems interesting, and if you keep trying for long enough, you’re sure to find something that will get your attention more than anything else. You will most likely end up with 30-40 project directories with “Hello World” examples. It may feel like you’re wasting your time because:<ul><li>You didn’t finish a single project.</li><li>You’re not fluent in any of the technologies you tried.</li></ul>Don’t let that bother you. Every single one of those directories is one step closer to finding your niche. My own experience is a case in point.I started with Python in high school. At the time, I had been pretty sure I would become a Python developer. In college, we learned C and C++ but it was never something that really caught my attention.&nbsp;Then I discovered frontend development and I was like, ‘Yeah, this is it! I get to move pixels around with code.’&nbsp; I had a ton of unfinished projects (vanilla JavaScript, jQuery, Angular, React - you name it). One of the ideas I really abused when trying out a new technology was recreating my holiday rental website - I think I have at least 10 unfinished projects on that one. It’s okay to have a well-defined idea about what you want to make, but don’t let yourself get stuck on a single one.&nbsp;It felt like even though I was exploring all those technologies, I couldn’t make a single working product. That was true, but I kept going; I continued playing around, making this and that, rewriting the same project in the 6th library/framework from scratch.&nbsp;Remember that your curiosity will get you further than any formal education ever will.<h2>2. How do I find the time to learn new coding languages and technologies?&nbsp;</h2>Another problem you might come across is allocating learning time on top of your college/university obligations. Without some kind of time management, you will have days flying by without you writing a single line of code or reading up on any kind of tech news and documentation. The sooner you tackle this issue the better.&nbsp;What worked best for me when I was in college was an early morning routine. Every morning I’d get up around 6 AM, have breakfast and get ready as soon as possible, and head straight to college. We had a nice little open space where you could sit, grab a coffee, open your laptop, and start cracking code. It didn’t really matter what I was coding that day or reading, as long as I’m there. The most important thing was to show up every day and establish that morning routine.&nbsp;If mornings don’t work for you, try afternoons or evenings. Find an environment where you feel comfortable and productive. Write down your routine on a piece of paper and do your best to stick to it. Don’t worry if you miss a day or move it around. In time, you’ll figure out what works best for you.<h2>3. Where do I meet other devs and hear about their experience?</h2>There are plenty of opportunities to meet developers and learn about their experience and how they got where they are. If you live in a larger city or near one, look for meetups and conferences. If not, there are lots of virtual meetups you can attend. You’re likely to find events covering different fields of development and maybe even other topics that could help you decide which direction to take.You might feel like there’s no point in going to one of those events as an inexperienced student, but I’ve been there, and it’s okay to feel that way.&nbsp;My first meetup ever was the OpenCoffee Split. I decided to go with a friend, she’s also in IT and we were both blank slates, i.e. zero experience in the industry. When we arrived at the coffee place where the meetup was, we were immediately approached by the organizer. He introduced himself and guided us to the table with the attendees. After giving us a quick intro to the meetup he told us to relax, grab a coffee/beer, and just chat with whoever we wanted to.&nbsp;“What do you mean just chat with whoever we want to?” my inner introvert kicked in. After a few minutes, people started approaching us randomly. What surprised us was that, even though we were inexperienced, there were all these people willing to help us and tell us their stories. They were actually impressed that we came to the meetup as students because it was really rare.You can learn a lot at a meetup, but the best thing is the connections you make. Networking is a really important part of your path to becoming a developer. Every connection you make is a new door that might open up for you in the near future. Besides meetups, you’ve also got conferences, events offering a wide range of industry knowledge. Many companies participate in these conferences with their speakers and booths where you can meet their employees. Among my favorites in Croatia are Dump Days and Shift. The first one targets primarily students and the other one professionals from all over the world. It’s a great opportunity to connect with industry specialists and exchange knowledge and ideas. A lot of companies are also hiring at conferences, so you might catch an internship before you even finish college and that’s a Pokemon you shouldn’t miss.<h2>4. Should I apply for a dev job if I don’t have any experience?</h2>You’d like to apply for a job but are convinced they won’t hire you because you have zero experience. The only true part of that sentence is that you don’t have experience. Companies understand that and they are aware of the time (and money) required for you to grow into a fully-fledged developer.&nbsp;There are companies out there offering internships and other forms of education. One of the best places to be on the lookout is LinkedIn. Follow companies’ profiles and news, join technology-specific groups and use relevant hashtags (e.g. #php). An internship can be a great experience. You can learn a lot in a short period of time. No one expects you to stay or work there your whole life and you won’t owe anything to anyone if you do your best. Let me tell you my story.It’s 2018, I'm a 3rd year computer science student and we just finished Object-Oriented Programming in the 2nd year. I loved it and was one of the top students in that class so I got an opportunity to become a student helper for the laboratory classes of that course. I love knowledge sharing so I applied for the position immediately.&nbsp;There I met my first boss (neither of us knew he was gonna be my boss at the time). He was a student assistant teaching OOP. With every lecture we worked through, I loosened up and we started talking randomly about games, work, who’s doing what, etc. I explained that I have zero experience in the industry but I like to explore different technologies and that I’m currently studying frontend. He tells me that his company has an internal development team and that he’s actually the CTO there.&nbsp;Wait… What?&nbsp;As I showed my interest, we came to the conclusion that we should go for a coffee sometime so I can get a clearer picture of what they were doing and what I would be doing as a developer in the future. The best thing is, he was ready to prepare me for any company I wanted, but my mind was pretty much already set on working at his company. I asked for an internship and to my surprise, he agreed. That was in January, and my internship would start in July. Great! So I had 6 months to prepare. He gave me all the necessary learning materials and occasionally we would meet and go through the code I wrote.&nbsp;Thinking back now, that code was a horror show, but regardless, it got me where I am today. Even though I’m not working there anymore, I’ll always be grateful for the guidance and mentorship I got.&nbsp; Opportunities like this are always around the corner, as long as you keep hustling.<h2> 5. Should I add my unfinished projects to a dev job application?</h2>Send it; it doesn’t have to be good, and most likely isn’t. But it shows your work ethics and interest in the field and companies appreciate that. As Linus Torvalds says: “Show me the code.” There’s no grade in college that will define your skills and capabilities as a developer later on, only the quality of the code you can produce.As I mentioned before, the code I wrote at the beginning of my career was horrible. But remember, stick to writing it on your own, just reading other people’s code and copy-pasting is pretty much like taking out a loan. Sure, you got the cash now, but there’s a debt there and you’re gonna have to pay it sooner or later.&nbsp;Development is an iterative process with its ups and downs. The ups are cool, but the downs are the key. The downs build your expertise. A wise man once told me the definition of an expert - a person who has made more mistakes than anyone else. In my case, my expertise came from all those times I crashed the production website when I was starting out. You can’t say you “really lived” until you see a blank page after your code has been deployed.&nbsp;TL; DR: no code is perfect and there will always be (human) errors. It’s important to keep going, write code, sharpen your skills, and expand your knowledge. Send that application and include your code in there via GitHub, make it all public (unless you plan on monetizing it but you probably wouldn’t be reading this then), and share it when applying. Even if you don’t get that job, you will show proactivity and you might just get feedback on how to improve your code.<h2> 6. Sooo, what should I do next to become a developer?</h2>It depends on where you’re at now.&nbsp;If you’re not sure what field or technology you wanna work in, play around. Create whatever crazy number of projects necessary to play around with various technologies. Something will pop out, and you’re going to feel as if you’re in a state of flow when you’re working on it. It’s the best sign you’re on the right track.If you know what you want to do but you’re not sure where to find it, it sounds like you’re in need of a meetup or a conference. Look up events in your area. Or find companies that could provide the type of work you’d like to do. Send an application and eat that frog.Have doubts about that code you wrote? You don’t have to, no one expects you to be an expert at this point and it’s better to have any code than none. When you start a new game, you start at level 1, not 50.Keep that in mind.That’s all the time I have for today, young padawan. I hope I answered your questions. As our master Yoda would say, “Pass on what you have learned.” &nbsp;

Six tips on becoming a developer I wish I knew as a student.png

6 tips on becoming a developer I wish I knew as a student

Marko

Even though Swift is the go-to language for iOS and macOS app development, you may still face the daunting task (and frustrations) of migrating a large Objective-C codebase to Swift. We have recently been working on such a project.&nbsp;<hr>While there are some automated solutions, they all have their problems. We picked up some tips and tricks along the way and decided to document some of the things that we hope will help you if you find yourself rewriting a codebase yourself.<h2>The basics</h2>Just in case you're completely new to Objective-C, here is a little information. Swift code can run alongside Objective-C code, so you should rewrite your codebase piece by piece.&nbsp; Objective-C code is split into two different file types:&nbsp;A. Header files (.h)&nbsp; The header file for a class contains public member variables and functions. Think of it as an API to your class. B. Implementation files (.m)&nbsp; The implementation file for a class contains the actual body of the functions, as well as other non-public methods and member variables.In Swift, both of these are replaced by a single .swift file.To be able to run Swift code alongside Objective-C code, you will need to create a <a href="https://www.hackingwithswift.com/example-code/language/how-to-create-an-objective-c-bridging-header-to-use-code-in-swift" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">bridging file</a>. In this file, you will need to include imports for the code you want to use in Swift.<h2>@objc and @objcMembers usage</h2>The bridging header allows you to use Objective-C code in Swift. Another thing you need to ensure is to somehow expose the Swift code to Objective-C. This is done using the following attributes: A. @objc Exposes a method, property, or variable to Objective-C. B.@objcMembers Exposes all members and methods of a class to Objective-C.When you have to expose a lot of code that uses the @objc annotation, you can mark the entire class with @objcMembers.&nbsp;An alternative that might seem more appropriate is to separate such code into an extension and mark the extension with @objc.However, if you’re hoping to rewrite the entire codebase into Swift, then you can expect you’ll be able to remove almost all the @objc attributes. So, it can be easier to remove a single @objcMembers attribute than many @objc attributes or refactoring an Objective-C-specific extension.<h2>The trouble with private APIs</h2>When rewriting a class with a private API used by another part of the codebase, you'll notice that private variables aren't accessible to Objective-C code when using @objcMembers. Essentially, what happens is that, while @objcMembers exposes the variables, <a href="https://stackoverflow.com/questions/50084765/objc-redundancy-when-having-objcmembers-private-dynamic-var" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">private hides them again.&nbsp;</a> &nbsp;So, keep in mind that accessing private APIs isn’t recommended, but if you absolutely need it to make the project buildable, you can mark the private variables with @objc to expose them to Objective-C. &nbsp;If you are rewriting a framework or library, for a class to be accessible, you need to also mark it as public.<h2>Start from the bottom</h2>Before you start rewriting your first file, be sure to keep in mind that an Objective-C class cannot inherit from a Swift class. So, when rewriting, try to start from the bottom of a class hierarchy, then work your way up. &nbsp;For example, suppose you have a class Drink, and two classes Milk and Juice which inherit from the Drink class. Also, you have AppleJuice and OrangeJuice classes that inherit from Juice. In this case, you would first rewrite AppleJuice and OrangeJuice classes, then Juice and Milk, and only then would you rewrite the Drink class.<h2>Data type differences and solutions</h2><h3>NS types (and the Steve Jobs side note)</h3>If you're working with Objective-C, you've almost certainly encountered data types such as NSString, NSNumber and NSArray.&nbsp; The NS prefix comes from NextSTEP, the operating system that became Mac OS X after Apple acquired Next, the company Steve Jobs founded after getting kicked out of the Apple Board of Directors. Funny how the world works sometimes.&nbsp; Anyway, a lot of these types have been fully bridged to native Swift types, for example NSString is bridged to String in Swift. There are exceptions, however, perhaps most notably NSMutableArray and NSMutableDictionary. The problem with these types is that they are <a href="https://developer.apple.com/swift/blog/?id=10" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">reference types</a>, while Swift arrays and dictionaries are <a href="https://developer.apple.com/swift/blog/?id=10" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">value types</a>. The basic difference between value and reference types is that copying a value type creates an independent instance, while copying a reference type implicitly creates a shared instance. As such, working with value types improves thread safety, as you can be sure that no other code is touching the object you are working on and mutating its state. This difference between NS types and native Swift types can cause issues when, for example, an NSMutableArray is passed as an argument to methods, and you expect the method to mutate its state. Mutating a function parameter in Swift isn’t possible by default since they’re considered constants.There are several options here:&nbsp;<ul><li>Use inout keyword If you are dealing with reference types as function parameters, you can use the <a href="https://docs.swift.org/swift-book/LanguageGuide/Functions.html#ID173" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">inout keyword</a>. Parameters of this type mimic the behaviour of reference types. However, when calling the function, you need to explicitly mark the variable with an ampersand (&amp;) to indicate that the variable can be modified by the function.&nbsp;</li><li>Refactor the code Another option is to refactor the code in your rewrite so that you avoid mutating the state of the objects passed in as parameters.&nbsp;</li><li>Compromise with loss of type safety Finally, you can simply use NSMutableArray or NSMutableDictionary types in Swift directly. This last solution unfortunately results in a loss of type safety because NSMutableArray can hold objects of different types, unlike Swift arrays which are generic structs and can only hold a single type. Because of this type safety issue, try to use this solution as little as possible.&nbsp;</li></ul><h3>NSArray and issues with sorting</h3>Even though NSArray and NSDictionary are also reference types, none of the above issues come up when using them. This is because they don't change state, so it doesn't matter whether they’re reference types or value types. You may still run into some issues though. It can happen, for instance, when using certain sorting functions on an NSArray.&nbsp; While a Swift array can be sorted using only a Comparator or a closure of type (Element, Element) -&gt; Bool, in Objective-C there are many more options. These include sorting using a selector of type SEL, a closure similar to the one above but returning an NSComparisonResult object instead, and descriptors.&nbsp; Crucially, none of these sorting methods are directly compatible with their Swift counterparts, so it’s likely that any helper functions or sorters in the Objective-C codebase can’t have a direct Swift replacement. You will have to either switch to Swift closures in the format mentioned above or write an equivalent Swift Comparator.<h3>Nullability, optionals and waiting for the crash</h3>By default, references in Objective-C are interpreted by the Swift compiler as implicitly unwrapped optionals. This is because, for example, both NSView and NSView? are represented as NSView * in Objective-C, so in Swift this becomes NSView!. You can help differentiate between optionals and non-optional types by annotating your Objective-C code with _Nullable and _Nonnull annotations. Depending on your codebase, the variables may or may not be well annotated with regards to nullability. If a variable isn't annotated, you must decide on its optionality in Swift. It may be possible for Objective-C to return nil for a non-optional variable in Swift. Usually, this nil is just ignored, but it can sometimes cause a crash because of an attempted null pointer dereference.&nbsp; I suggest first following the annotations, then if you see that the variable is set to null somewhere else in the code or a crash occurs at runtime, mark the variable as optional. As far as I know, there isn’t really a better way to do this, and such crashes are unfortunately one of the biggest pains when rewriting to Swift.<h3>Enums and the curse of circular dependencies&nbsp;</h3>In Objective-C enums are represented as integers, which are primitive types. As a consequence, if you want a Swift enum to be accessible in Objective-C it needs to be backed by raw values of type Int, as well as marked with @objc and made public. Beware that this also means that Optional enums aren't accessible in Objective-C, since primitive data types cannot be null. Usually there are a lot of problems with enums, since they’re often used throughout codebases. The most notorious problems are <a href="https://stackoverflow.com/questions/51177766/circular-reference-obj-c-swift-swift-obj-c" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">circular dependencies between Swift and Objective-C</a>. In short, this happens when a Swift enum is used in an Objective-C class which is then again used in Swift. As a result, the code won’t compile, with an error saying the enum name is an unknown type. When this happens, the best thing to do is to just leave the enum in Objective-C and rewrite it later, after you rewrite the code in all the files where it’s used.<h2>Methods and initializers</h2><h3>Make your method signatures Swiftier!</h3>In Swift, method signatures are somewhat different than in Objective-C.&nbsp; For example, the following method signature in Objective-C: -(void) uploadFileData:(NSData *)fileData &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;withName:(NSString *)fileName &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; toURL:(NSURL *)url &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;completion:(void (^)(BOOL success, NSError *error))completionBlock; becomes the following in Swift:func upload( &nbsp; &nbsp;fileData: Data, &nbsp; &nbsp;withName fileName: String, &nbsp; &nbsp;toURL url: URL, &nbsp; &nbsp;completion: @escaping (Result&lt;Void, Error&gt;) -&gt; Void ) -&gt; VoidA simple way to generate these is to click the “Related items” button, then select “Generated Interfaces” and choose the Swift version of your choice.&nbsp; Another simple way to get a glimpse at the signature is to open a Swift file and start typing the name of the method, letting autocomplete give you the complete method call. However, we recommend the “Generated Interfaces” approach. Sometimes you may want to modify this syntax even further to make it even Swiftier! In the above example, the method could become:func upload( &nbsp; &nbsp;data fileData: Data, &nbsp; &nbsp;as fileName: String, &nbsp; &nbsp;to url: URL &nbsp; &nbsp;completion: @escaping (Result&lt;Void, Error&gt;) -&gt; Void )This way the method call looks much easier on the eyes:upload(data: fileData, as: "filename.dat", to: URL("https://example.com/upload")!)<h3>Initializers may make refactoring unavoidable</h3>In Swift there are two types of initializers, <a href="https://docs.swift.org/swift-book/documentation/the-swift-programming-language/initialization/#Designated-Initializers-and-Convenience-Initializers" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">designated and convenience</a>.&nbsp; &nbsp;Convenience initializers can call other convenience initializers but must eventually call a designated initializer. Designated initializers must initialize all the member variables that require initialization before exiting and can only call a designated superclass initializer. Calling a convenience initializer of a superclass isn’t possible in Swift, but it’s possible in Objective-C. This means that you will almost certainly need to refactor the initialization of classes that call convenience initializers of their superclasses, such that they call the designated initializer instead. Another thing to watch out for is returning null in an initializer. To enable this in Swift, you need to use a <a href="https://developer.apple.com/swift/blog/?id=17" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">failable</a> initializer. Furthermore, in Swift, self cannot be used before the super.init() call. This is possible in Objective-C, but it’s a <a href="https://qualitycoding.org/objective-c-init/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">code smell</a>. Also, all non-optional types must be initialized at the super.init() call, but in Objective-C they may be left uninitialized. There’s a chance you’ll encounter these and that some refactoring will be necessary.<h3>Resolve circular dependencies with forward declarations</h3>Sometimes you can have two classes that depend on each other. For example, class foo that has a member of type *bar, and class bar that has a member of type *foo. This leads to a circular dependency. Forward declarations help resolve this by declaring that a class exists, without providing a complete specification for that class. Then, instead of importing a header file:#import "UserProfile.h"you simply provide the class declarations for all the classes in the header file:@class UserProfileAs you rewrite your codebase, you will likely need to replace imports for your rewritten classes with forward declarations in your header files.<h3>Hacks in Objective-C</h3>Objective-C allows us to do some pretty crazy things. We can make a pointer to an NSString and then suddenly use that same pointer to point to an NSMutableArray of other objects.&nbsp; You can also make use of hacks such as method swizzling. The scope of these possibilities and the various contexts in which they can be used are far too broad to cover here.&nbsp; A lot of these are not available in Swift, and for good reason. They can cause hard-to-debug crashes and increase the risk of memory leaks and other memory-related errors. Ultimately, this means that rewriting some of the code won’t be very straightforward and you may have to resort to significant refactoring.<h2>Recap</h2>To summarise all of the above, here are some tips as well as a short ordered list of things to do when rewriting a class.<h3>General tips</h3><ul><li>Start rewriting from the bottom of a class hierarchy.</li><li>Be careful with how you rewrite reference types.</li><li>Sometimes the best thing to do is to use reference types such as NSMutableArray in Swift, and refactor later.</li><li>As enums can cause a lot of headaches, and if they cause problems, leave them in Objective-C and deal with them last.</li><li>Have patience.</li></ul><h3>Steps for rewriting a class</h3>1. Create a new Swift file. 2. Rewrite member variables, function signatures and the rest from the header file and mark them as public. 3. Go through the implementation file, filling the bodies of public methods and adding the private ones. 4. If there are any issues with a rewritten enum, keep it in the Objective-C file and rewrite it at the end.Rewriting a codebase can be a long and challenging process, but hopefully these tips can help you in your efforts to create a codebase that’s more easily maintained and in line with up-to-date best practices. For a more comprehensive guide with more details, you can check out <a href="https://developer.apple.com/documentation/swift/migrating-your-objective-c-code-to-swift" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Apple’s official documentation on migrating from Objective-C to Swift</a>, or if you’re having trouble with something in particular, you can reach us at ios@undabot.com. &nbsp; &nbsp;

Tips for migrating your codebase from Objective-C to Swift.png

Tips for migrating your codebase from Objective-C to Swift

Spotify has announced significant changes to its mobile app that might undermine the user experience of listening to music. What’s all the uproar about, what do new functionalities bring, and will Spotify lose some of its loyal users?<hr>Spotify entered the Croatian market in 2020, delighting many users, including me. I listen to music often on Spotify (podcasts sometimes), and I do that typically in two situations:<ul><li>I use the mobile app as I run or walk – to the office, city center, or anywhere else, and</li><li>I use the desktop app while I work.</li></ul>Running was my first incentive to try Spotify. Previously I used YouTube, and with the free account, I couldn’t lock my phone screen if I wanted to continue listening to music. The moment that Spotify became available, I downloaded the free app, but they have a good tactic to make users pay – the ads are long and repeat often. That bothered me the most while running, so I quickly upgraded to a subscription.<h2>UX issues of the current version of the mobile app</h2>The current version of the mobile app has its own UX issues, and I’ll list just a few here &nbsp;because they deserve a separate post:<ul><li>You can’t reorder playlists according to your own criteria, nor can you choose which playlists appear on the home screen.</li><li>There’s no way to add the same track to multiple playlists simultaneously.</li><li>If you play a playlist from the home screen, it’s difficult to find it again by tapping on the track currently playing; you have to go back to the home screen and find the exact playlist again.</li></ul>However, if I put aside some of these issues that annoy me, I’d say I am a happy user overall. We’ll see if that changes after the upcoming new functionalities roll out.<figure class="image"><img src="https://undabot-web.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/Stream_on_Spotify_54f607a8cb.jpeg"></figure><h2>New functionalities, new issues?</h2> In March 2023, Spotify announced significant changes in the app, limited to the mobile version for now. They’re introducing a feature they call Previews, an infinite-scroll video feed on the home screen.The feed will include recommendations for music, podcasts, or audiobooks in the form of short videos, similar to the feeds on TikTok or YouTube Shorts.&nbsp;The new version still isn’t available to everyone; they’re rolling it out slowly globally, but the dynamics are unknown.<figure class="image"><img src="https://undabot-web.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/Spotify_trends_d9828cc521.png"></figure>Here are some of the reasons for the big change Spotify mentioned:<ul><li>They want to be a one-stop shop for content.</li><li>The company doesn't want to depend on other platforms for new music discovery – they want a larger share of the so-called foreground discovery. Many songs have become hits thanks to TikTok videos, and Spotify wants people to discover new hits and authors via its app.</li><li>Spotify wants to provide space to content creators through Spotify Clips.</li></ul>On the other hand, <a href="https://www.wsj.com/articles/tiktok-parent-bytedance-plans-music-streaming-expansion-11665602937?mod=article_inline" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">there’ve been reports that ByteDance</a>, the company that owns TikTok, is in talks with music labels on introducing the music streaming service, something that would make them a great competitor to Spotify. Let’s not forget that Spotify has often been criticized over <a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/marisadellatto/2022/03/24/spotify-says-it-paid-7-billion-in-royalties-in-2021-amid-claims-of-low-pay-from-artists/?sh=562e18a0dbae" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">how little they’re paying to author</a>s. This has created a great deal of negative publicity for Spotify.<h2>All apps are starting to look like TikTok</h2> Reactions to Spotify’s announcement have been mixed, but a lot are negative. Many users are considering uninstalling the app and going for Apple Music or other apps. Most comments are related to the fact that more and more apps are starting to look like TikTok (Instagram and Facebook are just some of the examples), compounding the effect on our concentration and focus and extending the time users spend glued to screens consuming irrelevant content. &nbsp;An additional backlash has been created by the fact that Spotify announced a Hi-Fi option some time ago. This option would enable “lossless audio”, improving the sound quality compared to what we get with the compression to the mp3 file format. Many users want this option, but Spotify hasn’t introduced it yet. Spotify is still standing behind its commitment to roll it out, but the company is refusing to pinpoint when that might happen.<figure class="image"><img src="https://undabot-web.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/Spotify_comments_on_Twitter_af6f620543.png"></figure><h2>No more heart</h2>In the new version, the heart icon will be replaced with the plus icon. This has also prompted a lot of reactions and users have taken to social media, demanding the return of the old icon. This UX change doesn’t have to be bad (even though many users have gotten used to the heart as a mark of something we want to save for later – it’s the most commonly used icon in e-commerce to add a product to a wishlist), but time will tell if users will get used to it or if Spotify will consider bringing the heart icon back.Here are some of the user challenges I see coming with the new functionalities:<ul><li>Data usage will increase significantly because of video loading, Phone batteries will drain faster.</li><li>It’s unclear if we’ll be able to turn off Preview videos.</li><li>It’s also unclear if we’ll be able to hide certain segments, for example, if you’re not interested in audiobooks and you don’t want them in your feed.</li><li>How disruptive the videos are going to be when you’re listening to music.</li></ul>Users who already have access to the new version say that, if you go to the home screen while you’re listening to music, the music stops because of the videos playing on the home screen. That would be a very bad user experience and I can already sense that I’m going to be very annoyed if it turns out to be true.<h2>We want music, not trends</h2>I talked to friends who are regular Spotify users and they’re not interested in new functionalities at all. The most common reason is that they – like I do – use this app while doing something else, meaning it’s playing in the background, and they’re not interested in videos or similar content.Considering that I haven’t gotten the latest version yet, it remains to be seen how the new user experience will feel. What interests me the most is if there’s an option to turn off the video feed and reorganize the home screen, or we’ll have to put up with what they play for us. In the current version, it’s possible to turn off videos and limit their resolution in settings.<figure class="image"><img src="https://undabot-web.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/Video_optimization_Spotify_98b0de426f.png"></figure>I can understand that Spotify is introducing new functionalities to try and wrestle more market share from TikTok and similar apps and to increase user interaction within the app, but they’re losing the basic functionality we all love – and that's listening to music without distractions.<hr>UPDATE: At the beginning of May some of the users in the <a href="https://community.spotify.com/t5/App-Features/New-Home-Feed-Interface/td-p/5521360/page/117" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Spotify community</a> reported that their home screens <a href="https://community.spotify.com/t5/App-Features/Rejoice-My-TikTok-UI-reverted-back-to-the-OG/td-p/5568259" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">were reverted back</a> to the previous version. This means that they don’t have the TikTok like version anymore. The Spotify team hasn’t, yet, published anything about this. The plus icon still replaces the heart icon, and it seems it won’t be brought back.<hr>This post has originally been published in Croatian language, at <a href="https://www.netokracija.com/spotify-tiktok-redizajn-208180" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">a leading local tech news site Netokracija.</a> &nbsp;

Why does Spotify (also) want to become TikTok?

Jelena

If you are wondering how to write automated tests for an API, you are in the right place to learn it! All you need is a tool, motivation, and patience. First, let’s introduce you to Postman.Postman is a collaboration platform for API development. It is also a powerful tool for testing and understanding APIs that you yourself or others have created. Using automated API testing to test various endpoints in your API will help you find bugs as quickly as possible, as your focus needs to be on early testing. This way you can leverage Postman for Backend testing while your Frontend is still being developed.To understand the point of automated testing in Postman, follow these simple steps and create your own test suite.<h2> Set up Postman</h2>First, we need to install Postman. After installation and when Postman is opened, the Postman workspace is displayed. To start writing tests, we need to create our own collection, an area where the API requests are organized.&nbsp;<img src="https://undabot-web.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/Set_up_Postman_b1d66a0267.png"> Next, we need an environment in which to define our variables. Variables are used to save time and once defined, we can use them in all our tests. They make requests more flexible and readable. After we have created the collection and environment, we need a variable {{baseURL}} to be used in all the tests. In this example, we will use the same URL as in the image below, as this is a base URL that never changes.<figure class="image"><img src="https://undabot-web.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/Variables_in_Postman_bbcc165561.png"></figure>Instead of always putting a URL in the request, we will call {{baseURL}} in all the requests. When mentioning requests, we should specify the types of methods that will be used in our requests. The GET method is used by default by Postman and is used to retrieve data from an API.&nbsp;Other methods are:<ul><li>POST— add new data</li><li>PUT—replace the existing data</li><li>PATCH— make a partial update of the existing data&nbsp;</li><li>DELETE—delete the existing data</li></ul>Now, let’s do some business and write test cases!<h2>Write test cases</h2>Example of writing automated tests related to a simple booking.&nbsp;The first test case is login, where we create a token to access the application. This is followed by cases where we create a simple booking with corresponding data and use the method GET to retrieve this created booking. Further cases are the ones where we update and partially update the created booking and finally the case where we delete the created booking. We will also go through cases where tests passed and failed.<h3> 1. Auth - Create a token&nbsp;</h3> As mentioned in the previous section, we need to create a login to access the application. The first request is POST to create a new token that will be used for access to the PUT and DELETE booking. <img src="https://undabot-web.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/Create_Token_in_Postman_371b58975e.png">The variable {{baseURL}} that we defined in the previous section is used in the request with the path /auth, this is our URL. Then we need to set the value application/json in the header, Content-Type (format of the sent payload).&nbsp;In the body of the request, we need to send authentication. So enter the following in the body:<figure class="image image_resized" style="width:50%;"><img src="https://undabot-web.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/Authentication_Postman_dcdcad7441.png"></figure>And if you send this created request, you will get a token in the response. And there’s the question of how we can confirm that that’s exactly what happened. Well, we can write a test.&nbsp; In our test cases, we can write simple and complex tests to verify what we received from the requests we sent. Examples of simple tests are checking the corresponding response, checking the header, and receiving tokens, as we’re going to do now. On the tests tab, we write tests.&nbsp;The first test is checking the corresponding response:<figure class="image image_resized" style="width:50%;"><img src="https://undabot-web.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/Token_Postman_1931f9f1db.png"></figure>pm.test() is the function that allows Postman users to name the test exactly, and the function accepts 2 parameters, the name of the test (as a string) and a function that returns a boolean value.Second, we need to check that the response is Content-Type JSON and that the response contains a valid token: If we run these simple tests, we should get a result like in the picture below. All 3 tests have passed.<img src="https://undabot-web.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/Auth_Postman_3f503633a1.png">If we want to create a booking, we must have a token. Therefore, we need a new variable to store the token from the response. The first test — checking the appropriate response and if a token was created. We can store the token received in a new variable called token as follows: &nbsp;<figure class="image image_resized" style="width:50%;"><img src="https://undabot-web.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/Test_Postman_49b82a95e4.png"></figure><h3>2. Create a booking</h3>Now let’s do some complex tests and create a booking. The request is also POST, since we are creating a new booking. For the URL, we will use the variable {{baseURL}} with the path /booking . On the Headers tab, we define the Content-type and Accept parameters (in which format the response body is returned) as in the figure below.<img src="https://undabot-web.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/Create_Booking_Postman_e6bff774c9.png"> In the body, we define parameters such as first name, last name, booking dates, etc.&nbsp; In the Tests tab, we would check that we have received the booking ID and that the booking ID is stored in the new variable “bookingID1”. The variable is used in the following tests that check if the user can edit, receive and delete the booking.&nbsp;We would also check that the content type is JSON and that each parameter is valid.The tests should pass, and if we check the Test Results tab in the Response section, we should get 10 passing tests, as shown below:<img src="https://undabot-web.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/Response_Postman_6e06dbf865.png"><h3>3. Get Booking</h3> If we want to check the booking we created in the last step we need to send a GET request with {{baseURL}}/booking and the created variable from the section below {{bookingID1}}. <img src="https://undabot-web.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/Get_Booking_Postman_86ab98f29a.png"> In this case, we can check whether we have received the appropriate booking. First, we need to check if the response status is OK, the content-type is JSON, and the parameters are correct. Our 6 tests should pass as shown below:<img src="https://undabot-web.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/Get_created_booking_test_results_441a5f1170.png"><h3>4. Update a booking&nbsp;</h3>There are some situations where the user wants to update his booking. So we’ll also create a case where we update the person’s name. We will add Ana Smith instead of Lucas Smith. If we want to update it, we need to call the method PUT with {{baseURL}}/booking and the ID of the booking {{bookingID1}}.<figure class="image"><img src="https://undabot-web.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/PUT_request_for_updating_created_booking_headers_57f3de0d78.png"></figure>As you can see in the header, we need to set an authorization token to access the PUT endpoint, which can be used as an alternative to authorization. So at this point we call our created variable token where the token is stored.In the body section, change the value for the firstname. We can now check that the reservation has been updated and that all fields have been filled in correctly. &nbsp;And of course, 9 tests should pass.<img src="https://undabot-web.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/Update_booking_test_results_c0eefce0bc.png"> You can also GET this updated reservation and check if the person’s name has been updated. Use the example from step 4 and try it yourself.<h3> 5. Partial update booking&nbsp;</h3>What if the user wants to change only the “booking data” and “additional needs”, which immediately increases the price? In this case we need to use the method PATCH, with which we will be able to perform a partial update. The URL contains the base URL and the booking ID, which we want to partially update. An indispensable part is the authorization token, which is the same as in the last section. <img src="https://undabot-web.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/PATCH_request_for_partially_updating_booking_headers_c616a65267.png">In the body, we change the total price, the booking data, and the additional needs. &nbsp;<figure class="image image_resized" style="width:50%;"><img src="https://undabot-web.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/Postman_adaf0919ed.png"></figure>Now we test if all the fields are filled in correctly and if the booking is partially updated. These tests should pass.&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://undabot-web.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/Partial_update_booking_tests_results_9bae4e3c7c.png"></figure>You can check this partial update using the method GET from step 4 and make sure that the data is correct.<h3>6. Delete booking&nbsp;</h3>If we want to delete our created booking, we use the method DELETE. The URL is the same as in the previous case and only an authorization token needs to be set in the header.&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://undabot-web.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/DELETE_request_for_deleting_created_booking_headers_24a2f144a8.png"></figure>In this case, we use simple tests such as checking if the booking is deleted and the status code is “Created”.<figure class="image image_resized" style="width:50%;"><img src="https://undabot-web.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/Booking_testing_in_Postman_ba83b87364.png"></figure>These simple tests should pass as shown below: <img src="https://undabot-web.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/Delete_created_booking_tests_results_14c83d7df6.png">But what if we want to retrieve our created (now deleted) booking? If we write a test on the way that we want to retrieve our created booking as follows:<figure class="image"><img src="https://undabot-web.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/Get_booking_test_287733d533.png"></figure>Our test fails and an explanation for the failed test is visible in the test results. We cannot retrieve our created booking because it is deleted and cannot be found.<figure class="image"><img src="https://undabot-web.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/Our_test_fails_and_an_explanation_for_the_failed_test_is_visible_in_the_test_results_We_cannot_retrieve_our_created_booking_because_it_is_deleted_and_cannot_be_found_8c569cd216.png"></figure><h3>7. Run collection&nbsp;</h3>We have reached the last part, where we will run all the tests we have written, that is, we will run the test suite. To run the test suite, open the collection in which the tests were written. <img src="https://undabot-web.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/Run_collection_Postman_4b8991568a.gif">The tests will run in the order they are listed in the collection, but you can move them around if you want to change the order of execution. You can deselect a single request by unchecking it. Moreover, you can specify the number of iterations for your collection run and the interval delay (milliseconds) between each request.We had tests that passed and failed in the section above. Now we will run the collection with the last test that fails to see how it is present in the collection run. <img src="https://undabot-web.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/Running_Booking_collection_failed_11ffe8267b.gif">The Get booking test fails during the collection run and is listed as failed because our created booking was deleted and cannot be retrieved. Also, we can see the explanation in the run collection.&nbsp;On the other hand, if we use the last test Get booking where we confirm that our booking is deleted, the test passes during the collection run and is listed as passed. This is because our created booking is deleted and cannot be retrieved so the status code should be 404 instead of 200 like the previous one.<img src="https://undabot-web.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/Running_Booking_collection_passed_b0deb172c0.gif"> Postman also provides its users with the ability to share the results of a collection run by exporting them from Collection Runner for others to analyze. To export a collection run, we need to open it in Runner (using History on the left, if the run is not already open).&nbsp;Then, we need to click on Export Results in the upper right corner to download the run and choose a location to save the downloaded collection run. You can use this guide to create your own tests for the application. If you have any problems writing your tests, or have any further questions, please feel free to contact me.&nbsp;Good luck!&nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp;

How to do API testing in Postman.png

How to do API testing in Postman

Željka

Maternity leave often involves the hard choice of taking considerable time away from work. This is especially challenging for women in dynamic industries - such as IT - &nbsp;where technology rapidly changes and you have to constantly learn new skills and be up to date. I understand that challenge myself - I have taken two maternity leaves during my career as an iOS developer.&nbsp;In this blog, I’ll highlight the common challenges faced by women working in IT and the good practices of my employer that addressed all my concerns. My hope is to provide support for women undergoing similar experiences, and promote the benefits of a work environment that is both understanding and supportive of women during this time.<hr><h2>Telling the employer about pregnancy</h2>One of the first concerns you may have is telling your employer that you’re pregnant.&nbsp;Pregnancy often comes with physical and emotional symptoms like nausea, sleepiness, fatigue, mood swings, and even complications, which can all have an impact on productivity and teamwork. As pregnancy is a personal matter, and there are plenty of uncertainties many women are concerned about how it may impact their careers.<h3>Best practices &amp; my take&nbsp;</h3>It is important to communicate openly with your employer about your pregnancy and the symptoms you’re experiencing.I chose to inform my employer early on about my pregnancy, despite the potential complications that can arise during the first trimester.&nbsp;My employer showed understanding by assigning me to a less demanding project and granting me time off when needed. Such support and flexibility can significantly reduce stress and anxiety for pregnant women.<h2>Determining the length of absence from work</h2>An important consideration for any expectant mother is how much time you’ll need to take off from work.This decision can depend on the country's policies on paid and unpaid leave, availability and cost of childcare, and support from family. While some countries offer a full year of paid maternity leave, others have limited paid leave options.In Croatia, the country where I live, employed parents can share a total of well over a year of paid leave. Still, taking time off from work is seen as a natural choice for women, and traditionally it’s common for them to take the full duration of their paid leave - just over a year. Moreover, due to childcare unavailability and costs, many women choose to take extended leave.&nbsp;However, with increasing equal opportunities for parental leave, more fathers are taking advantage of these benefits as well.<h3>Best practices &amp; my take&nbsp;</h3>Clearly communicate your needs with your employer to find a solution that benefits everyone involved. The duration of the maternity leave is a personal choice that depends on your circumstances and support systems.&nbsp;For both my children, I took my maternity leave one and a half year long, which consisted of one year of paid leave, time off before the birth, vacation days, and some unpaid leave.&nbsp;My employer made the transition back to work smooth and stress-free by finding a replacement to take over my tasks and accommodating my absence. This allowed me to return to work when I felt ready, without any pressure.&nbsp;<h2>Impact of absence on career progress</h2>While taking time off from work, the workplace usually evolves, introducing new technologies, libraries, processes, and projects. This constant change can lead you to worry - like it did me - about falling behind in your work and experience during your absence.<h3>Best practices &amp; my take&nbsp;</h3>While it is important to continuously improve skills and stay up to date, this should be driven by your personal motivation and not pressure from the employer. Employers should provide the necessary time and resources for personal growth and development.I didn’t escape the fear of falling behind, and I used my free time to improve my skills through online courses and practicing coding on small iOS projects.&nbsp; &nbsp;However, looking back, I realize that my company values a growth-oriented environment and provides sufficient time between daily tasks and projects for learning new things. Therefore, I need not have worried so much.&nbsp;<h2>Time to catch up after returning</h2>Returning from maternity leave can present challenges and add pressure to quickly get back on track with new projects, processes, and technologies.However, once you’ve learned how to code, you can be confident that your skills will never truly fade away. Although you may need to refresh some technical knowledge, such as specific tools and functions, you’ll always remember the core programming principles and design patterns.<h3>Best practices &amp; my take&nbsp;</h3>I personally experienced stress because I felt like I was not productive enough. However, my employer was supportive and offered a reasonable onboarding period, set realistic project expectations, and provided access to help from my colleagues. With these resources in place, women who have taken maternity leave can successfully return to work and continue to excel in their careers.<figure class="image"><img src="https://undabot-web.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/how_to_deal_with_pregnancy_and_maternity_leave_89f3a65a7e.jpeg"></figure><h2>Impact on salary and position after absence</h2>When women announce their pregnancy, it is not uncommon for them to miss out on pay raises or promotions before going on leave. And upon returning to work, it can take some time for the employer to consider them for advancements. Unfortunately, some companies view maternity leave as an excuse to keep women in a stagnant position.<h3>Best practices &amp; my take</h3>While it might seem pay raises and promotions depend on personal effort only, there are additional factors that must be taken into consideration, like labor market changes, inflation, and changes in the salary ranges of the company.&nbsp; An equitable approach is crucial for promoting equality and maintaining a positive work environment.&nbsp; The company I work for is a role model when it comes to supportive workplace culture - they don’t not discriminate against people based on pregnancy or leave. Instead, they consider a variety of factors when evaluating an employee's performance and contributions, and make sure that recognition is given where it is due. This approach demonstrates a commitment to fairness and sets a positive example for other companies to follow.<h2>Considerations for changing jobs</h2>It can be challenging for expectant mothers to change jobs, as many employers may not be willing to hire someone who will soon be going on maternity leave. However, making a career move after returning from maternity leave can be a great time for you to pursue new opportunities and challenges.The transition can be stressful, as it can be difficult to balance the demands of work, parenting, and job searching - as was my own experience.<h3>Best practices and my take</h3>With the right support and flexibility from employers, the process can be managed.&nbsp;For example, companies may be able to accommodate the recruitment process around your schedule and needs, including conducting interviews and assessments online. By considering the unique challenges faced by new mothers, employers can make the job search process more accessible and supportive for women.<h2>Assessing work experience</h2>One of the challenges women face after taking maternity leave is determining the exact amount of work experience they have.<h3>Best practices &amp; my take</h3>It’s important to accurately reflect maternity leave on your CV or LinkedIn profile as it can provide valuable information to current or potential employers and colleagues.&nbsp;You should not feel ashamed or afraid to acknowledge your time away from work and instead, embrace it as it can only serve as a benefit in setting clear expectations. I advise all women who have taken time off after birth to consider including this information on your professional profiles.<h2>Work life balance&nbsp;</h2>As a parent, finding a healthy balance between work and family life can be a challenge. There are many responsibilities that come with caring for a child, such as dropping them off and picking them up from childcare, caring for them when they are sick, and spending quality time with them to support their development.&nbsp;When combined with work demands, like attending meetings and handling unexpected tasks outside of regular hours, it is easy to see how working parents, particularly women, can become stressed and burnt out.<h3>Best practices &amp; my takeaways</h3>Companies that place a high value on work-life balance and support working parents are more likely to create a positive workplace culture, with happier, healthier, and more productive employees. To support work and personal responsibilities, my employer has implemented several policies. We have flexible working hours, allowing us to better organize our time. There’s also the work-from-home option, reducing the time spent commuting and enabling us to prioritize our tasks.&nbsp; When it comes to taking time off for child sickness, the company offers reasonable leave policies and nurtures a work environment that is understanding of the needs of parents.&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://undabot-web.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/Pregnancy_and_time_off_in_IT_45dd75a80e.jpeg"></figure><h2>The win-win of supporting pregnant employees</h2>Regardless of the field of work, taking time off for maternity leave is a common experience for many women who become mothers.&nbsp; There’s no doubt that becoming a parent brings about new challenges.&nbsp;However, speaking from personal experience it can also provide valuable experiences and lessons that can make you more motivated, organized, confident, and self-aware.&nbsp;Taking a break from work to focus on family should not be seen as a hindrance to your career, as there will be plenty of time for advancement in the future. The time spent with children is precious and cannot be replaced.&nbsp;Employers have an important role in supporting women during pregnancy and maternity leave. By offering flexible work arrangements, fair policies and showing empathy for the challenges women face during this period, they can ensure a smooth transition back to work.&nbsp;This not only creates a positive work-life balance for working mothers, but also helps maintain a productive work environment for all employees. &nbsp;

Women developers - how to deal with pregnancy and maternity leave

Pregnancy and maternity leave in the fast-paced IT world

Iva & Kristina 

The IT world is a booming sector many people want to be a part of. If you’re one of them and are currently thinking of switching careers and starting your journey in IT, here’s some insight on how to do it.&nbsp;<hr><h2>Who are we</h2>We are two sisters who work at Undabot. <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/ivaper%C5%A1i%C4%87/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Iva</a> works as UX/UI designer and <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/kristina-persic/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Kristina</a> is a Front-end developer.&nbsp;Coming from totally different backgrounds than what people expect, many asked us how we managed to end up in IT and secure the jobs we wanted without a degree in a technology-related field.&nbsp;That's why we decided to write this blog and answer the most common questions we hear from people who want to change their career to UX/UI design and frontend development, but don’t know where to start their journey.&nbsp;Of course, every company has its own rules and guidelines, but we will try to answer questions from the experience and observations we have gathered so far.<h2>How we started</h2>Our path didn’t start in the world of IT. Iva graduated from the Faculty of Education, and Kristina from the Faculty of Economics, but we were always attracted to technology and the IT world.After finishing uni, we got jobs in our respective fields, but we weren't happy with them and wanted something different. We realized it was time for a change and decided that it was best to enroll in an IT course to learn the basics.&nbsp;The learning path was not easy.&nbsp;Considering we did not have any technical background, there were a lot of unknowns, especially for front-end since it requires specific technical knowledge and vocabulary.How come we decided on these careers?&nbsp;We are both visual types, but the difference was that Kristina wanted to type code and was more attracted to logical, problem-solving tasks, while Iva was more interested in psychology, learning about human behavior and decision-making in design.<h2>Is formal education necessary?</h2>Many people that spoke to us think they stand no chance next to people who have graduated from technology-related universities. Of course, technical education can be an advantage, and competition is always high, but if you try hard enough and believe in yourself, success will come.&nbsp;Your education is valuable even if it is not the “right” one — it taught you how to investigate and approach problems, gave you skills for learning, synthesizing information and sharing it. This comes in handy in your learning process, but is also really important when you have big tasks on important projects.Kristina decided to finish the Frontend React Course and Iva her UX design course. Iva also enrolled in a web design course where she learned the basics of programming.&nbsp;From our perspective, taking the course at the beginning of our journey was the best decision, since we continuously practised and had support during the most challenging time, when everything is new and you have to remember and learn a lot.&nbsp;Also, we liked the teamwork and feedback from other students — it made us grow faster and taught us how to be critical yet objective, both with our work and the work of others. After the formal course, we continued practising what we learned on educational platforms like Udemy, LinkedIn learning, etc. It kept us learning and made us expand our existing knowledge.Also, after the end of the courses, we set aside some time to practice what we had learned and prepare for interviews!<img src="https://undabot-web.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/Design_or_development_dream_job_in_IT_e566621423.png" alt="Design or development dream job in IT.png" srcset="https://undabot-web.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/thumbnail_Design_or_development_dream_job_in_IT_e566621423.png 245w,https://undabot-web.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/small_Design_or_development_dream_job_in_IT_e566621423.png 500w,https://undabot-web.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/medium_Design_or_development_dream_job_in_IT_e566621423.png 750w,https://undabot-web.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/large_Design_or_development_dream_job_in_IT_e566621423.png 1000w," sizes="100vw"><h2>Some good practices that helped us while looking for a new job</h2>Although we have different careers, our paths to success are similar. These are some of our tips for anyone looking to achieve the same, plus answers to questions we often hear about breaking into the IT field.<h3>1) SEARCH THE FIELD</h3>If you want to work in IT but don’t know what job position is for you, some questions you can ask yourself during this phase are:&nbsp;<ul><li>Do I want to work in a visual or code-based area?&nbsp;</li><li>Why do I want this role?&nbsp;</li><li>What would I like my work day to look like?&nbsp;</li><li>With whom would I like to communicate every day?&nbsp;</li><li>What skills do I already have?&nbsp;</li><li>What am I good at?&nbsp;</li></ul>Asking that and similar questions would give you a good understanding of what you might like or dislike.&nbsp;Try not to think about what your friends are doing or what jobs are popular at the moment, because personal motivation should always be the number 1 factor in your decision. If you decide to enter the learning process with good motivation and sincere interest behind your decision, it is unlikely you will give up when the first difficulty appears. Your motivation will push you to keep up when you don't feel like learning.You can also search the companies that work in the field you are interested in and gather more information about their positions.<h3>2) CONNECT WITH EXPERTS&nbsp;</h3>When you have found a position you are interested in, surround yourself with people who are in the IT world. Ask questions, questions, and more questions. Be brave and curious.&nbsp;You probably have some acquaintances or friends who work in the IT industry who could tell you a little more about what they do on a daily basis. If this is not the case, there are always social networks.&nbsp;After being hired, many people contacted us via social networks and asked questions about making a career switch. In our experience, there are a lot of experts willing to answer the questions that interest you.&nbsp;Also, conferences and various seminars are quite frequent in the past few years, and they are a good way of getting acquainted with people in the industry, even if you are not an expert in the specific topic of the lecture. Prepare beforehand, do a bit of research about the companies in the field and think about how you want to present yourself.&nbsp;Events like that are an opportunity for future employers to meet you face-to-face, and they help you see if you can imagine yourself working with those people in a team or collaborating with them. Going to conferences, workshops and seminars also shows that you are proactive and seriously thinking about changing your career and finding a job in IT.<h3>3) FIND A MENTOR OR SOMEONE WHO IS ON THE SAME PATH AS YOU</h3>We believe that it is very important to have some kind of mentor. Good companies invest a lot in their new employees, knowing that having a mentor helps beginners adapt faster and easier. At the beginning, it is such a huge advantage to work with people who are experts and willing to help you and share their knowledge. Their feedback is useful for learning what is important and what you should pay attention to next time.&nbsp;If you can’t find a mentor, try to connect with someone who is on the same path as you, so you can give each other feedback, be supportive of each other and learn together.<h3>4) START LEARNING</h3>There are various learning options: online courses, mentorships, self-taught practice, etc. There is no right or wrong way of learning, so just choose what suits you best, keeping in mind your habits, free time and other obligations.Nowadays, there is a lot of material available online, and a lot of it free, but one can easily get overwhelmed with that type of non-structured information. We decided to take a college course in UX/UI and Frontend development because it required continuous work, which makes you keep working when you want to give up.&nbsp;It also teaches you best practices — you can work for a long time, but if your knowledge is not in line with the best current work practices, you will be less competitive in the market. But certificates won't help you much if you haven't mastered what you learned. It is important to master the material and perfect your skills, and not just skim to get a diploma.There are a lot of sources you can use to find out about the latest trends and news in the field you are interested in. Newsletters from industry experts and companies are a great way to stay up to date, but if you want to dig deeper into a specific topic, there is probably already a book, podcast, article or video about it, so get to googling and start exploring!&nbsp;<hr>If you are interested in the foundations of UX/UI and you are searching for good learning resources, &nbsp;you can find more information in our blog post about <a href="https://undabot.com/2022/04/05/ux-for-beginners-learn-the-basics-principles-and-processes/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">UX for beginners - basics, principles, and processes.</a><hr>Additionally, a good way to learn is trying to copy parts of familiar pages or apps that you come across every day, or solve a problem that exists in apps or websites you use.&nbsp;That way, you can see how problems are solved and what approach is used. You train your eye for design decisions and logical problem-solving skills.&nbsp;Tools designers and developers use are quite similar, and easier to master when you are good at one of them. For example, you can use Figma, Sketch, or Adobe XD for UX/UI design, and for frontend you can use some libraries and frameworks like Vue, Angular, and React.&nbsp;The tool you use depends on your preference or the company you work in, but you can switch from one tool to another very fast.&nbsp;You can also work on imaginary projects or daily challenges that are available online. Everything counts as long as you continuously put the knowledge you learned to practice.<h4>Look for internships</h4>If you know what you want, the sooner you start looking for an internship, the better. But what if you are not a student and want to change your career?&nbsp;There are companies that hire interns regardless of whether they are students, employed full-time, or unemployed. Companies usually inform promote internships via newsletters or social media, so definitely subscribe and follow the companies you like.&nbsp;You can also ask your acquaintances, or send open requests to companies if you have any questions.&nbsp;<hr>If you want to find out what a design internship at Undabot looks like, you can read this blog post from our colleague Marija about the <a href="https://undabot.com/blog/the-5-most-important-lessons-i-learned-during-my-ux-ui-internship/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">5 most important lessons she learned during her UX/UI internship.&nbsp;</a><hr><img src="https://undabot-web.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/Land_your_design_or_development_dream_job_in_IT_2b570719fc.png" alt="Land your design or development dream job in IT.png" srcset="https://undabot-web.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/thumbnail_Land_your_design_or_development_dream_job_in_IT_2b570719fc.png 245w,https://undabot-web.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/small_Land_your_design_or_development_dream_job_in_IT_2b570719fc.png 500w,https://undabot-web.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/medium_Land_your_design_or_development_dream_job_in_IT_2b570719fc.png 750w,https://undabot-web.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/large_Land_your_design_or_development_dream_job_in_IT_2b570719fc.png 1000w," sizes="100vw"><h3>5) PRESENT ALL YOUR SKILLS</h3>Most larger companies have a detailed hiring process. To their HR, skills aren’t the only ones that matter — it is also important that your personality fits the company culture. Meaning, someone can have great developer or designer skills, but still not make a good fit for the company. Your soft skills are just as important, because you need to communicate and collaborate with other people on a daily basis.&nbsp;So when you find potential employers, pay attention to the skills and values potential candidates need to have in the career choices you want to work in.&nbsp;<h4> Use social media</h4>Fill your social media profile with your skills and experience. Write what you are good at and what course/education option you are currently attending — it will show that you are working on your skills. We would recommend updating your profile on Linkedin for that purpose.&nbsp;Remember, first impressions are important, even if it is online, so make sure that you write down the skills and experiences you are proud of.<h4>Make a portfolio</h4>A portfolio shows your skills and way of thinking. Create a profile on networks that serve to showcase your works. Regularly update your work, even when it’s not perfect, because that way future employers can see your progress and your effort. It is not enough just to say that you study a lot, it is necessary to show that you practice!Note that at the beginning, receiving feedback for work in your portfolio isn't that pleasant. People often contact us saying that feedback makes them depressed and discouraged to keep learning. However, it is important not to take the feedback personally, and instead see it as a great opportunity for professional growth and improvement.<h3>6) OPEN APPLICATIONS</h3>The best way to look for a job is through open applications. Of course, you should also monitor open positions in companies, but we believe that open applications are a great way to show employers your proactivity and desire to work. In most cases, HR will contact you. If your skills are fit for a certain position, they may contact you later when they will need new employees.&nbsp;And if the interview does not go well, do not be discouraged — even that experience is valuable. Write down what you did well and what needs to be better, so you can work on that for the next interview. It is all about practice. With every interview, you will be more prepared and confident.&nbsp;You can even ask for feedback after the interview or assignment, as most people will like a proactive approach and appreciate you valuing their expertise!<h3>7) BE PATIENT</h3>Changing careers can take a while.&nbsp;According to our experience and the experiences of colleagues who have changed careers, the average time that is required from starting a course to first employment is about a year or more. We believe that if you have technical education, that time span can be shorter because you learn some basics at college or school.&nbsp;A lot of people think that after finishing some courses, they are ready to look for a job. That's rarely the case. There are exceptions, but learning is a long process involving a lot of theory and less practice. So during the learning phase, we both did not work and invested the maximum of our time in learning and practicing. When we say maximum, we mean at least 6-8 hours of honing our skills, daily. We tried to work every day to maintain continuity because we were aware that it would be easier for us to adapt to working hours and daily obligations once we started working.&nbsp;However, it is important that you listen to yourself, go at a speed that suits you, so you don't end up giving up because of too much pressure that you put on yourself. You won’t become an expert just because you enroll in courses or watch some videos. It is the practice that counts. At first, it can take a lot to see any progress, but later as your skills get better, the progress will be clearly visible.&nbsp;Maybe you will not have the opportunity to start working in the company of your dreams, but the IT market is big and always in demand for developers and designers, so chances are you will find something.But what if you can’t quit your job at the moment and practice? It is possible to change careers while working at another job, but you will have to work a little more on weekends and after work. Also, you won’t have much free time, but it's worth making a little sacrifice so that later you can do what fulfills you.<h2>Final tips on how to land your design or development job in IT</h2>If you wait for the perfect moment to start learning and switch your career, you will never start, because the perfect time and conditions will never come. People will doubt your decisions but don't doubt yourself.&nbsp;Make mistakes, learn from them and practice as long as it takes. We think that an imperfect portfolio online is better than a perfect portfolio on your laptop no one can see.&nbsp;Remember:<blockquote> “Continuous improvement is better than delayed perfection.” - Mark Twain</blockquote> If you have any questions about this topic or just want to say hi, feel free to reach us on social media, and good luck with your new career!&nbsp; &nbsp;

How to land your design or development dream job in IT

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