Climate change is something I care deeply about. I spend a lot of time ensuring that I have the smallest possible impact on the climate that I can and do what I can to try and influence those around me to do the same. When Stipe launched their Climate programme I jumped at the opportunity to take part!

So what is Stripe Climate? It is an initiative where businesses who use Stripe to process their payments can donate a percentage of sales to help scrub carbon from the atmosphere. Going forward, 2% of all sales on WeCode NI will go towards carbon sequestration. I will also be backdating this contribution to March 2018 when WeCode NI launched!

Online privacy is another thing I care deeply about. Over the last few months, I've been working on WeCode NI to ensure that to the best of my ability, this website reflects that value. Previously, authentication and data storage was handled by Google, a company with a patchy history when it comes to user privacy. I didn't like the fact that my user data was held by Google, so I did the work necessary to move all of this to a Postgres database that I own.

The next major update was to my analytics provider. I'm not keen on the idea of tracking the visitors that come to WeCode NI, but I do need some data on how the site performs to help me improve it and to make sure I'm providing the best service I can to employers. Previously, I used Google Analytics for this and as mentioned above, I don't love the idea of Google tracking the visitors to WeCode NI. After some research, I switched to Plausible Analytics. Plausible is a privacy focused analytics company that does not sell user data, or track users across websites. They also don't use cookies to track users, which meant I could get rid of the cookie notice!

One of my favourite features of Plausible is that it allows me to share my site analytics with everyone. If you're interested in the kind of traffic that WeCode NI gets, you can now check it out here! Over the coming months, I'll be doing more to integrate this data with the website more and exposing more useful metrics to employers that post jobs.

2020 has been a tough year for most. A global pandemic, a recession, and Brexit is looming. Let's take a look at what's changed in the tech sector over the past year. A quick note before we get started though. I'm not a lawyer or an economist, and while I've made every attempt to make sure the stats I've mentioned are correct, it's possible I've made a mistake. If you spot any let me know! As always, do your own research.

According to a survey conducted by Corvus Recruitment, almost half of the 43 participants worked at companies where staff had been furloughed in 2020. It's hard to say if that is representative of the entire industry, but with 54,100 people in Northern Ireland (as of 30 Sep 2020) still on furlough, it's not hard to believe.

The same survey goes on to say that during the course of the year, most of these individuals have been brought back into work. This aligns with the numbers shared by the treasury that shows fewer and fewer people on furlough since the peak of 111,800 earlier in the year.

A notable mention here is Kainos, who had furloughed 131 out of its 1700 employees. The company made use of the scheme for 2 months before announcing that it would bring all staff back to work and repay the full £400,000 they had received.

As a result of government restrictions to try and curb the spread of COVID-19, many developers have been working from home. In the same Corvus study mentioned above, almost 90% of participants have worked from home for an extended period this year. For many people, myself included, working from home has made finding a work-life balance easier and allowed for a more flexible routine. For others, it has been a more difficult change leading to feelings of loneliness and isolation. I would imagine that remote working in some form is here to stay. This pandemic has forced people to reconsider what matters and gave employees a chance to prove that they can work productively at home. From a business point of view, this could lead to cost savings with smaller offices and reduced bills, etc.

Meetups and conferences took a hit at the start of this year. With restrictions in place to prevent groups of people from meeting, many organizers took their events online. A shining example of this move online going well was NI Developer Conference held 9th - 10th October. The folks that organised it did a fantastic job of safely bringing together the tech community to share knowledge and new ideas. Many smaller meetups have done similar throughout the year including Devops Belfast, Belfast Gophers, NXNW, Newry Digital, BLUG, Bash, and many more. One thing a remote meetup can't quite replicate though is the social aspect. I for one am looking forward to having a pint or two with my friends a Belfast JS when it's safe to do so.

It has not all been bad. Despite the shaky start to the year, many web agencies have found themselves with more work to do than ever before. With the ever-changing lockdown rules, many businesses have been scrambling to get an online presence, allowing them to continue trading regardless of restrictions. As a result, agencies that focus on this kind of work have been kept busy.

It's been a weird year and I think it will leave lasting changes in the Tech sector in Northern Ireland. Remote work is here to stay. Business travel for meetings has been replaced with a video call. Small businesses that never would have thought about getting an online presence now depend on it. Brexit is around the corner now and it will have serious effects on us and particularly businesses that trade outside of the UK. On the bright side, we have several promising vaccines on the horizon, so hopefully, 2021 will be a little better for everyone than this year has been. 

What effect has COVID-19 had on the NI Tech Sector?

Since you are currently browsing on WeCode NI you must be considering a new job sometime soon. As an IT Recruiter with over 7 years’ experience, I have been asked on numerous occasions what structure a CV should take and what content should be and shouldn’t be included. Some developers have stayed in the same job for quite some time and haven’t written a CV in a while, others have never written a CV.

Firstly, lets bust a couple of myths that are out there about CV’s. The main one I hear on a regular basis is that a CV should be kept to one or two pages. If you are a developer with over ten years’ experience in a range of different contract positions, this is an impossibility. If you need to take five pages to get your career history down on paper, then do so.

Another myth that seems to be out there is that a developer needs to write down every technology they have ever had experience with no matter how brief it was. Just because you covered a module of C# in university doesn’t mean you should have it on your CV. Some companies will ask you to back up every skill you have on your CV so if you can’t, then remove it straight away. Only include skills you are competent in.

Begin with a summary on who you are, what your current role is and what sort of challenge you are seeking in your next job.  

Then list the technical skills that you have commercial experience with.  Some developers like to give a rating system or assign levels of competence, but I would recommend that you don’t do this. Do not list skills that are irrelevant e.g. MS Excel.

After this, you can go into your career history. Remember, employers are keen to see what your actual role was within a project. Keep the entries specific to your IT career. Employers don’t care that you worked in Tesco’s when you were sixteen.

At this point, I would list your education and certifications. Make sure you include any training you have completed in your own time at your own expense. Employers love developers that are motivated and continually improving their skills.

Including an ‘Interests’ section is a good idea but only if it something that stands out. Listing interests like ‘socialising with friends’ or ‘going to the cinema’ is pointless. However, if you are an active member of Belfast JS then this is well worth mentioning. List something that really showcases your personality and gives you something to chat about at an interview.

Don’t send the same CV to every job that you apply for. Tailor it specifically to each position.  Use the job description to help you with this.  If it lists several essential skills that you have then make sure they are clearly visible on your CV.

The easiest way for you to showcase your technical ability is to showcase your projects on GitHub. More and more companies are asking for an active GitHub account. It tells the employer that you are passionate about what you do and you are continually seeking to improve as a developer.

If you would like me to read through your CV and offer additional tips then feel free to reach out to me at Gareth@corvus.jobs.

The content of a job spec can say a lot about a company. If you are writing a job spec, there are a few important things you should remember if you want to attract the best candidates or any candidates at all.

Unless you’re hiring someone to assassinate your competition, you are not hiring a ninja. Are you looking for someone to melt your face with a guitar solo before smashing the guitar? If not, you’re probably not hiring a rockstar.

I know this kind of language is common in the startup scene. You might even think that it makes the company sound edgy and young but in reality, it sounds cliché and can be fairly of putting.

Tell us about the interview process. Does it take 12 weeks and involve an unpaid trial period? Letting applicants know what getting the job is going to involve will help attract more applicants. The applicants are also going to be prepared for the interview process.

It’s pretty common to see software job posts that state a degree is required. Usually, though, the company would be happy to accept a candidate who has industry experience instead. If that is the case then say so. You could be missing out on potential candidates.

When looking for a job, do you consider the salary before applying? Of course you do, everyone does. If you value your time and the time of the time of applicants, please include a salary range in the job posting.

5. Make sure your requirements are actually requirements

Job requirements are written with good intentions but they can excluding. A lot of applicants who would otherwise be great for the job are put off applying if they don’t meet all the requirements. Instead, it’s better to describe what a successful applicant will be doing on a daily basis.

Let the applicant decide if he or she is qualified. You’ll get to ask questions in an interview to confirm this.

At the end of the day, you’re hiring people. Treat them like so. Don’t waste time and talk to them like they are adults. There is no secret to attracting applicants, just show that you value their time. When you’re ready, head over to the Post a Job Page and tell the world about your job opportunities.

Stripe Climate and Plausible Analytics

What effect has COVID-19 had on the NI Tech Sector?

How to write a Software Development CV

5 Tips for Attracting More Applicants

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