Tech Dive

Welcome back to The Tech Dive! It has been a while since the last blog as I spent the last few months of 2024 studying for two Microsoft certifications. I am now back in the blog space and thought my experience of studying for, and passing, two certifications in short succession would make an interesting first blog back. Introduction So what are Microsoft certifications? In a nutshell, they are qualifications offered by Microsoft that show that the holder is proficient in certain Microsoft technologies and technical skills. There are many different certifications and certification pathways (groups of similar certifications) for all different skill points. Microsoft certifications are a great way to evidence your technical skills to your current or potential future employers. In fact many employers will fund the cost of Microsoft certifications for employees! It is definitely worth investigating this with your employer; you could save on the entry cost of between £60 and + £200. This bl...

Firstly a little disclaimer - this month's blog is an updated version of an old blog post I published on my LinkedIn - summer holidays really stole my time this month!

Introduction Docker may just be a word you have heard during technical demos, or it might be something you know a little about but only in a vague way. If this is the case then this is the blog for you! Over the next 500 or so words I will outline what Docker is and why you would use it and provide a handy glossary of terms and some useful resources. Hopefully this will become a useful quick reference guide for all things Docker! What is it? ‘’Docker is an open platform for developing, shipping, and running applications. Docker enables you to separate your applications from your infrastructure so you can deliver software quickly. With Docker, you can manage your infrastructure in the same ways you manage your applications. By taking advantage of Docker's methodologies for shipping, testing, and deploying code, you can significantly reduce the delay between writing code and running it in production.’’ - Docker Documentation Maybe that is still too many words... Put more simply, Dock...

So you want to switch careers and enter the tech sector? Who wouldn’t! A career where you can be constantly learning, be on the cutting edge of new developments and it’s famous flexibility making it an ideal for those with family commitments (or who just like a modern, flexible career). However, is this dream career switch just that - a dream? Or is it something that is realistically achievable for those who are already working in demanding careers? This month’s blog post will explore exactly that… keep reading. What a career switcher has to offer Let’s start with the positives - as a career switcher you will have so much to offer a potential new employer in the tech sector. Here are just a few points: Transferable Skills Yo’ve likely heard this many times, but the skills you have gained in your previous career make you an asset to potential employers in the tech sector. Unlike graduate hires, career switchers can demonstrate, examples of excellent communication, times they have manage...