Brad McAllister

What’s the JavaScript market like?? Is a question asked on pretty much every call I have at the moment. ✅ The JavaScript market is slowly bouncing back. We’ve seen an increase in job flow, also in direct adverts from both agency and client side which is great ( mostly on perm ). An uptick in perm roles is usually a good indicator of a strong market and contract will soon be to follow. Candidates are getting involved in multiple processes at once. ✅ Time to hire still seems slow. Interviews are taking longer and feedback is delayed. Clients are saying they are wanting to hire but wont move promptly on signing things off/starting the processes or making offers. ✅ There are more experienced candidates on the market. A lot of contracts weren’t extended so there are more people looking. ✅ Seasoned contractors are more open to taking an interesting perm role. In short, things are slowly but surely improving. Feel free to reach out if you have more questions. #hiring #JavaScript #UK

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🚀 September has two incredible .NET events coming up! 🚀 Here's what to expect: 1️⃣ .NET Cardiff Meetup Partnering with Confused.com, we're excited to bring you two insightful talks covering the evolution of programming languages and innovative C# techniques. Whether you're interested in the philosophy of coding or seeking practical ways to improve your code, there's something for everyone! 📅 Event Details 🗓 Date: Thursday, 19th September 🕕 Time: 6:00 pm - 8:00 pm 📍 Location: Confused.com, Greyfriars House, Cardiff 2️⃣ Exceptional Security at FISCAL Technologies Dive into the world of cybersecurity and exception handling with two fascinating talks on security strategies and programming best practices. 📅 Event Details 🗓 Date: Wednesday, 25th September 🕕 Time: 5:30 pm - 8:00 pm 📍 Location: FISCAL Technologies Ltd, Reading Don't miss these opportunities to learn from top industry experts and network with fellow tech enthusiasts! To sign up for either event head down to the link in the comments! 👇 #DotNetCardiff #Cybersecurity #CSharp #BurpSuite #ConfusedDotCom #TechMeetup #FISCALTech #SoftwareEngineering

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One thing I have heard a few times today is, "I'm going to move out of PHP as it is dying," "Everybody has migrated from PHP to JavaScript," "I think PHP only has a couple of years left in it," and "I need to diversify my skillset before PHP dries out." I know this was a big topic in the community at the beginning of the year, and I feel like it's starting to crop back up. When looking deeper at the numbers behind PHP, I have found a few things: ✔According to W3Techs, as of 2024, PHP is used by 77.4% of all websites. ✔It powers platforms like WordPress, which runs 43% of all websites. ✔Efforts are being made to integrate PHP with AI libraries better. What are your thoughts on PHP and the current Web Development landscape?

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What kind of IT contract work do you enjoy?    💻 Fully remote?    📄 Outside IR35?    Maybe it depends on the project itself...    ☁️ Cloud Projects?    🧑‍💻 Software Development?    Or maybe it’s simply about the pay rate 😉    Explore our jobs and find something that ticks all the right boxes:    https://lnkd.in/eSb-WN-4    #contract #contractopportunities #contractor #itcontracts

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Are performance important for PHP developers? Many argue that due to the nature of PHP you couldn't claim you take care of performance. I believe they couldn't be more wrong. So many businesses depends by PHP that I'm seeing more and more developers sensible to this topic.

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Demand for Intermediate-level Software Developers is decreasing, resulting in salary levels on offer declining. For the time being it appears that the days of intermediate developers securing 15% - 20% pay increases when moving jobs are over.   Current advertised salaries for software developers in the UK (3 months to June 2024) are down to 2019 levels.   Is this trend mirrored elsewhere in the world? What are the causes for this?    

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8 Tools Software Developers Can Use to Propel Their Career Paths 💻 In the competitive UK tech market, it's vital for developers to stay ahead. Here are 8 tools you can learn to boost your skills and career prospects: 1️⃣ Jira - Track projects efficiently with agile features like Scrum & Kanban boards. 2️⃣ GitHub - Collaborate globally, manage projects, and streamline workflows. 3️⃣ IntelliJ IDEA - Optimised for Java/Kotlin, offering AI-powered code suggestions. 4️⃣ VS Code - Customisable code editor supporting multiple languages. 5️⃣ Slack - Enhance team collaboration with AI-driven communication. 6️⃣ Stripo - Speed up email design with drag-and-drop features and integrations. 7️⃣ Payara Cloud - Automate cloud deployment for Java-centric apps. 8️⃣ Axify - Track team performance with real-time data and improve workflows. Mastering these tools will help you to stay competitive in your tech career! What other tools are you noticing employers increasingly seek? Comment below 👇 #SoftwareDevelopment #TechTools #CareerGrowth

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📢Top Tip📢 🚀How can a DevOps/Platform Engineer instantly stand out in a crowded amount of applications?🚀 ⌚How have YOU helped to save time? 💶How have YOU helped to save money? ☁️Multiple Platform & DevOps Engineering managers have told me that they prefer engineers to make it EASY for them to SEE exactly what they have done in these two key areas to instantly stand out☁️ #devops #platform #SRE #tethr #cloudengineering

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Results from last weeks poll. Very close call - seems we're split on this one. With demand for work / life balance on the rise. Is this an approach we might see adopted more in 2025? #4dayweek #prorated #softwareengineering

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Since 2011, Laravel has been an incredibly important open source framework used vastly by the PHP Community 😍 There is a reason why Laravel is the most used framework to date, and why so many people venturing into coding with PHP find it the most reliable and enjoyable framework to work with! 💻 With some of its brilliant features including: 🖤 Fantastic application security; 🖤MVC Architecture Support through a range of built-in functions; 🖤A clean syntax to write maintainable code; and 🖤It’s unit testing features, allowing developers to test code whilst writing new ones; and many more With this, it’s no surprise that everyone’s most loved framework has managed to raise 💥 $57M 💥 of Series A funding in partnership with Accel, who continue to help companies globally with their growth, and have done so over the last 40 years. Since this partnership has arisen, this has resulted in the fabulously anticipated Laravel Cloud finally being demoed last week Laracon which is so exciting! And many more progresses to come down the line! (watch the Laracon AU space for updates) Go ahead and join the waiting list for Laravel Cloud below: https://cloud.laravel.com 🍻 A big Friday Cheers to one of the most loved and secure frameworks available on its future growth and exciting developments to come! 🍻 What projects are you going to get started on with Laravel today? #PHP #Laravel #LaravelCloud #SR2

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There's so many career paths within Software Development, and if you're just starting out, it can be conflicting on deciding on the path to take. Here's a brief outline of some of the niches within development you could do based on conversations I've been having… 💫 Web dev - specialise in building web apps and websites, you'll most likely use HTML, CSS, and JavaScript 💫 Mobile Devs - focus on creating apps for smart phones and tablets - iOS and Android 💫 Frontend Devs - work on the user interface 💫 Backend Devs - work on the server-side of applications and focus on functionality 💫 Full Stack Devs - work on both the front-end and back-end 💫 DevOps - you are bridging the gap between development and operations If you're looking for your next software dev role, pop me a message ✨ #SoftwareDevelopment #Programming #Frontend #Backend #FullStack

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🚀 Exciting News: React 19 Announcement on the Horizon! 🚀 The buzz around React is heating up with the upcoming release of React 19, and it's shaping up to be a game-changer! 🎉 While detailed features are still under wraps, early rumours hint at some major enhancements that could revolutionise how we develop applications: - Improved Server-Side Rendering: Expect faster, more efficient server-side rendering capabilities that could significantly boost your app’s performance and SEO. - Enhanced Concurrent Features: With better support for concurrent rendering, React 19 may bring smoother user experiences and more responsive interfaces. As always, these updates promise to make our development processes more streamlined and our applications even more performant. Stay tuned for more details as they emerge! Are you excited about these upcoming changes? How do you think these improvements will impact your projects? Drop your thoughts and predictions below! #React19 #JavaScript #WebDevelopment #ServerSideRendering #ConcurrentRendering #TechNews #ReactJS #FrontendDevelopment

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This is incredibly interesting and undoubtably what the market needs - what goes up must inevitably come down to level out in way in which the market can accommodate. Now Software Developers what do you think? Does this impact the way you're looking at your career and your next move? #developmentrecruitment #salariesaredecreasing #acallforsomeinsight

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The most marmite programming language. Its a battle between C#.NET and PHP. I'm a Tech Recruiter of 25+ years I've spoken with 1000's of Developers. Some have stuck with a language for life. Some have switched and are only interested in using their current language. Some are polygots. JAVA & Python. Nobody says bad stuff about these languages Node.js. much loved and there are a fair proportion of fanatics Golang. Loads of fanatics C# & PHP. Strong support BUT Strong dislike. Strong dislike of PHP comes from use of an early version such as PHP3. Usually, they've not even looked at PHP8. PHP also has bad PR as a noddy language, often coupled with Wordpress (not for real programmers). Love for PHP comes from it being an OO language capable of delivering 99% of any other language, but with frameworks which make life easier. Strong dislike of C# comes mainly from the Microsoft PR hangover. It was just not cool to like something Bill Gates created (yes Microsoft did do some shitty things as a corporate, but its time to forgive!). For many years it was platform dependent, that really makes open source developers feel sick. Love for C# comes from it being well supported throughout it's life. With a particular uptick for those using Blazor. Nowadays power is in the cloud and the architecture of your microservices. There is less reason to be fanatical or insulted by any one language. However, if you are a C# Developer, you may be advised to tread carefully when entering a pub full of Golang Developers. #python #csharp #php #golang #blazor

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Yesterday I mentioned our increasing use of Symfony as a PHP development framework. As a framework it brings enterprise level governance to how we approach and deploy our code. We've always built a lot using WordPress (and still do), and one of the most frustrating things when using it with larger teams is the lack governance around working practices. Because of it's structure, multiple developers have access to many different ways to change the code, so even if you have good practices in place like GitHub (a centralised place where all the code versions live), developers have multiple ways to upload their code up to the website, or change the code directly in WordPress. Whilst you would hope everyone follows best practice, the reality is this happens all the time, especially when a team of developers work on the same project, or someone finds a bug in their code and tries to fix it under the radar. Symfony has allowed us to establish a robust development pipeline where the only way code can be deployed to the live server is by going through a QA process (pull request) with our Head of Development. This is a major step forward as it puts QA in the hands of our most experienced and conscientious developer, protects the live site from non-planned updates, and avoids that situation where every-time a go-live happens the same error occurs because someone didn't commit their code. https://lnkd.in/eGz_e-8S

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Let's talk compensation for interviewing...💬 Tech tests and live coding defiantly splits the community down the middle but yesterday I saw something I've not seen before, this particular company offer a £50 voucher for completing their technical task as they appreciate your time is valuable. 💰 🤝 Some would say if you want to go through an interview process you have to accept that you have to give up some of your time. 🤔 ⏳ Is this something that should be the norm? Share your thoughts below. 👇 #interviewprocess #compensation #technicaltasks #technicaltests

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Software Developers - 2023 was rubbish wasn't it? However the market is really improving with many more jobs opening up compared to last year. But - there are now a lot of engineers active in the market too.. So some advice.. ⬇ A common complaint now is that you are not hearing back after sending your CV for roles you know/think you are good for. Here are some small pointers from my own recent observations to get you in the door to start with. ✅ You are competing now... your first mistake is having an unattractive, un-readable CV. Think - if you were the hiring manager, would you like this CV? ✅ This is incredibly important for Frontend focused developers.. ⬆ ✅ Less is more... focus on roles you are good for, don't use the spray technique if you know deep down you are not suitable. It's not good for your mental health either to get unnecessary rejections. ✅ Focus on your application properly - If you are applying for a Frontend / React/FS engineer, don't have PHP or Java as a visual focus point as soon as the CV is opened... this applies to all tech roles... ✅ Follow up after a few days - don't sit back and think Linkedin will do it's magic for you once you have clicked submit. ✅ Read the job adverts carefully until the end.. there is usually important information about the working style / location / criteria. Again, saves disappointment and your own time later on. ✅ Attitude - be pleasant and positive throughout. It doesn't matter if you are nervous or maybe you think your english isn't the best, people hire people they want to work with regardless of previous achievements. Finally - interviewing. ✅ Practice and prepare for your interviews well. It might seem a given but know your current stack in-side and out, and any current trends in your area of tech/expertise. ✅ Ask your recruiter or ask the internal HR/talent if there is anything you need to prep/research on. ✅ And of course, have a list of interesting / relevant questions for each opening, and not always the same formulaic ones. ✅ Practice the commons ones - why did you leave the last role, what is clean code for you, what are some projects you failed on / were successful at. Why. ✅ ✅ Please don't give up.

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