Dave Heath

THE AVERAGE TENURE FOR A SENIOR SOFTWARE ENGINEER IN THE UK IS AROUND 18 MONTHS 😲 This is a crazy stat but I'm not surprised Software Engineers are in high demand Technology is still booming globally The opportunities Software Engineers have today far outweigh those other professionals have Causing a war for talent Causing Software Engineers to become 'job hoppers' Or so it might seem... Once upon a time, there was no chance I'd send your CV to my client if your profile had multiple positions less than 2 years These days, it's inevitable The average tenure of a Software Engineer 5 years ago was 3-5 years Times have changed The challenge? Companies still want to see longevity But todays market is different and doesn't allow for the same longevity as 5 years ago We recently placed an Engineer whose last 3 roles all fell under 2 years. 1 even fell under 1 year Is she a job hopper? No! She had genuine and logical reasons for each move and each move made sense She was able to fully portray this to our client, was offered and accepted The solution? Work with a recruiter who can see beyond 'job hopping' but is skilled enough to qualify a candidates application taking into consideration their drivers and motivations #beuneek

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Technical stuff... can be a bit of a mystery to some people! So that's why we don't want to try and baffle you with lots of technical jargon that you may not understand. Instead, we will ask what it is you want to achieve and help you get there! That way you can leave all the geeky tech stuff to us and you can carry on your day being the expert of YOUR thing! For a better way to do IT call APOC IT www.apocit.com #Management #ITSupport #JargonFree #CustomerSupport

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THE TIMES - IR35: Taxman should stop dragging freelancers through court [Paywall] Where small businesses are involved, including individual contractors, the argument is, given the complexity of IR35, that if the individual wins at the first-tier tax tribunal, that should be the end of it. But, as we have seen, HMRC are pursuing every IR35 case to the (company)death, using unlimited access to the public purse, so they can win at all costs. Of the last seven IR35 cases won by taxpayers, HMRC has appealed 6 of them. HMRC are always using barristers at first-tier now, against individuals trying to defend themselves. In Kaye's case, it went to four hearings, until HMRC gave up. HMRC paid for (with taxpayers money) for three barristers at the final FTT hearing. That's not fair. That's David v Goliath territory. Looks a bit post-officey. #ir35 #offpayroll

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HM Revenue & Customs STOP WASTING TAX PAYER MONEY. This HAS to stop! If the Government won't modify this utter shambles of tax legislation, to obtain the goal that was supposedly intended (greater tax revenue) the last thing they should be doing is dragging small Company Directors through a court system that only benefits barristers and solicitors Not only is it incredibly costly for small businesses and risks litigating them into insolvency, it's incredibly stressful (destroys people's mental health) AND it's an utter waste of tax payer money HMRC are simply trying to bully small businesses into submission even when HMRC fail at first tier. It's a strategy straight out of Donald Trumps' arsenal - litigate small businesses into oblivion to 'win' at all costs But HMRC aren't Trump, they're supposed to be protecting & supporting the Country & its Citizens, via unbiased & fair activities, yet they allow large international corporates like Amazon to pay Zero tax whilst spanking tax payers taxes on witch hunts that don't stand up in court. Their actions demonstrate a clear agenda: - Enable large scale tax evasion from international corporates - Bully & kill small UK business The resources are far better placed on increasing HMRC staff numbers so citizens aren't waiting 6 month for tax rebates Typical Tory bullying #IR35

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Thought for the day. Software development is a tricky business. Technologically it's pretty straightforward *if* the coders know what they are doing. The problems arise in communication. Across the board. Requirements, prioritisation, feedback. This part is down to relationships, process, structures etc some of which the coders can only influence, at most. In order to have the best chance of getting that second part right, you need experienced people focused on achieving a good outcome, not just in technology terms but in meeting the organisational requirements. To challenge, support and steer the process so that it works for everyone. Sometimes I hear that people think our rates are high. I wonder, compared to what? I have enough experience of software projects gone sour to know where the costs really add up. Buy cheap, buy twice. Caveat Emptor! #value #softwaredevelopment #strategy

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Do what you love. It’s not just a saying—it’s a way of life. I started with ColdFusion in 2005, diving into ColdFusion 5 and MX 6.1. Before that, I was into PHP. Before that, ASP 3.0. But ColdFusion? It’s where I found my true passion. What about you? Have you found that one thing that truly excites you? In 2015, I delivered my first ColdFusion lecture at ITU Lahore. Those learners —some of whom are now successful ColdFusion programmers —are proof that pursuing your passion pays off. Today, 80% of our projects—in-house or outsourced—are built in ColdFusion. It’s what I love. It’s what I’m best at. ColdFusion is more than just a programming language. It’s a love. It’s a journey. It’s a career. It’s what shapes my days and drives my success. So, what are you waiting for? Do what you love. Embrace your passion. Let it guide you. When you follow your passion, everything else falls into place. Want to dive into ColdFusion? DM me for more details! Creation Next is offering a comprehensive course to get you started with ColdFusion programming. Whether you’re a beginner or looking to sharpen your skills, this is your chance to learn from the best. Don’t miss out on this opportunity to enhance your career with ColdFusion! #DoWhatYouLove #ColdFusion #PassionInTech #TechJourney #CreationNext #Mentorship

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Want to retire from an Omnis-based software business? Are you one of the many lone developers with a business based around an Omnis application that you develop and support? Are you thinking that you might like to retire one day? Perhaps soon? Whilst you may be hoping to sell your business, along with the Omnis application (and this does occasionally work out), the reality is that some applications die away when their original owner/developer retires. When this happens, customers of the Omnis-based software application can be left without support for an application which is crucial to running their business. Developers can find themselves putting off retirement because they don’t want to let down their customers. ***Omnis Legacy Service*** Why not talk to us about our Omnis Legacy Service? We will work with you to gain knowledge and understanding of your application, to document it for future support – and then we will either take over the support of your Omnis application or remain on stand-by to do so at a point in the future when it might become wanted or needed. ***A Legacy for both your Customers and your Loved Ones*** If and when we take over the support and development of your Omnis application, you will continue to receive a percentage of all revenues associated with your product. In the event of your death, we will continue to make these payments to your nominated recipient.

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I believe in paying for software. I use lots of it to build & support my habit tracker app “Did You Do it Today?“, and pay for a fair chunk of it. I’m happy to do so, though, as the stuff I pay for really helps me, and it feels good to support the folks & companies building & maintaining it. Software I pay for: • WordPress → Domain name & web hosting, blogging • Bubble → Full stack, no-code development platform (this software is incredible & is the only reason a non-coder like me can build an app like DYDit) • Stripe → Payments processing • Sinch ClickSend → Daily Check-in emailer • SendGrid → Daily Check-in SMS sender • Titan → Customer support emailer • Google Workspace → Spreadsheets, forms, & other emailing • SnagIt → Screen captures & visual designs Software that’s free: • Trello → Idea & task management • Notejoy → Writing • Figma → Visual designs • Microsoft Copilot → AI image generation • Meta AI → AI image generation • Bubble third-party plugins → Visual elements (eg. charts) • LinkedIn → Marketing • Meta Facebook → Marketing • Instagram → Marketing • Twitter → Marketing • Threads → Marketing Holy shit, that’s a lotta software! We use way more in our daily lives than you’d think, and it’s especially amazing how much you use when you’re trying to build a digital business. I’m pretty content with my paid vs. free balance, especially since I could be, in some cases, using a hacked-together free solution for something I pay for. Also, with the way AI is advancing, I’ll be likely be using & paying for even more in the near future. So, like I said, it feels good to pay for software that really helps you. How about feeling good with me by building your Habit over @ https://lnkd.in/e_8nwVwX #dydit #dyditlife

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🚫 This isn’t a Black Friday deal. In the following webinar, I will team up with Richmond Alake (Developer Advocate (AI/ML) at MongoDB and Eric Arthur Allen (partner at gravity9) to explore a high-impact use case for Gen AI: "Enhancing Contract and Supply Chain Management with AI Agents". We’ll demonstrate how to set up a Retrieval-Augmented Generation (RAG) system with MongoDB Atlas to power an AI agent that can answer questions on contracts and supply chains—or even edit data directly within the dataset! 📅 November 14, 2024 | 17:00 PM GMT 💡 Register now to secure your spot 👉 https://lnkd.in/eaUxhnQY Looking forward to seeing you there! And who knows—after the webinar, you might even be ready to build your own AI agent to help you find the best Black Friday deals! #MongoDB #gravity9 #LangChain #LangGraph #AIagents #SupplyChain #RAG #GenAI

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Hello again! I don’t post for months and then 2 come along at once :-) I’ve been getting back on the tools recently and its made me a realise a few things: ➡ I still like designing systems, writing code and building stuff ➡ You only really "know" something by building something with it I worked on a gig at the start of the year where we were using AI agents to assess legal contracts and again for managing policy changes across separate documents at the global, regional and sector level in the ESG compliance space. Was super interesting and showed me the power of agentic workflows using LLM’s. I didn’t get hands on with these implementations and was focusing more on the change side and how these tools could be embedded into new working practices. Through the course of the build, I was keeping up to date for how the agent development was coming along and I understood the basic architecture pattern and which types of libraries and frameworks were being used. To someone who knew that little bit less than me, I probably sounded like a knew what I was talking about. But I didn’t. I didn’t “know” anything! So, I’ve been developing some agents recently and started to really get into the nitty gritty of how to build these types of solutions. I saw first hand the limits of what’s possible, design choices to optimise the output, how orchestration can work between the meta agent and other expert agents it can spawn. I found the limits and also the possibilities for where they could be taken to create more value. I identified risks where I found gotchas in licenses for some frameworks and where the blockers to getting these to production could be. I’ve learned how to test them and how they could be operated in production. I’ve started to “know” way more than I did when I was close to the build earlier this year but nowhere near close enough. I’ve still a lot to learn and to really understand what we should and shouldn’t use these capabilities for at increasing scale in production. Now as a modern technology leader, you need to navigate from boardroom to engine room and distil complex technology matters into business concerns with the board while also getting into the detail with the product / engineering teams and functions. To do that effectively, don’t listen to consultants like me or vendors trying to sell you something where you then paraphrase a collection of whatever buzz words are of the moment. We’ll skim over details where it really matters. Moral of the story, if you want to really “know” something, get building! #ai #agents

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4 days to go till our Code to Command event in London Tickets are going fast now, we seemed to have really gathered pace in the last week, so much so I have had to order more food and drinks!! Get the last couple of tickets!! From Code to Command: Navigating the Transition to Engineering Leadership   Join us on Thursday, 12th September, for an exclusive event designed for tech professionals ready to take the leap from technical roles to leadership positions. Whether you're an engineer eyeing management or a young leader facing imposter syndrome, this event is for you!   🗓 Date & Time: Thursday, 12th September 2024, 18:00 - 21:00 BST 📍 Location: Myo Bankside, 133 Park Street, London SE1 9EA 🎟 Tickets: All proceeds will be donated to https://lnkd.in/efDzS5Nv   Agenda Highlights: Shifting from Technical to Managerial Responsibilities Kribashnee Moodley – Head of Engineering, Vitality UK Learn the key strategies to smoothly transition from coding to leading, with a focus on communication, delegation, and balancing responsibilities. Growing Team Health with the PETALS Framework Si Jobling – Engineering Manager, Rightmove Explore the PETALS framework to measure and enhance your team's well-being, ensuring a healthy and high-performing environment. Conquering Imposter Syndrome to Lead with Confidence as a Young Manager Quinn Koike – CTO, Orri Gain insights on overcoming imposter syndrome and leading with confidence, especially as a young manager in today’s diverse teams.   This is more than just a networking opportunity—it's a chance to equip yourself with the skills and mindset needed to excel as a leader in tech. Don’t miss out on this opportunity to learn from industry experts and make meaningful connections!   👉 Get your tickets now and support a great cause: https://codebar.io . See you there!

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🧑‍🏫 Got a couple of hours on a Friday afternoon and keen to see how you can use Zapier to create no/low code process automation from Pinpoint Applicant Tracking System (or any system that has webhooks and an API!)? * Send new starters to IT * Find out when a specific applicant is hired * Add new jobs to a Google Sheet * Update status of jobs in internal project management tools https://lnkd.in/eeGye6bn 🤓 (API key has been deleted!) #RPA #integrations #ats #lowcode #HR #HRTech #zapier #talentacquisition

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Next month, I will giving a webinar on securing software through transparency to the Cheltenham and Gloucester branch of the BCS, The Chartered Institute for IT. SPOILER ALERT - I will be talking about Software Bill of Materials (SBOMs) Booking link in the comments. #sbom #softwaretransparency #aph10

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Too many times I see the idea of CiCd being used to push untrusted application code. It seems like it's the norm to have unsigned code pushed to production. This should not be the case and there needs to be a chain of trust all the way from development to the executing environment. This is good practice and today more than ever trusted environments should be used over environments that will execute any code/process unsigned and not trust cert.

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Why do 71% of software projects not succeed? The answer might surprise you. Many reasons contribute to this—from timelines that miss business targets to full project failures—but they could have been avoided. I’ve experienced this firsthand—millions lost, lessons learned, and the realisation that skipping essential audits and thorough process reviews can be catastrophic. The good news? There’s a way to join the successful ones. 👇Watch the full video below to learn how👇 #71%ofSoftwareProjectsFail #SuccessfulProjects #FirstHandExperience ----- I'm Ariya Chittasy - I'm committed to supporting tech entrepreneurs and business owners to effectively move through the early stage of growth with my team at Engenesis Ventures. Are you a startup founder? To book a complimentary call to review your startup's strategy and identify the greatest growth opportunities based on our experience working with over 800 startups, go here: https://lnkd.in/gPeVMAK5

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In the software development process, cloud infrastructure is a vital piece of the architecture but something that’s frequently treated as a secondary consideration, often created manually and very rarely documented. This can leave you in real trouble if for any reason you need to rebuild or duplicate your infrastructure. At Honest Burgers Ltd we’ve recently completed the task of scripting our Microsoft #Azure infrastructure using #Bicep, a domain specific language which has allowed us to automate the deployment process and makes future changes simple and fully trackable through version control. The whole process was a lot more straightforward than I initially expected and is something I would strongly recommend for anyone who builds cloud hosted systems. https://lnkd.in/exVKZ2Yy

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Code is getting cheaper and cheaper to manufacture. So, what does that mean for developers? Here is your call to action: become an expert in your business and your customers. Orchestration of people and computers will be the future of development. This means we all need to get more skilled in not only executing on coding tasks, but understanding why we are doing what we are doing. - Who is my customer? - How does our business meet those customers where they are? - What am I building and how is that creating value? I think the smart money is for companies to invest in: - Building great experiences that delight customers - Investing in technology that helps drive greater employee satisfaction and productivity - Educating people on the business and the value they create What are your thoughts? How should new developers be getting ready for a world where AI can handle most of the coding tasks? #ai #experience #developers

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I've made this point before but it's becoming more and more stark. The people that should be dominating platforms like this are the people with the real hard skills to code, develop and implement solutions. Instead it's dominated by relentless strategy and sales conferences, posts , talks and forums. Never has the true tech engineer role been more diminished at a time when they are truly the only ones that can make the change happen. it's oddly unique to tech roles as well. It's like having a team of trained qualified architects and engineers but instead of them discussing their problems they send the marketing team out to find out what everyone else is doing. If I'm down for heart surgery I want to talk to the surgeon , the anesthetist , the senior nurse. Not the finance team. I'm not dismissing the finance team but the ones I want best informed and strategizing are the product owners and engineers. Firms with a defined tech product at their core need to be driven by the software engineers with finance , marketing , HR reporting into them. Then you become truly tech and innovation led.

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