Getting into IT with Grant

Getting into IT with Grant

By Grant DrydenBusinessTechnologyEducationHow ToCareers
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Getting into IT with Grant episodes

  • Twitter and the Great Migration | What’s Mastodon?
    The world is watching Twitter become a brand new company under the leadership of Elon Musk, and in this episode I dive into the details of what has been going on!  The situation is changing from day to day, so by the time you listen to this episode new information may be available, but as of 11/22/2022 this is the story.  
    This episode isn't just a "current events about Twitter" episode, though.  It also takes a look at Mastodon, one of the up and coming challengers to Twitter.  I have an account, have generated a fair amount of content on that platform, and share my experience with the ecosystem also known as the Fediverse (aka federated universe).  Mastodon is a distributed social media platform and is very interesting in its own right, even without all the craziness going on a Twitter.
    41 min
  • The Uber Hack | A Case Study of Worst Practices in InfoSec
    My condolences to Uber on their recent hack (Sept 2022), but this does provide a great opportunity to highlight poor security practices, and share steps that companies can take so they don't fall victim to the same exploits as Uber.  In this episode we'll talk about security, as if it's an onion, do a step-by-step analysis of the Uber hack, and consider just how devastating this situation could have been if a real, malicious hacker had did exactly what this 18 year old did.
    22 min
  • What is a Tech Stack | How to architect software products
    When you build a software application or product, you don't just start writing code and hope for the best!  Your code runs on a platform, typically accesses a database, and displays data to a user - all of these functions should be isolated and organized into a tech stack. 
    Defining your tech stack should be one of the very first things you do, even before you write your first line of code.  Let's dig into this topic, talk about the tech stack in general and then actually define one!  We'll be using a budgeting application as our example and deciding what technologies to use in each layer of the stack.
    44 min
  • Change My Career | How to Transition Between Engineering Disciplines
    If you feel stuck in your engineering career and are trying to break out into a different subdiscipline, then this episode is for you!  How exactly can you switch from being a Software Developer to being a Machine Learning Engineer?  Or from a Site Reliability Engineer to a Web Developer?  In this episode we will discuss how to make that transition, and how to best reflect on your current position to see why you want to transition in the first place.
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    As discussed in the podcast, last month's episode was an article posted on my website.  Check it out here: Trunk Based Development and Continuous Integration
    32 min
  • How to Get a Raise | Don’t use inflation as your reason!
    You work in tech and you want to be paid more money.  Great, so what's your pitch?
    Have you thought about what time of day to approach your manager?  What about setting up a new meeting or using an existing one?  How about how much money to ask for?  In this episode, I dive into these topics and more so that you can craft the perfect interaction with your manager!
    Do not wander into your conversation, come up with a strategy for telling your manager just how much value you deliver to the team.  Your value is what determines your pay, so think about it. 
    As an added bonus, I even role-play this scenario and pretend I'm asking my boss for a raise.  If you do this well, it may pay off big for you!
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    Robert Half Talent Solutions: Tech Salary Guides 2022
    Extraneous factors in judicial decisions: PNAS
    Other resources on researching your market value:Levels.fyiGlassdoor.comBlind
    47 min
  • DevOps and CI/CD Pipelines | Best practices in engineering and change and release management
    In this episode, we'll start by separating out Agile from DevOps, and then bringing in CI/CD pipelines.  We'll also discuss DevSecOps and some of the best practices in engineering that a developer can adopt.
    We'll also give an overview of what a CI/CD pipeline looks like, what a pipeline stage is, what a pipeline's purpose is, and how it is related to DevOps.  As a bonus, I talk about tools for Static Code Analysis (SCA) and Static Application Security Testing (SAST)!  We'll also touch on Test Driven Development (TDD). 
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    Accelerate: The Science of Lean Software and DevOps: Building and Scaling High Performing Technology Organizations
    Storytime with Dad Podcast
    34 min
  • Trunk-Based Development Is Too Risky! | Source code management, CI/CD, and software development anti-patterns
    If you write software, you are probably collaborating with other developers.  If you are collaborating, then you probably need to isolate your code and then merge it together when you're done.  So what are some of the best-practices for managing this?
    My favorite is trunk-based development, but that name probably doesn't mean what you think it means!  In this episode, we dive into branching strategies and trunk-based development.  We also touch on test automation, CI/CD pipelines, agility, and DevOps practices.  We'll also talk about anti-patterns or "worst practices" that some companies adopt because they are risk averse.  Ironically, many of today's software delivery practices increase risk rather than decrease it!
    Hear my take and compare it to your own, then Tweet me (@tweetsofgrant) and tell me where our views differ!
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    Accelerate: The Science of Lean Software and DevOps: Building and Scaling High Performing Technology Organizations
    Google's Guidebook on Trunk-Based Development
    Other Visualizations of Trunk-Based Development
    27 min
  • How to Handle a Narcissist | Gaslighting, manipulation, and abuse - you will not believe the fantasy land they live in!
    I have, unfortunately, dealt with plenty of narcissists in the workplace throughout my career.  Although these encounters are rare, they do happen, they are dangerous people, and when you confront them you need to be prepared for what you're getting into.  Narcissists are not like other people, so you must enter their world (temporarily) if you are going to come out of the engagement intact.
    In this episode, we discuss narcissism, the two types of narcissist, patterns of abuse (including the DARVO pattern of manipulation and gaslighting), as well as a real life story of me having to manage one of these types of individual.  Yes, bad managers need to be (and sometimes get!) removed from positions of authority.
    Please join me on this weird journey through personality disorders in the corporate world!
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    I am launching a Patreon as well!  I want to continue producing the content you care about, help you network with one another, and even have guests from the industry on the podcast to discuss their own experience.  By supporting the podcast, you will help it expand and do more good in the world.
    When you sign up, you will be able to join my discord server, get some swag, AND through the end of May Gold Patrons will get a 30 minute 1-on-1 video or phone call with me to discuss career coaching or any topic of their choice.
    https://grantdryden.com/patreon
    37 min
  • I Hate My Dream Job | Managing Burnout and Overwork
    Someone wrote to me recently about working very hard and finally getting their dream job, only to discover that they hated it!  That sucks and I know many of us have been there before in our own careers.  It would be a tragedy to throw away a high paying, promising career if the reason why we hated it was something that we could control. 
    In this episode, I read their message and then respond with what I think is really going on.  I don't think this person hated their job, but I do think they hated the environment that they were doing their job in.  Once you hear their predicament, tell me: what do you think they should do?
    19 min
  • War Stories from IT | Indie GameDev and the Art of Bonsai
    If you’ve ever wanted to do game dev, hear the story of how I published my first video game, Bonsai.  We’ll review the core concept of the game, the process of building it and the choices of technology, and the distribution of it on Steam.  It was fun, but wasn’t all rose colored!
    Here is a link to Bonsai on Steam:
    https://store.steampowered.com/app/444160/Bonsai/
    29 min

About Getting into IT with Grant

From the publisher's feed

A captivating exploration into the business of IT and software engineering. Each episode delivers real-life stories, lessons, and insider knowledge from the trenches of software development, ranging from scrappy startups to Fortune 500 powerhouses. Whether you’re an IT enthusiast, an aspiring engineer, or a seasoned professional, Grant’s experience across Aerospace, Fintech, Defense R&D, and High Tech industries will provide invaluable insights to help you navigate and succeed in your career.