Do you know someone in the Python community who recently was let go from their job due to the pandemic? What does the job landscape currently look like? What are skills and techniques that will help you in your job search? This week we have Kyle Stratis on the show to discuss how he is managing his job search after just being let go from his data engineering job. Kyle is a member of the Real Python team and has written several articles for the site.

We discuss Kyle’s career and the skills that he’s developed, which are currently helping him in his job search. Kyle left academia to work as a data engineer. His background helps him to communicate between teams of scientists and engineers.

We also talk about Kyle’s recent article on combining data in Pandas. Kyle shares a tip on Pandas efficiency, and hints at some lesser known features of Python generators.

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In your quest to become a better developer, how do you find Python code that is at your reading level? What are good code bases or projects to study? What are the things holding you back from leveling up your Python literacy? This week we have Cecil Phillip on the show to discuss all of these common questions. Cecil is a Senior Cloud Advocate at Microsoft.

Cecil has been learning Python in the open on Twitch with Brian Clark. They run a weekly event on Twitch, where they are live-streaming an interactive Python course. Cecil has a background in multiple languages and technologies, and now he’s learning Python, bringing an audience along the way!

We start things off with a listener question and jump into a conversation about building up your Python skills. Then we’ll discuss common Python language stumbling blocks. Next we consider the importance of making personal projects, and documenting that code.

We also touch on some unique skills employers are looking for. And we discuss working through impostor syndrome. Cecil talks about his podcast “Away from the Keyboard” and his plans to start it back up.

In the show notes this week you’ll find links to resources we discuss, and several more that we didn’t have time to cover individually.

Want your question featured on the show? Send us your question at realpython.com/podcast-question and we might feature it on a future episode of the show.

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Docker is a common tool for Python developers creating and deploying applications, but what do you need to know if you want to use Docker for data science and machine learning? What are the best practices if you want to start using containers for your scientific projects? This week we have Tania Allard on the show. She is a Sr. Developer Advocate at Microsoft focusing on Machine Learning, scientific computing, research and open source.

Tania has created a talk for the PyCon US 2020 which is now online. The talk is titled “Docker and Python: Making them Play Nicely and Securely for Data Science and ML.” Her talk draws on her expertise in the improvement of processes, reproducibility and transparency in research and data science. We discuss a variety of tools for making your containers more secure and results reproducible.

Tania is passionate about mentoring, open-source, and its community. She is an organizer for Mentored Sprints for Diverse Beginners, and she talks about the upcoming online sprints for PyCon US 2020. We also discuss her plans to start a podcast.

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Want to learn more about AsyncIO in Python, with an example where you can see and hear events being triggered in real-time? This week we have Łukasz Langa on the show. Łukasz has created a talk for PyCon 2020 online about using AsyncIO with Music.

In his talk he shows live examples of coroutines, gathering, the event loop and events being triggered to create a piece of music. We also talk about his role as the release manager for Python 3.8 and 3.9. Łukasz provides background on the origins of his very popular, uncompromising code formatter, Black, and the types of problems it can solve inside of an organization.

Łukasz previously worked for Facebook, which is where he started Black. He talks about recently moving back to Poland. We discuss his current work for Edge DB, building a new generation object-relational database.

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Are you interested in building REST APIs with Flask and SQLAlchemy? This week we have Doug Farrell on the show. We talk about his four-part Real Python article series on Python REST APIs.

We discuss the various Python tools and libraries used in the series. Doug also shares his practices for continuous learning. Doug has worked in process control, embedded systems, and has a long background in software development.

He’s currently a developer at ShutterFly, and discusses developing tools for his internal customers. He also teaches Python to kids at a STEM school near where he lives.

Doug is writing a book for Manning Publications, “The Well-Grounded Python Developer”. The book is currently available in an early access state. And as always please check out all the additional resources and tools that Doug discusses, they are all gathered for you in the show notes.

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Have you ever wanted to explore using Python with electronics? CircuitPython is a great platform to get started with. This week we have Thea Flowers on the show. Thea has been creating several hardware projects based around CircuitPython, and she talks about getting started on the platform.

She also answers questions about how she taught herself to design and prototype printed circuit boards. Thea discusses several of her open source projects, including Nox, ConductHotline, and getting involved with CircuitPython.

Thea was the conference co-chair for PyCascades, and we talk about how someone could get involved in volunteering for conferences. We also discuss building diversity in the community.

This episode was initially recorded at an earlier date, so we asked Thea to come back for a few minutes to discuss updates on her projects and about a recent honor she received.

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Do you get upset and frustrated when you experience errors running your Python code? This week we have Martin Breuss on the show. We discuss how to learn Python through errors, and how errors really are your friends.

Martin is a video course creator here at Real Python, and we talk briefly about several courses he’s created. We focus on his course about getting started with Django, as a jumping off point for the discussion.

Martin talks about his work with Coding Nomads, and teaching Python around the world. He also provides some tips on debugging and writing good questions.

This episode was recorded at an earlier date, and because of recent events Martin came back to discuss a new #StayAtHome Mentorship Program he’s working on. The program is meant not only for learners but also for those who want to try their hand at being a mentor. We also answer our first listener submitted question.

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Have you been using Python for a while, but want to be more effective with your code? This week we have Brett Slatkin on the show. We talk about the 2nd edition of his book Effective Python.

Brett talks about the revisions he made for the book, and updating it for the newest versions of Python 3. He answers questions about who is the intended developer for the book.

Brett also discusses working on Google App Engine, and what it’s like to develop and maintain Python applications at Google Scale. Brett mentions a brief anecdote about working with Guido van Rossum, while they both worked at Google. He also provides advice about maintaining a large and aging Python code base.

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Is game programming a good way to develop your Python programming skills? This week we have Jon Fincher on the show. Jon is an author on the Real Python team, and we talk about his recent articles on PyGame and Arcade.

Jon talks about his background working at Microsoft. We discuss if a game would make a good portfolio piece. We compare and contrasts the two popular Python game libraries of Arcade and PyGame. Jon also reveals ways to find assets for your own creations.

Want your question featured on the show? Here’s a new thing we’re trying out. Send us your question at realpython.com/podcast-question and we might feature it on a future episode of the show.

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Do you want to learn more about Python decorators? Have you ever wondered what goes on behind the scenes to create a Real Python article? In this first episode, We have Geir Arne Hjelle from the Real Python team on the show.

You’ll learn about Geir Arne’s background as a Pythonista and PyCon speaker, the tutorials he’s written for the site, how Python decorators can help you write better code, and what Real Python’s tutorial publishing process looks like behind the scenes.

Note: This episode was recorded earlier. We discuss PyCon US 2020 and Geir Arne’s planned tutorial. At the time this episode was released PyCon US 2020 was currently looking at re-scheduling or a potential cancelation. Updates will be provided in upcoming episodes.

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