Category Archives: tech

Identifying Future Tech Job Opportunities to Stay Ahead of the Curve*

05th February 2020

If there’s one golden rule you need to learn about the tech industry it’s that early adopters who take the initiative will always be ahead of the curve.

Technologies are constantly evolving, changing to fit different needs and finding their way into virtually every industry. By becoming an early adopter you can stay ahead of the curve to secure endless job offers, advancement opportunities, and financial security. But how do you identify future tech job opportunities? And what can you do to stay ahead of the competition?

Never stop learning

Thanks to online learning, it’s possible to continuously study and learn more about different technical disciplines. With this extra knowledge you can stay ahead of the curve by offering more value to employers.

Immerse yourself in the community

One of the best ways to always stay up-to-date on job opportunities is to integrate yourself into the community. This could mean networking with big-name brands, entrepreneurs and mingling at tech-related trade shows and events. Once you get your foot in the door and start making friends, you’ll find it much easier to stay ahead of the curve.

Always stay informed

Surround yourself with helpful resources. Below, we’ve added an infographic from the University of Alabama Birmingham regarding the globalization and future for accounting. Infographics like these are full of useful data and stats that can help you plan your next move. Whether you want to become an accountant in the future or want to learn about trends in globalization, it’s the perfect example of an information-packed resource to help you stay informed.


Infographic: UniverSity of Alabama Birmingham

Posted in tech

Permalink

My Three App Experience*

21st July 2019
Photo by Sebastiano Giuseppe Garilli on Unsplash

I’ve had Three as my mobile phone network provider for over five years now. I made the switch from my previous provider after getting frustrated with the lack of coverage in my area, lack of plans that suited me and the absence of an easy to use way to track my usage and access support.

Three ticked all of these boxes, and have continued to do so in the years that have followed.

I’ve always been impressed with the three app, it’s always been user friendly and readily accessible meaning I can check my usage on the go, and access help and support regarding my phone and my contract whenever I need to.

This proved especially useful recently when we were on holiday. I had already gathered from using the app that our destination was covered by the Go Roam service (another major selling point of the network for me), and it was super easy to access the relevant information explaining what my limits were.

Thanks to being able to access and check in on my usage whenever I needed to I was able to see exactly where I was in terms of these limits; with the cost of overseas phone usage being rather high this was invaluable when it came to making sure I wouldn’t be hit with a hefty bill when I got home.
It didn’t entirely go to plan as coming home we had a layover in Canada- a destination not covered in Go Roam. My mobile phone data kicked in at the airport in Calgary, and despite my switching it off within 30 seconds, the background apps that run amassed a huge bill entirely disproportionate to what I’d done (i.e. nothing but quickly turn my data off!)
I’m not complaining though, I was able to use the app once back in England to see exactly how much it had cost me, and was then able to get in touch with customer services to rectify the situation- which they did, immediately with a very gracious and satisfactory outcome.

There are other winning features to the app too- you can view and amend your plan, buy add-ons, sort out your next upgrade and utilise the live chat feature too.

Overall I’ve been decently impressed with the App, and with the network as a whole, there will always be people who disagree but right now I can’t think of a bad word to say about the service they provide.

Posted in brands I love, gadgets, review, tech

Permalink

Reasons to Start a Technical Career*

04th August 2018

Photo by Marvin Meyer on Unsplash

Since we are now in a world which revolves around technology, a career in a technical area is a wise choice for all sorts of people. This is a broad category, and there are plenty of areas of specialism which may prove to be perfect for you. A lot of people who get into technical careers find themselves working in a very flexible manner – either working remotely as freelancers, or even starting companies of their own. So, let’s run through just some of the top reasons why you would want to start a technical career yourself.

Variety of Different Career Paths

As we have just mentioned, getting involved in a technical career is not limiting and there are all sorts of different paths which could prove to be right for you. Some of the top choices out there include technical writer, web developer, computer engineer (take a look at a master computer engineering course if you think that this is right path for you), SEO consultant and many more. Of course these jobs are competitive and require you to keep ahead of the competition if you want to achieve great levels of success.

You Can See What You Study

Unlike some jobs which may leave you wondering if what you are doing is making a real difference, there is a very practical element to working in a technical job. You are the one building the website, fixing the issue, writing the code etc. You have something to show from your work, and there is certainly a level of satisfaction to be gained from this.

Flexible Working Style

Many jobs allow for a greater degree of flexibility these days, and this is certainly the case with ones in the technical field. Since many of these jobs only need a laptop or computer you can set up from wherever you would like once you have established a business, a group of clients or an arrangement with your current company. And as your skills start to develop you can advance up the career ladder, which is likely to lead to bigger pay-checks as well.

You Will be in Demand

As the world is coming to rely more and more on technology for all sorts of different areas of life you are likely to find yourself readily in demand – especially as your skills start to advance. Essentially you will want to establish a particular niche for yourself as soon as possible, and work hard to develop your skills in that particular area. But since you have chosen such a fast-moving industry to work in you also need to make sure that you keep your skills fresh and up to date. Otherwise, you could find yourself falling behind the times and at risk of your skills becoming obsolete.

Now is as good a time as any to start off your career journey in a technical field, and these are just some of the top reasons why this is the case.

Posted in life stuff, tech, work

Permalink

Trade in and Cash Out*

15th May 2018
Two things bought about the writing of this post- firstly discovering loads of old gadgets sat around doing nothing whilst having a tidy up the other day, and secondly I’m on a real money saving/making drive at the moment with the greater goal of car and home ownership, plus a wardrobe to replenish weighing heavily on my mind.

Once upon a time I was actually quite organised when it came to recycling old phones when I got an upgrade. There is serious cash to be made with a little bit of research and not a lot of effort. There are plenty of websites out there which offer easy price comparisons to make sure you’re getting the best deal for your model- I’ve even started to see deposit banks in supermarkets which means you can tie it in with your weekly shop.

I’ve actually just had a quick look and discovered that my soon due for an upgrade iPhone SE could net me upwards of £100 which isn’t to be sniffed at! You don’t need much information to get a quote either, just pop in whether your phone is working, what network you’re on and there’s often a few cosmetic questions too- is the screen cracked? for example.

Trading in your phone is also good for the planet- rather than sitting gathering dust and eventually ending up in a landfill, the company who buy your device will instead re-purpose it, either a refurbished model or by stripping down the parts or even just disposing of it in the correct way.
Unbeknown to myself (and I suspect to many) mobile phones actually contain precious metals such as gold and silver as well as other elements all of which can be recycled and repurposed in their own way.

What’s the best deal you’ve ever got when trading in or recycling an old phone or tablet? I don’t think I’ve broken £100 on anything yet but hopefully my luck is going to change!

Do you find this kind of post interesting? I’d like to share a few more money-saving/making posts in the future but only if people are going to actually join them.

end

Posted in finance, gadgets, lifestyle, tech

Permalink

The Rise of Being Connected 24/7*

27th November 2017
domenico-loia-310197

Photo by Domenico Loia on Unsplash

These days it feels pretty much like I’m never not connected to the internet. The only time in recent memory was during the week I spent in the North West Highlands where I had almost seven days entirely free from my laptop and constant influx of emails. This really got me thinking about how much I rely on the internet these days for just about everything- from doing my day job to working at home- and with thanks to internet providers like TalkTalk Business anyone who wants to be their own boss, can be.

During that week I was away it really hit home to me just how dependant I am on having a constant connection, 24/7. After the initial adjustment period I really started to enjoy having a break and being forced to focus on other things- books were read, board games were played and the times where I did manage to grab a spot of Wifi were spent generally being more productive than when I have constant access to the internet.

That being said, it was frustrating too. Being on holiday could have been the perfect opportunity to sit down and catch up on getting some blog content written, and being able to stream music or use Netflix would have been really handy, and I’ll admit, it came as a bit of a shock to actually stumble across an area of the country that hadn’t yet manage to conquer connectivity.

A break from the online world was on the whole a refreshing thing and I do feel like I had more of a relaxing time than had I been able to update social media, keep connected with friends and family or write blog posts. It did however make me eternally grateful for the advances in technology meaning that I can go away to different places and still be able to meet blogging deadlines, respond to urgent work emails and keep updated with friends and family.

In this day and age I feel this is a bit of a divisive subject, even within my own head. I don’t like that feeling of dependance on modern technology- it feels a bit defeatist and almost a bit…sad? But on the flip side, being out of contact with my nearest and dearest (no internet and no phone signal meant no texts to my family, no face time with the cat and no catching up on the latest happenings within my friendship group).

How do you feel about being constantly connected? Do you feel like the benefits outweigh the somewhat sad fact that these days you can access a whole world of information all of the time and do work wherever in the world you might be? As you’ve gathered, I’m torn. It’s so hard to switch off when you know you’re constantly online and you feel like you might be missing out- I’ll pick up a book then get distracted by yet another notification and not return to my page for hours, or even days.

My personal solution, I think, especially over the festive period where family time should take precedence is to try and have a day or two where I do switch off, flip off the WiFi, ignore my emails and crack out the board games.

I’d love to know where other people stand on this- I feel like it’s a more and more relevant topic and technology advances, and I might starting to show my age here, but I do kind of miss the good old days whilst appreciating what being constantly connected has helped me to achieve.

end

Posted in lifestyle, tech

Permalink 1 Comment