    
|
|
|
You can never have too many icons, especially when they’re free to download like this great set from Ivo Ivanov.
The set comes as a PSD file with properly separated layers. Each icon has 4 effects — inner and outer shadows, gradient overlay and drop shadow —that can be toggled on and off as per your preference; meaning that you can use the icons with their cool gradients, fully flat, or somewhere in between.
Navigation, cloud, technology and music player icons are all included and free for both personal and commercial use.
Download the files beneath the preview:
Which of these icons is your favourite? Have you used the set in a project? Let us know in the comments.
Please enter your email address below and click the download button. The download link will be sent to you by email, or if you have already subscribed, the download will begin immediately.
| Flaterrifics: Flat Minimalist Illustrations and Icons – only $8! |  |
|
|
 |
During my career as a software developer and manager, I have been involved in many interviews. Whether the interviewer or interviewee, I have always paid special attention to the interview process.
In my current role, I spend a lot of time interviewing potential employees, so I’ve seen my fair share of good and bad interviews. Some candidates stand out from the crowd immediately, while others are just another face in a million. In this article, I’ll give you a few tips and a head start on your next interview. Whether your next interview is your first or twenty-first, hopefully these tips will help you along the way.
Interviews can be scary, especially when you attend your first few or haven’t attended any for a while. Preparation is the key to success and can take the stress out of the dreaded process. You can do a few things before even walking through the door. If you are prepared and your mind is ready, then the whole process should be a breeze. I like to break the interview process into three steps: preparation, interview and post-interview.
This is the most important stage in the process and could determine whether you appeal to the recruiter. A CV won’t even make it past the review stage if it doesn’t meet certain criteria, but by preparing beforehand, you can maximize your chances of making it to the interview stage.
Spend time creating a great CV. Some great templates are on Guardian Jobs. If you have never created a CV, try to mirror the layouts of some of the people who inspire you. I drew some inspiration from both Scott Hanselman and Paul Irish. For example, Paul’s CV contains testimonials from other popular developers in the community, and Scott’s CV contains highlights from his presentations, qualifications and open-source contributions. You might not have the same experience or work history as the people who inspire you, but you can always get new ideas from their CVs. Who are the leaders in your field?
I follow a few rules when creating a CV:
If you haven’t done so, create a LinkedIn profile. It’s a great way to get your profile out there and to get potential employers looking at your CV. Simply upload a copy of the CV that you created earlier, and, with a little tweaking, LinkedIn will format it for you. I often use LinkedIn to see whether a candidate knows someone I know or have worked with in the past. Professional connections are a good indication of a person’s working background. You might have a friend who works at the company — a referral always helps.
Another great website for developers is StackOverflow’s Careers 2.0.
Much like LinkedIn, Careers 2.0 lets you post your CV, but it is more developer-focused, allowing you to link to your open-source projects and any technical books you may be reading. Once you have created your online profile, both LinkedIn and StackOverflow will let you export a PDF of your profile, which could serve as a CV. So, if you like the format and layout, simply download and use it for your next job application.
If you are a Web developer or designer, then an online presence is vital. If you have any side projects or even snippets of code, get them onto a social collaboration platform, such as GitHub. Seeing that a candidate builds things in their spare time or even contributes to open-source projects instantly piques my interest. It’s a great indicator that they are passionate about what they do. Include your highest-quality work in your online portfolio. Tinkering with projects in your spare time also helps you to learn and grow, and hopefully you will be able to bring that knowledge into the company.
A few great code-hosting services are GitHub, Bitbucket and CodePlex. Once you have uploaded your code, put it on your CV! It could help you to stand out from the crowd.
If working on an open-source project isn’t for you, then you could always contribute on StackOverflow. The community is great, and the more questions you answer, the higher your score, or “reputation.” While this doesn’t necessarily indicate that a candidate is qualified, it does show that they have an active interest in the community and are willing to learn.
If you have the time, writing a blog can be a rewarding experience. It will teach you the ins and outs of SEO, website deployment and social promotion. You could go down the route of writing your own blog engine (which would give you something to deploy on GitHub!), or you could use one of the awesome blog engines out there that are ready to roll. I quite like Tumblr, SquareSpace and even WordPress.
Again, don’t forget to add the blog’s URL to your CV! Blogging isn’t for everyone, and it takes time, so if you feel you might not be able to commit or update it regularly, get yourself onto Twitter and start following people who inspire you. As an employer, I always like to see what a candidate is interested in, talking about, etc.
Before going to the interview, learn as much about the company as you can. How long has it been operating? What products does it sell? What is its culture like? Think about the challenges it faces and how you can use your experiences and know-how to help it build great tools. Nothing is worse than interviewing someone who has no idea about our company or what we do. You don’t need to spend hours learning the history of the company, but a basic understanding of what it does and its ethos is important. If you haven’t done your research, then an automatic “No” is almost guaranteed!
If the job entails writing code, then certain companies will require you to complete a technical test. It could be a simple exercise that you complete at home, or it could be a test that you come into the office and complete then and there. If you are asked to complete the test at home, put as much effort into it as possible. I have received many tests from candidates that have a lot of JavaScript errors or that don’t compile. Make sure yours has no errors and that it works on platforms other than the one you develop on! If you get the chance, review the code briefly with someone you know. You might just find a few areas to improve on.
Another great idea is to deploy the test to a live server. You can sign up for a free starter plan on Site44, which enables you to create and deploy HTML websites from your Dropbox account for free. Both Amazon EC2 and Windows Azure let you set up free cloud websites in a matter of minutes and delete them when completed.
By deploying your application and showing a working version, you demonstrate an understanding of how to deploy software, which could give you an advantage over other candidates. In fact, I hire most developers who show me a live, deployed, working version of their code!
By taking that extra time to make sure your technical test is outstanding, you give yourself a clear advantage over other candidates.
If you’ve made it this far, congratulate yourself. Your hard work and preparation have secured an interview, and the employer thinks you might be the right candidate. It’s time to nail the interview and finish the whole process in style.
Before going into the office for the interview, write down a few of your own questions about the position. This is your chance to learn as much about the role as possible. Having learned a little more about the company, you might even find that it’s not the place for you!
Ask about the working environment, the development stack you will be working on, and anything else related to the job. Interviewers love to answer questions, and it shows you have taken the time to think about the position. Going into an interview without any of your own questions is a bad thing! Remember that you are also interviewing the employer in this stage!
There are a few definite no-no’s in the interview process. Follow these simple rules to avoid any awkward moments:
Whether you are applying for the job directly or through an agency, check a few last things before going to the office for the interview:
Find out the address and time of the interview, and arrive at least 15 minutes early. This will give you a chance to relax and to avoid the stress of rushing about. By arriving early, you will also observe the staff coming and going through the reception area. Those 15 minutes could give you a good feel for the company.
Finding out these simple things before going for the interview takes some of the stress out of the situation. Preparation is the key to success!
The interview process is as much about you finding out whether the job and company are right for you. Feeling nervous is natural, but try to relax and enjoy the process. If you are relaxed, you will interview that much better and will come across as more confident. You’ve done all the hard work to get through the door — now, just keep up the good work.
The interview is over, and you are eagerly awaiting the result. Depending on the company, it could take a few days to a week to get back to you. Rest easy, knowing that you have done all the hard work and given it your best shot.
If you wind up not being chosen, don’t be disheartened. The timing might not have been right, or you might need to brush up on a few areas. There could be any number of reasons why you weren’t offered the position, many being outside of your control. Interviewers will often give you feedback on the process and your performance; if you would like more detail, don’t be afraid to ask. Whenever I have been turned down for a position, I have asked the interviewer for areas to improve upon. It is an opportunity to learn and grow. Practice makes perfect, and the more you interview, the better you will become at the process. Once a few interviews are under your belt, it starts to become a piece of cake.
If you do get the job, well done! You’ve nailed your first interview and are on your way to starting the new job. You should be extremely proud of your achievement.
Interviewing is difficult! No matter how hard you try, you will not always be successful, and sometimes it just doesn’t work out. By following the steps in this article, hopefully you will become more effective at the process and seem a more attractive candidate. Finally, remember that the interview process is as much about you learning about the employer as it is about them learning about you!
(al, il)
© Dean Hume for Smashing Magazine, 2013.
]]>Wolf Trap Foundation's Internship Program provides project-based training and experience to approximately 40 interns annually. As a Wolf Trap intern, you become an integral member of our team, working with staff and other interns on meaningful projects. You'll interact with Wolf Trap board members, patrons, and business leaders who can add to your experiences.
Spring internships are paid, part-time positions (20-24 hours per week). Housing is the responsibility of the student, although guidance in this matter is available. Interns are required to have a car, as Wolf Trap Foundation is not accessible by public transit.
Wolf Trap Spring Internships are offered in the following areas:
We developers constantly have ideas floating around our heads. There’s always something shiny and new that we want to put in a definite form. Often it’s an excuse to fiddle around with a new programming language that we’re not familiar with or to take a break from the monotony of the same old codebase (a new codebase is as appealing as a new pair of pants). So playing with a new technology and getting to know a new codebase can induce the wish to work on side projects, but how can we know when it’s worth it to do that?
As a lifelong entrepreneur, and only a recent developer, I’ve always had side projects in my life. When I was running my first company, TypeFrag, I worked my off-hours on a little web hosting company on the side. Then at Carbonmade, I ran a now defunct but at the time very popular art and design blog. Now at Uncover, I’ve been working on writing a book on startups and bootstrapping and chipping away at a website for fans of slow cooking that will one day see the light of day. It’s always been a part of my nature to do something on the side. Over beers last night, Gregg Carey, Marc Lizoain and I talked a bit about it.
While it was hard to say you could really hear conversation over the noise of the SoHo dive bar where we were putting away pints of Brooklyn Lager, we did all agree that there was value in side projects. For me it breaks down to a few different things:
1. Side projects exercise your creativity. When I’m at home after work or I’ve got free time over the weekend, I like to be creative on projects that I don’t consider my job. It keeps my thoughts sharp, and because they’re side projects, my only goal is to produce something I enjoy working on and to have while fun doing it.
2. Side projects are an escape from your job. One of the best things about having a side project is that when you’re working on it, you’re not thinking about your job. You’re totally focused on what you’re working on at the time and you forget all your worries while you’re engrossed in your side project.
3. You can apply the skills you’ve learned at your job to your side project and vice versa. As entrepreneurs and developers, we are always learning new things. Working on a side project is a great way for you to apply what you’ve learned at your job to something new. Conversely, if you’re applying new technologies to your side project, you can bring those to your job.
4. You’re refreshed when you’re back working at your job. After having worked on a side project for a few hours, I have no reluctance at all to work at my job. For me it’s the same feeling you get from taking a nap during the middle of the afternoon. There’s something about the freedom of messing about on a side project the clears your mind.
The hardest part of doing a side project is getting it started. Set yourself the goal of starting a side project by the end of the year if you don’t already have one. One of my best friends made himself the goal of earning at least $1 on the Web this year from a side project. He met that goal earlier this month and he’s incredibly happy he did so. All you have to do is get started.
The post The Value of Side Projects appeared first on Treehouse Blog.
]]>
For regularly updated PROMISE information and events, please visit and bookmark: http://www.umbc.edu/promise
Twitter: @PROMISE_AGEP, #PROMISEagep
Page down to the bottom of this website and +Follow/subscribe for updated information.
For regularly updated PROMISE information and events, please visit and bookmark: http://www.umbc.edu/promise
Twitter: @PROMISE_AGEP, #PROMISEagep
Page down to the bottom of this website and +Follow/subscribe for updated information.
|
|
|
|
Computer scientists have developed a technique for reconstructing missing web resources from the context in which they appeared, just like archaeologists in the physical world
