IT Workforce Development

I'm Upskilling in AI. Here's Why Over the past few months, I've been increasingly drawn towards Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning. Not just as trendy words, but as tools that are already reshaping how we build, design, and think about software. If you’re a software developer, please start learning about AI/ML. As someone working in tech, I realized: - AI is impacting our work and for the better. - Whether you're in product, engineering, or design, knowing how to use and build with AI is becoming essential. So I’ve decided to go all in on upskilling myself in AI/ML. Here's how I'm approaching it: 1. Refreshing basics: Python, ML basics, reading a few research papers of Anthropic, OpenAI and Gemini 2. Building an LLM from Scratch: Yes! Learning by doing is the best way to learn anything, so I’m actually on a small journey to build an LLM. Will share the project once it’s done. 3. AI - first mindset: Just like with any other tool, there’s a friction when you first start using it and it gets easier later on. So AI, at first, will be buggy and might also slow you down, but overtime, you get used to using it better. I almost write entire code through AI, debug with AI, read and understand documents with AI. If you’re a developer, what are some ways you’re upskilling with AI/ML? Write in the comments, I want to learn from you! By the way, I recently made a video on my channel where I talked about how I upskill with AI in much more detail, you can give it a watch here: https://lnkd.in/gnatKWhv If you don’t grow with the industry requirements, you’ll get redundant. So make sure the learning never stops! #ai #upskilling #learning #machinelearning #dev

As a backend engineer, Please learn : If you're a backend developer and want to move beyond just building CRUD APIs, it's time to focus on high-impact backend skills that will make you stand out. Here's what you should master: 1. Security: Protect Your Systems A secure system is non-negotiable. Learn: ✔ Authentication & Authorization (OAuth 2.0, JWT) ✔ Encryption & Cryptography (AES, RSA) ✔ OWASP Top 10 (Common security risks & how to prevent them) ✔ Threat Detection (SEIM, IDS, IPS) 2. Performance: Make It Lightning Fast Every millisecond counts. Optimize with: ✔ Caching Strategies (Redis, Memcached) ✔ Rate Limiting & Throttling (Prevent abuse & overload) ✔ Load Balancing (Distribute traffic efficiently) ✔ Chaos Engineering (Test system resilience) ✔ Fault Tolerance (Recover from failures gracefully) 3, Database Engineering: Query Backend engineers who understand databases deeply have a huge advantage: ✔ Query Optimization & Indexing (Faster queries, better performance) ✔ Database Trade-offs (SQL vs NoSQL) ✔ Transactions & Isolation Levels (ACID principles) ✔ Sharding & Partitioning (Scaling databases effectively) 4. API Design: Build APIs Developers Love Design APIs that are scalable, maintainable, and easy to use: ✔ OpenAPI 3.0 (Industry-standard API documentation) ✔ REST vs GraphQL (Choosing the right approach) ✔ Status Codes, Versioning & Pagination (Best practices) 5. Architecture & Paradigms: Choose the Right Structure The right architecture makes or breaks a system: ✔ Monolith vs Microservices vs Modular Monolith ✔ Serverless vs Traditional Backend ✔ Concurrency, Parallelism & Multithreading ✔ Optimistic vs Pessimistic Locking (Handling data consistency) 6. Distributed Systems: Scaling Modern backend systems are distributed. Learn: ✔ Microservices Patterns (SAGA, CQRS, Event Sourcing) ✔ Event-Driven Architecture (Kafka, RabbitMQ) ✔ gRPC & Protobuf (Faster, efficient communication) 7. DevOps: Deploy & Manage Systems Being DevOps-aware helps backend engineers build better software: ✔ CI/CD Pipelines (Automate deployments) ✔ Containerization (Docker, Kubernetes) ✔ Understanding SLAs & Incident Management 8. Observability: Know What's Happening in Your System ✔ Logging, Monitoring & Tracing (ELK, Prometheus, Jaeger) ✔ Performance Profiling & Optimization ✔ Alerting & Incident Response Mastering these areas will elevate you from just writing APIs to designing scalable, secure, and high-performance backend systems. Stay curious, keep learning, keep sharing ! #Developer #backend #PythonDeveloper

Your Path to Becoming a Network Engineer! 🌐 Are you aiming to master the field of networking? This roadmap covers everything you need to get started and advance your career as a Network Engineer. Here's a breakdown of essential knowledge areas: 🔻 Networking Fundamentals – Understand the OSI and TCP/IP models, and get familiar with devices like routers, switches, and hubs. 🔻 Network Protocols – Learn core protocols such as TCP, UDP, and IP, plus application layer protocols (HTTP, DNS, DHCP). 🔻 Routing and Switching – Master routing protocols (OSPF, BGP), VLANs, and more for efficient network traffic management. 🔻 Network Design and Architecture – Dive into topologies, design principles, and network types (LAN, WAN, WLAN). 🔻 Network Security – Gain expertise in firewalls, VPNs, security protocols, and best practices for protecting networks. 🔻 Wireless Networking – Understand wireless standards, security (WPA2, WPA3), and coverage planning. 🔻 Cloud Networking – Learn about hybrid cloud setups and services from major providers like AWS and Azure. 🔻 Network Automation and Scripting – Get skilled in programming and automation tools (Python, Bash, PowerShell) to simplify network management. 🔻 Monitoring and Troubleshooting – Be proficient with tools for monitoring (NetFlow, SNMP) and troubleshooting network issues. 🔻 Virtualization & Container Networking – Explore SDN, NFV, and container networking with technologies like Docker and Kubernetes. 🔻 Certifications – Start with CompTIA Network+ and work your way up to advanced certifications like Cisco CCIE and VMware VCP-NV. This guide shows that the journey is challenging but achievable with the right steps and commitment.

Your Path to Becoming a Network Engineer! 🌐 Are you aiming to master the field of networking? This roadmap covers everything you need to get started and advance your career as a Network Engineer. Here's a breakdown of essential knowledge areas: 🔻 Networking Fundamentals – Understand the OSI and TCP/IP models, and get familiar with devices like routers, switches, and hubs. 🔻 Network Protocols – Learn core protocols such as TCP, UDP, and IP, plus application layer protocols (HTTP, DNS, DHCP). 🔻 Routing and Switching – Master routing protocols (OSPF, BGP), VLANs, and more for efficient network traffic management. 🔻 Network Design and Architecture – Dive into topologies, design principles, and network types (LAN, WAN, WLAN). 🔻 Network Security – Gain expertise in firewalls, VPNs, security protocols, and best practices for protecting networks. 🔻 Wireless Networking – Understand wireless standards, security (WPA2, WPA3), and coverage planning. 🔻 Cloud Networking – Learn about hybrid cloud setups and services from major providers like AWS and Azure. 🔻 Network Automation and Scripting – Get skilled in programming and automation tools (Python, Bash, PowerShell) to simplify network management. 🔻 Monitoring and Troubleshooting – Be proficient with tools for monitoring (NetFlow, SNMP) and troubleshooting network issues. 🔻 Virtualization & Container Networking – Explore SDN, NFV, and container networking with technologies like Docker and Kubernetes. 🔻 Certifications – Start with CompTIA Network+ and work your way up to advanced certifications like Cisco CCIE and VMware VCP-NV. This guide shows that the journey is challenging but achievable with the right steps and commitment. #Network #Engineer #specialist #professional Cisco Networking Academy

A lot of folks have been asking me: “How do I upskill into AI if I’m coming from a data analyst background?” To make it easier, I’ve put together a 6-month roadmap that walks you through the skills, projects, and milestones you can follow to make that transition. It covers: → Foundation building with Python + stats → Machine learning fundamentals (supervised + unsupervised) → Evaluation mastery → LLM workflows for analysts → MLOps awareness → And finally, polishing a portfolio that will actually get you noticed Now, here’s my two cents on how to use this roadmap: → Don’t rush it. Take each month as a sprint, and focus on building portfolio artifacts along the way. → Share your progress online. The projects you showcase will open doors faster than just listing skills. → Use this as a guideline, not gospel. Everyone learns differently, adapt it to your pace and interests. Hope this helps you structure your upskilling journey. Happy learning ❤️ 〰️〰️〰️ Follow me (Aishwarya Srinivasan) for more AI insight and subscribe to my Substack to find more in-depth blogs and weekly updates in AI: https://lnkd.in/dpBNr6Jg

𝐏𝐚𝐠𝐞𝐆𝐫𝐨𝐮𝐩 𝐏𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐩𝐞𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐯𝐞𝐬: 𝐀𝐈 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐅𝐮𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐞 𝐨𝐟 𝐓𝐞𝐜𝐡 𝐂𝐚𝐫𝐞𝐞𝐫𝐬  This post marks the beginning of PageGroup Perspectives, a series where I’ll explore key areas of PageGroup’s services, and share insights that are reshaping the workforce. In this first post, I focus on AI’s impact on the tech sector. AI is transforming the tech industry at a rapid pace, and with it comes an increased demand for AI skills. This growing need is pushing tech professionals to rethink their roles and career trajectories, while businesses are finding innovative ways to bridge the skills gap. Michael Page’s latest edition of Tech Career Decoded explores this evolving landscape, which you can read here: http://bit.ly/4fipEKz Here is my perspective on how AI is driving the future of jobs: 𝐀𝐈 𝐢𝐬 𝐒𝐡𝐚𝐩𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐂𝐚𝐫𝐞𝐞𝐫 𝐃𝐞𝐜𝐢𝐬𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬 - 𝐑𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭 𝐍𝐨𝐰  AI’s impact on tech careers isn’t a future trend - it’s already happening. According to PageGroup’s 2024 Talent Trends report, 4 in 10 tech professionals say AI is already influencing their career decisions, while almost 60% believe it will shape their long-term choices. What we’re seeing is a growing recognition that understanding AI is essential to staying competitive. 𝐀 𝐂𝐚𝐭𝐚𝐥𝐲𝐬𝐭 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐍𝐞𝐰 𝐂𝐚𝐫𝐞𝐞𝐫 𝐏𝐚𝐭𝐡𝐬 The real power of AI is how it’s unlocking entirely new possibilities for tech professionals. For instance, product managers used to rely heavily on manual data analysis. Today, AI tools handle that process, allowing them to focus on strategic decisions and innovation. To thrive in these transformed roles, professionals now need to be skilled in AI-driven data analysis tools and machine learning frameworks. And it’s not just product managers - software engineers, data scientists, and countless other roles are evolving alongside AI. In fact, half of all tech professionals worldwide are already using AI in their daily work. 𝐔𝐩𝐬𝐤𝐢𝐥𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐠: 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐊𝐞𝐲 𝐭𝐨 𝐅𝐮𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐞-𝐏𝐫𝐨𝐨𝐟𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐂𝐚𝐫𝐞𝐞𝐫𝐬  But with AI advancing quickly, how do tech professionals ensure they aren’t left behind? The answer is upskilling. We are seeing many of our clients invest in in-house AI training programmes and courses to equip their teams with the tools they need. Upskilling doesn’t just help fill the AI skills gap, it empowers professionals to evolve within their roles. Whether it’s a software engineer learning to integrate AI into applications or a cybersecurity specialist mastering AI-driven threat detection, gaining these skills opens the door to greater responsibilities and career advancement. AI is set to be a permanent part of the future of work and the tech professionals who embrace it today will be the ones who thrive tomorrow. The key isn’t just about learning AI for the sake of staying afloat - it’s about seeing AI as a partner in creating new opportunities. What steps are you taking to explore the opportunities AI offers?

Beyond CRUD: What Great Backend Engineers Really Focus On If you’re serious about backend development and want to move beyond just building APIs… this is where you should invest your time and energy. Here’s what separates average devs from solid backend engineers 1. Security Matters Understanding how to protect your systems is non-negotiable. • Auth vs AuthZ (Authentication & Authorization) • OAuth 2.0, JWT – why and when to use them • OWASP Top 10 – common vulnerabilities • Basics of cryptography & encryption • IDS/IPS, SIEM – security in production 2. Performance Optimization Speed and stability go hand-in-hand. Learn to: • Cache smartly (Redis, CDN, etc.) • Apply rate-limiting and throttling • Handle traffic using load balancers • Design for failure (chaos engineering) • Build fault-tolerant systems 3. Database Engineering Anyone can query data. Real backend devs optimize it. • Write efficient SQL queries • Understand indexes and when to use them • Handle transactions & isolation levels • Partition/shard databases at scale • Know when to pick SQL vs NoSQL 4. API Design Skills Clean, predictable APIs make teams faster. • Follow REST & GraphQL principles • Use OpenAPI specs • Handle pagination, versioning, and status codes properly 5. System Architecture You should know when to use: • Monoliths vs microservices vs modular monolith • Serverless when cost and scalability matter • Concurrency, parallelism, and multithreading • Locking strategies: optimistic vs pessimistic 6. Distributed Systems A must-have for scaling. Learn: • Event-driven architecture • Microservice communication patterns • gRPC and Protocol Buffers • Challenges of state & eventual consistency 7. DevOps Awareness You don’t need to be a DevOps engineer—but you do need to understand: • CI/CD pipelines • Containerization (Docker, etc.) • Service Level Agreements (SLAs) • How incidents are handled in production 8. Observability You can’t fix what you can’t see. • Logging, monitoring, tracing • Alerts and dashboards • Performance profiling & optimization It’s not just about writing code. It’s about writing code that survives production. Start with one area, build depth, and you’ll become a backend dev companies want on their team. 𝐅𝐨𝐫 𝐌𝐨𝐫𝐞 𝐃𝐞𝐯 𝐈𝐧𝐬𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭𝐬 𝐉𝐨𝐢𝐧 𝐌𝐲 𝐂𝐨𝐦𝐦𝐮𝐧𝐢𝐭𝐲 : Telegram - https://lnkd.in/d_PjD86B Whatsapp - https://lnkd.in/dvk8prj5 Happy learning !

What if career growth wasn’t just about luck, but about following proven strategies? These actionable steps helped immensely in my career growth. 1. Excel in Your Current Role (Most Critical): Consistently meet or exceed expectations. A proven track record builds the foundation for future opportunities. 2. Align with Organization Goals: Understand your organization’s top priorities and demonstrate how your work contributes directly to them. 3. Seek Feedback Actively: Ask for constructive insights and act on them. This commitment to growth truly makes a difference. 4. Develop New Skills: Invest in training and learning opportunities to stay current with industry trends and keep your skills sharp. 5. Network Internally: Build relationships across departments. Gaining visibility beyond your immediate team shows you’re a collaborative team player. 6. Volunteer for New Assignments: Step up to take on responsibilities beyond your current role. Initiative today can lead to larger opportunities tomorrow. 7. Express Your Career Aspirations: Have open conversations with your manager about your professional interests and goals. It’s not just about a promotion—it’s about sharing where you see your future and how you plan to contribute to the company’s success. 8. Mentoring: Seek mentors to accelerate your learning and also become a mentor to others to support their growth. 9. Maintain Integrity and Authenticity: Express your genuine views respectfully. Authenticity sets you apart and builds lasting trust. 10. Stay Resilient and Patient: Career growth takes time. Keep delivering excellence and demonstrating your value—the results will follow. What strategies have helped you achieve your career goals? I’d love to hear your story! #leadership #career #technology

𝟲𝟱% 𝗼𝗳 𝗖𝗘𝗢𝘀 𝘄𝗶𝗹𝗹 𝘂𝘀𝗲 𝗮𝘂𝘁𝗼𝗺𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝘁𝗼 𝗳𝗶𝗹𝗹 𝘀𝗸𝗶𝗹𝗹 𝗴𝗮𝗽𝘀. 𝗔𝗿𝗲 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗱𝘆? Traditional hiring is broken. With 31% of the workforce needing retraining in the next 3 years, you can't solve tomorrow's skills crisis with yesterday's hiring playbook. 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝘀𝗼𝗹𝘂𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻? 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝟰𝗕 𝗙𝗿𝗮𝗺𝗲𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗸: 𝗕𝘂𝗶𝗹𝗱, 𝗕𝘂𝘆, 𝗕𝗼𝘁, 𝗕𝗼𝗿𝗿𝗼𝘄. 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝟰𝗕 𝗙𝗿𝗮𝗺𝗲𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗸 𝗕𝗨𝗜𝗟𝗗 🏗️ - Upskill existing talent 𝗪𝗵𝗲𝗻: Skills learnable in 6-12 months 𝗕𝗲𝘀𝘁 𝗳𝗼𝗿: Core competencies, retention goals 𝗦𝘁𝗮𝘁: 47% of leaders prioritize upskilling as top workforce strategy 𝗕𝗨𝗬 💰 - Hire permanent talent 𝗪𝗵𝗲𝗻: Critical skills needed immediately 𝗕𝗲𝘀𝘁 𝗳𝗼𝗿: Leadership, specialized expertise 𝗪𝗮𝗿𝗻𝗶𝗻𝗴: Skills change fast - hire for adaptability 𝗕𝗢𝗧 🤖 - Deploy AI and automation 𝗪𝗵𝗲𝗻: Repetitive tasks, 24/7 needs 𝗕𝗲𝘀𝘁 𝗳𝗼𝗿: Customer service, data analysis 𝗥𝗲𝗮𝗹𝗶𝘁𝘆: AI agents work autonomously AND with humans 𝗕𝗢𝗥𝗥𝗢𝗪 🤝 - Contractors/freelancers 𝗪𝗵𝗲𝗻: Short-term projects, flexibility needed 𝗕𝗲𝘀𝘁 𝗳𝗼𝗿: Testing capabilities, cost management 𝗔𝗱𝘃𝗮𝗻𝘁𝗮𝗴𝗲: Rapid scaling up or down The smartest companies: • Combine all 4 strategies (don't pick just one) • Track capability delivery, not headcount • Start with high performers for BUILD initiatives If you are the CHRO, what is your workforce strategy? Share your thoughts in the comment. Follow Adeline Tiah for content on Future of Work and Leadership Check out my latest newsletter on the Future of Work.

How to Get Promotion Fast - Shift from Task Mode to Strategy Mode One of the biggest career accelerators I’ve learned is the power of transitioning from simply completing tasks to thinking and acting strategically. It's not just about what you do - it’s about understanding why it matters and how it impacts the bigger picture. Here’s what worked for me: a. Mastering my role to build trust and credibility. b. Looking for opportunities to solve bigger problems beyond my responsibilities. c. Communicating impact, not just effort - focusing on results and outcomes. d. Aligning my contributions with team and company goals. The shift doesn’t happen overnight, but with consistent effort and the right mindset, you’ll stand out as a leader ready for the next level. What strategies have helped you grow in your career? Let’s share and learn together! 🙌 #CareerGrowth #Leadership #Strategy #ProfessionalDevelopment