IT Certifications and Careers (Official Discussion Thread)

[Tr0yTV]

Those are all super senior level roles though lol. You dont just up and become an architect. Typically architect roles are the routes seasoned vets go if they dont want to move into management.

Associate Solutions Architect
Job ID: 507497 | Amazon Web Services, Inc.

BASIC QUALIFICATIONS
· Undergraduate or graduate degree (minimum bachelor of science or bachelor of arts degree)
· 2+ years of professional experience
· Able to travel to an AWS training location (e.g. Seattle, WA, Ballston, VA) for the first 6 months of the program
· Must be able to work out of the Ballston, Virginia AWS office, with the potential to relocate to an AWS office within the US upon successful completion of the training program. Relocation will be based on business needs. AWS cannot confirm final placement destination at the time of offer. AWS will provide relocation assistance
· Able to legally live and work in the US

PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS
· Cloud Awareness: Experience implementing a cloud-based technology solution in a school project or while working for a company desired
· Experience working within the software development or Internet industries is highly desired
· Electrical, Computer, or Networking Engineering, Information Technology, MIS, Computer Science, Mathematics, or Physics degree preferred
· Troubleshooting: Experience with QA, testing, helpdesk, IT support, or any technician or quality assurance type work desired
· Experience managing application stacks from the OS up through custom applications or experience designing or implementing distributed systems, algorithms and relational databases desired
· Knowledge of programming or other scripting languages and coding skills (C/C++/C#, Node.JS, Java, Python, PHP, Ruby) desired
· Knowledge of fundamentals of Networking, Security, Databases (Relational and/or NoSQL), Operating Systems (Unix, Linux, and/or Windows) desired
· Experience with one or more of the following domains: systems administration (Linux/Window), network administration (DNS, IPsec, BGP, VPN, Load Balancing), or programming (Node.JS, Java, Ruby, C#, Python, or PHP) desired
· Working knowledge of AWS services, such as Elastic Compute Cloud, Elastic Block Storage, and Simple Storage Service desired



If you are looking at Architect positions you know how much exp. is required. That should not stop you from having a long-term goal as well as a short-term goal.

 

[Apollo Creed]

Associate Solutions Architect
Job ID: 507497 | Amazon Web Services, Inc.

BASIC QUALIFICATIONS
· Undergraduate or graduate degree (minimum bachelor of science or bachelor of arts degree)
· 2+ years of professional experience
· Able to travel to an AWS training location (e.g. Seattle, WA, Ballston, VA) for the first 6 months of the program
· Must be able to work out of the Ballston, Virginia AWS office, with the potential to relocate to an AWS office within the US upon successful completion of the training program. Relocation will be based on business needs. AWS cannot confirm final placement destination at the time of offer. AWS will provide relocation assistance
· Able to legally live and work in the US

PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS
· Cloud Awareness: Experience implementing a cloud-based technology solution in a school project or while working for a company desired
· Experience working within the software development or Internet industries is highly desired
· Electrical, Computer, or Networking Engineering, Information Technology, MIS, Computer Science, Mathematics, or Physics degree preferred
· Troubleshooting: Experience with QA, testing, helpdesk, IT support, or any technician or quality assurance type work desired
· Experience managing application stacks from the OS up through custom applications or experience designing or implementing distributed systems, algorithms and relational databases desired
· Knowledge of programming or other scripting languages and coding skills (C/C++/C#, Node.JS, Java, Python, PHP, Ruby) desired
· Knowledge of fundamentals of Networking, Security, Databases (Relational and/or NoSQL), Operating Systems (Unix, Linux, and/or Windows) desired
· Experience with one or more of the following domains: systems administration (Linux/Window), network administration (DNS, IPsec, BGP, VPN, Load Balancing), or programming (Node.JS, Java, Ruby, C#, Python, or PHP) desired
· Working knowledge of AWS services, such as Elastic Compute Cloud, Elastic Block Storage, and Simple Storage Service desired



If you are looking at Architect positions you know how much exp. is required. That should not stop you from having a long-term goal as well as a short-term goal.

Eh its an oxymoron using the word associate and architect in the same sentance lol. An associate architect is oretty much a mid level system engineer,developer, or BA. Either way lotta companies mis title job positions.

In some companies a senior engineer is really a middle level and the real senior level engineers are principal engineers.

 

[Tr0yTV]

That may be true, but it does not change the fact that the opportunity is available. I saw another job ad from Amazon for the same position and the only requirement was a 4 year degree. No work experience. It is about supply and demand at the end of the day. Amazon also trains you for 6 months on all the technologies so you just have to pass the interview.

GE had a similar program for Cloud Architects. The only requirement was a degree.

 

[Regular Developer]

Anyone do any android development and have tips they've learned along the way? I'm about to be balls deep in a project within the next couple of weeks and I'd like to avoid some rookie mistakes.

Sorry no tips here, lol. Except for maybe if you're creating an app, make sure you have someone else design the screens.

What are you gonna be using, Android Develper Studio, Xamarin, something else?

 

[Obreh Winfrey]

Sorry no tips here, lol. Except for maybe if you're creating an app, make sure you have someone else design the screens.

What are you gonna be using, Android Develper Studio, Xamarin, something else?

Android Studio for all of it. It's a one-man project so I'll have to do the UI myself. From what I've experienced so far it's not that much different than using WPF with the .NET Framework. What's going to slow me down the most is the database stuff; I'm not super clear on using an ORM just yet. I also want to include some cryptography to obscure the data the user enters.

 

[Regular Developer]

Android Studio for all of it. It's a one-man project so I'll have to do the UI myself. From what I've experienced so far it's not that much different than using WPF with the .NET Framework. What's going to slow me down the most is the database stuff; I'm not super clear on using an ORM just yet. I also want to include some cryptography to obscure the data the user enters.

Well if you get a chance to have a UI person design something out, take it. It saves some time, forces you to take time and explain the user flow, and if you prefer the coding, it takes the headache out of trying to switch between code and ui design.

Let me know how Android Studio works out. sounds like a fun technology to work with.

 

[Apollo Creed]

Well if you get a chance to have a UI person design something out, take it. It saves some time, forces you to take time and explain the user flow, and if you prefer the coding, it takes the headache out of trying to switch between code and ui design.

Let me know how Android Studio works out. sounds like a fun technology to work with.

What do you reccomend for UI Design/prototyping? I planned on using Axure for something Im working on.

 

[Obreh Winfrey]

Well if you get a chance to have a UI person design something out, take it. It saves some time, forces you to take time and explain the user flow, and if you prefer the coding, it takes the headache out of trying to switch between code and ui design.

Let me know how Android Studio works out. sounds like a fun technology to work with.

I have some graphic design friends I might consult with. So far Android Studio isn't too bad. It's based off of IntelliJ, if you've ever used it, so it has good functionality built in. This is the first time I've used any code generation tools with purpose and it's a time saver. One thing is that it takes a while to open up sometimes so don't rely on it when you're in a hurry.

@CashmereEsquire I think my professor posted a couple tools we should check out for our projects. Let me find them and get back to you on that.

 

[Regular Developer]

What do you reccomend for UI Design/prototyping? I planned on using Axure for something Im working on.

no idea, lol. I usually pay a ui designer, then i lay things out the way they designed. all i have to worry about is the function. Thats how've i've done it for dashboards, games, and web apps.

But I did see this one wireframing/design type program, i forgot the name of it. Its something.io. If I remember, I'll post it

 

[Apollo Creed]

no idea, lol. I usually pay a ui designer, then i lay things out the way they designed. all i have to worry about is the function. Thats how've i've done it for dashboards, games, and web apps.

But I did see this one wireframing/design type program, i forgot the name of it. Its something.io. If I remember, I'll post it

axure seemed to be the most popular in the industry and i have a license via work. You make any iOS apps before or your focus is mainly web apps?

 

[Regular Developer]

axure seemed to be the most popular in the industry and i have a license via work. You make any iOS apps before or your focus is mainly web apps?

I've mainly worked in C# .NET for work, but I've kind of just picked up random projects. I've done a couple android games with C#/Unity3d, and am currently working on a web app for a friend. I've been learning the web technologies on the fly though. I started doing a mobile app, but I was using Xamarin .NET since I know C#, and didnt want to have to try and learn both Android (Java?) and iOS (Objective-C/Swift or something like that, right?)

 

[Apollo Creed]

I've mainly worked in C# .NET for work, but I've kind of just picked up random projects. I've done a couple android games with C#/Unity3d, and am currently working on a web app for a friend. I've been learning the web technologies on the fly though. I started doing a mobile app, but I was using Xamarin .NET since I know C#, and didnt want to have to try and learn both Android (Java?) and iOS (Objective-C/Swift or something like that, right?)

i hear they have stuff where you can literally port iOS apps to android

 

[Regular Developer]

i hear they have stuff where you can literally port iOS apps to android

Thats true. I also know that they have frameworks or tools where you can actually use javascript and it can port it over to both devices.

 

[Ice_MF_Mike]

@730BlackMage I'm sure you are right. It varies between companies how technical the position actually is. In reference to Amazon; it seems like they focus more on sales, and let the support engineers build the solution. I think the SA 'designs' the Solution (on premise network with AWS), and gives the client a cost benefit analysis. Again, I'm not sure, that's why I asked.

I believe it is Pre-sales when people refer to Sales Engineering. @Ice_MF_Mike can you share some insight on Sales Engineering? What the position entails and how it is similar or different from Solution Architecture.

Sales engineering is typically broken up into Pre sales and post sales. Both position types may make commision though usually pre sales makes more commission.

Pre sales is typically you being a subject matter expert and assisting a sales rep answering very technical questions as well as implementing the software as a proof of concept in the customer environment. Roles range from salsy to extremely technical. Usually there is a strong salary and additional commission which is pretty solid usually. So its not like a sales rep where if you dont hit your number you wont get paid. You still make dough.

Post sales is usually delivering services. Once someone buys the software you go and roll it out. You may also assist them with projects and such.

Sometimes solutions architect roles are kind of like a mix of pre and post sales. Typically leaning more post sales but heavy on architecting the solution. They are all kind of in the same realm and all usually fairly senior roles.

 

[Obreh Winfrey]

@CashmereEsquire @730BlackMage
Fluid UI - The Easier Web, Desktop and Mobile Prototyping Tool and Proto.io - Prototypes that feel real

From the assignment he gave it it looks like we have to do UI prototyping, so I'll pick one and tell you what I think within the next week or two.