Meet the instructor: Joel Taddei
Instructor Joel Taddei recently sat down with the folks at IT-ology to chat IT careers. Here's a glimpse into what he shared.
What is your role?
I work on developing and instructing the backend web curriculum classes.
Why did you choose IT as your career?
I was searching for a field that had high job security, was lucrative, and a high amount of available jobs. Plus I was handy with a computer.
How long have you worked in IT?
I've been a professional software developer for about 8 years + a few more if you count doing it as a hobby and making little games.
How did your education and career path lead you to IT?
My degree is in Architectural Studies, so other than instilling a strong work ethic, it didn't provide any technical skills relevant to software development.
Is there a hero or mentor that has made an impact on your career? If so, how?
Yes, a high school friend was an established software developer around the time I was looking to transition careers and he made sure I always had someone to bounce an idea off, provide some code help when I couldn't figure something out, or just check in on me when it seemed like I wasn't making progress. It was fun to progress through the "ranks" as a software developer and become more and more competent so we could work on harder projects together.
What trends are you seeing in IT?
More code is being written for the frontend (browser) than ever before. Javascript is very hot and in demand. Connected "smart" houses will be a larger platform to develop apps for in the coming decade. Even though I don't fully understand it, blockchain seems to be getting a lot of people's attention.
What are the most important skills needed?
Fearless curiosity. Having the mindset that it is okay to fail. Turning a failure from something bad into a learning opportunity.
What technological advancements do you think we’ll see in the next 10-20 years?
AI will help humans make decisions, we will be surprisingly accepting of AI. The gap between training simulations and video games will narrow. Virtual and Augmented Reality will become more affordable and the quality will increase. Perceptions of privacy online will shift back to a pre smartphone era - but not on a large scale.
What advice would you give to someone considering IT as a career?
It will be hard. Maybe not right away, but it will be. If you're able to stick with it and press through the difficult times and learn from them, you will be successful in a career in IT, so make sure you enjoy it!