Author: Mindquest

What Makes a Good CTO?
What makes a good CTO ? Discover the role and the essential skills of the CTO.

Interested in the full picture? Download our comprehensive career guide on how to become a CTO.

The CTO role

The success of the CTO is largely based on their ability to deploy new technologies at the right time. And, since technology progresses every day, a good CTO needs to be fully up-to-date with current developments and challenges.

But, while they need to be tech-focused, balancing tech acumen and computer skills; good CTOs must also possess other, softer skills like creativity and strategic thinking.

Teamwork and collaboration skills are, of course, also key. To accomplish something that has not been done before, CTOs will need to work together with several in-house engineers and external vendors.

A hybrid set of skills

While no two CTO job descriptions are the same, change is common to all their functions. They must therefore be adaptable and flexible to respond to the ever-changing needs of the market and the company’s customers.

Additionally, the conventional, tech-silo figure of the CTO has progressively evolved onto a more external, customer-facing role. The CTO of today needs to possess a hybrid set of skills. With business and interpersonal skills having gained importance in recent years.

Leaving the code behind

Moreover, successful CTOs have to complement their technical skills with those needed at the senior management and executive levels.

In what is an ironic twist for a technology leader, the role becomes less technical as they become more senior. It is precisely the ability to move beyond technical specifics and towards more strategic and managerial functions what is most difficult about this transition.

In addition, a CTO must master the art of delegation and leave the code behind.

What makes a good CTO: Essential skills

Based on all the above, a good CTO should possess:
- Excellent communication skills: The effectiveness of their position depends on their ability to communicate across departments and teams. They also need to relay highly technical information to individuals with little to no technical knowledge
- Adaptability: In order to better support the business as a whole, the CTO must understand every angle of the business. And also know how to adapt technology to each case and need
- Leadership: They need to operate as technology and IT team managers. Inspiring and encouraging the rest of the team to meet the strategic goals
- Understanding of market and customer expectations
- Exceptional organisational skills
- Great negotiation skills
- Strategic thinking: They need to think about the organization as a whole. They have to be able to plan ahead, identifying future problems and trends
- Coding: While the CTO has left behind the more technical years; understanding of current programming languages is key to better communicate with engineers and be able to conceptualise more efficient and realistic technology products
- A computer science, engineering or related university degree; an MBA or other appropriate graduate degree are always a plus and preferred in the industry
16th December 2020
Top 10 Developers in Belgium to Follow on Twitter

Discover out Top 10 of Developers in Belgium to Follow on Twitter. If you are a developer from Belgium ; are looking to become one ; or are simply interested in the topic of web and app creation ; here’s a list with the local experts you should be following on Twitter.

In no particular order. Some are self-taught devs sharing their experiences and advice, others are public speakers and minority advocates. All of them are worth your attention.

Also discover the top 10 of the Best Software Developers in the UK to Follow Online

Top 10 of Developers in Belgium to Follow on Twitter

1. Eva Dee

@GirlsCodeMK

Eva is an open source and JavaScript expert working as a developer for the video platform VIBBIO. She is an alumna of Rails Girls Summer of Code. A global fellowship program for women and non-binary coders whose aim is to make the open-source community more diverse. Eva also runs a blog, includeJS, where she writes about her journey as a self-taught dev.

2. Pieter Gheysens

@pietergheysens

Pieter is one of the most active members of the Belgian Visual Studio community, leading the country’s 1,200-member-strong user group. Pieter is also a co-founder of Techorama, a deep knowledge IT conference that attracts about 1,700 every year. A certified Visual Studio MVP and Scrum Master, he has a training and consultancy business (Sparkles) focusing on ALM solutions.

3. Louis Hoebregts

@Mamboleoo

Louis is a front-end specialist who describes himself as more of a doctor/physiotherapist of everything front-end. He is one of the organisers of Creative Front-End Belgium, a space for local developers to meet and talk shop. And he’s always working to help the community with his expert insight. He posts regular content on his site mamboleoo and runs a newsletter about SVG.

4. Brenda Michelle

@MichellleBrenda

Although technically from California, Brenda is a Belgium-based front-end developer working towards becoming a full-stack developer. Brenda provides web design services and shares regular tips and tricks to help out other developers. She is also a stay-at-home mom juggling entrepreneurship, learning and motherhood all at the same time. You can check her work and posts here.

5. Jachim Coudenys

@coudenysj

Jachim is a PHP expert working as a developer for Combell. He is a Zend Certified Engineer and conference speaker. He is passionate about helping the developer community, serving as a coach for CodeDojo Belgium and enabling his local PHP user group. You can find out more about his work and views on his site.

6. Freek Van der Herten

@freekmurze

Freek is a Belgian PHP superstar working as a developer and package creator at web-design agency Spatie. In addition to having built and running various well-established web solutions, Freek is an organiser of Full Stack Europe. Full Stack Europe is a yearly conference that caters to the entire development team across stacks. He blogs at Freek.dev.

7. Dries Vints

@driesvints

Dries is a PHP developer working for the Laravel framework, where he maintains the community portal and builds components like the Blade UI Kit. Like Freek, Dries is an organiser of Full Stack Europe, as well as of, Full Stack Belgium. You can follow his work and adventures on his personal site.

8. Bart Reunes

@MetalArend

Bart is a web developer at up-time-as-a service company Nucleus. As a quality assurance engineer, he focuses on developing fool-proof and extendable web applications on- and offline. In this regard, Bart works to help other web devs by maintaining the PHP Quality Assurance and organising the local PHP community. He also volunteers for the Red Cross and CodeDojo Belgium.

9. Pieter Herman

@bepieter

Pieter is a full-stack engineer living in Antwerp. Passionate about new technologies, he has extensive experience managing the complete project lifecycle from requirements gathering through to implementation. His blog posts have been echoed by publications such as Forbes. You can find more about his adventures here.

10. Kenneth Schabrechts

@schabrechtsk

Kenneth is an independent software developer and technical lead at development and consultancy firm Agilix. He is an active member of the Belgian development community. Taking part as a public speaker and regularly posting content on his blog.

16th December 2020
Weekly News: Uber Faces Reality

Weekly news. Discover last news about IT: Uber faces reality and news about SAP that shared a few significant announcements.

Uber Faces Reality

One of the biggest heralds of the mobility revolution, Uber is known for making bold statements about the near future and the company’s role in making it possible.

Flying
taxis crossing the city’s skyline, fleets of driverless cars optimising traffic
flow across entire countries. The full picture.

Well,
it’s time to face reality. The reality of public traded companies, that is.

In an
effort to turn a profit next year, the company is abandoning both its
loss-making flying taxi division and the development of its own driverless
car.

Uber is selling the two businesses to two different start-ups, hoping to pursue its futuristic ambitions through partnerships moving forward.

The Guardian

SAP News

German software giant SAP used its yearly TechEd event to share a few significant announcements.

Discover our special guide: The Ultimate S/4HANA Careers Guide

The company is the latest big player to jump on the low-code
bandwagon with its new Cloud Platform Workflow Management tool. The solution
lets employees with little to no knowledge of coding create their own
operational workflows.

The tool also includes predefined workflows for processes like
employee onboarding and can be integrated with Qualtrics data.

SAP also announced its first-ever RPA solution. Named SAP Ruum, the tool complements the company’s new low-code strategy by allowing businesses to integrate easily deployable automation into departmental processes.

TechCrunch

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Also discover our interview From ABAP Developer to SAP Portfolio Manager: The Career Path of an SAP Consultant and our article 4 Things Sci-Fi Might Still Get Right by 2029.

14th December 2020
IT Pros: How to Get Ready for 2021

If one thing can be said about 2020 is that it caught most of us completely by surprise. Sure, epidemiologists had been warning us for ages of an imminent virus outbreak that would put us all up against the ropes. But, as it’s usually the case with visionary doomsayers, they were ignored. Get ready for 2021.

Well, now we have no excuse. As 2020 draws to an end, all of us should take a deep breath and evaluate where we are in relation to where we’d like to get in the upcoming year. It’s time to do some soul-searching and make some plans. And that involves accounting for both the expected and the unexpected. Especially if you are an IT professional.

The pandemic has made even more evident something that people in the industry had known all along: technology is vital to the success of the modern enterprise. Yet, if something is true about technology, that is that it is constantly changing. Whether you are a front-line support engineer or a CIO whose role is evolving faster than it has over the last 10 years, you will want to make some contingencies to ensure you emerge on top of the wave once the storm is over.

Here are a few steps that will help you get there.

Get ready for 2021 – Step 1: Know your tech

You probably noticed the recent spike in 2021 tech prediction articles cluttering your feeds and inboxes. Yes, it’s that time of the year, and everyone is getting on board.

However, that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t pay attention to these proverbial revelations. There’s definitely more truth than hype in—well—most of them. But we get it: you’re busy and don’t necessarily have the time to comb through lists of similar-sounding headlines during your coffee breaks. Well, we did it for you. And here’s our winner.

When it comes to technology, few institutions can be as trusted as the IEEE (Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers). The world’s largest tech association, IEEE’s sole goal is to literally dedicate themselves to “advancing technology for the benefit of humanity”. They recently conducted a survey of CIOs and CTOs at major companies around the world and put numbers to what we already suspected:

AI and machine learning lead the way as the technologies set to shape the year ahead, with 5G solutions and IoT in second and third position. The main organisational tech challenge, of course, will be coping with the effects of Covid-19.

Step 2: Conduct an honest self-assessment

Now that you’re all caught up with the news about the future in general, it’s probably a good time to start thinking about your own future. How are your professional and personal lives compared to what you thought they’d be a year ago? Is what you thought a year ago even applicable anymore? A thorough and honest self-assessment is due.

Such review includes everything from career development goals to how you manage your time. Is perhaps 2021 the year to go freelance as an It pro? Or perhaps the year to get a prem job? Are you already your own boss and should conduct an audit of your freelance business? How about exploring a career change? There are tons of rewarding opportunities in booming areas like SAP S/4HANA or Microsoft technologies.

Speculation is key, as sometimes it’s more about the question than the answer. A chat with colleagues and other members of the tech community can also be very beneficial. Helping you broaden your horizons and giving you some food for thought.

Step 3: Skill up

Once you have a clearer picture of your current situation, it’s time to work towards your desired one. Holiday downtime is the perfect excuse to do some upskilling. Yes, Netflix and chill sounds more like the holidays, but no one ever got anywhere without a bit of extra effort. The investment will pay in time.

Take a look at your goals and see what skills you are lacking to achieve them. If you’d like to future-proof your CV or get into a rising career field, you might want to try a crash course to get up-to-speed with AI. Or maybe it’s about time you got certified as a Microsoft professional. How about the top tech skills every IT pro should have? How many of them can you check off your list?

Don’t forget your soft skills. From working more effectively to strengthening your business skills, it’s these nuances that will give you a competitive edge over other tech professionals. In the fast-moving, ever-changing world of today, knowing your tech is simply not enough.

Get ready for 2021 – Step 4: Set your targets and go get them

Last but not least to get ready for 2021, it’s time to polish your image and go after the jobs and missions that will get you to where you want to be. Even if you are currently happy with your job, things like improving your online visibility or optimising your LinkedIn profile can help you a great deal from a professional perspective.

It might also be a good idea to work on your interview skills.

10th December 2020
Back-End Developer : Job Description

Use our template to create a compelling and comprehensive Back-End Developer job description to attract top talent.

Let´s start with a little refresher on the difference between front end from the back end, before explore the role of Back-End Developer.

For example, imagine that you are planning to open a store. Its proper functioning is based on two things: the store itself as a sales space, and the back store, whose activity is essential to run the store. Now imagine that this store is your website. Roughly speaking, the front end is the equivalent of the visible part of your store, while the back end would be the invisible part that fuels the store with stock.

Although the rise of the Full Stack Developer (front + back) is shaking up the traditional role segmentation; the Back-End Developer works mainly on the server side (the back-store); while the Front-End Developer operates on the client side (the store).

Interested in exploring more roles within tech? Take a look at the role of the C/C++ Developer

What is the role of the Back-End Developer?

Usually working together with a Technical Project Manager or Tech Lead, the Back-End Developer is in charge of the “invisible” part of an organisation’s web applications. That is everything that enables the communication between database and browser.

Develop and improve technical functionalities

Firstly, the Back-End Developer’s job is to develop and improve the technical functionalities of a web application, working on the architecture of the server, the administration of the database and the communication of the latter with the application.

For example, the Back-End Developer will set up the structure and write the code that will update your information on a site when you submit a registration form. Depending on the context, this work can be done from an already existing framework or CMS/type solution, or from scratch.

Supporting business growth

The Back-End Developer needs to work in conjunction with businesses experts to respond as effectively as possible to business-related issues. But also to ensure the scalability and security of applications so that the business remains operational and can grow.

Required skills to be Back-End Developer

Mastery of programming languages

An
adept coder, the Back-End Developer focuses on programming and scripting
languages. They must have a good knowledge of how both servers and web browsers
work. They must know well the different back-end frameworks (Laravel, Ruby on
Rail, J2E, etc.) and, of course, know how to use common programming languages
such as PHP, Ruby, Python, .Net, Node.JS, C # or SQL.

With
the rise of cloud computing, it is also recommended to know how to set up
services such as Amazon Web Services, Microsoft Azure or the Google Cloud Platform.

Passion and a decent level of English

This
job requires you to be passionate about the work you do, and you must keep an
eye out for new technology developments to stay up-to-date with current
language standards and their applications. For that, it is advantageous to have
a decent level of English, as most of the resources and the performance of
tasks are usually in English.

Demonstrate autonomy and rigour

This position demands rigour and autonomy. The Back-End Developer must respect the deadlines and be able to operate independently and with a proactive spirit.

Within the industry

The Back-End Developer is an expert who can be found in digital agencies, medium-sized businesses and large companies. More and more developers are choosing to exercise this function as freelancers for all the advantages offered by this status.

Back-End Developer’s Salary

The average daily rate for a Back-End Developer ranges between €200 and €600.

Training of the Back-End Developer

There are several paths to becoming a Back-End Developer. One option is to start from the bottom with a university degree in computer science or similar. But one can also access the position through a master’s in web development or from an engineering school. Many developers are also self-taught.

Discover all the web development programming skills and professions

10th December 2020
Weekly News: Presenting Our New Podcast Mission Control Center

Say hello to our new podcast Mission Control Center

Because we know how busy you are, we are launching a podcast version of the newsletter from Mission Control Center, so that you can listen to it while you work.

Every week, our editor Miquel Morales will walk you through the
most relevant tech news and share all sorts of career development advice.

We’ll soon be having interviews with experts in all areas of IT, so make sure to follow us every week!

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AI cracks half-century-old problem

After having proven
its worth with programs capable of beating humans at various games, the
artificial intelligence group DeepMind has reached a major scientific
milestone.

The group’s latest program, AlphaFold, has finally solved a
problem that had kept researchers baffled for 50 years: predicting how proteins
fold into 3D shapes.

Protein folding patterns, which are unique to each protein and
extremely complex, could until now only be unravelled through years-long lab
work. It took AlphaFold just a few weeks to learn how to predict folding with
greater accuracy than humans.

The breakthrough paves the way for the design of more powerful drugs and vaccines to fight diseases, as well as for the production of more nutritious crops.

The Guardian

The key technologies for 2021

A new global IEEE
survey of CTOs and CIOs reveals the top technologies and challenges for
organisations in the upcoming year.

While overcoming the effects of the pandemic remains the biggest
concern amongst technology leaders, AI and machine learning are cited as the
game-changing tech trends for 202. Next-gen 5G solutions and IoT follow close
behind.

Manufacturing, healthcare, financial services and education are
expected to be the industries in which technology will play a more pivotal
role.

One positive finding is that an overwhelming majority of IT leaders (92%) believe their company is now more prepared to respond to a catastrophic and sudden event like a natural disaster or a data breach.

TechRepublic

Mac minis are coming to AWS

Amazon Web Services
kickstarted its yearly re:Invent conference with a big revelation: the company
is bringing macOS to the AWS cloud.

AWS will be making available Mac mini instances for developers
to create apps directly on its Elastic Compute Cloud (EC2).

It is a significant announcement for devs, who now can run Xcode
and Swift tools in the cloud without having to maintain and patch custom-built
Mac machines.

However, the Mac minis being currently deployed in AWS data centres are still sporting previous-generation Intel chips. The company will be rolling out the new Apple-silicon machines early next year.

TechCrunch

Check out more of our interviews from our podcast episodes.

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4th December 2020
Download the definitive CTO career guide

Discover our CTO career guide.

With digital transformation at full throttle thanks to Covid-19, one particular trend is accelerating: every company out there is gradually becoming a technology company. In a short time span, technology has gone from a product or nice add-on to becoming a strategic asset integral to an organisation’s business model.

Consequently, companies are more
than ever in need of proficient CTOs who can lead the push towards new
technological solutions that provide the company with a competitive edge. The potential
reward for those who decide to go down the CTO path is huge, and if you manage
to cultivate the hybrid set of skills this position requires, you will be set
for professional success as an IT leader.

But how exactly can you become a Chief Technology Officer?

DOWNLOAD YOUR FREE CTO CAREER GUIDE

Interested in technology leadership? Discover what makes a good CTO.

2nd December 2020
HTML Integrator : Job Description

Use our template to create a compelling and comprehensive HTML Integrator job description to attract top talent.

The HTML Integrator specialises in programming and development, their mission being to translate a graphic language into computer language. The integrator assembles the different elements of a website, making sure they are aligned with the desired aesthetics and maintain a practical design.

HTML (Hypertext Mark-Up Language) is a computer language based on the use of formatting tags which is used in the creation of web pages.

Also explore the role of the C/C++ Developer

What is the role of the HTML Integrator?

Check editorial content and mock-ups

Firstly, the HTML integrator works closely with the Web Project Manager and the Art Director. For example, together, they determine how the pages should be structured in terms of content, design (style and animations) and functionality.

Translate design into computer language

The
HTML integrator then translates the graphic design into computer language, both
for web and mobile browsers. They must build each website page by placing all
the necessary textual and graphic elements, such as images or videos.

Ensure compatibility and compliance with standards

The integrator must also ensure the compatibility between the various browsers (Safari, Firefox, etc.) while considering the standards in place (RWD, W3C, accessibility).

Required skills of the HTML Integrator

Deep technical expertise

The expert must obviously master the HTML language, as well as other web design technologies such as CSS, JavaScript, AJAX, SQL …

Creativity and sense of aesthetics

Further, the HTML integrator should be creative and have a strong sense of aesthetics. For instance, they must master graphic consistency, highlighting the website’s content in a marketing-savvy manner.

Ability to listen and adapt

In addition to being as responsive as the websites they create, the integrator must know how to adapt to the client and other professionals. They are most often working within very varied teams: Web designer, Digital Project Manager, E-Commerce Manager, etc.

Within the industry

A web integrator can work for all kinds of businesses, being often brought in to work with multiple departments at once (marketing, IT, etc.).

Salary of the HTML Integrator

The average daily rate ranges between €450 and €900.

Training of the HTML Integrator

In conclusion, a college degree in IT can be an excellent steppingstone to this technical position. However, it is advisable to complement that degree with dedicated licenses and certifications. After a few years of experience, an integrator will have the opportunity to move towards positions related to development, design, or even consulting.

Discover all the web development programming skills and professions

2nd December 2020
Weekly News: Bot Friday

Also discover our article: The IT Jobs Market of Today

Bot Friday

Black Friday long ago escaped the confines of its native United States to become a global shopping phenomenon. Now, another trend is joining this spread: bot.

If you are looking to catch a sweet deal this year, be advised: you’ll have to compete with more than a swarm of people lining up at the store’s gates.

For some time now, retail bots have been out there scouting the Internet for the best deals. The exact second an item goes on sale, the bots flag the deal to their owner, who then makes a profit by selling a bot at a higher price.

The item on sale is sold out? Chances are bots are to blame and it’s on eBay now.

BBC

Fighting cyberattacks with deception

With cyberattacks getting increasingly sophisticated, organisations have to deploy comprehensive cybersec solutions that address multiple fronts.

Enter deception.

Deception technology is easy to deploy and manage, being to attackers what a honey trap is to fruit flies. Whereas traditional deception was solely focused on this honeypot approach, today’s solutions are way more powerful and have become one of the most effective ways to detect and stop attackers early on.

However, persistent myths about the technology are keeping companies from leveraging its full potential.

eWeek

SAP skills shortage threatens UK businesses

We have discussed the issue of SAP skills shortages before, but new research insights keep coming in reinforcing this trend.

In the last two weeks, two surveys conducted in the UK have put a number to the SAP talent gap. A study by Ensono revealed how 80% of SAP customers have postponed cloud migrations due to skills shortages.

According to the UK & Ireland SAP User Group, 35% of organisations cite the cost of salaries as the main roadblock for recruiting SAP roles, while the overall lack of skills in the market is the main cause for concern for 24% of companies.

The SAP skills gap is further accentuated with the industry’s imminent migration to S/4HANA, which has businesses competing for the scarce number of professionals with this set of skills.

Diginomica

With S/4HANA migration in full throttle, becoming an S/4 expert is more than a smart move.

Download our S/4HANA career guide to find out how.

27th November 2020
Weekly News: Translating Cat Meows

Translating Cat Meows; what the EU could do about emissions; Quantum moves ahead; and an anti-poaching cloud cover… Discover our Weekly News.

Translating Cat Meows: Do you speak cat?

What did the cat just say?

According to research, cats do not share a common language. Every cat is unique and tailors its meows to its owner (a.k.a. human servant). And, just like it happens with people, some cats are chattier than others.

Well, a former Amazon Alexa developer has created an app that leverages AI and machine learning to translate those meows into human language.

MeowTalk already has 13 phrases in its vocabulary, including “Feed me!” and “Leave me alone.”

You can bet you’ll be hearing the first one a lot more.

BBC

What the EU could do about emissions

The use of renewable energies and other traditional approaches to curbing emissions are no longer enough if the EU wants to meet its 2050 climate-neutrality target.

Enter technology.

From large-scale, data-powered simulations of the Earth’s climate to green data centers, there are plenty of emerging technology initiatives underway for which EU funding could be a game-changer.

The folks at Politico have compiled a shortlist for you to bring up over dinner.

Politico

Quantum moves ahead

Several of the world’s leading research institutions and tech companies have been working on their own take on quantum computing for a while now.

One of the key differences between the various approaches out there is what is used as the basis of the computer’s qubits, the basic units of information on which quantum computers operate.

While technology juggernauts like IBM and Intel had traditionally opted for using tiny superconducting loops as qubits, the use of trapped-ion systems remained marginal.

Now that is changing. Ion traps have gained traction, which is good for competition.

Nature

An anti-poaching cloud cover

The Zoological Society of London (ZSL) has revealed how its collaboration with Google Cloud is helping protect endangered species from poachers.

Beyond developing custom machine learning models to identify and track threatened animals across the globe, ZSL used a network of acoustic sensors to listen for gunshots in a nature reserve in Cameroon.

The organisation then used the data collected to generate insights on poacher activity, revealing key details like what time of day poachers tend to be more active and where.

ZSL hopes to evolve these insights into a monitoring system that is able to provide alerts in real time.

ComputerWeekly

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20th November 2020