Digital professionals – who they are, and why they’re important

In the modern labor market, it’s getting harder to define who a digital professional is. Why?

Because the boundaries between those who use digital tools and those who do digital work are blurred. However, this must be clarified to tailor appropriate supply strategies to labor market needs.

We talked about the topic with the leaders of Europe’s two leading programming schools, Codecool and SDA, who recently announced their companies’ merger: Michał Mysiak, CEO, and József Boda, Vice President. We asked them about the demand for digital professionals, and how their newly merged company can help to supply these.

Boda József Codecool SDA

Who is really missing from the labor market? Are companies looking for software developers or people who can work well with a computer?

Boda József: There is a massive labor shortage in the market. At one end of the digital skills spectrum, you’ll find basic computer skills, and at the other, NASA programmers. Neither end is our area of expertise. But in between, there is a vast spectrum with countless ramifications and specialization directions. We could categorize them, but any classification can become invalid in months in this dynamically changing industry. What is certain is that the entry threshold is constantly creeping upward in most professions. In this way, the concept of “professional” is becoming more and more conditional and demanding. This is in the form of demand for new workers and, in many industries, the need to retrain and upskill existing workers.

Michał Mysiak: The cooperation between Codecool and SDA aims to serve this broad spectrum with as much coverage as possible. Not only in a geographical sense but also in terms of the needs of the employer side. We have relationships with more than 400 companies, from global brands to local businesses. We have the expertise and experience to train the workforce to meet specific, bespoke orders and foreseeable employer needs.

What ensures that Codecool and SDA are not only training workers according to their existing partners’ needs and preferences but also serving potential new entrants?

Boda József: Of course, our approach is much more far-reaching. We tailor our strategy to regional and continental trends. One of the key objectives of the European Commission’s Digital Decade program is to employ 20 million professionals in digital industries by 2030 while also taking care of gender balance. This European ambition can only be achieved through comprehensive sectoral retraining programs.

Michał Mysiak: We play a significant role in achieving this vision by bringing our companies together. The EU countries we cover have the highest public interest in future-proof and well-paid digital careers. Investors will come to our region if they can be confident that they can find the right skilled workforce, now and in the future. It’s essential to stress that everyone is generally moving up that particular ladder, so we also need to ensure that we can provide an open and evolving workforce to meet future needs. It is not enough to think of career changers of workers newly oriented toward infotech; in-house training and retraining programs are just as important.

In previous years, the training of programmers was usually linked to a career change. Does this mean that the new trend is for everyone to go digital within their profession?

Boda József:

Indeed, in recent years, musicians, drivers, tour guides, and countless other professionals have turned to programming and entered this career. But digitalization has become part of everyday life in most traditional industries. In logistics, commerce, manufacturing, and even personal services such as beauty care or legal advice, we are seeing digital solutions implemented all the time. Using, developing, analyzing, and visualizing the data that moves within them requires digital skills.

We have reached a stage of digital transformation where companies can go digital by quickly and efficiently upskilling their existing, loyal, skilled workforce without necessarily having to think about new people or outsourcing. The most significant growth – and the EU strategies mentioned earlier – is predicted to come from training within the sector.

If digital skills are essential for your business, look at our corporate training offers. All training we provide is tailored to your needs.

This interview was originally made after a roundtable discussion at the IVSZ Menta conference.

Benefits of a growth mindset in developer training

A growth mindset can make or break the success of training a developer, and that’s why we made this concept a pivotal element of our teaching method. Check out the benefits of a growth mindset and learn how it works in action at Codecool.

Codecoolers become skilled and motivated junior developers during our Full-Stack Development course. They’re capable of taking on new knowledge quickly at the workplace and have all the hard and soft skills that make them the best on the market.

But how do they get there in only ten months? A huge component is the growth mindset – this ‘skill’ drives their progress behind the scenes and helps them progress and grow in a way they never thought possible. Let’s see how!

What is the growth mindset concept?

The growth mindset describes a way of thinking about challenges and mistakes.

When you have a growth mindset, you know that encountering a setback doesn’t mean you’re bound to keep having them. It’s just the natural way of progress, and you know that your abilities aren’t set in stone.

We’ve known this since Carol Dweck’s 2014 TED talk.

Just because some people can do something with little to no training, it doesn’t mean that others can’t do it (and sometimes do it even better) with training.

Carol Dweck Tweet

The importance of a growth mindset in education

Having a fixed or growth mindset can make or break the success of the training one takes part in.

Why?

Because cultivating a growth mindset during training leads students to understand that their potential depends on their work. It’s not due to talent they should’ve been born with or any other outside factor. Once believing this, students begin to thrive and progress in a way they never thought they could.

Carol Dweck researched this theory for 30 years. According to her research, children tend to have an inherent growth mindset about their potential. On the other hand, adults are already conditioned to a fixed mindset regarding their own and others’ capabilities in many topics, which limits their ability to progress.

What is a fixed mindset?

We all have a fixed mindset about certain things, our own capabilities above all.

We tend to think that our skills are rooted in talent and shaped by circumstances. That our understanding or skills cannot really be improved. And this can limit progress in many areas of life.

Writing code is a perfect example of that. People tend to think they won’t be able to code because they’re not good with math or they’re not the naturally ‘techy’ type. They don’t see how with the proper mindset and the right methodology they could improve their understanding.

The relevance of a growth mindset for organizations

The ever-growing IT talent gap slows down digitalization and many businesses. So there’s a global need to train new tech professionals and to re-skill employees. But many organizations still have a massive wall between tech and non-tech people. And at the same time, there seems to be no concrete plan to make it possible for people to climb it.

We at Codecool believe tech training is best done by cultivating a growth mindset and celebrating initial mistakes. People sometimes make mistakes when they make an effort and dare to step out of their comfort zone. But that’s when they gain valuable experience and progress, so it shouldn’t be a thing to fear.

We’re building on a growth mindset to make the talent gap a thing of the past and enable digitalization. But what does growth mindset look like in action at Codecool?

Let’s dive in.

Growth mindset in action at Codecool

Our business model builds on a growth mindset and it proved to be a winning bet. We break down walls between tech and non-tech talents and help people, even without any relevant background become the best junior tech professionals on the market.

1. We focus on the beginning

During the application process, instead of looking at degrees, tech experience or achievements, we explore our applicants’ goals, drives and peculiar aspects of their personal profiles. We check their logical thinking and English skills, but no further hard skills. Our case studies prove that having certain soft skills provide a better indication of our student’s future success.

2. They get the big picture right away  

Instead of keeping knowledge to ourselves, we let our students in on the bigger picture behind our approach. During the first few days we present them the growth mindset theory, share our implementation plan and point out their place in the bigger scheme. They understand that becoming a tech talent is their own path, they are the driving force behind this decision. If they put in the work, they’ll succeed.

3. We put our signature on their success

Our method is effective, and our belief in our student’s success is rock-solid. So solid that we’re contractually bound to get them hired if they take our job guarantee. If we can’t do that in six months after they graduate from our 10-month Full-Stack Development course, their tuition fee is on us. So far, 98% of our graduated students have found a job with our help, and 100% work in new tech jobs after our course.

4. They work in agile teams in a workplace simulation

Codecoolers work a lot individually, as well as in agile projects groups during the course. They gain experience with the agile way of working and learn a lot from each other. This way, they organically develop a ton of new skills. Not to mention, they become great team players with solid soft skills.

5. We encourage a failure culture

We encourage our students to make attempts and fail. This way they learn to take alternative approaches to problems, develop an analytical attitude, understand that failure is inevitable, get used to collecting themselves mentally afterward and fail less later, in workplace situations with higher stakes.

6. They get challenging but achievable goals 

The tasks our students get are carefully developed to match the actual level of their skills and confidence during the course. Mentors and peers are there to help, and resources are provided. But we make sure not to give out final answers, and instead encourage them to find their own unique solutions to challenges.

7. They take test results as a snapshot, not a judgement

Frequent evaluation of progress helps our students see where they are in a process and what they still need to work on. We try to make sure test and exam results are not taken as a verdict. Instead, we help them understand where they stand in the process and strive to keep up their motivation.

The result of a growth mindset in training

What’s the result of all the above-listed elements?

Well, Codecoolers …

… become great team players. They are good communicators and can share their responsibilities and successes with their colleagues. They take ownership of challenges and support the development of others.

… can get things done. They are capable of solving challenges quickly and efficiently and are okay with trying different options until they succeed.

… quick learners. They understand the direct impact hard work has on their own development, can take on new knowledge quickly, and like raising the bar for themselves.

Looking for talented tech professionals?

If you’re looking for your next developer, consider partnering with Codecool. We have an active network of quality tech pros and flexible recruitment processes, offering you quick access to top talents.

Growing your teams? We can help you find your next junior who could be in your team in just a couple of days after you contact us. 

Don’t want to let your best colleagues go? We offer up-skilling or re-skilling services too. We’re happy to tailor our flexible training programs to your exact needs, and turn them into your most valuable and skilled digital resources.

In case you have any questions, reach out to us! You can also visit one of our Demo Days on any Friday, online or in person, to check out the skills and capabilities of our students if you’re interested.

Hope to talk to you soon.

Meet cool leaders: Claudia Tamași (Niculiță), CM @Codecool Romania

Claudia_Tamasi_CM_Codecool_Romania

In this blog post series, we’re sitting down for a chat with people making the Codecool vision happen. Meet Claudia Tamași (Niculiță), Country Manager of Codecool Romania.

Claudia_Tamasi_CM_Codecool_Romania

If you want to meet inspiring people, Codecool is a great place to be. Every day we meet hundreds of smart, ambitious students and innovative leaders of our partner companies who want a build a better digital future.

But it’s not only our students and partners that inspire us. We also work with equally impressive colleagues who bring the Codecool vision to life.

We had a chat with one of these colleagues about her current goals, challenges, and outlook on the future. We’re proud to introduce Claudia Tamași (Niculiță), Country Manager of Codecool Romania.

Claudia, how would you introduce yourself if you weren’t allowed to mention your work?

I’m curious, passionate about self-discovery, and love going out in nature. I’m a wife, a daughter, and a sister. My family and friends are vital to me, and I intend to develop as many meaningful relationships as possible. Therefore I don’t go in for “small talk.” 🙂

I can’t live without feeling that I’m evolving and contributing to where I belong, without feeling that good things are happening as time passes. I’m very interested in psychology, understanding how people think and feel, and how I can support their growth and evolution.

What does it mean to be a Country Manager? What does your role involve?

I am directly responsible for Codecool’s overall activity in Romania: I coordinate all the operations, including both the educational part, the recruitment of candidates as well as the placement of students in companies, and the development of partnerships.

I strive to convey the Codecool story to our fellow Romanians. We have an incredible story and mission. I think it’s my and my team’s responsibility to show the world how cool the environment and the vibe are and what transformative things you can learn here. We put a lot of emphasis on programming and technical knowledge, but not only that. We equally focus on a growth mindset, a new beginning in a digital environment, soft skills, collaboration, teamwork, and helping those who are behind growing with others.

I am motivated by results because they give me the energy to move forward. But I am also very interested in how we achieve those results. Ethical principles and values give meaning to life, and often it is the “how” that matters more than the “how much.”

What’s your background?

I studied economics, followed by psychology. I started working in service and product sales during my university years; I have over 15 years of experience in the telecommunication industry at companies such as Vodafone and Orange. 

I’ve worked for companies with dedicated Business-to-Business services for the last ten years. I was a national sales director at Adecco and a commercial director at TMF Group; I also delivered coaching and leadership programs to various teams.

codecool-romania

Why did you decide to join Codecool? What do you like most about the company?

In 2016 I decided to take a break and enjoy a sabbatical year. Although I enjoyed what I did before, in 2016, I felt a strong need to rethink my career and make more meaning out of what I did. I wanted the eight hours I invest in the professional environment every day to contribute to society and be meaningful. 

That year I did a lot of volunteering. I attended a coaching and nutrition course – that’s how I understood to take a break and recalibrate. 🙂 It was clear that I needed to go in a different direction. Previously, all my experience had been in large corporations, where you work in a framework full of rules and procedures. I felt I needed more freedom and a context where I could put my ideas into practice. I wanted to be able to make a meaningful contribution to the project I was managing. 

While I was thinking about which direction to go, Codecool came to me. I was very enthusiastic because I found it fascinating how the good of all combines in this project. The candidate wins because we change his life, and they can have a career in IT. Our partners win because they get junior full-stack developers who are very well prepared for their business. 

And in the end, after investing 12-18 months into training students, we also win the Codecool team and investors. It’s a win-win for all parties, which makes me very content. In addition, it fairly respects a principle that firmly guided me in life: I choose to give before asking for anything. 

What is your most ambitious goal at Codecool?

There are two: one that involves Codecool and one that goes beyond Codecool. The latter has to do with Romania, which has great potential to become one of Europe’s most robust IT hubs. We seem to have the right size, the right talent, and a sufficient number of IT people in the country. There are also many talented people abroad who would probably return if given the motivation to return. But we need a well-thought-out political and socio-economic strategy. 

Regarding Codecool, my dream is that it becomes a game-changer both in Romania and across Europe. I would like to see Codecool becoming the strongest school in Europe, being the first choice when a person wants to do reskilling, upskilling, or simply wants to switch careers and join the IT industry. 

What do you see as your biggest challenge currently?

The biggest local challenge at this moment is the educational model offered by Codecool. No school in Romania provides the following two benefits: postponing payment until you find a job and guaranteeing you a job by contract at the end of the study period. 

We are the first private school in Romania to offer these benefits, so there’s reluctance among potential candidates. Many tell us that it’s too good to be true and are convinced there’s something rotten in the middle. But there’s nothing rotten; instead, the opportunity comes with a lot of hard work and sweat from the students because there’s no way to become a full-stack developer overnight.

The intensity of the courses and the schedule of 6-8 hours a day from Monday to Friday can lead to frustration and dissatisfaction. Unfortunately, we are used to traditional education, where we go to school, sit at desks and listen to teachers for a few hours. Whereas in Codecool, 90% of learning is done through practice. We want to offer learners an experience similar to an environment in a software production company: we work in an Agile way, we work in teams, we share the tasks, we have daily standups, peer coding, code review, and so on. And this is how our graduates integrate very quickly into IT companies at the end of the process. But let’s not forget that satisfaction requires a lot of effort from the students and us.

What are some important trends you see in the world that impact your work at Codecool?

It seems to me that all the global challenges we are all facing – starting with the pandemic and continuing with the war in Ukraine – inevitably put us in a zone of insecurity, political instability, and fear. In this context, people choose stability and security. They no longer have the courage to embrace new opportunities, change careers dramatically, put their lives on hold for a year and study IT.

At the same time, we cannot overlook the fact that the pandemic has also increased the development speed of the IT sector. Many processes that used to happen face-to-face have had to move online. Therefore, the need for digitization has become very strong in all industries. In these 2-3 years, we have evolved as much as we would have in 10 years under different conditions.

Codecool_Romania_celebration

Where do you think Codecool is going in the short and long term?

The future looks great!

On 13 September 2022, Codecool merged with Software Development Academy (SDA) and became one of the strongest European training and talent integration centers in the IT&C market. 

The two merged companies will be present in 8 countries (Poland, Hungary, Romania, Austria, Slovakia, Czech Republic, Estonia, and Albania) and will train 15,000-20,000 people annually. In addition, we have over 400 global and local partner companies in Central and Eastern Europe. With more than 300 workers, 17 digital pathways, and a network of 1,600 mentors, Codecool and SDA provide skilling, upskilling and reskilling courses for individuals, companies, and governments.

Our goal is to become the first choice in Europe and implicitly in Romania when it comes to digital education, both for individuals who want to improve their technical skills or want to reskill and for business partners and government institutions.

Why do you think hiring companies should partner up with Codecool?

Because we are a reliable partner. We’re very fast, flexible and good at what we do. If a company comes to us, they receive a list of CVs within 48 hours from which they can choose their candidates – full-stack junior developers. In addition, they can test them for six months before hiring them permanently. Together with the CVs, they also receive a list of technical projects from the Codecoolers, thus saving time in the technical recruitment process. And after hiring, the Codecoolers stay with them for at least 12 months.

Moreover, at Codecool, we focus on both technical and soft skills training: Codecoolers are trained to give and receive constant feedback, to work in a team, to ask for help when needed, to present their projects in English, and to develop a growth mindset. 

Another advantage Codecool has is that we always have a number (10-15) of candidates available, and we have known our trainees for over 12 months. We don’t interact with the candidate for just a few hours – as is the recruitment agency model. We are very focused on the matching part with business partners: we have colleagues who do the recruiting, listen to the business representative, understand the need and the structure of the team and manage to recommend a person both in terms of technical knowledge, personality, and soft skills. 

One last question: How do you see our shared digital future?

I find the digital world fascinating. Remarkable progress has been made, and I believe that digitization and artificial intelligence will dramatically and very quickly change how we see the world. Jobs in 20-30 years will look nothing like they do today. 

It’s fabulous what we can build and how we can help create a new world through digitization. A better, more connected and educated, cleaner, more informed and responsible, more empowered world. All I wish and hope is that those who lead this transformation do it responsibly and for the greater good of all.