Over the past 18 years at IBM, I have interviewed over a thousand programmers for positions within my team (which has a fair number of interns.) Most of them are students from North American universities seeking an internship with us. Some were in their third year of undergraduate studies while others were completing their Ph.D. For each position we post, we receive hundreds of such applicants. Their profiles are impressive (at least on paper) so we can afford to be highly selective and make ...| Programming Zen
There are many obstacles to learning but a key one I see repeatedly is: I’M SUPPOSED TO KNOW. Let’s say that you’re trying to accomplish something technical and you don’t remember how but can easily look it up, if you feel like you’re supposed to know it, you’re less satisfied with your ability to get it done. You feel like an impostor. This mindset actively discourages the act of looking up information, which is essential for learning. Imagine that you’re a web developer worki...| Programming Zen
Are you a student in Canada looking for an internship that will not only provide you with invaluable experience but also have a global impact, literally affecting millions of people worldwide? Look no further! My team at IBM is offering a range of internship positions starting in January, and we want you to be a part of our team. This isn’t just another internship; it’s a life-changing opportunity that comes highly recommended by every intern we’ve ever had. Internship Requirements Befo...| Programming Zen
I’m excited to share something I’ve been working on—my new course, Prompt Engineering for Everyone. Whether you’re a seasoned developer or just curious about AI, this course is designed to change the way you interact with conversational AI. Why Prompt Engineering Matters I remember the first time I used an LLM (Large Language Model). I was amazed but I also quickly realized that my input had a profound effect on the quality and accuracy of the output. It’s not just about asking; it...| Programming Zen
Hello everyone, It’s been a while since I last posted on this blog, but I’m back and ready to write about all things related to programming, technology, AI, and of course, everyone’s favorite tool ChatGPT. There have been quite a few “events” in my life since we last chatted (including separating, selling the house, and moving to a new city). But through it all, I’ve remained passionate about technology and the ways in which it can change our lives for the better. Speaking of chan...| Programming Zen
I have an amazing opportunity for students who are looking for an internship starting in May (2021). This is your chance to work on cutting-edge technologies, in a fantastic team, and positively impact millions of learners worldwide in the process. When I asked for quotes from our current interns on the team, here is what they had to say: “Why are you wasting time writing a post.” — John “I’m debugging here.” — Samantha “For Pete’s sake Antonio, it’s 3 am in the morning....| Programming Zen
In this third article of my, How to Become a Web Developer and Get a Job guide, we’ll discuss what to study to become a web developer. In the previous article on front-end vs back-end developers, I covered the existence of front-end and back-end technologies, which in turn have many options to choose from. Too many options, in fact. How do we go about choosing what to study? And what about all the other stuff web developers tend to know, such as the command line, Git, and other developer to...| Programming Zen
This is the second article of my How to Become a Web Developer and Get a Job guide. Within it, we’ll discuss what coding is, as well as the difference between being a front-end vs back-end developer. If you want to learn to code so that you can become a web developer, welcome. You’re in the right place. Before we discuss what kind of web developer positions are available and what the differences between front-end, back-end, full-stack, and DevOps are, I’m going to take the scenic route ...| Programming Zen
In this guide, I’ll teach you how to become a Web Developer and in turn how to get a job in our industry. I’ll split the guide into a series of articles. Once the guide is complete, I will also make it available for free to my subscribers in PDF, EPUB, and MOBI format. Who is this guide for This guide is for anyone who wants to become a Web Developer and get a job as a professional developer. The “how to become a Web Developer” portion of the guide is going to be specific to web devel...| Programming Zen
Learn how to remove duplicates from a list in Elixir leveraging the Enum module and by writing a recursive function from scratch.| Programming Zen
Programming Zen is a blog about programming and emerging technologies, authored by Antonio Cangiano, a Software Development Manager and AI Evangelist at IBM.| Programming Zen
When you look up the word “Language” in the dictionary, you’ll find a few variations of similar definitions. My trusty Google Dictionary extension in Chrome, offers up a first definition that is rather obvious, but nevertheless: The method of human communication, either spoken or written, consisting of the use of words in a structured and conventional way. The second definition is more interesting because it allows me to make a point about programming languages. It goes like this: The s...| Programming Zen