web01.fireside.fm Fri, 08 May 2026 18:34:19 -0500 Fireside (https://fireside.fm) ctrl-alt-expletive - Episodes Tagged with “Career Change” https://www.ctrl-alt-expletive.com/tags/career%20change Sat, 08 Feb 2025 14:00:00 +0000 Join us for a laid back catch up on what's going on in the world of software, enterprise business, news for software and tech, and miscellaneous bureaucracy. en episodic Weekly catch up with Michael, Mark, and mates, about software, business, news, and brews Mark McCracken & Michael McCarthy Join us for a laid back catch up on what's going on in the world of software, enterprise business, news for software and tech, and miscellaneous bureaucracy. yes technology,news,software,cloud,data,infrastructure,careers Mark McCracken & Michael McCarthy mark.mccracken@ctrl-alt-expletive.com Episode 10: Career Changes and Coding Bootcamps, with Chris Hunter https://www.ctrl-alt-expletive.com/10 a659e1c5-a2d6-42e9-9629-193094ffacae Sat, 08 Feb 2025 14:00:00 +0000 Mark McCracken & Michael McCarthy 10 Career Changes and Coding Bootcamps, with Chris Hunter full Mark McCracken & Michael McCarthy We discuss changing careers into tech from mechanical engineering, and what the process is like for coding bootcamps, and how valuable they are. 1:27:16 yes <ul> <li>Michael keeps up with his "listen to 100 albums in a year" resolution.</li> <li>Mark has a weights rack of shame.</li> <li>Chris fails dry Jan by a matter of days.</li> <li>There's a 1% chance we'll all be mush anyway.</li> </ul> <p><strong><a href="https://forms.office.com/e/gQJFBRJJAY" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">GIVE US FEEDBACK! Do this form, it will take 4 mins</a></strong></p> <h2>Chris Hunter</h2> <p>Working in government on a project with other consultancies also contributing. Are they in competition?<br> Lovely personal <a href="https://github.com/chriswhunter89" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">github readme</a></p> <h3>Quickfire Questions</h3> <ol> <li>Hurling, GAA, or other?</li> <li>Most used terminal command at the moment?</li> <li>Dev or Ops, pick one for the rest of you life.</li> <li>Dream Industry to work in?</li> <li>Least enjoyable technologies you've worked with?</li> <li>Michael's weirdest habbit?</li> <li>How scared are you AI will take your job?</li> <li>What's your "getting down to write code" music?</li> </ol> <h3>Breaking Prod</h3> <p>Clean sheet, but has seen a team unable to deploy to prod for over a month!</p> <h2>Big Topics</h2> <h3>Changing Careers</h3> <p>You’ve had a big career change.</p> <ul> <li>What made you decide you wanted to change careers?</li> <li>Were you frustrated with the day-to-day job, or environment? Lack of variation? Lack of opportunities?</li> <li>Presumably you were on at least alright money, was it worrying taking a pay cut?</li> <li>Did you have to build a financial buffer to finance the change?</li> <li>Do you wish you had done it sooner? Or timed it right? </li> <li>How did you go about skilling up? </li> </ul> <h3>Coding Bootcamp, at <a href="https://www.lewagon.com/london" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">Le Wagon</a> </h3> <ul> <li>All in person, or online? </li> <li>What sort of topics did you cover? </li> <li>Anything you loved or hated? You had a few months gap after the coding bootcamp, before your job.</li> <li>Was that nerve wracking? To think you’d spent a few months of time/money, and not yet got a job?</li> <li>Were you already warmed up to the idea that finding work might just take a while?</li> <li>Did you get guidance on how to go about getting a job? </li> <li>Has the content you learned then all been useful? Any cruft?</li> <li>How is the pay now, relative to your previous role?</li> <li>Was it a great investment?</li> <li>Any advice for anyone considering a career change into tech? </li> </ul> <h2>News</h2> <ol> <li><a href="https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cp827ekneg4o" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">AI sensors used in homes of vulnerable people</a></li> <li><a href="https://www.theregister.com/2025/02/03/ontario_canada_responds_to_trump_tariff/" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">Ontario responds to Trump tariff by pitching Starlink deal into the trash</a></li> <li><a href="https://www.macrumors.com/2025/02/03/eu-altstore-porn-app/" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">EU's AltStore Gets First Native iOS Pornography App</a></li> <li><a href="https://www.theregister.com/2025/02/04/irish_ai_minister" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">Irish AI minister has never used ChatGPT</a></li> <li><a href="https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c8d95v0nr1yo" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">Australia bans DeepSeek on government devices</a></li> <li><a href="https://www.theregister.com/2025/02/04/abandoned_aws_s3/?td=rt-3a" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">Abandoned S3 buckets and the potential to do harm on a SolarWinds+ scale</a></li> <li><a href="https://fortune.com/2025/01/20/elon-musk-video-games-scandal-path-of-exile-asmongold-quin/" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">Elon Musk lies about gaming ability</a></li> </ol> <h2>Recommendations</h2> <h3>Music</h3> <ul> <li><a href="https://music.apple.com/gb/album/the-long-forever/1775636079" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">The Long Forever, Elephant Tree &amp; Lowrider</a></li> <li><a href="https://music.apple.com/gb/playlist/joe-hisaishi-studio-ghibli-works-essentials/pl.9d00cd92b13746c096dd552d24a46a3b" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">Studio Ghibli, Anime Music</a></li> </ul> <h3>Podcast</h3> <ul> <li> <a href="https://www.searchengine.show/listen/search-engine-1/the-new-zuckerberg" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">Search Engine: The New Zuckerberg</a> </li> </ul> <h3>Movies</h3> <ul> <li><a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt15239678/" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">Dune 2</a></li> <li><a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt8999762/" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">The Brutalist</a></li> </ul> <p><strong><a href="https://forms.office.com/e/gQJFBRJJAY" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">GIVE US FEEDBACK! Do this form, it will take 4 mins</a></strong> Special Guest: Chris Hunter.</p> career change,coding bootcamp
  • Michael keeps up with his "listen to 100 albums in a year" resolution.
  • Mark has a weights rack of shame.
  • Chris fails dry Jan by a matter of days.
  • There's a 1% chance we'll all be mush anyway.

    • GIVE US FEEDBACK! Do this form, it will take 4 mins

    Chris Hunter

    Working in government on a project with other consultancies also contributing. Are they in competition?
    Lovely personal github readme

    Quickfire Questions

    1. Hurling, GAA, or other?
    2. Most used terminal command at the moment?
    3. Dev or Ops, pick one for the rest of you life.
    4. Dream Industry to work in?
    5. Least enjoyable technologies you've worked with?
    6. Michael's weirdest habbit?
    7. How scared are you AI will take your job?
    8. What's your "getting down to write code" music?

    Breaking Prod

    Clean sheet, but has seen a team unable to deploy to prod for over a month!

    Big Topics

    Changing Careers

    You’ve had a big career change.

    • What made you decide you wanted to change careers?
    • Were you frustrated with the day-to-day job, or environment? Lack of variation? Lack of opportunities?
    • Presumably you were on at least alright money, was it worrying taking a pay cut?
    • Did you have to build a financial buffer to finance the change?
    • Do you wish you had done it sooner? Or timed it right?
    • How did you go about skilling up?

    Coding Bootcamp, at Le Wagon

    • All in person, or online?
    • What sort of topics did you cover?
    • Anything you loved or hated? You had a few months gap after the coding bootcamp, before your job.
    • Was that nerve wracking? To think you’d spent a few months of time/money, and not yet got a job?
    • Were you already warmed up to the idea that finding work might just take a while?
    • Did you get guidance on how to go about getting a job?
    • Has the content you learned then all been useful? Any cruft?
    • How is the pay now, relative to your previous role?
    • Was it a great investment?
    • Any advice for anyone considering a career change into tech?

    News

    1. AI sensors used in homes of vulnerable people
    2. Ontario responds to Trump tariff by pitching Starlink deal into the trash
    3. EU's AltStore Gets First Native iOS Pornography App
    4. Irish AI minister has never used ChatGPT
    5. Australia bans DeepSeek on government devices
    6. Abandoned S3 buckets and the potential to do harm on a SolarWinds+ scale
    7. Elon Musk lies about gaming ability

    Recommendations

    Music

    Podcast

    Movies

    GIVE US FEEDBACK! Do this form, it will take 4 mins

    Special Guest: Chris Hunter.

    ]]>
  • Michael keeps up with his "listen to 100 albums in a year" resolution.
  • Mark has a weights rack of shame.
  • Chris fails dry Jan by a matter of days.
  • There's a 1% chance we'll all be mush anyway.

    • GIVE US FEEDBACK! Do this form, it will take 4 mins

    Chris Hunter

    Working in government on a project with other consultancies also contributing. Are they in competition?
    Lovely personal github readme

    Quickfire Questions

    1. Hurling, GAA, or other?
    2. Most used terminal command at the moment?
    3. Dev or Ops, pick one for the rest of you life.
    4. Dream Industry to work in?
    5. Least enjoyable technologies you've worked with?
    6. Michael's weirdest habbit?
    7. How scared are you AI will take your job?
    8. What's your "getting down to write code" music?

    Breaking Prod

    Clean sheet, but has seen a team unable to deploy to prod for over a month!

    Big Topics

    Changing Careers

    You’ve had a big career change.

    • What made you decide you wanted to change careers?
    • Were you frustrated with the day-to-day job, or environment? Lack of variation? Lack of opportunities?
    • Presumably you were on at least alright money, was it worrying taking a pay cut?
    • Did you have to build a financial buffer to finance the change?
    • Do you wish you had done it sooner? Or timed it right?
    • How did you go about skilling up?

    Coding Bootcamp, at Le Wagon

    • All in person, or online?
    • What sort of topics did you cover?
    • Anything you loved or hated? You had a few months gap after the coding bootcamp, before your job.
    • Was that nerve wracking? To think you’d spent a few months of time/money, and not yet got a job?
    • Were you already warmed up to the idea that finding work might just take a while?
    • Did you get guidance on how to go about getting a job?
    • Has the content you learned then all been useful? Any cruft?
    • How is the pay now, relative to your previous role?
    • Was it a great investment?
    • Any advice for anyone considering a career change into tech?

    News

    1. AI sensors used in homes of vulnerable people
    2. Ontario responds to Trump tariff by pitching Starlink deal into the trash
    3. EU's AltStore Gets First Native iOS Pornography App
    4. Irish AI minister has never used ChatGPT
    5. Australia bans DeepSeek on government devices
    6. Abandoned S3 buckets and the potential to do harm on a SolarWinds+ scale
    7. Elon Musk lies about gaming ability

    Recommendations

    Music

    Podcast

    Movies

    GIVE US FEEDBACK! Do this form, it will take 4 mins

    Special Guest: Chris Hunter.

    ]]>