DEV Community: Roderick Rutledge

AI codes, YOU make the difference

Roderick Rutledge — Mon, 01 Jun 2026 13:22:38 +0000

The strongest professionals are not necessarily the best programmers. They are the people who can connect technology, business needs, teammates, and AI tools in one clear conversation.

Want to practice your listening skills? - listen to this
Are you a visual learner? - watch this

AI & Tech

AI Coding Adoption 2026: 50 Statistics From 7 Surveys
Around 90% of developers now use AI coding tools [are you one of the 10%?], but trust in AI output has dropped to 29% — a serious gap between adoption and confidence in results.
Developers who use AI tools daily complete roughly 60% more pull requests per week than those who do not.

Copy-paste rates in codebases have doubled since 2021, and nearly half of AI-generated code samples fail security tests.

This report takes information from seven major developer surveys and gives a data-backed picture of what's actually happening in developer workflows.
AI tools speed up your daily work, but reviewers and senior engineers are noticing more copied and security-weak code. Using AI isn’t enough — you need to show you can judge and verify what it produces.
*Next time you use an AI coding tool, walk through the output line by line before committing it. Make sure you can explain what each part does in plain English. This one habit will protect your professional reputation as AI use becomes the standard.

Jobs

Tech Hiring in 2026: AI Adoption, Talent Expectations and a Market in Rebalance.
The 2026 Tech Hiring Community Conference brought together recruiters and engineers from SAP, Microsoft, Zendesk, and Eventbrite, etc. to discuss what is changing in hiring — AI is now actively used throughout the recruitment process (interview summarisation, CV screening, salary benchmarking).
Rather than banning AI tools in technical interviews, many companies now let candidates use AI — and then evaluate whether the candidate understands and can explain the output.
Employer branding no longer starts at the job posting — it is built continuously through public presence in developer communities, open source contributions, and honest communication. Candidates evaluate companies long before the first call, and companies that ignore this are losing talent before the process begins.
If you have a technical interview coming up, being able to explain, question, and improve AI output, matters more than just reaching the correct answer.

*Practice explaining AI-generated code out loud. Use Claude or ChatGPT to generate a small solution to a problem, then record yourself explaining what the code does and why. If you struggle to explain it clearly, that’s what you need to work on.

Skills & Upskilling

10 Key AI Workforce Trends In 2026
US job postings requiring AI skills grew 144% year-over-year as of April 2026, according to the Bipartisan Policy Center's AI Skills Dashboard — while overall job postings grew just 7%. The Stanford HAI 2026 AI Index found that AI-related skills now appear in 2.5% of all US job postings, a 297% increase over the past decade.

PwC's 2025 Global AI Jobs Barometer found that job numbers are rising even in highly automatable roles when workers actively use AI — confirming that reskilling around AI tools has a measurable career payoff, not just a theoretical one.

Organisational factors — company culture, management support, and governance structures — account for more than twice the variance in AI impact compared to individual technical skill or mindset alone. This means that understanding how to work effectively in a team, communicate with managers, and follow organisational processes matters as much as technical skill.
Growing your AI skills matters, but so does communicating how you use them. Developers who can explain what tools they use, how they verify output, and where they apply judgment alongside AI are more valuable to employers than developers who simply adopt more tools.
*Pick one AI tool you use at work. Write three sentences in English: (1) what it does, (2) when you use it, and (3) what you check before trusting its output. Practice saying these out loud — this is exactly what interviewers and team leads now ask for.

Workplace & Communication

Why Human-Centric Skills Are the Ultimate Competitive Edge in the Age of AI
AI tools have lost their competitive advantage because most major companies now use them — to stand out you must be able to communicate across cultures, read difficult situations, and build human trust. Things that automated tools cannot replicate.

Deloitte's 2026 Global Human Capital Trends survey, found building "human advantage" is now as critical as managing technology — and specifically the ability to learn, adapt, and work effectively with other people in real time.

For multinational teams, trust is harder to build where there are language gaps, cultural differences, and time zone issues — and investing in real language skills (rather than relying on AI translation) is one of the best ways to rebuild that trust.
Communication and human skills are now the career differentiator. Companies working with international teams don’t expect technical staff to be perfect in English — but they do expect clear communication, professional writing, and the ability to manage difficult conversations. These skills directly affect how quickly you grow in your role.
*Think of one difficult work conversation you have had in the last month — a code review, a misunderstanding with a colleague, or a missed deadline. Write out how you handled it in English. Then find one phrase or word you could have used to communicate more clearly or professionally. Google it if you are unsure.

English

Six tips for speaking English internationally, focused on using English as a shared international language.
Always check you’ve understood correctly, participate actively…that’s good communication.
Checking understanding isn’t only the responsibility of the listener. When you're talking, check people have understood you - What would you do in that situation? What do you think?
Simple, clear English is better than complex English in international teams. Think of your listeners and speak simply, slowly, and clearly. Avoid idioms, jargon and potentially unfamiliar abbreviations.
Repeat key points, paraphrase or rephrase them - this helps people remember. Use expressions 'that is…' and 'in other words…'.
Make sure your pronunciation is clear. Everyone has an accent, it’s YOU, but apart from that it doesn’t matter. What matters is that people understand you. Being understandable is called 'intelligibility'. Intelligibility – not accent – is the big one to work on.

A bit of Fun

What to Do

Before you commit AI-generated code — read it line by line and make sure you can explain each part in plain English. This one habit protects your professional reputation.

Record yourself for 60 seconds — use Claude or ChatGPT to generate a small code solution, then explain it out loud as if talking to your team lead. If you hesitate or get lost, do it again, that's your practice target this week.

Write 3 sentences about one AI tool you use — what it does, when you use it, and what you check before trusting its output. Say them out loud. Interviewers and managers are asking exactly this now.

Think of one difficult work conversation from last month — a code review, a missed deadline, a misunderstanding. Write how you handled it in English. Find one phrase you could have used more clearly. Google it, rephrase it. Do it again.

In your next message or meeting, cut the idioms and abbreviations — write or speak simply, slowly, and clearly. Your goal is not a perfect accent. Your goal is to be understood. That's called intelligibility, and it's the skill that opens doors in international teams.

Quote of the week

“A little bit of IT English…EVERY WEEK!”

AI is cool, but there’s a Bottleneck

Roderick Rutledge — Mon, 25 May 2026 12:24:36 +0000

*The latest AI & Tech, Jobs, Skills, Communication, English news, & a bit of fun for Multilingual IT Professionals *

Tech jobs are shifting from “just coding” to guiding AI, reviewing output, and working closely with business teams. Communication is becoming part of technical work.

An AI tool can write the code. It cannot explain why. It cannot push back. It cannot build trust with a client. That's still you — and your English is the tool that makes it possible.

Want to practice your listening skills?

AI Writes the Code, You explain it, in clear, concise English.

An AI tool can write the code. It cannot explain why. It cannot push back. It cannot build trust with a client. That's still you — and your English is the tool that makes it possible.

kiwiprofesor.substack.com

Are you a visual learner?

“A little bit of IT English…EVERY WEEK!”

The New IT Career Formula: AI + English + Human Skills

Roderick Rutledge — Tue, 12 May 2026 14:36:17 +0000

AI tools are changing software development fast. Developers are producing more code, managers are coding again, and companies want smaller teams to deliver more results. But technical skills alone are no longer enough. Clear English communication is becoming one of the biggest career advantages in international IT teams.
You've been learning English for years. Your technical skills are solid. So why does it still feel like the job you want is just out of reach? This week's newsletter might explain why — and what to do next.

Want to practice your listening skills? - Here’s a summary of today.
Are you a visual learner? - watch this

AI & Tech
Companies use AI to write most of their code, but managers are starting to code again.
AI writes 60 percent of code at Airbnb, 50 percent at Shopify, and 75 percent at Google.
Many engineering managers are no longer just managing people and are returning to coding using tools like Claude Code.
Direct impact IT professionals need to use AI coding tools to write software faster and expect their managers to review their code directly.
You must be able to write clear technical instructions in English to guide AI coding assistants.
*Spend 30 minutes testing a free AI coding tool to write a simple script and practice reading the English output.
Jobs

Hiring for tech jobs is changing, with more demand for experienced remote workers but fewer entry-level roles, which is a problem.
Remote tech roles needing over five years of experience show moderate job growth.
Job postings for developers increased 15 percent on Indeed, while another source states tech job adverts declined 50 percent since 2019. The sources disagree on whether overall tech job openings are currently growing or falling.
Remote jobs are available but competition is very high, so you must prove you have several years of practical experience.
You need to explain your past project experience clearly in English during remote job interviews.
*Update your resume this week to clearly list the years of experience you have for each technical skill.
Skills & Upskilling
AI skills create much higher salaries, but soft skills are now mandatory.
IT professionals using AI tools receive salary increases that are 1.5 to 1.7 times higher than the company average.
Automation has reduced entry-level hiring by 20 to 25 percent at large IT firms.
You must combine your technical knowledge with strong teamwork and communication skills to get promoted and avoid income stagnation.
You need to use polite and clear English to show emotional intelligence when solving conflicts in your team.
*Read one English article about active listening and practice using one new phrase in your next team meeting
Workplace & Communication
Distributed teams require active communication to solve the lack of social cues.
Distributed teams experience team opacity, which means team members miss non-verbal communication and do not know what others are doing.
Changing to a shorter workweek requires companies to stop having so many meetings and start using more written asynchronous communication.
You must actively tell your team what you are working on because they cannot see you in a physical office.
You need to write clear and structured English messages, like chat updates, without waiting for immediate replies.
*Write your next daily work update in English using short sentences to clearly explain what you finished and what you will do next.
English

For this week’s English section, we focus on a skill that is becoming more important in international IT teams: relationship-building.
In this British Council podcast for professionals*, the speaker explains that relationship-building is not just “team-building.” It is the ability to create and maintain good professional relationships with colleagues, clients, and other teams — both internally and externally.
The podcast gives practical advice that you can use immediately. The message is simple: small daily habits matter. Saying “Good morning,” asking colleagues about their interests, practising small talk, listening carefully, and asking open-ended questions can all help build stronger workplace communication skills. The speaker also stresses the importance of focusing on issues instead of personalities during disagreements — an essential skill in global tech teams.
For many IT professionals, technical skills are no longer enough on their own. Clear, positive, human communication is becoming a key career skill, especially in remote and international environments where collaboration matters as much as coding.
*The lesson also includes 3 practical activities:
Preparation task — introduces key ideas and vocabulary before listening
Task 1 — checks understanding of the main ideas from the podcast
Task 2 — focuses on practical communication strategies and relationship-building techniques

A bit of Fun

What to Do
Practice using one AI coding tool this week
Write a small script and carefully read the English explanations and suggestions the AI gives you.
Improve your project explanations
Prepare a short English explanation of one real project you worked on, including the problem, your role, and the result.
Write shorter work updates
Use clear, direct sentences in Slack, Teams, or email updates instead of long paragraphs.
Develop relationship-building habits
Ask one colleague an open-ended question this week and practise active listening during the conversation.
Build both technical and human skills
Continue improving your AI knowledge, but also focus on communication, teamwork, and emotional intelligence — these are becoming career multipliers in international IT teams.
Quote of the week

“A little bit of IT English…EVERY WEEK!”

The IT job market changed. Did your English keep up?

Roderick Rutledge — Wed, 15 Apr 2026 02:12:30 +0000

You spent years learning to code. Now AI does half of it in seconds.
Coding still matters. But you must guide AI, validate its output, and communicate your decisions clearly in English.

Want to practice your listening skills? - *here’s a summary
Are you a visual learner? - *watch this

AI impacting software development

AI tools shift software development from typing code to reviewing code and architecting systems.

46% of all code is now generated by AI, and 20 million developers use AI coding assistants daily
AI adoption increases code output with pull requests jumping 98%, but review time increases by 91% and bug rates increase by 9%
Junior engineers experience a 77% productivity increase with AI, compared to a 45% increase for mid-level and senior engineers

You will spend less time typing code and more time reading, reviewing, and prompting in English to validate AI-generated work.
*Write the objective and logic for your next feature in three detailed English paragraphs before generating any code to practice clear technical communication.

Global and remote tech hiring and recruitment trends

Companies are stabilizing into hybrid work models while using AI to recruit global candidates based on skills rather than degrees.

55% of major companies now require full-time office attendance, but 52% of remote-capable employees still work in hybrid arrangements
Net headcount growth at startups has slowed down and gone negative, making every new hire a higher-leverage decision
55% of companies removed degree requirements for certain roles, using AI to match skills with 78% accuracy and expand candidate pools by 340%

Your geographic location and university degree matter less than your ability to clearly present specific technical skills to AI screening tools.
*Group related technologies together in your LinkedIn profile skills section (for example, "DevOps: Terraform, Kubernetes, CI/CD") to help semantic AI tools categorize your expertise.

Skills demand and upskilling needs in IT

Employers urgently need hybrid professionals who combine technical capability with AI governance, automation, and business understanding.

80% of the workforce needs to acquire new skills by 2027 to remain competitive in the market
1 in 10 job postings now explicitly requires AI skills, representing a demand that has tripled since 2023
IT hiring has shifted away from basic cloud migration toward cloud architecture, cost optimization, and moving AI models into secure production

Knowing a programming language is no longer enough; you must also understand how to automate workflows, manage costs, and govern AI outputs securely.
*Build a personal prompt library containing your five best English prompts for debugging or documentation, and write down the steps you use to validate the AI's work.

Communication skills in international tech workplaces

Executive presence in English relies on structured delivery, specific word choices, and cultural calibration rather than perfect native pronunciation.

Between 70% and 75% of global English speakers are non-native, yet a perception gap persists in high-stakes professional meetings
Non-native speakers often use hedging language, like "I think maybe," or fillers that native speakers misinterpret as uncertainty
Professionals who communicate across cultures develop better adaptability and audience awareness than monolingual professionals

Your technical expertise might be ignored if you hide it behind hesitant English phrases or fail to adjust your communication style to match your audience's culture.
*Replace hesitant phrases like "I think maybe we should" with strong, direct phrases like "My recommendation is" during your next team meeting.

English communication tools and trends

Work-Integrated Language Learning uses AI as a daily tool to improve professional English directly within actual work tasks.

Companies are connecting English practice to real business tasks like negotiations and reporting through Work-Integrated Language Learning.
AI voice coaching tools provide phoneme-level feedback on clarity to reduce accent anxiety efficiently
AI models can show linguistic bias by treating non-standard accents or innovative phrasing as incorrect or low-quality
You are increasingly evaluated on your ability to lead English-language meetings, but you now have AI tools to help you practice and refine your speech privately.
*Record a two-minute spoken update on your current project and use an AI transcription tool [like Whisper] to find and eliminate filler words from your English vocabulary.

A bit of Fun

What to Do

Before writing any code this week, write the objective and logic in three clear English paragraphs. Train the skill AI cannot replace.
Reorganise your LinkedIn skills section by grouping related tools, for example "DevOps: Terraform, Kubernetes, CI/CD," so AI screening tools can read and rank you accurately.
Build a personal prompt library with your five best English prompts for debugging or documentation, and note the steps you use to check the AI's output.
In your next team meeting, replace "I think maybe we should" with "my recommendation is." One phrase change signals confidence to every native speaker in the room.
Record a two-minute spoken project update, run it through a free AI transcription tool like Whisper, and eliminate every filler word you find.

Quote of the week

“A little bit of IT English…EVERY WEEK!”

Communication is the new Code

Roderick Rutledge — Wed, 11 Feb 2026 08:23:08 +0000

Want to practice your English listening skills? - Here’s a short Podcast version.

1. AI & Tech

Research shows AI isn’t here to replace developers but to rewrite what software work looks like — from writing code to orchestrating systems, guiding AI, and solving business problems with human judgment and cross-functional skills. Companies must treat AI as a collaborator and restructure teams for orchestration, governance, and outcome-focused workflows, not just faster coding.
*Pick one aspect of your work (testing, deployment, or design thinking) and experiment with an AI tool not just to do the task, but to critique what it produces and explain why in English — that’s where you can really show your skills

2. Jobs

The 2026 tech hiring landscape is slowing, but demand for specialised skills like AI, cloud, cybersecurity, and automation remains strong while early-career and general roles are reduced. Employers are increasingly hiring based on what you can do, not just your title or degree, so practical abilities and verified skills stack more than ever.
*Identify one future-focused niche skill gap (e.g., cloud security or AI ops), pick a verifiable micro-credential or project you can complete this month, and add it to your portfolio — not just your resume.

The Total Career Solutions 2026 career change guide says this year is the time to rethink your professional path, not just chase the next job — that means focusing on skills that match real employer needs, intentional transitions, and measurable progress. Real career growth in 2026 comes from strategic planning, targeted skill building, and preparing for opportunities before they arrive.
*Take 20 minutes right now to map one specific skill gap (e.g., cloud security, automation QA, data engineering), and schedule two focused learning blocks this week to focus on it — bit by bit, you’ll win.

3. Skills & Upskilling

Neuroscience research suggests you can accelerate skill acquisition not just by practice and feedback, but by surrounding yourself with passive exposure to the thing you’re learning, like listening to language podcasts or watching technical talks while you code — making every hour you spend immersed count toward fluency and expertise.
*Pick one skill you want to level up this week and add at least 30 minutes of relevant passive exposure to your daily routine — notice the difference.

4. Workplace & Communication

Success is less about pure IQ or technical depth and more about your Adaptability Quotient (AQ) — your ability to learn, unlearn, move, and thrive with constant change, uncertainty, and evolving tools like AI. Employers are increasingly valuing adaptability over static knowledge, so being flexible and resilient will future-proof your career.
*This week, deliberately put yourself in one new situation (new framework, language challenge, or AI integration task) and reflect on what you learned — building AQ starts with intentional discomfort and rapid feedback

5. English

A reminder about your UNcountable nouns: ❌ DON’T say this ✅ SAY this

❌ a software / some softwares✅a piece of software, some software* VERY IMPORTANT!
❌ An advice / advices ✅a piece of advice, some advice
❌A news / A new ✅a piece of news / some news
❌ A furniture / furnitures ✅a piece of furniture / some furniture
❌ a fruit / fruits ✅a piece of fruit / some fruit
❌ a work / some works✅a job / some jobs / some work

6. A bit of Fun

7. What to Do

Don’t neglect your soft skills. Communication and adaptability remain key — especially in hybrid/remote environments where your ability to collaborate, clarify, and teach can outweigh accent or cultural differences.

Tweak your Portfolio — what have you achieved lately? Be concrete, facts and figures count.

Listen to a podcast, in English, passively is good, but actively is better. Take some notes, think about it, talk to someone about it, write about it.

8. Quote of the week

Leave a question or comment, I'd love to know what you think…

from the coal face
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“A little bit of IT English…EVERY WEEK!”