DEV Community: Yusuf Lanre

7 Proven Steps to Seamlessly Transition into Tech and Unlock Unprecedented Success

Yusuf Lanre — Sun, 23 Jul 2023 12:28:47 +0000

This article was originally published on TechParley

If you are among those who haven't quite figured out their ideal career path, fret not. Many of us don't possess the innate certainty of childhood dreams, where we declare our future professions and march unwaveringly towards them. Instead, some of us are wanderers, exploring multiple interests until we find the one that resonates. And that's okay.

Finding a balance between your interests and passions early in life is admirable, but it's equally acceptable to explore various avenues before discovering the one that truly clicks. This journey offers diverse experiences and exposure, enabling you to learn more about yourself and the world around you. Eventually, you'll identify where you thrive, what you enjoy, and what truly matters to you. As Gary Vaynerchuk, CEO of @Vaynermedia and Investor on Twitter, aptly puts it, "You are not gonna find anything if you keep dwelling on what got you to a lost spot."

Whether you're contemplating a career transition into the tech industry or starting afresh in the field, this article is tailored for you. As someone who has embarked on multiple career transitions, I have accumulated valuable experiences and insights.
Having worked as an Instrumentation Engineer for six years, a polytechnic lecturer for four years, and now serving as a Product Manager/Tech Lead for a software company, I offer guidance that may greatly benefit your tech career aspirations. For additional inspiration, check out this video [For All the 25-Year-Olds Starting From Zero].

Career transitioning is no simple feat—it can be quite intimidating. Thorough thought, planning, and research are essential to avoid getting stuck or jeopardizing your future endeavours. Now that you've decided to transition into tech, here are seven steps you can take:

Go easy on yourself: Transitioning to a new career often brings unsettling feelings of starting from scratch or being left behind. However, remember that you're building upon your existing skills and experiences. While there will be new technical skills to acquire, you possess numerous transferable soft skills such as communication, problem-solving, conflict resolution, organization, and analytical abilities. Leveraging your arsenal of experience will enable you to tackle challenges more efficiently. For instance, my background in reconfiguring instrument software prepared me for coding, and my expertise in technical report writing aided in creating documentation.
Conduct thorough research: Transitioning into a new career shouldn't be based solely on hearsay or the allure of learning tech skills in a few months and earning a high salary in dollars. It's crucial to conduct extensive research, explore various tech areas, and understand the skill sets required for entry-level positions in each domain.
Determine the learning resources, tools, and certifications needed to qualify for those roles: Remember, you don't need to learn everything before applying; focus on the fundamental skills and learn the rest on the job. Compare your existing skills with the requirements and focus on acquiring the missing ones. Consider Bootcamps, fellowships, or online courses with consistent practice to develop the necessary skills.
Connect with established professionals: Surrounding yourself with like-minded individuals fosters motivation and provides a broader perspective on possibilities. Leveraging social media platforms like LinkedIn and Twitter allows easy connections with professionals in your desired tech field. Search for relevant accounts and connect with them to observe their work and gain insights into expectations and required skills.
Embrace curiosity and ask questions: Merely knowing what you want to do is not enough; understanding how to achieve it is vital. Engaging in meaningful conversations with professionals in the field provides valuable guidance. Approach them respectfully, present your case concisely, and ask targeted questions. Tech communities on platforms like Twitter can be surprisingly helpful if approached professionally.

Don't waste their time with vague messages; clearly state your background, career transition goals, and specific questions you seek answers to.

Here is a sample message with a few questions you may consider asking:

"Hello,
My name is Yusuf Olanrewaju, and I have been working as an instrumentation engineer for six years. Currently, I am considering a career transition into backend web development. After reviewing your profile, I am confident that you would be the best person to provide me with advice and answer some of my questions. If you could spare a few minutes of your time, I would greatly appreciate it. Below are my questions:

i. If you were to start your career all over again, what would you have done differently to reach your current position?

ii. What do you believe is the most important knowledge or skills required to secure an entry-level role as a backend developer?

iii. How many projects should I aim to complete before I can confidently apply for job opportunities in this field?
Thank you for your consideration. I look forward to hearing from you.

Best regards”.

Maintain your current job for now: Learning new skills for your desired career isn't the most challenging part; staying focused and consistent throughout the learning process is. Financial stability plays a significant role in maintaining motivation. Avoid quitting your current job outright. Instead, allocate time during breaks or a few hours daily to dedicate to learning. Alternatively, save enough funds to sustain yourself for six months to a year while learning and searching for an entry-level position. I saved up before transitioning to tech, allowing me to commit fully until I secured a product manager role within 6-9 months.
Preserve professional relationships: Our future is shaped not only by our knowledge but also by the people we encounter—colleagues, collaborators, and mentors who can provide recommendations and open doors to bigger opportunities. When leaving your current job, do so amicably, maintaining positive relationships. This ensures that you can rely on them for recommendations or endorsements in the future. Even if you don't anticipate needing their assistance, maintaining good relationships is a reflection of professionalism and integrity.
Trust the process: Overwhelm can arise when attempting to grasp new skills or keeping up with rapidly evolving technologies. Avoid succumbing to the pressure of learning everything or following every trend. Focus on a technology stack that aligns with your interests and skill set, and steadily develop your knowledge from the basics. Don't rush into a never-ending race; instead, stay focused, master the fundamentals, and continue learning and upskilling on the job.

In conclusion, these insights are derived from my journey, and while they may resonate with you, remember that everyone's path is unique. You may achieve in six months what took me a year or even surpass those milestones. Embrace your journey, relish the experience, and document it through social media or blogging. Share your learnings, as it not only solidifies your knowledge but also inspires others. I wish you joy and success in your chosen career, and may you ultimately thank yourself for taking the leap of faith.

If you found this article beneficial, consider sharing it with your network and leaving a comment. Thank you for reading.

Let’s connect on:
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Super Simple Approach to JavaScript Array

Yusuf Lanre — Wed, 11 Jan 2023 14:12:10 +0000

Introduction

Arrays in JavaScript are a basic data structure that helps to represent a collection of data. In this article, you will learn how to organize, access and manipulate data in a JavaScript array in a super simple way.

Let’s get started.

What is an Array?

Imagine having a set of numbers 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, and 7... and you want to represent them as a collection of data. You could be creative to represent them as a string, and use them as “1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7…” after all a string can have any length. But this is complicated because to access each number you have to first extract the digit and convert it back to a number. Hence, the importance of an array.

An array is a data structure that allows us to store a sequence of values. It houses the values between two square brackets separated by commas. These values could be any data type such as string, integer, object, and even another array.

For example

var fruitArray = [“Mango”, “Orange”, “Grape”, “Apple”, “Banana”];

var number = [2, 4, 6, 8, 10];
Array Index.

Every element in an array occupies a particular position where you can look for them and this position is called the index according to their arrangement. Index in an array is zero-based counting according to traditional programming, The first index of an array is counted as 0 as opposed to the conventional counting as 1. Therefore, from the example above. “Mango” is counted as index 0, “Orange” is counted as index 1 and “Banana is counted as index 4. Similar to 2, 4, 6, 8 and 10.

Accessing Element in an Array.

Since you have to understand how elements are labeled in an array using the zero-based index, it will be easy to access any element in an array with its index. Elements are accessed in an array using bracket notation. That is the name of the array followed by two square brackets with the index in-between the bracket. This will look up the element in the array that corresponds to the index given in the bracket.

Let's look for each of the elements in the example above.

fruitArray[0] // “Mango”

fruitArray[1] // “Orange”

fruitArray[2] // “Grape”

fruitArray[3] // “Apple”

fruitArray[4] // “Banana”
Array Length

The length of an array is the number of elements present in that array. In this case, you don’t count the element as, in the zero-based index, you count as in the conventional way of counting. Therefore, the length of fruitArray is 5 because there are five elements in the array. To check for the length of an array, you simply write the name of the array followed by the dot length.

For example.

fruitArray.length // 5
Note: the length of an empty array is zero, not null.

Array Methods.

Since Array is a collection of data, there will be a need to add or remove it from the collection. An interesting thing is that JavaScript provides systematic methods to add or delete to your array in the specific manner that you want it. Let's see the methods one after the other

pop(): This method allows you to remove the last element from an array.

Take for example:

fruitArray.pop() // “Banana”
fruitArray = [“Mango”, “Orange”, “Grape”, “Apple”];
The Banana has been removed from the fruitArray.

push(): This method allows you to add an element to the end of an array.

Take for example:

fruitArray.push() // “Tangerine”

fruitArray = [“Mango”, “Orange”, “Grape”, “Apple”, “Tangerine”];

Tangerine has been added to the fruitArray.

shift(): This method allows you to remove an element from the beginning of an array.

Take for example:

fruitArray.shift() // “Mango”

fruitArray = [“Orange”, “Grape”, “Apple”, “Tangerine”];

Mango has been removed from the beginning of the fruitArray.

unshift(): This method allows you to add an element to the beginning of an array.

Take for example:

fruitArray.unshift() // “Pear”

fruitArray = [“Pear”, “Orange”, “Grape”, “Apple”, “Tangerine”];

Pear has been added to the beginning of the fruitArray.

Nested Arrays

As you have learned above, an array can store sequence values and these values could be any data type such as string, integer, object, and even another array. A nested array is a set of arrays inside another array.

To access a nested array, the index of each array must be carefully noted. Let's take for example an array of prime, odd, and even numbers between 1 and 10.

var numberSet = [[2, 3, 5, 7], [1, 3, 5, 7, 9], [2, 4, 6, 8, 10]];

To access 7 in the array of prime numbers we write;

numberSet[0][3] // 7.To access 8 in the array of even numbers we write;

numberSet[2][3] // 8.

Object Array

An array can contain an Object nested in another array and another array nested in an object. To access any data in a such complex array. The bracket notation of array and object must not be confused with each other.

Let's see an example

var myPlants = [
    {
      type: "flower",
      list : [
        "tulip",
        "rose",
        "dandelion"
      ]},
    { 
      type: "tree",
      list : [
        "fir",
        "pine",
        "birch"
      ]}
  ];

  var secondTree = myPlants[1].list[1];
  console.log(secondTree); // "pine"

Let's take another example.

var contacts = [
    {
        "firstName": "Akira",
        "lastName" : "Laine",
        "number": "08022775640",
        "likes" : ["Pizza", "Coding", "Animation"]
    },

    {
        "firstName": "Harry",
        "lastName" : "Potter",
        "number": "09042876641",
        "likes" : ["Magic", "Hogwart", "Hagrid"]
    },
    {
        "firstName": "Sherlock",
        "lastName" : "Holmes",
        "number": "07063724650",
        "likes" : ["Intriguing cases", "Violin"]
    },
    {
        "firstName": "Kristian",
        "lastName": "Vos",
        "number": "08144675650",
        "likes" : ["JavaScript", "Gaming", "Foxes"]
    }
];

var result = contacts[1]["likes"];
console.log(result); // ["Magic", "Hogwart", "Hagrid"]

to access the index 2 of the array in the first object we write;

var result = contacts[0]["likes"][2];
console.log(result); // "Animation"

What’s Next?

Aside from the array methods explained above, there is a couple of other array methods that are worth your time learning. Understanding array methods will make your life easier as a developer.

map()
filter()
sort()
find()
foreach()
findIndex()
slice()
some()
reduce()
every()

Take Away

.pop(): Removes the last element from an array.
.push(): Add an element to the end of an array.
.shift(): Removes an element from the beginning of an array.
.unshift(): Add an element to the beginning of an array.

Conclusion

Wow, you read to the end, pat yourself on the head, you've learned one of the most useful concepts in JavaScript that you can't do away with in your career as a developer.

If you learned something useful from this article, or have other simpler tricks to go about array and array methods in javascript, let's have your view in the comment box.

This article is originally posted on hashnode. if you would love to read more content like this from me, let's connect on:

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How to Manipulate Complex Objects in JavaScript

Yusuf Lanre — Mon, 02 Jan 2023 20:26:06 +0000

Introduction

Objects are non-primitive data type in JavaScript that have mutable values, that is, their values can be changed. These values can be another set of data that may seem cumbersome to be grouped.

In this article, I will show you why you should care about objects and the ways to manipulate complex objects in JavaScript without ambiguity.

Let’s get started.

What is an Object?

An Object is simply a group of data. let’s see an object as a person. This has a specific description (say look and character) and can also possess something (say car) that has also has a specific description, and in that car, the person can carry some other people and things. This is how an Object can group another objects, or even an Array. Since we are seeing a person as an Object, we can say the man below is an Object, and the descriptions are his properties.

Object in JavaScript

Object is one of the most important concepts or data structures to understand as a developer because, most the the time, you will be working with collections of data for example; user profile, number blog post, comments and replies, likes and shares etc. Object allows us to group these data in a form that will be easy for us to access. Let’s go back to the person we talked about above.
Let assume the person is a man, he speaks English, has brown hair, wore a blue T-shirt, a jean trouser, a snicker, and this man is singing and dancing, while driving his Black, Toyota Camry 2015 car. These data can be grouped as.

var man = {
  "gender" : "Male",
  "language" : "English",
  "hair color" : "Brown",
  "shirt color" : "Blue",
  "trouser" : "Jean",
  "shoe" : "Snickers",
  "events" : ["Singing", "Dancing", "Driving"],
  "car" : {
    "brand" : "Toyota",
    "model" : "2015",
    "color" : "Black"
  }
}

var person = man.events;
console.log(person);  //  ["Singing","Dancing","Driving"]

In order to create a new object data structure, you will need to wrap the properties of the object in a brace. You will notice that each property has a name followed by a colon and a value, then separated by a comma as demonstrated above. this is why object data structure is called a key value pair data structure. Each name is a Key, and whatever is after the colon is its Value. That is, “Gender” is a key and “Male” is its value.
We can easily access this object, either through its value or through its key.

Accessing Data in an Object

Now that we have seen how to create and store data in an Object, the next question is, how do we access the data we have created inside an Object just as we will easily pointed at his T-Shirt.
Individual property in an Object can be accessed in two ways:

Dot notation - This is used to access the property of an object when the property is a literal.

For example. to access the value of Gender and Event in our example above. We simply write the name of the object, a dot, followed by the key.
I.e
var person = man.gender; console.log(person); // “Male

var person = man.events; console.log(person); // ["Singing","Dancing","Driving"]

Bracket notation - This is used to access the property of an object when the property is not a literal. That is, it is a statement

For example. to access the value of Hair Color in our example above. We simply write the name of the object, a square bracket, followed by the key inside the square bracket. I.e

var person = man["shirt color"]; console.log(person); // “Blue”

Manipulating Complex Object

Now that we have learn how to access a property in an Object, let see how we can access the property of nested Objects.
Let’s access the value of Brand in the Car property.

var = person = man.car.brand // “Toyota”

Type the code in your text editor and check your result in your console. Or use online text editor such as code pen to try it out.

Let's build a project

In this project we want to delete any album that doesn’t have album detail, and update the ones with incomplete album detail. We will be using album catalog number 2468, 2648, 3548, and 5439.

var collection = {
  "2548" : {
    "album" : "Implication",
    "artist" : "2face Idibia",
    "tracks" : [ "Spiritual healing", 
                "you Give Love a Bad Name"
    ]
  },
  "2468" : {
    "album" : "Beautiful Imperfection",
    "artist" : "Asa",
    "tracks" : [ "Bed of Stone", 
                "Awe"
    ]
  },

  "2548" : {
    "artist" : "R-Kelly",
    "tracks" : []
  },

  "5439" : {
    "album" : "Adekunle"
  }
};

//we will check album that doesn't have details and update album.

function updateRecords(id , prop, value) {
  if (value === "") {
    delete collection[id][prop];
  } else if (prop === "tracks") {
    collection[id][prop] = collection[id][prop] || [];
    collection[id][prop].push(value);
  } else {
    collection[id][prop] = value;
  }

  return collection;
}
console.log(updateRecords(2468, "tracks", "test")); 
console.log(updateRecords(5439, "artist", "Adekunle Gold"));

//Output

/*  "2468" : {
    "album" : "Beautiful Imperfection",
    "artist" : "Asa",
    "tracks" : [ "Bed of Stone", 
                "Awe”,
        “Test”
    ]
  },

  "2548" : {
    "artist" : "R-Kelly",
    "tracks" : []
  },

  "5439" : {
    "album" : "Adekunle”,
    “Artist” : “Adekunle Gold”
  }
}; */

Take Away

Objects are non-primitive data type.
Objects do have properties and the properties are represented in keys and values. (Known as Key-Value Pairs)
Objects can be nested inside another Object.
The properties of an Object can be accessed by dot or bracket notation.

What’s Next?

The best way to learn programming is to write code. Try to solve more object related problems, or even formulate one and play around with every method learned in this article to get an hang of it.

Wrapping up

Wow, you read this to the end, that’s awesome. If you enjoyed and find this article resourceful consider sharing with your community. If you would love to read more article like this from me, I will like to connect with you.

Let’s connect on

Twitter @yusfulcoder

LinkedIn Yusuf Olanrewaju

My journey into software engineering and a sleek peek into my first month of learning to code.

Yusuf Lanre — Mon, 06 Jun 2022 20:34:27 +0000

Although in early 2020, just at the tail end of my Master program in Physics, i began to develop interest in software engineering but, i wanted to be sure if i am really ready for the responsibility that comes with learning an entirely different and broad field. i don't want to be deluded by my technical skills, i wanted to be sure of my curiosity and interest about software development. by mid 2020, i took a job as electronics instrumentation and control engineer. i enjoyed the experience but something inside me wanted to use software to do some instrument automation.

My interest for software development grew everyday. by the end of 2021, i could't help but to start researching the area of software development to specialise. i found out that front-end development is fascinating to me. i began to search for resources and materials to kick start. tried freeCodeCamp, watched dozens of youtube roadmaps and tutorials. but all were not giving me an organised learning path. but i continue leaning anyways. randomly setting out time every week to learn.

By the 26th of April 2022, i became upset with my snail progress in learning programming. i decided to meet with a friend who is a senior software engineer to seek advice. he gave me a few resources and websites to stat with. By the end of April, i quit my job to focus on learning software development. i began my active learning of HTML and CSS, and after three weeks i made a peek into JavaScript and learn Git CLI and Github. today made it the second week of learning JavaScrip and i already built two projects. A Todo List and Student registration app. today i started a work on a passenger counting app. the experience has been awesomely challenging and i could wait to see what the experience would be in my second month. Coding is sweet but only when you find solution to your problem. lol.

watch me as i develop this skill and make a significant change in software development.

Note. i will appreciate resources recommendation and i am open for internship or project collaboration that can enhance my learning.

thanks for reading.