Insider tips for future IT Professionals

If you took some time to do a little research and analyze the job market, you probably figured out that one of the best ways to go is towards the IT sector.

Landing a tech job can give you countless opportunities to grow and some of the most competitive salaries worldwide. Therefore, in this article, we’ll list some of the most important things that you should do in order to start a career in IT.

Find the Pathway

The IT industry is now more complex than ever, with numerous opportunities for anyone able to prove efficiency and professionalism. If you think that coding is not for you, therefore you don’t want to be a developer, you can always go for jobs such as system admin, computer network specialist or database administrator, just to name a few.

Keep in mind that the pathway that you decide on right now is not a final decision; once you get the hang of one of these positions, it’s possible to move around the IT world.

Be Your Own Teacher

The best thing about the tech industry is that a college degree is not as valuable as your actual skills. Therefore, if you do get the chance to have a few interviews, the most important thing is to show that you’re skilled and you deserve the job, rather than showing a piece of paper. As a matter of fact, you can access Training.com.au right now and start looking for the courses that you find most appealing.

So even if you do have a college degree, you might want to get familiar with self-teaching before you become a part of a company that will always require you to be prepared.

College Degree

There is also another way to go when you want to get a job in the tech industry and that is by going to college. This is the classic way indeed, but it’s also the safest way to go. By going to college, you won’t find yourself in the position of being denied the right to an interview with giant IT corporations.

If you’ve just finished high school, getting a bachelor’s degree in computer science or software engineering is your best option, as you still have all the time and energy in the world. This option can be a little bit more tricky for adults who want to pursue a different career after years of employment, in their late 20s, 30s or even 40s.

Look for a Job

The good news is that if you got this far, the hardest part is over. If you’ve gone through all the necessary resources and you’ve acquired the skills that you need for the tech industry, the next step for you is to write a resume.

After this part is done, all you have to do is to apply for as many jobs as possible that you find interesting, arm yourself with a lot of patience and go to as many interviews as you can; so in the end, you’ll also have a chance to pick an employer.

Starting out in the workforce can be very hard, especially if you’ve just finished college. One of the best industries where you can start out or move towards is definitely the IT industry, as it offers employees lots of benefits and opportunities to grow and become better versions of themselves.

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Top 10 best free Blogging sites

Using a free blogging platform makes having your own corner of the world wide web easier than you might think. Having your own space online, that's potentially free from the distractions of a billion adverts and countless competing status updates, is an attractive prospect.

Blogging is also still a great, organic method of self-promo online, and the best thing is, there is a load of free blogging platforms out there to get you started. Here you'll find the best the web has to offer, including details to help you decide which free blogging site is right for you.

What is a blogging platform?

A blogging platform is a service or application that facilitates the creation of web pages for publishing your content. These content management systems come in the form of website builders like Wix, blogging applications like Wordpress, or simplified blogging software like Tumblr.

In this round-up, we explore the best free blogging platforms for newcomers who want to get a blog up and running.

1. Wix

If you want to get started with your free blog, Wix is well worth a look. This drag-and-drop website builder offers over 500 designer-made templates as well as plenty of additional features and apps, along with top-grade hosting so you can rest assured your site will be there when you need it.

You get 500MB storage and 1GB bandwidth with a free Wix account. If you need more – plus other features like your own domain, and the online store and Google Analytics – then take a look at its premium plans.

2. Joomla

Open-source software content management system Joomla is a popular choice among the blogging community. Powerful and flexible, Joomla can be used to build any kind of website or blog, with design features including the ability to create your own template and render HTML for objects/arrays of data.

The Joomla community is much smaller than the WordPress community, so there are fewer themes and add-ons than for WordPress.

3. Yola

Yola limits you a bit if you have grand plans for your blog – you can only have two sites and three web pages with its free plan – but the upside is a healthy 1GB of storage and bandwidth, and your site won't be littered with unsightly third-party ads.

Getting started is easy, with dozens of customizable templates to choose from, a straightforward site builder for putting everything together, flexible layouts and drag-and-drop widgets.

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4. Hubpages

Hubpages is a network of sites that enable bloggers (or Hubbers) to share their story with a vast open community. It has an Arts and Design section, which will be a happy home for creative bloggers, and Hubpages majors on its ability to connect its users with a wide audience and earn revenue from ads and affiliates.

5. Contentful

Nobody knows how they're going to want to display their articles a few years down the line, so Contentful provides a way to separate your content from your design. It calls this an 'API-first' approach, so your content is stored on its servers and you can call it into any design or platform as you like.

6. Jekyll

Jekyll takes your raw text files, which may be written in markdown, if you like, and turns them into a robust static site to host wherever you want. It's the engine behind GitHub Pages, which means you can host your blog on there for free.

Making your blog with Jekyll avoids the need to work with technicalities such as databases, upgrades and so on, so there are fewer things to go wrong, and you can build something completely from scratch.

7. WordPress

If the folks over at WordPress are to be believed (and they seem suitably trustworthy sorts), the platform now 'powers' almost a third of the internet. It's easy to see why: on WordPress.com, you can rapidly create an entirely free blog, with a reasonable amount of customization.

Newcomers might find WordPress a touch bewildering initially, but it's the best free option for anyone wanting a great mix of power, customization, and usability. To help you out, we've rounded up the best WordPress tutorials and the best free WordPress themes to get you started.

8. Tumblr

To some extent, Tumblr feels a bit like a halfway house between WordPress and Twitter. It offers more scope than the latter but tends to favor rather more succinct output than the former.

Decent mobile apps make it easy to submit content to a Tumblr blog from anywhere, though, and it's reasonably easy to customize your theme to make it your own. Tumblr also has a strong social undercurrent, via a following model combined with notes and favorites.

9. Blogger

You'd hope with a name like 'Blogger' that Blogger would be a decent free blogging service. Fortunately, it is. Sign in with your Google ID, and you can have a blog up and running in seconds, which can then be customized with new themes.

10. Medium

Medium is the brainchild of Twitter's founders and appears to be their attempt to do for 'longreads' what they once did for microblogging. It's a place to blog if you want your words to be taken seriously and if you favor a polished, streamlined experience. But if you're big on customization and control, look elsewhere.

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5 Best Ecommerce platforms for selling your work

If you're a designer or illustrator wanting to earn more money from your work, setting up a store to sell your own prints or clothing is a straightforward job. And if you're a web designer, being able to build e-commerce websites on trusted platforms is a great way to bring in extra clients.

There are loads of eCommerce platforms to choose from, and most of them offer free trials; to save you time, here are six of the best.

1. Shopify

It's hard to go wrong with Shopify. Almost certainly the biggest name in e-commerce platforms, it's been around since 2006 and promises that anyone, regardless of technical and design ability, can use it to easily set up a beautiful responsive store in minutes.

Getting up and running is thoroughly straightforward; if you don't feel the need to design your own shop then there's a huge range of templates to choose from, and Shopify has its own CMS with which to manage your store, as well as mobile apps so you can run things when you're out and about.

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2. Volusion

Designed as an all-in-one ecommerce solution that gives you all the features you need to create, manage and expend your store, Volusion's keen for you to test the waters with a free 14-day trial with no credit card required.

As with most other ecommerce platforms, it provides you with a set of fully customisable themes to play with, as well as an intuitive content editor. It offers hefty SEO tools as well as the ability to sell through Facebook, eBay and Amazon, and enables you to boost sales through gift cards, discounts and deals of the day.

Volusion supports most payment methods, from credit cards through to Amazon Pay, PayPal, money orders and even good old-fashioned cash, and it provides a PCI-certified secure checkout as well as a 99.9% uptime guarantee. Prices start at $29 per month.

3. Bigcommerce

If you want to expand your market then Bigcommerce features some really useful tools for increasing your reach. It's recently updated to include integration with Amazon and Instagram, making it easy to either list your products on Amazon or sell directly through Instagram shopping posts and stories.

Setting up your own store with Bigcommerce is nice and easy and it also has its own CMS that enables you to run an entire site, not just a store, on its platform. Its small business-friendly Essentials service starts at $29.95 per month, and you can test it all out with a free 15-day trial.

4. 3dcart

Need a little extra from your ecommerce platform? If so, 3dcart has some cool features that are well worth exploring. On top of all the usual online store options that you'd expect, there are also neat modules that enable you to offer a gift-wrapping service, run a loyalty programme and allow recurring orders; all useful features if you want to go the extra mile for customer service.

3dcart provides a good free selection of customisable responsive templates to work with; you can build your own store from scratch if you prefer, and 3dcart can help you set things up so that everything's at the highest possible standard. Pricing starts at $19 per month for a startup store, and there's a 15-day free trial available.

5. CoreCommerce

The trouble with the various pricing tiers available on most ecommerce platforms is that you'll find that some useful features are locked down to the more expensive plans. Not so with CoreCommerce; almost everything you get in its top-level Enterprise plan is available in some shape or form in its $19-per-month Personal plan.

There's a setup wizard to help you get your products online and take care of taxes, shipping and payments, plus a mobile-friendly admin system and loads of integration options for third-party ecommerce tools. There are also over 70 payment gateways with a PCI Level 1-compliant checkout, and secure hosting via Rackspace with a 99.9% uptime guarantee.

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The best collage Maker Tools in 2019

There are many web and mobile applications that have built-in collage maker tools, as well as dedicated standalone programs in both app and browser format. However, the quality of these varies wildly, so we've tried some out to let you know which ones are up to scratch.

Another perfectly viable option to create a collage is to use general design software, such as Adobe's suite (get Adobe Creative Cloud here). We've got the pick of the best Photoshop tutorials to help you out with this. Or, if you want to use a high spec smartphone to use with these collage apps, why not check our selection of the best camera phones?

1. MOLDIV

Moldiv claims to be the all in one photo-editor that offers everything you need in photography, and it doesn't disappoint with its collage maker feature. The collage maker portion of the app is sleek and easy to use. We like that the workflow in the college setting is non-destructive (unlike the main editor mode) so you can mess around with layouts without touching your original version. You can also customize with stickers and play with different fonts.

2. Photo Joiner

Photo Joiner offers a range of different collage maker options. The one we're most interested in here is Collage; a classic collage maker tool. The process is easy to follow: upload images, choose a template, drag your images into the slots (you can zoom in and out, mirror or rotate to suit the layout), then save and share. You can narrow templates by the number of photos included, and set custom image sizes and borders.

If that's not what you're after, take a look at one of the other Photo Joiner tools. Stitch is a simpler tool designed for joining together photos vertically or horizontally, using one of Photo Joiner's preset layouts. Meme lets you add text and decorations to images. FB Cover offers a range of templates to fit Facebook's cover image dimensions, to take the effort out of creating an impressive cover collage.

3. Ribbet

Free online collage maker Ribbet has a smart interface, which is a delight to use. There are plenty of handy features to help you create a custom collage: pick a template, upload images, adjust sizing, round corners, edit lighting, exposure and so on. If you change your mind, you can easily adjust your template by adding extra rows or columns. The basic version is free, but to access the majority of the more complex templates you'll need to upgrade to the Premium version.

4. Adobe Spark

Spark is a free photo collage maker from Adobe. Its simple interface means it doesn't require the same learning curve demanded by most Adobe applications: simply name your project and use the various design options available to arrange your photos into an eye-catching collage. You need a Creative Cloud account for full CC benefits (sign up here), but it is perfectly useable without.

5. Canva Collage Templates

Canva offers one of the best free online collage makers around. This is an all-round design package you can use in the browser or as an app for iOS and Android. The basic package is completely free, but there are paid plans available if you want something more advanced.

Amongst Canva's tools is a big selection of collage templates, which look great and are easy to use. You can also spice up your collages with Canva's enormous selection of effects, filters, fonts, shapes and more.

6. BeFunky

BeFunky is one of the best free online collage makers around. It offers tons of templates, a simple interface and seamless integration with the BeFunky Photo Editor. The free version works well, but if you're after more photo effects, higher-resolution downloads and the ability to use your collages commercially, you'll need the BeFunky Plus account. As well as an online tool, BeFunky is available as an app for iOS or Android.

7. piZap

Ad-funded online collage maker piZap has the option of a Flash interface or a new HTML interface. The latter is currently in beta, and to be honest there are more intuitive free collage maker tools on this list. However, there are plenty of templates, stock images and fonts to choose from, and you can add text and stickers to liven things up. A nice feature is the inclusion of Facebook banner templates, to help you upgrade your social media branding with ease.

The Pro version offers ad-free designing, a much bigger selection of fonts, stock images and templates, the ability to download your collage in super high resolution, and more. You can suss it out via the free trial before you commit.

8. PhotoCollage

PhotoCollage has a does-what-it-says-on-the-tin name, and the web-based collage maker is no less straightforward. It works on Mac, Windows, Android and iOS platforms including touchscreens, and you can choose from collage templates or use your skills to create freeform collages.

You work with low-resolution images, then once you're happy with the arrangement you can choose to 'order' a high-resolution version of your design. One frustrating feature is that the editing tools aren't sticky, so you'll probably need to scroll up and down to find the ones you want. The interface also isn't as nicely designed as other tools on this list.

9. Photo collage maker

Fotor is a professional-level online collage maker. You can import a load of images, which are displayed on the right-hand bar, then choose when and where to place them in your collage. This simple feature makes it easy to put together attractive collages. The only glitch we ran into is that large images failed to load, with no error message to indicate the problem.

You can only get part of the way with the free version – you can design collages, but they'll feature the Fotor watermark, which isn't ideal. For advanced features, an ad-free interface, watermark-free collages, and cloud-based storage, you'll need to shell out for the Pro version.

10. Photovisi

Photovisi is a stand-alone collage maker with no fripperies and no photo editing tools to distract and confuse. You simply select a collage design, add your photos and drag them around till you're satisfied, then download it.

What could be easier? If you want to download a watermark-free college, you'll need to pay upon the Premium plan. Some of the templates are a little on the cheesy side, and overall this collage maker tool is looking a little dated.

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How to create a fantasy beast

The creature design is built on the foundation of understanding real-life animals. Even when we design fantastical creatures like dragons or demons, pulling from nature can help make it more believable. Learning how to draw real-world animals, like how to draw a bear, can go a long way when tackling fantasy creatures.

First, I explore the animals themselves. Drawing each species helps me get to know their anatomy. I take note of certain traits, proportions, markings, and shapes as I draw.

Then I find a shape inspired by one of the animals, which acts as a foundation for where I'd like to go. With my best pencils to hand, I use a harder pencil lead to keep things light and workable. I'm only concerned with getting down big shapes, like the shape of the head and general body and tail.

Now I add detail and other shapes, looking at the secretary bird. Claws, spikes, scales, fur, and feathers help to flesh out its silhouette. It's important to make it iconic. Having too much detail or "stuff" happening on your creature could dilute the effectiveness of your design.

• Materials you will need...
• Blue Col-Erase pencil
• HB Caran D'ache Graffwood pencil
• Staedtler rubber eraser
• Acid-free sketchbook paper

1. Find the general shape

Begin with the Col-Erase pencil by blocking in the general structure of the creature, working from light to dark

As usual, I start light and keep in mind the characteristics I want to combine. I'm always asking myself questions. What does this creature eat? How big is this creature? What is its general attitude? Is it male or female? Addressing these areas can help direct your design.

2. Build up forms

Next, I begin to lie in big forms. I want to find the anatomy of this creature. Because my beast has a skeleton, I'm careful to take note of where certain bones and landmarks are.

I indicate key elements like the shoulder blades, the pelvis, and the rib cage. These large forms will help me indicate where the muscles lie and help build a more believable creature. Remember to keep it light! We want to build on top of this drawing as we go.

3. Nail the muscles

Remember that vertebrate anatomy is similar between species. You can think of your own body as a reference point

From here, I begin to define muscle groups, being sure to understand where certain muscles are connecting. This is vital and is informed by producing lots of animal drawings.

It's important to know where muscles lie on your creatures for animation and modeling. Being able to show and tell where and how your creature moves are crucial when creating a grounded creature design. Keep the shapes big and light at this point. Think about where the muscles would attach to the bone.

4. Look at those details

Next, I begin to define certain details and shapes, always being careful to look at my reference. Here I'll begin to look at the tapir for the bulk of the body and the feet.

The spiny-tailed lizard helps with the tail, head, and texture of the creature. I also look to the secretary bird for ideas about feather placement, eye placement and eventually color. When I draw in a new body feature, I'm careful to start with a lighter touch. As I build up my creature, I push down harder on my lead.

• Tip: Take advantage of the Col-Erase pencil

Because it's waxy, it takes a while to solidify forms, and this lends itself to exploration.

5. Now, really look at those details!

As you draw those tapirs, you notice that each toe has a different shape and that the front legs have more toes. You'll notice the shape of the secretary bird's eyelids and the way the skim folds on the face.

These small details can really push your creature's design into the realm of believability.

• Tip: Rubber erasers

These are slightly more effective than a kneaded eraser and will do a better job of removing the Col-Erase lines that you put down. You can cut them with a sharp knife to create a nice corner for precision erasing.

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How connectivity is driving the Future of the Car?

While the automation is knocking on our doors, it is expected to transform the cars parked in our garages soon. The automotive industry is currently going through a radical transformation with artificial intelligence and other technologies.

This transformation will use artificial intelligence to change the way you drive and experience the drive through a connected car. And not only revitalize the experience but also ensure the safety and security of passengers as well. So, buckle up your seatbelts and be ready to drive to the future.

Self-Driving Cars

Technology had taken leaps when they designed the first self-driving car. And you can expect the future to be even better at it. The driver wouldn’t even need it, and the car will drive itself.

So imagine yourself sitting on your couch enjoying all the entertainment, doing your work and reaching the destination at the same time without hiring any chauffeur.

Smart Sensors

Innovation in sensors is continued for a long time now. These sensors will drive the driverless car. The technology will use the sensors to determine the surroundings and let the car perform based on it. And other sensors like LiDAR, radar, cameras and ultrasonic also help in managing the safety and security of the vehicle.

Communicating Cars

The cars are expected to build a real connection with other cars and the traffic lights with the help of Vehicle-to-Vehicle (V2V) and Vehicle-to-Infrastructure (V2I) technology using the satellite. This can be helpful in preventing major accidents from happening by adjusting the vehicle speed and distance based on the situations and also ease the traffic congestion.

Safety can be improved even better with V2P “Vehicle to Pedestrian” technology which senses information about its environment and communicates it to other vehicles, infrastructure, and personal mobile devices.

Telematics

Telematics is an essential tool for assessing the behavior of drivers for a variety of purposes. You can use telematics to determine the insurance premium of a driver based on the driving pattern. And automotive companies can use telematics to monitor the maintenance service and vehicle diagnosis.

Internet of Things (IoT)

The Internet has entered our world and majorly impacted our lifestyles and now is the time it will enter in our car. Many companies have already started working on a car with access to the internet and the cloud.

Technologies like the GPS navigation system, keyless ignitions, and camera systems are expected to improve by connecting them to the internet. This will improve the overall experience of passengers. Another technology V2C “Vehicle to Cloud” exchanges information about the vehicle with a cloud system and connects with industries like energy, transportation, and smart homes to make use of IoT.

Brain to Vehicle Technology

Technology can also read a human’s brain to judge their decisions. AI can analyze and anticipate the decisions of a human brain and warn them if their decision is not appropriate. This technology helps in preventing major accidents and warns about unfair driving practices.

Now, that we have discussed the expected technologies let’s see the timeline of the implementation of these technologies in our lives. We expect it to happen in a phased manner. The stages of achieving the ultimate connected autonomous car will be as follows:

Stage 1: Connecting the car

The first step towards the future begins with connecting the car with the internet and other concierge services. Also connecting the car with Bluetooth will help drivers make and receive hands-free calls. Many car manufacturers have already achieved this stage with existing cars.

Stage 2: Infotainment

The next stage is to work on the infotainment system of cars. Smartphones and other mobile apps have special designs to suit the most entertaining infotainment system. And considering the recent developments in technology, a well-advanced infotainment system has become a requirement for most of the cars.

Stage 3: Software and Data Management

The development in this stage is a lot left. In this step, car technology takes a leap forward by implementing all the software updates. And to update your car, you don’t need to visit any service center you could do that just sitting in your car through the internet.

Stage 4: Autonomous Cars

The last and final step towards the ultimate connected car is to get it autonomous operational. The most predictable future today lies in a car that drives without any human interference, provides a great infotainment system and connects to the internet.

That’s all that we could think about how connectivity will drive the future of the car. And when it comes to predicting the future, there is no full stop to your imagination. And how exactly will you be driving your car in the next few years we really don’t know, but we really know where it is leading. Well, I guess cars will always remain one step ahead of humans, so be ready for some great surprises in the automotive industry.

Summing Up

In conclusion, vehicle connectivity is essential to most of the major automotive technological advancements over the last 1-2 decades and will continue to impact the way people feel transportation going forward.

Day by day, we are moving closer to the ultimate car experience with the support of artificial intelligence, connected to the internet and the car driving itself. We know that no matter what changes happen the overall experience of traveling in a car will only get better from what it is now.

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5 Tips for creating a Real Estate business site

There’s no question that anyone who wants their business to be successful needs to have a good website. Whether you just became a real estate agent or have been in the business for years, you need a website.

All of your potential clients will automatically assume that you have a website for them to look over, so this is something you need to be able to deliver. To make sure you’re not losing potential clients, here are some tips for creating a real estate business site that will benefit everyone.

Integrate Listing Sites

By integrating listing sites, potential buyers can search for homes in your area. Since your trying to sell homes, it only makes sense for you to show them on your website. For example, if you’re in Arkansas, you can preset the area to show Little Rock real estate when people visit your website. When buyers can search through homes on the market and call you about scheduling a viewing.

Potential sellers can see what the market looks like in the area too. You’ll get bonus points if your integrated sites show homes you’ve sold, so buyers and sellers can get an idea of how successful you are in showing a house and turning it around on the real estate market.

Make It Mobile Friendly

Before going any further, you need to understand the importance of your website’s performance on multiple platforms. In today’s world, every website needs to be able to be viewed on a mobile device. Your website might look stellar on a desktop, but how does it look on a mobile device or a tablet? People are spending more time on the internet on their phones, so your website must be able to look its best on both platforms.

Creating a website that can be easily viewed on a mobile device doesn’t have to be as hard as it may seem. Using a responsive theme will allow all users to get a good view of your website no matter what size device they’re viewing it on.

Provide Education to Potential Clients

If someone visits your site, give them something of value. Presenting up-to-date news on the real estate market. This shows you are “in the know” about what’s happening, and you can use this information to educate your potential clients. Potential clients will be coming to you for answers, so you need to have something available for them to reference. If people feel like you aren’t able to give them the best industry knowledge, they’ll be unlikely to trust you for something so big and go to one of your competitors.

Consider starting a blog to help your visitors become more knowledgeable about when the right time to buy or sell is. Your blog can include breaking down terminology or interpreting what is happening in the real estate world. For example, you can read an article from Realtor.com and provide your audience with applicable insight from you.

Add Calculators for Home Buying

“I can’t afford to buy a house.” Have you heard this before but known that person really could afford a home? Many people don’t have a solid understanding of what the costs of buying a home really mean. The financial cost of owning a home can be overwhelming for some individuals and families, so they believe they can’t afford one.

With some savvy backend work, you can capture the data they enter to show available homes that they can afford too. Next thing you know, you’ll have a call from a prospective buyer wanting to book a viewing. By putting this on your website, it can help make your job easier down the line, too.

Include an “About You” Page

Your website is a marketing tool, and a common marketing strategy is “Know, Like, Trust.” When someone works with you for something as important as buying a house, they need to have a large amount of faith in you. Invest time in your About Me page so visitors can get to know you.

This will help them become more comfortable with you before you even meet. You don’t have to share everything about yourself. But, the more possibilities someone can connect with you, the more possibilities they will select you to represent them.

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