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Published: Dec. 16, 2019, midnight

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Phil\\u2019s guest on this episode of the IT Career Energizer podcast is Jamie Maguire. He has a keen interest in web development, code, machine learning, psychology, business, and start-ups. Jamie has been writing code since he was a kid, often typing out magazine code listings and then changing the code to see how they behaved.

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He\\u2019s currently a Microsoft .NET Senior Developer, a Microsoft AI Most Valuable Professional and a STEM ambassador.

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In this episode, Phil and Jamie Maguire discuss how working on a social media API eventually led to his working in AI. Jamie demonstrates that the barrier to entry to the AI field has now all but disappeared and how anyone can now get involved in that field.

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Jamie explains how he copes with the frenetic rate of change within the IT industry. They also talk about how a research project led to Twitter, then Microsoft picking up on what he had to offer.

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KEY TAKEAWAYS:

(6.33) TOP CAREER TIP

Find ways to learn fast. Apply what you learn and adapt if you need to. In today\\u2019s job market this is essential. There is a lot of disruption tech that means things are now changing really fast.

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(7.38) WORST CAREER MOMENT

At one stage in Jamie\\u2019s career, he was working in a highly politicised environment, trying to complete his master\\u2019s degree, a research project and cope with a serious family situation.

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It was awful, but, it taught him that with enough grit and determination, you can get through anything. He also learned the importance of looking after your health and making time for yourself to disconnect, no matter what.

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(10.42) CAREER HIGHLIGHT

\\xa0Jamie entered the side project he was building into Twitter\\u2019s Promote initiative and they liked it. He was invited to the States and asked to demo it. Unfortunately, he did not win, but he did get access to some of their private and beta APIs. In time, what started out as a side project, led to him winning the MVP award in AI.

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It taught him the importance of sharing what you know and that putting your work out there is the best way to get noticed.

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(14.42) THE FUTURE OF CAREERS IN I.T

AI is definitely hot, right now. It is now much easier to break into the field. Gradually, it is becoming easier for you to just pull what you need off the shelf, for example, through Cognitive Services or IBM Watson.

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For very little money you can build a product, document what you are doing and get noticed. When you do that you automatically end up with a great portfolio.

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(17.15) THE REVEAL

What first attracted you to a career in I.T.? \\u2013 Hacking games for the Spectrum was what ignited Jamie\\u2019s passion for coding and all things I.T.

What\\u2019s the best career advice you received? \\u2013 Evolve and adapt quickly.

What\\u2019s the worst career advice you received? \\u2013 Just smash it into production. Terrible advice, you have to test stuff no matter what the time constraints are.

What would you do if you started your career now? \\u2013 Jamie would start a blog immediately instead of waiting like he did.

What are your current career objectives? \\u2013 Showing developers how they can integrate AI into what they are doing and finding innovative ways to use AI on big social platforms.

What\\u2019s your number one non-technical skill? Being able to take a step back, think about all the moving parts, identify the key components and spot the patterns. Jamie has two other very important skills that he also talks about.

How do you keep your own career energized? \\u2013 Following other developers on Twitter and seeking out development initiatives. Doing this sparks all kinds of ideas.

What do you do away from technology? \\u2013 Jamie is very much a family man. He also goes to the gym 3 or 4 times a week and disconnects completely from tech, at least once a month.

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(25.43) FINAL CAREER TIP

Get a domain name and use it to share your thoughts and what it is you are doing. Ignore what everyone else is doing and just run your own race, everyone has something to contribute.

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BEST MOMENTS

(7.00) \\u2013 Jamie - \\u201cGet comfortable with learning new skills. In today\\u2019s job market, it is essential that you do.\\u201d

(9.36) \\u2013 Jamie - \\u201cWhen all hell\\u2019s breaking loose, keep a cool head, create your own stability and take care of your health.\\u201d

(15.39) \\u2013 Jamie - \\u201cFor very little money, anyone can build a product, document what they are doing and get noticed.\\u201d

(18.39) \\u2013 Phil - \\u201cKeep your mind open to alternatives, to different ways of thinking about the same problem.\\u201d

(28.50) \\u2013 Jamie - \\u201cGet a domain name, share what you are doing and what your thoughts are.\\u201d

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ABOUT THE HOST \\u2013 PHIL BURGESS

Phil Burgess is an independent IT consultant who has spent the last 20 years helping organisations to design, develop and implement software solutions.\\xa0 Phil has always had an interest in helping others to develop and advance their careers.\\xa0 And in 2017 Phil started the I.T. Career Energizer podcast to try to help as many people as possible to learn from the career advice and experiences of those that have been, and still are, on that same career journey.

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CONTACT THE HOST \\u2013 PHIL BURGESS

Phil can be contacted through the following Social Media platforms:

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Twitter: https://twitter.com/philtechcareer

LinkedIn: https://uk.linkedin.com/in/philburgess

Facebook: https://facebook.com/philtechcareer

Instagram: https://instagram.com/philtechcareer

Website: https://itcareerenergizer.com/contact

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Phil is also reachable by email at phil@itcareerenergizer.com and via the podcast\\u2019s website, https://itcareerenergizer.com

Join the I.T. Career Energizer Community in Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/groups/ITCareerEnergizer

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ABOUT THE GUEST \\u2013 JAMIE MAGUIRE

Jamie Maguire has a keen interest in web development, code, machine learning, psychology, business, and start-ups.\\xa0 Jamie has been writing code since he was a kid, often typing out magazine code listings and then changing the code to see how they behaved.

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He\\u2019s currently a Microsoft .NET Senior Developer, a Microsoft AI Most Valuable Professional and a STEM ambassador.

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CONTACT THE GUEST \\u2013 JAMIE MAGUIRE

Jamie Maguire can be contacted through the following Social Media platforms:

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Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/jamie_maguire1

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jamiemaguiredotnet/

Website: http://jamiemaguire.net

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