At the Vail-owned Stevens Pass ski area in Washington, 46,360 people signed a petition saying they were “disgusted with the mismanagement of the ski area, the failure to treat employees well, or pay them a livable wage, and the failure to deliver the product we all paid for.”
At Stowe, Vt., on a powder day last winter, I sat for 45 minutes in a on the two-lane Mountain Road while trying to reach Stowe Mountain Resort.
I gave up and went backcountry skiing instead.
It’s the most wonderful time of the year! This image of tasty treats includes shades of burgundy, gray, and tan. These colors paired together create feelings of warmth and yuletide joy. You can’t go wrong with this candy cane color palette.
There is nothing more festive than a stunning bold red shade. Paired with soft shades of orange and grey will give any of your designs a warm and cozy feeling.
As always, we have put together a mood board with some inspiration. It is in perfect Pinterest format, so feel free to pin it for later.
See our collection of other gorgeous color palettes by visiting our color palette section.
What do you think about this candy cane color palette? Where would you use it? There are really no limits here. We would love to hear your thoughts. Share them in the comments below.
Lastly, learn about the power of color in blog design in our blog post to see how important colors are in all the projects you create.
And, of course, don’t forget to check the 2023 Ultimate Planners! Over 100 pages that will help you grow your blog and social media and plan your perfect year!
If you create something using today’s color palette, don’t forget to share it with us!
Learning to code so that you can land a job in tech can feel daunting. That’s why we’re sharing inspiring stories from Codecademy’s community — to show how people like you (yes, you!) can embark on a learning journey and end up with a totally new career. We hope these stories serve as a reminder that there’s no single path to a more fulfilling work life.
Today’s story is from Connor Baker, a 30-year-old Software Engineer at Codecademy living in Brooklyn, New York. Read more stories from Codecademy learners here — and be sure to share your story here.
“It was an autumn day in 2017, and I had this thought that maybe my life could be different. I was doing a couple of different odd jobs: I had tour dates here and there, but it was unpredictable; I taught drums; and I worked at a bakery. I had people in my life that worked in tech, and told me, You might like this. You could be good at it.
I will say, I was a bit of a luddite — I didn’t have a computer, so my sister gave me her old computer. I would type some commands into the terminal and be afraid that I was gonna just blow up the computer. Finding Codecademy made it very approachable to be a beginner. It helps just having a clean sandbox environment where you can learn, and somebody to kind of hold your hand and be like, It’s not so bad, the water’s fine.”
“Coming from music, especially coming from a pretty academic background in a conservatory, I have been very accustomed to organizing my practice time. I told myself that I would dedicate an hour every day to try to learn how to code* for a month, and if I didn’t like it after a month, then we’ll see.
I would work early in the morning, get off around 1 o’clock, try to take a little nap, and then do some programming. Sometimes I would teach music in the evenings. I stuck to my schedule and at a certain point I started to really enjoy it, and was spending more time coding little projects. I would seek out as many resources as I could, and go through different Python books.
Being an instrumentalist, I spend a lot of time practicing very specific things, and it’s easy to fall into the mentality of, I should have been practicing something else; that was a waste of time. But it’s all just part of the process in the end. One of the important things that I realized much later is that all of the failures and all the false starts contributed to the process.”
*Curious how much time you really need to learn how to code? Check out this blog to see how other Codecademy learners made time to code in their busy schedules.
“From my days in music, I would really seek out every possible resource, like look for all the bootlegs, the PDFs, and all this other stuff. I kind of did the same at the start with programming. I was like, Whoa, there’s so much. Where do I even start?
I spent a long time trying to get myself into a place where I felt like I could do this. It’s difficult, especially for people who are used to being critical of themselves. I eventually spoke to somebody who encouraged me to go to a boot camp to socialize and get my foot in the door somewhat.
I had the opportunity to TA at the boot camp after finishing the program, which was incredibly helpful. I wasn’t working, and was nearly completely broke, so that gave me a chance to prepare for the job search without worrying about how I was going to stay afloat. I’m very grateful for being given that opportunity.
I applied for many, many jobs before I got my first interview. The interview for my first software engineer job came through a co-worker at the boot camp who had interviewed at the company, but accepted another offer. She was super kind to recommend me to their HR department (thank you, Simcha!).”
“I really over-prepared for the boot camp experience — I spent 2 years learning by myself before I felt like I could do it. I think it was way too late in my learning to have this kind of confidence. I wrote a program that would solve a Sudoku puzzle. And that made me think, Maybe there’s something for me here?
So I went to the boot camp and then I taught at a boot camp. Honestly, seeing a bunch of people with way less prep than I had, starting from scratch and learning fundamentals, got me accustomed to the attitude of continuous learning in programming. I worked at another company for a few years before Codecademy.”
“The interview process was pretty standard, but I really appreciated how practical, fair, and personal the experience was here at Codecademy. I had a take-home project and I was like, Oh man, I really want to work here. I put a lot of thought into it.
We had a few different rounds of different practical assessments. There was a front-end portion where I totally failed at writing CSS because I’m not good at it. And there was an architectural design portion with some people who are on my team now. I was really nervous and scared, but everybody was really supportive and personable. I didn’t leave the interview thinking I got the job — no way.”
“I had another option at this point at a much bigger company, but the compensation, benefits, and work-from-home policies were all far superior at Codecademy. To be honest, I really wanted to work at Codecademy because of the mission and product — plus, I’m terrible at negotiating so this made the decision even easier.”
“I never had an office job before becoming an engineer, so I didn’t know how to act — I still don’t know how to act. I was super socially awkward all the time. At the office, I would walk past people and say hello at the wrong time; I was just doing badly. Then because of Covid, we ended up working remotely. I’m really into working from home, I won’t lie about that.
At the very beginning of my first job, every new thing I ended up having to do, and deploy, and use felt empowering. I felt like I had made a decision to try to learn this stuff, and I made progress. But I would say to anybody who’s starting a new role, your first engineering job is intimidating. There’s a lot of information at the beginning, just take it as it comes and relax.”
“I spent a lot of time in isolation, just doing this by myself, and you can convince yourself of anything when you’re staring at code for hours a day for no money. If you can try to establish some sense of community, whether that’s online or in person, I think that’s really helpful.
There’s this notion today that things need to be faster, like you need to learn X in Y days. It takes a long time to learn coding in any capacity, and you’re never done. It’s about appreciating the process, being consistent, knowing that it will take time, and being okay with that. Like, if you told me, I’ve become an expert at the guitar in 3 months, I’d be like, No you didn’t. Appreciating that learning to code isn’t just like baking a cake, it’s a process that continues as long as you want to, is helpful.”
See the courses and paths that helped him most.
Not sure where to start? Check out our personality quiz! We’ll help you find the best programming language to learn based on your strengths and interests.
Want to share your Codecademy learner story? Drop us a line here. And don’t forget to join the discussions in our community.
A group of New York City teens are seeking to free themselves from their phones and social media. Would you want to join their club?
Did you watch the final game?
This word has appeared in 64 articles on NYTimes.com in the past year. Can you use it in a sentence?
The automotive world is expectant and the Apple Car has been expected for a long time. At the moment, it is all rumors and speculation about Apple’s Project Titan, but even so, fans are looking forward to this new launch with excitement.
Among the “rumors” it is said that the vehicle will have an advanced driver assistance system capable of controlling it on first-rate roads, it will be possible to drive naturally if the occupant behind the wheel so decides.
Prototype image of the Apple Car taken from the internet
A recent Bloomberg article reveals that: “Apple has remained tight-lipped about how its car project has evolved. In 2021, it was rumored that he was using a limited liability company to hide the purchase of a former Chrysler proving ground near Phoenix, Arizona.
Who is aboard Project Titan?
“To help develop the car, Apple has hired Luigi Taraborrelli, a 20-year Lamborghini veteran. Taraborrelli was the Italian manufacturer’s head of chassis and vehicle dynamics, with responsibilities including the models’ suspension, steering, braking, and driver assistance systems.
Apple is also said to have been recruiting hundreds of employees and dozens of top executives from the auto industry and other related fields, such as battery development and autonomous systems.
Although at first there was talk of about 200 employees, it is believed that the project has reached more than 1,000 participants. Many of them come from companies like Tesla, Volkswagen, Ford, General Motors, BMW, Chrysler, Nvidia, Texas Instruments, Waymo, Mercedes-Benz, Porsche, and even Blackberry survivors.
What is certain is that this project has existed since 2013 and although the Apple Car has not materialized, the company has continued to evolve its CarPlay telematics software. The new generation, which was presented during the 2022 Apple Worldwide Developers Conference, will be able to work on multiple screens, such as the infotainment screen and the digital instrument cluster, for example.
Apple Car Development Timeline:
2014 The first news is given about this secret project based on Steve Jobs’ latest idea: a completely autonomous electric car based on artificial intelligence. It is said that this Jobs project was really born as an idea in 2007, before the launch of the iPhone.
2015, the voices in the hall begin to filter rumors about the vehicle. According to data published by the Financial Times at the time, Apple was hiring automotive technology and design experts for a top-secret project.
2016 with new leadership, Apple shifted the focus of the project to self-driving technology, rather than developing the car as such.
2019, the project changed direction again and dozens of employees who had been working on it were removed. Apple buys Drive.ai, a self-driving vehicle startup, and hires several of its engineering and product design employees for its own self-driving car project.
2020 conversations begin with car companies and brands looking for the ideal partner.
2022 it is announced that the launch may take place by 2026, but without full autonomous driving. This is what the latest report published by Bloomberg details. The autonomous capability will be available at some point in the Apple car’s commercial life, but not from the start. “It is a significant change for the project.
About The Project:
This project is full of enigmas and rumors, according to the article: Apple Car: Steve Jobs’ 100% autonomous electric car, published in the media: El País Financiero, the following characteristics can be highlighted:
An iPad-like tablet could be in the middle of the vehicle and passengers could interact with it.
It is considered to make use of top-quality metallic materials such as titanium, as well as access to the car without keys through the iPhone.
Apple wants its car to be more reliable than those made by Waymo and Tesla, with redundancies and failure insurance to prevent breakdowns and accidents.
It will be a fully autonomous electric car that will not require user intervention to drive.
Rumors indicate that it would not have a steering wheel or pedals, although the inclusion of the steering wheel is still being discussed as a possibility for passengers to take control in an emergency situation.
In principle, Apple worked on 2 possible models. One with limited autonomous driving capabilities and another, with fully autonomous driving functionality that does not require human intervention, which would seem to be the one chosen to move to the next phase.
In addition, it would have much higher mileage per charge than current cars, thanks to a single-cell electric battery.
Apple is evaluating whether charging is compatible with existing systems so that owners can use a global network of chargers.
The microchip in the car would be the most advanced component and Apple has developed it internally.
It is basically made up of neural processors that can handle the artificial intelligence needed for autonomous driving.
Regarding the price, it is said that Apple hopes to position itself in the luxury segment, like the Tesla Model S, with a price of around 100,000 US dollars.
In this link, you can see speculative photos recreated by Vanarama
Is it true that the Apple Car already existed?
As a curiosity, we can say yes. Suddenly not as technological or exclusive as we imagine today, but in 1996, Apple (not considered the big one today) and the Renault brand joined forces and presented an Apple Renault Clio.
The alliance was not due to automobile technology, but rather an accessory issue. The Clio Sport or Clio S of the time included a PowerBook 190, a GSM mobile to connect to the Internet, and a side inlay with the rainbow Apple logo.
Here you can see the promotional ad for the Apple Car back in 1997:
And press ads as well:
If you are interested in learning more about this project that will surely change the automotive world, be sure to read the following articles:
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Author : Vanessa D”angelo |
This word has appeared in 27 articles on NYTimes.com in the past year. Can you use it in a sentence?
By now, we’ve heard of “the great resignation”. If you haven’t, it’s a term that was coined in 2021 and spurred by the global pandemic. Under this great resignation, companies and organisations saw many of their staff resign from their jobs. There are many factors that influenced this great move and continue to be of concern to employers. The tide is still turning on this great move. If you weren’t part of the crowd that resigned but have considered it, why not take this time as we reflect on the year gone by and to rethink your career.
Am I in the right job? Is my job fulfilling? Is it time to priortise other aspects of my life? Pertinent questions that you should ask and prompted the big shift in people’s employees during the peak of the pandemic. And these are some of the questions that prompted many employees to rethink their careers amid the great resignation. People are looking for more flexible working environments, they want to achieve better work-life balance and have job satisfaction and fulfillment to some degree. Great questions to ask yourself every-so-often in your professional career. But what does this mean for you and me?
The great rethink triggers you to ponder whether you fit in with your company’s culture. Are you comfortable with your career growth and advancement opportunities in the company? Are you treated fairly? Are their policies in line with your values? If nothing changed in the company in the next year, two years or even five, would you still be happy?
If you’ve spent time on these questions and the answers aren’t indicative of a positive shift towards your goals and values, you are in the right space to think about what you want, value, and pin down what your life and career goals are. And then you need to begin searching for companies that “tick all the boxes.” You are allowed to rethink your career options. You can make a change. But the transition and the next steps are hard.
We’ve put together some helpful tips to help you along your way.
The first thing to think about is what you do. Before deciding on a career shift that could leave you in the same situation in 18 months, you need to ask critical questions. You also need to come up with a career strategy that will get you the results you want. This will take time and work. And it definitely won’t happen overnight.
Your thinking reveals that you do need a change. Before making the leap to another company, talk to your manager and find out if you can explore a different work and office set up. You may find that a hybrid working solution, more (or less) responsibilities, and flexible hours are all you need to make work more enjoyable.
When last did you take a break and go on holiday? Without your laptop or answering work emails by the pool? A step away and break could be all you mind needs to recharge and feel rejuvenated about your job again.
Alison’s Personality Test enables you to realise your career dreams by providing you with an extremely accurate report of who you are and why you do things the way you do.
If you’ve found that the career you should be in doesn’t match with where you are, you can upskill yourself in preparation for your new career. Refresh your skills, learn a new language, or learn something completely new. Alison has over 400+ courses across a variety of subjects that you learn for free. This newfound knowledge will come in handy when applying for new jobs.
This is an often-overlooked area in our careers. We maintain a small circle of professional friends and acquaintances, often in similar industries and influence our decisions. Having a mentor will challenge you, give you critical feedback and encouragement. Mentors can also help you expand your professional network and provide you with leads and recommendations about what steps you can take.
An interview is your sales pitch. You are selling your skills, values, and experience to potential employers. it’s essential therefore that you have a resume to match. Your Alison profile is a great tool that you can share on social platforms and with employers that tell people who you are. Your profile can serve as your personal brand. Think about who you are, what you’re selling and make sure your resume and profile reflects this.
Set some goals. What do you want to do or achieve, where do you want to go career-wise, how do you plan on getting there, and what tools do you need to ensure you reach your goals? Break these down into weekly, monthly, and even yearly goals. Place them where you can see them often to help you keep track of how you’re doing and a steady reminder to change track if one is achieved or perhaps not working.
Whether you choose to stay or go, know that nothing is ever set in stone. You don’t have to stay in a work environment that is toxic. And neither should you feel obligated to stay to “fix” what doesn’t work in the office or hope for changes when no efforts are being made toward it. Only you can decide what works for you. And when you’re ready, make the leap. You can have the career of your dreams.
You know the scene: You’re at a holiday gathering with relatives you haven’t seen in a while, or you’re accompanying your partner to their work happy hour, or you’re just sitting quietly at a dinner party, and someone asks you what you do for a living. If you work in tech, your answer might be long-winded.
Telling your in-laws or your 3-year-old nephew that you’re a Back-End Engineer probably doesn’t convey what it is you actually do all day — job titles rarely paint a full picture of someone’s career and work life. But instead of rolling your eyes or dismissing your well-meaning friends and family members for not “getting it,” why not take the opportunity to share what it’s like to work in tech and why you’re passionate about it?
Translating your highly technical career into a digestible sound bite is tricky, especially when you’re put on the spot in a social setting. To help you field these (very reasonable) types of questions, we asked Codecademy team members how they explain coding and their tech jobs to non-technical people in their lives. Read their responses and consider trying them out this holiday season. Who knows? Your thoughtful answer might inspire someone to learn to code who never considered it before.
“Code is writing instructions for a computer to follow in a language that it understands. Since I do web development, I write mostly JavaScript or TypeScript. When you go to a website that I’ve written code for, your browser asks a server for the site content. Some of the code I write is instructions for that server to get the right content and send it back to your browser, and some of the code is instructions that run in your browser to make the website display correctly and be interactive.” – John Rood, Senior Software Engineer
“Think of coding as tools in a tool box, different languages are used for different situations.” – Adam Herman, Curriculum Program Manager
“Programming is how we teach computers what to do, how to do it, and when to do it.” – Fede Garcia Lorca, Community Manager
“I happened to be showing my kids some Kodable videos where they explained variables and loops in a kid-friendly way. Then, I said, ‘That’s what I do at work!’ And they go, ‘You program?!’” – Julie, Software Engineer
“As a Data Scientist, I tell my parents, ‘They pay me to do math.’ To be honest, I don’t think it’s a helpful answer.” – Brit, Senior Data Scientist
“Data science is like cooking a special holiday recipe, asking your family how it tastes, and then adjusting the recipe for next year based on what they say. You’ve collected data, cleaned it (ignoring, for example, that one cousin who always gives joke answers and asked for more M&Ms in the soup), and figured out what actions the data indicates.” – Ada Morse, Curriculum Developer, Data Science
“We can use data on past experiences to have an idea of how likely something is. The more good data and context we have, the better we can predict things. Computers can do the same thing. The more computing power something has, the more info it can take in to make predictions. At the end of the day, there’s no magic… just statistics and really powerful computers.” – Eva Sibinga, Curriculum Developer, Data Science
“I basically talk about project management for, like, a construction company, so it’s a bit more tangible. Then I replace the physical items with the digital items and explain how it’s similar. The crux is: I’m responsible for making sure projects are planned, resourced, and completed on time and on budget, while also putting out fires along the way.” – Megan McCoy, Curriculum Project Manager
Hopefully these responses will help you demystify coding to your loved ones, so they can better understand what you do and why. Tech can be intimidating, and there’s no question too basic to ask. Even people who’ve worked in tech for years might not understand the scope of their teammates’ roles — which is all the more reason to ask.
You can read all about the unique and rewarding careers you can have in tech, the coding skills you need to break into the business, and more on the Codecademy blog. And if someone you chat with this holiday season is interested in learning how to code, or pursuing a career in tech, be sure to suggest signing up for a Codecademy account! We have lots of beginner-friendly Codecademy courses, career paths, and tutorials that will help answer their pressing questions.
