From Classroom to Career: Insights from Creative Technologist Robert Spier

Today's session features Robert Spier, a Creative Technologist from Deloitte's Digital Factory team. Robert, who once walked the halls as a student here, now coordinates tech initiatives and engages in front-end development. In his talk, he shares valuable insights about his journey, his role, and what it takes to succeed in the tech industry.

A Day in the Life of a Creative Technologist

Robert describes his role as a "digital superhero," blending front-end development with research in emerging technologies. He conducts qualitative research with users, identifies and manages stakeholders, and devises creative solutions for complex problems. Automation is a key passion for him, aiming to streamline processes wherever possible.

His tech stack includes HTML, CSS (Sass), and JavaScript, with a strong reliance on Vite and SvelteKit. While he occasionally uses Angular, .NET, Node.js, and Azure, he thrives on creating magical solutions using various REST APIs and npm modules. He prefers working in terminal but appreciates the clean interface of VSCode and GitHub Desktop.

Engaging with the Audience

His presentation isn’t just about him, he’s keen to learn about his audience. He posed questions to us students, encouraging us to envision their future careers. Do we aspire to be creative developers? Would we prefer working in a design agency, startup, webshop, as freelancers, or in a corporate setting? He emphasizes that CMD offers a broad foundation to achieve any of these career paths.

Alumni Success Stories

He shared some examples of alumni to highlight various career trajectories:

• Alumni 1 (2022): Working in detachment at Energy, using Angular and Tailwind, earning €3000/month.
• Alumni 2 (2023): Completed a traineeship in Finance, using Vue and Bootstrap, earning €2900/month.
• Alumni 3 (2017): Freelancing in Bali for a design studio, using React/Next and Sanity, earning €80/hour or €2100/month.
• Alumni 4 (2023): Employed at a full-service agency, using SvelteKit and Vite, earning €2600/month.

Navigating the Job Market

Robert emphasizes the importance of staying informed and adaptable to changes in the job market. Factors such as inflation, evolving job roles, flexibility, and workplace culture all influence career choices. He advises students to:

• Learn fundamentals: A strong foundation is crucial.
• Remain curious: Always seek new knowledge and experiences.
• Stay informed: Keep up with industry trends and changes.
• Enjoy discovering: Find joy in learning and exploring new technologies.
• Exploring different types of employers

He further outlined various employer types, each with unique advantages and disadvantages such as:

• Freelancing
• Traineeships
• Detachment
• Design Studios
• Full-Service Agencies
• In-House Services

He also acknowledges that some may choose to continue studying or pursue completely different paths.

The Technology Stack

Robert discusses his favorite programming languages, emphasizing the importance of mastering the basics to learn new technologies quickly. While he prefers not to work with React or Next, he encouraged us to explore and find their own preferences. Popular languages and frameworks include NodeJS, React, jQuery, Express, Angular, and Vue.

Understanding Compensation

Robert addresses the topic of salary, stressing the need to balance money with benefits. Key considerations include:

• Money vs. Benefits: Travel reimbursement, vacation money, pension, development budget, bonuses, profit sharing, stock options, flexible budgets, and a car.
• Bruto vs. Netto: Gross versus net income.
• Fulltime vs. Parttime: Different work arrangements.

He advises discussing salary expectations with peers, using the internet for research, and calculating monthly costs to determine a fair salary.

The Importance of Workplace Culture

Beyond salary, Robert highlights the significance of workplace culture. Factors like early leave on Fridays, awesome colleagues, fun outings, proximity to home, and project autonomy contribute to job satisfaction. However, these perks should not replace fair compensation and realistic job expectations.

Too long, didn't read + final thoughts

So the lecture concludes with key takeaways for us students:

Discuss the benefits: Engage in conversations with classmates. Do your own research: Stay informed and proactive. Say no when necessary: It’s okay to reject offers that don't meet your expectations. Find joy in your job: Ensure the job aligns with your passions and makes you feel recognized.

Robert encourages students to build their own projects and learn by doing. Networking is crucial; meeting people, reaching out, and developing soft skills can open doors even without a portfolio. His parting advice: "You already have a 'no,' why not ask for a 'yes'?"

Embark on your journey with confidence, stay curious, and never stop learning. The tech world is vast and full of opportunities waiting for you to explore.