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Read the latest insights from Northcoders on coding and the tech industry.
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Why now is the time to get into AI engineering

AI is here, and it’s changing the way things work faster than most of us expected. If you’ve been sitting on the fence wondering whether it’s worth learning AI engineering and data skills, this is your sign to stop waiting. We’re at a decisive point If you’re interested in how AI is developing, you might…

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5 Beginner Python Projects You Can Build in a Weekend

You’ve made it through the basics of Python, know your for loops from your while loops, and have a sense of what a function does. How about taking the next step and building something? Tackling a Python project is the best way to progress. You’ll learn a lot by getting your hands dirty, breaking things,…

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Understanding AI: What are RAG, Embeddings, and Vector Databases?

If you’ve spent any time learning about AI, you’ve probably come across the terms RAG, embeddings, and vector databases. These three technologies are closely connected, and understanding how they work together gives you a useful foundation for understanding how modern AI applications can work with information beyond an LLM’s original training data. In this guide,…

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Vibe Coding: Useful Trend or Dangerous Shortcut for Beginners?

If you’re interested in code, you’ll likely have heard the term vibe coding, and maybe even tried it yourself. Vibe coding is building software by describing what you want to an AI tool and letting it write the code for you, tweaking your prompts until the “vibe” feels right, rather than writing every line yourself.…

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How Python Can Help You Change Careers Into Tech

If you’re considering a move into tech, you don’t need a computer science degree, a decade of experience, or a secret talent for maths. What you need is a good starting point, and in most cases that will be Python. Why Python, specifically? There are a lot of programming languages out there, but here’s why…

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What Employers Look For in Junior Data Engineers

Breaking into data engineering can feel like a chicken-and-egg problem: every job advert wants experience, but how do you get experience without a job? The good news is that employers hiring junior data engineers aren’t expecting you to walk in with five years under your belt. What they do look for is proof that you…

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Is Data Engineering Still Worth It in the Age of AI?

If you’re considering a career move into tech, it’s important to understand the impact of AI and LLMs (Large Language Models, the tech behind tools like ChatGPT). AI is now everywhere. ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini… It feels like a new model launches every week, with new features. But something we often don’t stop to think about…

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Do You Need a Degree to Become a Data Engineer in 2026?

Data engineering is one of the fastest-growing careers in tech. Every company that uses data needs people who can collect it, clean it up, and build the pipelines that move it around. If you’re interested in Data Engineering as a career, but put off by the idea of years of university lectures, here’s some good…

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Woman at laptop, thinking
Woman at laptop, thinking

How Coding Bootcamps Teach Python Differently Than Self-Study

Python is one of the most popular programming languages in the world. It’s used in web development, data science, automation, artificial intelligence, and many other areas. Because of its simple syntax and beginner-friendly design, many people choose to learn Python as their first coding language. While self-study can be a great way to get started, a…

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Programmer coding with a monitor and an open laptop side by side
Programmer coding with a monitor and an open laptop side by side

Getting Started with AI: Why Python Should Be Your First Choice

If you’re interested in a career in tech and AI, one of your first questions is likely to be: which programming language should I start with? With the growth of AI, finding a language that works well with it is now a key criteria for many people. If you’re looking for a strong coding language…

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Common Python Errors Beginners Make (and How to Fix Them)

If you’re getting into the world of programming, Python is often recommended for beginners because it is easier to read and write than many other programming languages.  But of course, everyone still makes mistakes when they are learning. Errors are a normal part of coding, and every programmer, from beginners to professionals, encounters them. Some…

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Neural Networks & Data Engineering: A Beginner’s Guide

Artificial intelligence can feel like one of those topics everyone talks about but few people fully understand. Terms like ‘machine learning,’ ‘deep learning,’ and ‘neural networks’ are everywhere. It can seem tricky to learn what they mean in a more technical sense, but understanding them is important if you’re interested in getting into software development…

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