Caissa Recruitment recently hosted a Go Breakfast for HR Professionals. This is the first of our series of tech learning events for HR professionals in an effort to share knowledge across the community. Our event brought together three international experts in Go, pooling their knowledge and experiences for a presentation that gave vital insight into this efficient, effective, and increasingly popular development language.
Golang: What to Know & Drawbacks
- Simple, readable code
- Affordable development environment
- Similiar to other C-style languages
- Flexible & customizable interview
- Drawbacks: narrower knowledgebase
A Very Big Thank You to Our Collaborators
The event was a massive success thanks to all who attended, and in particular, our awesome panel who's combined knowledge rewarded us with a treasure trove of valuable information integral to anyone hiring Go developers or considering moving towards Go development.
Lessons Learned from Go Professionals
There were many key takeaways, but some key learnings are worth mentioning.
Simple, Readable Code
Firstly, Go is a programming language designed to make writing simple, readable code straightforward, benefitting from countless parallels to a broad range of applications. With simplicity and efficiency at its core, Go is clean to code and interpret with a basic structure involving 25-functions. This makes it equally easy to learn, a leading, motivating factor for developers.
Affordable Development Environment
Secondly, Go is affordable to run, standing as one of the cheapest development environments available. Coders from other platforms can take immediate advantage of the simplified environment, facilitating rapid development times across a massive scope of potential applications. Compiling time is also far faster than on platforms based on C++ or Java.
The Similarity to Popular Languages
Next, a significant motivating aspect for at least one of our experts, and a common reason for many developers choosing Go, is its similarity to other mainstream programming languages. It's actually extremely close to C-style languages, which means that developers proficient in C++ or C# will find it really easy to learn. Most programmers will be able to pick up Go and master it within just a few months.
Flexible Customizable Interface
Fourthly, Go has an interface and display that's highly customizable. GoFMT formats your code so that it only displays in one, single correct way. There are no aesthetic differences to disagree about. If you aren't completely comfortable with the way that your code is displayed, you're free to change anything that doesn't affect the semantic foundation to your code. There is no simpler nor more flexible foundational technology available to handle a range of challenges.
Go Considers & Criticisms
There are, of course, also a few Go considerations & criticisms. One of the largest criticisms of Go is its suitability for project managers arriving with experience in other languages. Those who aren't technically inclined and knowledgeable in Go often encounter definite hurdles navigating and overseeing the responsibilities and workflow of a team of coders. Despite the prevailing similarities, Go is its own platform, which management will need to grow accustomed to. Fortunately, the simplistic design & quick, easy learning-curve make onboarding and training a short exercise for most.
Code Specific Issue Resolution
A second issue encountered is how Go doesn't offer generic solutions but rather requires one to generate specific code to specified problems. The relative newness of Go also translates to a narrower knowledgebase. Instead of being able to find code-based solutions to many commonly encountered problems through a simple Google search, developers will need to solve their own hurdles and develop custom code. However, you can't forget that Go does come with a smart standard library that gives simple single-line code for a range of tasks, which makes complicated tasks infinitely easier.
Switch to Go and Jumpstart Your Career
In summary, Go is going places, and quickly. To learn more about this cutting-edge advancement in programming, join more Go events, workshops, and discussions. Berlin's Go community has its own user group, and numerous companies are using the platform already. All the info and first-hand testimonies are out there for those who want to step forward and connect to open up a whole new world of development and staffing opportunities. Caissa Recruitment and a wealth of talent are there to support your journey through this exciting expanding avenue of software & technology.
