Generative AI is reshaping how developers and data analysts learn and grow in their careers. In this episode of Stories from the Hackery, we sit down with Pemberton Heath, a software engineer and graduate from Nashville Software School's (NSS) Software Engineering program, Cohort SE2, and Rob Schulteis, a BI developer and graduate from the Data Analytics bootcamp, Cohort DA6, to explore their firsthand experiences with generative AI and how it's impacting their professional journeys.
For Pemberton, asking questions to generative AI as if it was a human mentor has become an integral part of her daily routine. Reflecting on her journey, she notes, "I feel incredibly lucky to have come into this profession when this tool was available. I basically feel like I have a senior developer with an abundance of experience and truly infinite patience who's sitting next to me."
Generative AI has proven to be a useful learning tool for both of them, but it does have limits with code generation. Rob highlights, "It is incredibly good at fundamental code, but the more complex it gets, the more it starts to deviate." Having a strong foundation in coding is essential to, first, break down a problem in an existing codebase so that generative AI can be useful and, second, to be able to find errors in what it generates.
Pemberton stresses the importance of using generative AI as a supplement rather than a substitute for learning, “If you lean on generative AI before you understand code…you're kind of always confused.”
Rob, a lead instructor for our part-time data analytics program (in addition to his full-time job), is particularly mindful of balancing generative AI use with foundational learning. “[Understanding things at a fundamental level] is the most crucial thing for going out into the world [of coding]. Because no matter how complex the code base is, how complex our data structures are, when something's broken it comes down to fundamentals…99 percent of the time. I think [learning the fundamentals] without ChatGPT generating the code for you and allowing yourself to make mistakes is huge,” Rob affirms. We often learn the most through our mistakes.
As Pemberton and Rob discuss, the true value of generative AI lies in how it's harnessed. By leveraging generative AI as a learning tool to gain a deeper understanding of foundational coding concepts over quick solutions, it can speed up career growth. Don’t miss their full conversation below.
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00:00 Introduction to Stories from the Hackery
00:33 Meet our Guests: Pemberton Heath and Rob Schulteis
02:23 Pemberton Heath's Journey to Full Stack Development
06:39 Rob Schulteis' Path from the Music Industry to Data Analytics
14:00 Using Generative AI Tools for Learning
33:21 Prompt Engineering and Effective Generative AI Use
38:25 Adding A Human Touch & Generative AI's Infinite Patience
42:00 A Tool To Fight Imposter Syndrome
43:45 Using Generative AI to Write Code
47:18 Challenges of Generative AI in Learning Environments
51:06 Understanding Codebases with Generative AI
58:52 The Evolving Role of Developers
01:05:04 Integrating Generative AI in Education
01:18:36 Final Thoughts
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