The Legit Baines Blog

  Cuthbert Baines Is Finally Ready Willing and Able to Relocate   🚚🚚🚚 For many new graduates in computing, software engineering, or data analytics, the moment of graduation is both exciting and intimidating. The world of technology offers enormous opportunity, but it also demands flexibility, persistence, and sometimes a willingness to go where the opportunities are. Increasingly, graduates are discovering that relocation can be one of the most powerful ways to accelerate the start of a career in the IT sector. Being open to moving cities can expose young professionals to larger job markets, stronger industry clusters, and networks of companies actively searching for new talent. 💪💪💪 One of the greatest advantages of relocating as a new IT graduate is simple economics: bigger technology hubs naturally contain more companies, more vacancies, and more specialisations. Digital technology employment across the UK has grown rapidly in recent years, with tech jobs expanding r...

 Reintroducing Cuthbert Baines For New People In His Network As a recent IT graduate I'm new to the IT industry so I don't have the kinds of professional connections I need to be given a head-start, I'm one of the many new IT graduates applying for the relatively few  graduate jobs out there.  I am prioritising my personal and professional development right now.  I wish I had gone to University 20 years ago but for reasons outside my control I was written off at 16 so I missed out.  I don't give up easily up so I finally went to Hallam University when I was 35 and got a 2.1 in computing in 2025, now I'm willing to go the extra mile and do what needs to be done to make up for lost time!  I had to get a job when I was 18 so I've got the professionalism, life experience and wisdom of a (late) 30-something who's worked his entire adult life combined with the youthful intellectual energy of an explorer and a pioneer new to the IT sector with his own fresh innov...

 Becoming an IT Graduate as a Mature Student: The Reality No One Talks About Going to university as a mature student was one of the hardest and most rewarding things I’ve ever done. Studying IT later in life meant juggling responsibilities, self-doubt, and the pressure of starting again in a completely new industry. Graduating felt like a huge achievement. But stepping into the job market as a new IT graduate who isn’t new to work at all came with its own set of challenges. What I quickly realised is that breaking into IT as a mature graduate isn’t just about technical skills. It’s about confidence, reframing experience, and learning how to tell your story in a way employers understand. Sheffield Hallam University Challenging the Assumptions of Employers and Recruiters One of the first hurdles I encountered was assumption. There’s a quiet expectation in some recruitment processes that a “graduate” is young, fresh out of university, and at the very start of their working life. ...

  My Multi-project Method I have developed a method for dealing with procrastination and I have named it “My Multi-project Method”.   🕐🕑🕒🕓🕔🕕🕖🕗🕘🕙🕚 I procrastinate on a project by working on a different project.  I will always do what needs to be done in time but if I’m leaving a task to the last possible moment then I may as make that time productive by working on one of my other projects.  If I’m avoiding my emails I’ll procrastinate on that task by updating my CV.  Whenever I’m working on my githubpages.io site I’ll make progress for a while before I hit a wall so instead of doing no work at all I’ll step back from that project to work on one of my Python based projects instead.  Sometimes stepping back from a project for a few days or even a week can give me a better perspective on it when I get back into working on it. 📤📥📤📥📠📟📡💾💽💻💻💻💻💻💻 My current projects include: Working with PostgreSQL Databases. My Python based imperial u...

 💻💻💻 Staying health- and safety-aware can be surprisingly difficult when your job keeps you glued to a screen, focused on reports, dashboards, and deadlines. These simple but effective tips will help you protect your wellbeing while maintaining productivity. 1. Prioritize Proper Desk Ergonomics 💺💺💺 Set up your chair, monitor, and keyboard so your body stays in a neutral, supported position—this reduces strain on your neck, shoulders, and back. 2. Follow the 20-20-20 Rule for Eye Health Every 20 minutes, look at something 20 feet away for 20 seconds to reduce eye strain from extended screen time. 3. Take Scheduled Micro-Breaks Short, regular breaks improve your comfort and concentration—set reminders to stand, stretch, or walk for a minute or two. 4. Keep Your Workspace Clutter-Free A tidy area prevents trip hazards, spilled drinks on electronics, and the stress that comes from a chaotic environment. 5. Stay Hydrated Throughout the Day Drinking enough water keeps yo...

  Test Yourself then Check Yourself Pushing myself to grow has always been at the heart of my journey through the world of IT, computing, and data analytics. These fields evolve at lightning speed, and I’ve learned that staying still is the fastest way to fall behind. Whether it’s a new programming concept, a data modeling technique, or a tool I’ve never touched before, I’m constantly seeking out ways to stretch my abilities. But with that drive comes a responsibility to recognize when I’m approaching my limits. The tech world can be intense, and curiosity can quickly turn into overload if I’m not careful. Early on, I realized that challenging myself doesn’t mean pushing to exhaustion—it means being intentional about growth, not reckless. 🙏🙏🙏 One of the biggest influences on how I manage that balance came from an extracurricular course I once took: “Connecting with Yourself on a Spiritual Level.” It might sound far removed from coding or data analytics, but the meditation te...

🧭 1. Workplace Health & Safety Assessment Purpose  👍 To identify workplace hazards, evaluate associated risks, and plan control measures to maintain a safe and healthy environment for all employees — even in a primarily office or remote data analytics setting. Step 1: Identify Hazards For a data analytics start-up, typical hazards include: Category Examples of Hazards Potential Impact Physical Environment Poor lighting, trip hazards from cables, ergonomic issues Eye strain, back/neck pain, falls Equipment & Electrical Overloaded sockets, faulty devices, overheating laptops Electrical fires, equipment damage Workstation Setup Poor chair posture, screen height Musculoskeletal disorders Psychosocial Workload stress, long screen time, isolation (remote workers) Burnout, reduced mental well-being Fire Safety Inaccessible exits, lack of fire extinguisher Injury, property damage Health & Hygiene Poor ventilation, inadequate first ai...