The Scrimba Podcast

Meet Chris Webster 🇬🇧! Chris is a full-stack developer based in Reading. In a past life, he taught Mandarin to both children and adults and obtained a master's degree in education. If you're guessing that this episode is about pedagogy, maintaining your mindset, and learning hacks, you're on the right track.

When Chris decided to switch careers, he enrolled in a premium London boot camp. Was it worth the money? Or the time? In this episode, Chris lays out the differences between a boot camp and learning to code by yourself online. He ended up on Scrimba afterward—sometimes even while at work at his first coding job—which helped him land his dream job. But that wasn't the only thing! It's the perseverance, strategies for successful adult learning, and knowing what to look for in the myriad of teaching methods available to us that paved Chris's path to success. In this podcast, you'll learn all about them!

🔗 Connect with Chris

• 👨‍💼 Linkedin

⏰ Timestamps

• How Chris discovered computers (but became a teacher and only later took up coding) (01:09)
• Was changing careers an easy decision? (03:57)
• What do bootcamps promise, and do they deliver? (06:32)
• How did Chris structure his learning? (06:46)
• Was Chris happy with what he got out of the bootcamp? (08:36)
• Did the marketing of the bootcamp match the actual offering? (10:41)
• Midroll with Jan the Producer: Tweet about us! (12:31)
• The appeal of a bootcamp: the path + the community (13:27)
• How Chris discovered Scrimba (14:34)
• The problem with many teachers nowadays (17:40)
• Chris's Number One Learning Hack (19:20)
• Don't keep hammering the problem (23:18)
• The system for problem-solving (25:52)
• The stigma of (not) working hard enough (27:18)
• Pomodoro technique vs being in the zone: there's a right time for both (29:30)
• How Chris found his first job (31:34)
• What's it like working for a consultancy (32:38)
• How Chris landed his dream job as his second job (34:33)
• Chris's LinkedIn strategy (36:37)
• Just be enthusiastic! (37:49)
• Chris's message to a recruiter on LinkedIn (38:35)

🧰 Resources Mentioned

• Learn React for Free! 
• Book: Thinking, Fast and Slow by Daniel Kahneman
• Book: How to Solve It by George Polya

⭐️ Leave a Review

If you enjoyed this episode, please leave a 5-star review here and tell us who you want to see on the next podcast.
You can also Tweet Alex from Scrimba at @bookercodes and tell them what lessons you learned from the episode so that he can thank you personally for tuning in 🙏 Or tell Jan he's butchered your name here.

Meet Dev Agrawal 🇮🇳🇺🇸! With a name like that, how could he not become a developer? He's a software developer, developer advocate, and content creator. Moreover, he's a React expert deeply ingrained in the React community. That's why we invited him onto the show to shed light on the current state of affairs!

You've probably noticed certain discontent surrounding React recently. A basic React app has become significantly more complex. It has been quite some time since there has been a significant update to React, with the recent ones relying heavily on meta-frameworks. And what about the React core team? What's happening there?

All of this might sound disheartening. However, we're delving into whether these concerns hold true in this episode. Let's find out together!

🔗 Connect with Dev

• 👨‍💼 Linkedin
• 🌐 Website
• 🐦 Twitter

⏰ Timestamps

• How Dev became a dev (01:34)
• Teamwork is a skill you can learn! (07:06)
• Should you go to college or learn to code by yourself? (09:10)
• Studying coding can be a "choose your own adventure" game (11:04)
• Community break with Jan the Producer (12:42)
• How Dev landed his first role in tech (14:28)
• Disappointment with React: what's that about? (15:42)
• What are meta-frameworks, and why are they gaining traction? (18:55)
• React was originally all about the front end... And now? (20:55)
• GraphQL and React Server components (22:23)
• Pete Hunt, Rethinking Best Practices, and separation of concerns (23:09)
• History is repeating itself (24:24)
• The most common problem with server components (25:34)
• The battle of the frameworks (26:10)
• Is Next.JS in an advantageous position? (28:08)
• Most people nowadays are using Vue! (34:13)
• Should you have FOMO about server components? (36:37)

🧰 Resources Mentioned

• Niche Down to Blow Up: Scrimba Student Leo Reveals How to Land an Awesome First Dev Job

Meet Parul Singh 🇬🇧! Parul is a Tech Careers & Neurodiversity Consultant, ADHD advocate, board member at Manchester Tech Festival, Public Speaker, and a former recruitment marketing partner and tech recruiter. If you're familiar with the topic of neurodiversity in tech, you've probably come across her name. In this episode, we're speaking with Parul because her advice on how to stand out and land a role in tech is anything but ordinary. 

This episode contains refreshingly unique and honest insights and perspectives on hiring in tech, along with some new job platforms you can use to inspire or recharge your developer job search. Everybody's on LinkedIn, and that can be a blessing and a curse! In this episode, you'll learn about the best alternatives. Standing out as a junior developer can be challenging, but we'll discuss some ideas on how you can do it. What should your CV look like? Do you need a cover letter? To wrap things up, we'll learn from Parul why some recruiters don't advertise the salary range and what you can do when you see a job ad like that!

Plus: Why should tech recruiters know how to code, and is JavaScript more similar to a ham or a hamster?

🔗 Connect with Parul

• 👨‍💼 Linkedin
• 🌐 Linktree
• 🐦 Twitter

⏰ Timestamps

• How Parul became a tech recruiter (01:19)
• Java vs. JavaScript (03:18)
• How Parul learned to code (03:34)
• Why it's important to find a coding instructor and method you vibe with (05:35)
• Why tech recruiters should know how to code (06:36)
• Community break with Jan the Producer (08:42)
• How can a developer be recognized by a recruiter (10:08)
• Job platforms other than LinkedIn (11:12)
• Make sure your profile is up to scratch (12:08)
• Who swipes right? (12:49)
• How to stand out as an entry-level candidate: your CV (15:01)
• Send your CV using normal methods, but THEN follow up directly (17:40)
• Do recruiters really only spend a few seconds on each resume? (18:38)
• Is sending a cover letter necessary? (20:21)
• Should you apply on the weekends? (22:10)
• What should you do if you're applying for a job that doesn't list the salary? (23:07)
• Why we need to be good negotiators (26:23)
• We need empathy (32:59)

🧰 Resources Mentioned

• https://hackajob.com/
• https://cord.co/
• https://www.haystackapp.io/
• https://otta.com/
• https://wellfound.com/
• https://hired.com/

⭐️ Leave a Review

If you enjoyed this episode, please leave a 5-star review here and tell us who you want to see on the next podcast.
You can also Tweet Alex from Scrimba at @bookercodes and tell them what lessons you learned from the episode so that he can thank you personally for tuning in 🙏 Or tell Jan he's butchered your name here.

Meet Shawn Wang (Swyx) 🇺🇸! Swyx is a developer, writer, and startup advisor. If you listen to our show regularly, you know him as the biggest advocate for learning in public! Today, he's the founder of smol.ai and a podcast host and teacher at Latent Space. Last summer, Swyx wrote a blog post titled The Rise of the AI Engineer, which quickly went viral.

In this episode, Swyx will revisit that blog post to see if anything changed. You will learn why AI engineers are a thing, the differences between AI and ML engineers, and why the demand for this specialization is larger than the supply. Swyx also reveals what defines an industry (and why it's not only about tools) and gives many good examples of successful products made using existing foundation models. Swyx and Alex also talk about the inner workings of AI and whether it's a good idea to run AI models on your own hardware.

🔗 Connect with Swyx

• 👨‍💼 Linkedin
• 🌐 Website
• 🌐 smol.ai
• 🏫Latent Space

⏰ Timestamps

• Swyx wrote a blog post about The Rise of the AI Engineer, and it went viral (02:32)
• The three-stage progression of an AI engineer (04:33)
• Can an AI agent become a CTO? (05:36)
• We can become AI engineers now. What changed? (07:50)
• We didn't invent AI foundation models; we discovered them (11:27)
• Are we evolving new intelligence? (14:20)
• AI researchers vs AI engineers (15:36)
• Why is AI engineering a specialization? (17:04)
• What's an inference API (20:50)
• What are weights (21:09)
• There's a lot of interest in small AI foundation models (24:27)
• Should you use the cloud or run your AI models locally? (25:37)
• Is there a demand for AI engineers? (27:26)
• What AI products do companies want to build? (29:40)
• Updated career advice for new developers (34:51)

🧰 Resources Mentioned

• The Coding Career Handbook by Swyx (30% discount applied when you use this link)

Meet Adam Broda 🇺🇸! Adam is a tech lead and career coach who helps career changers break into tech. He did the same - after a decade of working in aerospace engineering at Boeing, Adam now works at Amazon! Through his coaching business, Broda Coaching, Adam aids career transitioners in constructing personalized job search strategies.

In this episode, Adam unveils the four pillars of his framework: identifying your passions, skills, desired environment, and needed compensation. Alex and Adam also delve into the current state of the job market: have we moved beyond significant tech layoffs, are return-to-office policies contributing to attrition, and what implications do these factors have for software development jobs? Adam will also tech you about different phases of networking—short-term networking, advocacy networking, and engagement networking—detailing how to navigate each of them and which one is most effective.

🔗 Connect with Adam

• 👨‍💼 Linkedin
• 🌐 Website

⏰ Timestamps

• How Adam transitioned into IT (and became a career coach) after a long career in the aerospace industry (01:30)
• Adam's engineering background vs. his new roles (05:19)
• The tech industry changes frequently (08:32)
• How Broda Coaching came about (10:32)
• Fail fast! (14:22)
• The state of the tech job market (and should we be worried about layoffs (15:32)
• Why is there fewer junior roles? (18:12)
• Returning to the office forces attrition (19:41)
• Does social media give you a good overview of what's happening in the job market? (20:59)
• Before the pandemic, junior roles had a lower experience requirement (23:19)
• Adam's job-hunting strategy (23:51)
• Start with your why (25:14)
• Passions, skills, environment, and compensation (27:13)
• Is niching down limiting your opportunities? (28:02)
• Adam's three-phase networking approach (32:17)
• Demonstrate potential! (36:07)
• Go where you're passionate (39:50)

🧰 Resources Mentioned

• Broda Coaching

⭐️ Leave a Review

If you enjoyed this episode, please leave a 5-star review here and tell us who you want to see on the next podcast.
You can also Tweet Alex from Scrimba at @bookercodes and tell them what lessons you learned from the episode so that he can thank you personally for tuning in 🙏 Or tell Jan he's butchered your name here.

🎙 About the episode

Meet Cassie Lewis 🇺🇸! Cassie has a fine arts degree, which turned out to be too fancy for the real world. After working in different fields, from photography to retail, she got interested in coding - and it turned out to be just the right fit with how her mind works! Cassie is fueled by curiosity, creativity, and challenges. And learning to code alongside a day job was certainly a challenge.

Two years into her learning path, Cassie realized she had hit a wall. In an attempt to get unstuck, she joined the Scrimba bootcamp. She also challenged herself to read more non-fiction and embarked on a path toward effective living. In this episode, Cassie explains effective living and how it can make you a more effective coder, too! You'll hear how Cassie defeated burnout, how she approached learning, and how she - only nine months after joining the bootcamp - landed her first dev job. This is a story about setting goals, establishing systems, frictionless networking (even if you don't live in a tech hub), and keeping your plans realistic. But also: this is also a story of creativity and exploration!

🔗 Connect with Cassie

• 🧑‍💼 Linkedin
• 🌐 Website

⏰ Timestamps

• How Cassie went from a fine arts degree to retail to coding (01:24)
• How Cassie chose her careers and roles and basically created her last retail position (03:35)
• Cassie originally discovered coding through WordPress (05:11)
• Is coding similar to making art? (05:47)
• Learning to code was a gradual shift (06:53)
• Why you should maintain some balance while learning to code (08:39)
• How Cassie managed her self-confidence (10:03)
• Community break with Jan the Producer (10:59)
• Resources Cassie used to help with her mindset during her coding journey (13:39)
• What is effective living (15:39)
• What did Cassie do to put herself back on track when she slipped? (19:32)
• Cassie's systems (21:13)
• Identify the key pillars in your life (23:07)
• How Cassie landed her first developer job (26:50)
• You never know who can help you (28:07)
• How's Cassie's new job going after three months? (34:15)
• Getting paid to learn on the job (35:54)

🧰 Resources Mentioned

• Scrimba Bootcamp
• How Johnny Learned Angular and Typescript in Three Days
• Cooking Up a Career Change: Overcoming Burnout and Finding Your Why, with Scrimba Student Jimmy
• Essentialism
• Atomic Habits

⭐️ Leave a Review

If you enjoyed this episode, please leave a 5-star review here and tell us who you want to see on the next podcast.
You can also Tweet Alex from Scrimba at @bookercodes and tell them what lessons you learned from the episode so that he can thank you personally for tuning in 🙏 Or tell Jan he's butchered your name here.

🎙 About the episode

Meet Bob Ziroll 🇺🇸! Bob is Scrimba's Head of Education and one of the Internet's favorite React teachers. His latest course is on AI, but don't worry, there's React... I mean, ReAct in AI as well!

In the previous three episodes, we defined an AI engineer and demystified their tools. We explored foundation models and discussed how to personalize them through retrieval augmented generation and fine-tuning. We also delved into various use cases for incorporating AI models into your projects and explored why ChatGPT has brought a fundamental shift in how we perceive AI.

Today, Bob will guide us through the realm of AI agents, representing the future of automation. An AI agent is capable of perceiving its environment. What does that mean, and how can one create an AI agent? Also, will they eventually take over the world?

Bob will also give us actionable advice on how to stay ahead of the curve in the fast-changing world of AI models, and discuss his vision for the future of AI.

Bob's AI agents and automation course is part of Scrimba's brand-new AI path. Let's dive in!

This is the final episode of our series on AI engineering, introducing Scrimba's AI Engineer Path. This path is your gateway to unlocking the full potential of AI for your projects.

🔗 Connect with Bob

• 👨🏼‍💼 Linkedin
• 🐦 Twitter

⏰ Timestamps

• Nowadays, Bob teaches both React and AI (01:34)
• AI is moving even faster than the front end (02:16)
• What's new in the world of AI and coding (02:46)
• ChatGPT vs. the GPT foundation model (04:15)
• What is an AI agent (05:45)
• The Terminator! (09:33)
• We didn't invent AI; we discovered it (10:29)
• Midroll! (11:56)
• Prominent examples of AI agents today (12:35)
• Will AI agents replace people (15:25)
• Why you shouldn't fear nor ignore AI (18:12)
• Any predictions about AI are temporary and short-lived (21:36)
• How can you build your own AI agent? (24:34)
• React... and REact (31:26)
• Advice on how to stay up-to-date without getting totally overwhelmed (35:58)

🧰 Resources Mentioned

• The AI Engineer Path
• AgentGPT

⭐️ Leave a Review

If you enjoyed this episode, please leave a 5-star review here and tell us who you want to see on the next podcast.
You can also Tweet Alex from Scrimba at @bookercodes and tell them what lessons you learned from the episode so that he can thank you personally for tuning in 🙏 Or tell Jan he's butchered your name here.

🎙 About the episode

Meet Guil Hernandez 🇺🇸! He is a developer and educator with over 15 years of experience in tech. He's also a Scrimba teacher who is a part of the team bringing you the AI Engineer Path, and in this episode, he's helping us understand retrieval-augmented generation.

In the previous episode, Tom Chant helped us understand the world of AI models. Today, Guil will further teach us how these models work under the hood. AI models don't understand the world like we do. When we interact with them, they turn our inputs into mathematical representations known as embeddings. By creating our own embeddings, we can teach AI to do what we want it to.

Today, we're getting an introduction about making a model aware of your own data source so that that data can be considered for the AI output. For example, using the techniques you'll learn from Guil in this episode, you could connect a model to your customer support conversations so that the model knows what is necessary to answer unique questions about your (or your client's) business.

This is the third episode of our series on AI engineering, introducing Scrimba's AI Engineer Path. This path is your gateway to unlocking the full potential of AI for your projects.

🔗 Connect with Guil

• 🐦 Twitter
• 🌐  Website
• 👩‍🚀 Github

⏰ Timestamps

• Guil focuses on RAG and embeddings (01:42)
• RAG makes a foundation model aware of your data (03:14)
• Spotify has been using RAG since 2014 (05:56)
• How embedding works: embedding model + vector database + generative model (09:00)
• You're enhancing content retrieved from a database with a generative model (10:26)
• A foundation model can't just understand text (10:34)
• What's a vector database? (12:35)
• Can we make an AI chatbot for the Scrimba podcast? (15:05)
• You can chunk the files directly at OpenAI now! (16:49)
• OpenAI's Assistants API (17:33)
• AI is evolving quickly (19:07)
• Assistants API does RAG (19:55)
• What is fine-tuning? (20:39)
• Differences between RAG and fine-tuning (21:14)
• Community break with Jan the Producer (23:58)

🧰 Resources Mentioned

• The AI Engineer Path
• Learn Embeddings and Vector Databases
• Scrimba Podcast with Saron Yitbarek

⭐️ Leave a Review

If you enjoyed this episode, please leave a 5-star review here and tell us who you want to see on the next podcast.
You can also Tweet Alex from Scrimba at @bookercodes and tell them what lessons you learned from the episode so that he can thank you personally for tuning in 🙏 Or tell Jan he's butchered your name here.

Meet Tom Chant 🇬🇧! Tom is a Scrimba instructor who is a part of our in-house team that brought you a brand new career path available on Scrimba.com - the AI engineer Path.

In this episode, we're diving into the world of AI foundation models: what are they, how do they work, and how can you use them to build front-end applications that you, until recently, couldn't even think of unless you were a big company with loads of resources.

AI is fundamentally changing the features and user experience of front-end applications. In this episode, you'll learn how to use different foundation models out there (so, not just OpenAI) for your own projects.

This is the second episode of our series on AI engineering, introducing Scrimba's AI Engineer Path. This path is your gateway to unlocking the full potential of AI for your projects.

🔗 Connect with Tom

• 👩‍💼 Linkedin
• 🐦 Twitter

⏰ Timestamps

• One year is a long time in AI (02:14)
• What are some of the recent applications of AI that have converted the skeptics? (04:06)
• Revenue-boosting usage of the new AI models (07:50)
• Is AI a revolutionary shift for developers? (13:03)
• What are foundation models (15:41)
• How do foundation models work? (18:12)
• Multi-modality of foundation models (20:04)
• What are the differences between different versions of GPT- 3.5, 4, 4 Turbo... (22:20)
• What's OpenAI Whisper? (25:49)
• HuggingFace and are alternatives to OpenAI (28:50)
• What to do if OpenAI goes down? (32:20)
• Why ChatGPT is slow... and running an AI model on your own hardware slower (35:35)
• What is fine-tuning? (38:01)
• What is RAG? (39:12)
• Using RAG can save you money (41:03)
• Scrimba's AI Engineer Path and Tom's course (43:46)
• Social Media Break with Jan the Producer (46:39)

🧰 Resources Mentioned

• The AI Engineer Path

⭐️ Leave a Review

If you enjoyed this episode, please leave a 5-star review here and tell us who you want to see on the next podcast.
You can also Tweet Alex from Scrimba at @bookercodes and tell them what lessons you learned from the episode so that he can thank you personally for tuning in 🙏 Or tell Jan he's butchered your name here.

🎙 About the episode

Meet Per Borgen 🇳🇴! Scrimba's co-founder and CEO returns to the show after more than two years. In this episode, Per and Alex delve into the emergence of a new breed of developer—the AI engineer.

What defines an AI engineer? What key skills set them apart? Is machine learning knowledge a prerequisite? Why did ChatGPT bring a paradigm shift in our interaction with AI? Dive into these topics, discover how to utilize and personalize existing AI models, and explore alternative options beyond OpenAI.

Since the Scrimba podcast always brings you practical advice, this episode is a guide to the AI engineer stack. Prepare to take notes as Per unravels the terminology and technology crucial for navigating the AI landscape as a developer.

This episode begins a five-part series on AI engineering, introducing Scrimba's AI Engineer Path.

🔗 Connect with Per

• 👨‍💼LinkedIn
• 🐦 Twitter

⏰ Timestamps

• Scrimba's launching its AI Engineer Path! 🎉 (03:11)
• Why an AI path is so critical at the moment (04:01)
• Why AI engineering is not just a fad (07:32)
• Community Break with Jan the Producer (10:41)
• Why ChatGPT brought a change in the way we perceive AI, and what's the difference between discriminative and generative AI (11:40)
• What's the difference between GPT and ChatGPT (15:50)
• What companies build AI tools for developers other than OpenAI? (21:50)
• Human + AI is still better than just AI (23:11)
• The context is the product (24:56)
• Tuning a foundation model - data are the secret sauce (28:53)
• What is an AI engineer (29:54)
• How is AI engineering different from prompt engineering? (31:20)
• How's an AI engineer different from a data scientist or a machine learning engineer (32:04)
• OpenAI vs open-source alternatives (34:11)
• Making sense of the AI engineering stack (36:26)
• HuggingFace has machine-learning models that can run in a browser! (39:15)
• What is RAG and how to perform it (39:59)
• What is LangChain (41:55)
• How's the AI path structured? (45:29)

🧰 Resources Mentioned

• The AI Engineer Path

⭐️ Leave a Review

If you enjoyed this episode, please leave a 5-star review here and tell us who you want to see on the next podcast.
You can also Tweet Alex from Scrimba at @bookercodes and tell them what lessons you learned from the episode so that he can thank you personally for tuning in 🙏 Or tell Jan he's butchered your name here.

🎙 About the episode

Meet Matt Ehrlich and Eric Winkelspecht 🇬🇧! They are the hosts of the Self-Taught Devs podcast. And, you guessed it, they are self-taught devs and career changers to boot. Matt was a park ranger, and Eric worked at an IT solutions company but didn't code. Today, they are a front-end developer and a full-stack developer, respectively, who met through LinkedIn and then decided to host a podcast!

In this episode, you will learn about their coding journeys, the resources they used, and why they decided to be self-taught. They talk about motivation and keeping yourself going, how to create structure, and what to do if you feel guilty when you take a break. If you're curious about what makes a successful self-taught dev, this episode is for you!

🔗 Connect with Matt and Eric

• 👨‍💼 Matt's LinkedIn, Eric's LinkedIn
• 📻 Podcast
• ✏️ Matt's blog
• 📹 Matt's YouTube, Eric's YouTube
• 👨‍🚀 Matt's GitHub, Eric's GitHub

🔗 Timestamps

• How Matt Ehrlich took up coding after being a park ranger for years (01:09)
• A coding career gives you the opportunity for unlimited growth (02:44)
• The Self-Taught Devs podcast tries to fill a gap in information (03:39)
• Eric just landed his first full-time software development role! (06:19)
• How Eric decided to learn to code (08:06)
• How does it feel to change careers after more than a decade (08:43)
• Eric's learning resources (10:10)
• Community break with Jan the Producer (10:58)
• Why Matt took the self-taught route (13:39)
• Matt's learning resources (14:54)
• Quitting your job to learn to code: pros and cons (16:11)
• How long did Matt take to learn to code (17:45)
• Can you learn discipline, and how can you stay motivated (19:12)
• What can you do if you get stuck (27:26)
• Should you be taking breaks from your job search? (29:55)
• Listen to this if you get discouraged after getting a rejection letter (30:54)
• What is productivity anxiety (33:03)
• How did Matt and Eric meet and what makes them work as podcast co-hosts (36:15)

⭐️ Leave a Review

If you enjoyed this episode, please leave a 5-star review here and tell us who you want to see on the next podcast.
You can also Tweet Alex from Scrimba at @bookercodes and tell them what lessons you learned from the episode so that he can thank you personally for tuning in 🙏 Or tell Jan he's butchered your name here.

🎙 About the episode

Meet Anna Ha 🇵🇱 🇰🇷! Anna was born in Poland, where she majored in English and minored in Chinese. She then moved to South Korea and set off to learn Korean and coding at the same time! Today, she works at a startup that creates tools for learning Korean. Perfect match!

In this episode, you'll discover if coding is a language. Anna also shares her learning strategy, how she discovered Scrimba, what amazing projects she worked on via Chingu, how she kept herself motivated, and how finding a community helped her stay on track. You'll also discover what's the key to both landing a job and looking forward to going to work every day!

🔗 Connect with Anna

• 👩‍💼 LinkedIn
• 🌐 Website
• 👩‍🚀 GitHub
• 🐦 X
• 🤖 annannanna on the Scrimba Discord

🔗 Timestamps

• How Anna discovered coding when she had a blog as a teenager but ended up studying languages (01:14)
• Anna started learning to code after moving from Poland to South Korea! (03:00)
• Anna always wanted to live somewhere else at least for a year (05:16)
• How Anna learned to code (06:02)
• What to do if you think that coding just isn't for you (08:39)
• Community break (11:46)
• Focus on one step at a time (14:41)
• How Anna juggled different learning resources (15:28)
• How Chingu helped Anna get relevant coding experience (18:02)
• How Anna landed her first tech role (22:01)
• Anna's interview process and what was most important (24:19)
• Anna's current company: Learn Korean in Koren (25:19)
• Your background is important, and so is your attitude (26:58)
• Quick-fire questions! K-pop, Flutter, and Scrimba (30:41)
• How Anna found out she was getting an offer (31:45)
• The importance of community and support (34:53)
• Advice to younger Anna (35:33)

⭐️ Leave a Review

If you enjoyed this episode, please leave a 5-star review here and tell us who you want to see on the next podcast.
You can also Tweet Alex from Scrimba at @bookercodes and tell them what lessons you learned from the episode so that he can thank you personally for tuning in 🙏 Or tell Jan he's butchered your name here.

🎙 About the episode

Ready for your first dev job? Today on the podcast, you'll learn how companies work and how teams stay efficient. How does a typical team operate? Who do you report to? How do you know if you're the right culture fit? Why should you know what you need from your team? And why do job postings sometimes... not make sense?

We have compiled the best, most actionable advice to help you understand a corporate environment. You'll hear from engineering manager and career coach Tiffany Jachhja, founder of Technical Integrity Dave Mayer, opera singer turned developer and developer coach Ana McDougal, and engineering manager Jason C McDonald.

📻 Listen to the full interviews

• Understanding Corporate Hierarchy (and Perfecting Your Resume), With Tiffany Jachja
• Advice from a Junior Developer Career Coach, with Anna McDougal
• What Are Company Values… and Why You Should Know Your Own, with Dave Mayer
• Lessons Learned Recruiting and Managing Junior Developers for 10 Years, with Jason C. McDonald

🔗 Connect with everybody

• Tiffany: 👩🏻‍💼 Linkedin, 📹 Twitch, 🐦 Twitter, 🌐  Website
• Anna: 👨🏻‍💼 LinkedIn, 🌐 Website, 👩‍🚀 GitHub, 🐦 Twitter, 📹 YouTube
• Dave: 🐦 Twitter, 🌐  Website, 👨🏻‍💼 LinkedIn
• Jason: 👨🏻‍💼 LinkedIn, 🌐 Website, 👩‍🚀 GitHub, 🐦 Twitter, 📖 Dead Simple Python - Idiomatic Python for the Impatient Programmer

⏰ Timestamps

• Understanding corporate structure (02:14)
• Differences between smaller and bigger teams, and project management vs. people management (04:54)
• What should a junior developer look for from their engineering manager? (07:57)
• Nine Belbin Team Roles (09:49)
• How to find a mentor online, and why you should know how to code in a team (11:08)
• A job interview is just looking for compatibility (13:31)
• Community break (16:20)
• What does it mean to be a culture fit? What is a culture add? (19:12)
• Company culture vs. company values (21:55)
• How to understand your own values (23:16)
• Why you shouldn't get discouraged if you don't meet all the requirements on a job ad (29:22)

🧰 Resources Mentioned

• Learning in public!
• How to Avoid Burnout, Improve Your Confidence and Keep Coding Fun, with Scrimba Student Sylvia

⭐️ Leave a Review

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You can also Tweet Alex from Scrimba at @bookercodes and tell them what lessons you learned from the episode so that he can thank you personally for tuning in 🙏 Or tell Jan he's butchered your name here.

🎙 About the episode

This is a rebroadcast of one of our most popular interviews. Meet Nadia Zhuk 🇧🇾! Nadia made a switch to coding from journalism at the age of 25. That decision has got her moving countries not once but twice! Nowadays, she lives in London, works at Intercom, and helps aspiring developers. She's also written a book, Crossing the Rubycon, filled with practical advice and insider tips on learning to code and building a programming career.

In this episode, Nadia shares her story and many things she's learned along the way! You'll get to know what's it like to learn to code without a technical background, how to manage your mindset and mental health during the process, and what's Nadia's take on choosing your first programming language. Nadia and Alex also discuss common stereotypes about programming,  gatekeeping within the industry, and what are the critical but often overlooked factors in choosing what to learn. 

🔗 Connect with Nadia

• 👨🏻‍💼 LinkedIn
• 🌐 Dev.to
• 🐦 Twitter
• 📹 YouTube

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🎙 About the episode

Meet Johnny Proano 🇺🇸! Johnny had a long and happy career in sales, spanning almost two decades. But, something was missing, so he decided to explore coding. He thought he had to have a degree, but when it turned out he couldn't afford it, he enrolled into a bootcamp and signed up for Scrimba.

This is a fun and exciting story about career change and looking for your purpose. It is also a story of networking at your daughter's school events, as well as learning Angular and TypeScript (and creating a project using them) in only three days! You'll hear how Johnny approached learning and what kept him going, how to introduce software engineering to toddlers, and how can you turn your failed job interviews in learning experiences once and for all.

🔗 Connect with Johnny

• 👨‍💼 LinkedIn
• 🌐 Website

⏰ Timestamps

• How Johnny discovered coding because he needed a website (01:35)
• Why Johnny wanted to switch from a successful and long-lasting career in sales (04:38)
• How did Johnny learn to code, and why did he have to drop out of school (08:07)
• Community break with Jan the Producer (13:36)
• Johnny's bootcamp experience... and how he found Scrimba (16:02)
• How Johnny started applying for jobs, and how he dealt with imposter syndrome (18:27)
• Johnny's approach to job applications and LinkedIn (20:33)
• Quick-fire questions: DJing, learning resources, and Vue (24:09)
• How Johnny turned failed interviews into learning opportunities (26:23)
• Johnny got a job via networking at his daughter's school event! (26:56)
• How Johnny had only three days to learn a new technology and get ready for an interview (29:30)
• "I need to do something that's going to make an impact" (31:52)
• Interview tip: ask questions (36:11)
• Johnny got a job offer within 24 hours! (36:37)
• Do you need a degree to be a developer? (38:59)
• Coding for toddlers (39:39)

🧰 Resources mentioned

• Johnny's bootcamp
• Scrimba's Frontend Career Path

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You can also Tweet Alex from Scrimba at @bookercodes and tell them what lessons you learned from the episode so that he can thank you personally for tuning in 🙏 Or tell Jan he's butchered your name here.

🎙 About the episode

Meet Shona Chan 🇸🇬🇬🇧! Shona was an anesthesiologist. Now, she's a developer. It all started when she wanted to write an app to solve a problem she had at work as a doctor. One thing led to another, and eventually, she took the plunge into coding, realizing that a career switch might not be such a bad idea.

This is a story of intrinsic motivation, amazing portfolio projects, and landing a job without even having to go through a tech interview. You'll discover how to identify your purpose, find out how to muster enough motivation to tackle difficult decisions, and learn why Shona saw her career change as a lateral move instead of a fresh start. Shona reveals what ten years in medicine taught her and how that relates to her new career If you listen to the end, you will get some fantastic ideas to integrate into your study plan or job-hunting strategy. Plus, you'll find out the ideal music for a cesarean section.

🔗 Connect with Shona

• 👩‍💼 LinkedIn
• 🌐 Website
• 👩‍🚀 Github
• 🐦 Twitter

⏰ Timestamps

• Shona never thought she would code for a living, although she did play Neopets (02:13)
• How Shona started coding because she wanted to solve a real-world work problem she had as a doctor (02:58)
• Shona's career in medicine (05:48)
• Community Break with Jan the Producer (09:55)
• Why Shona eventually wanted to switch careers, and did it feel weird after dedicating so many years to medicine? (11:47)
• What skills Shona learned as a doctor helped her become a developer? (14:01)
• Doctors on TV vs. programmers on TV (14:55)
• Learning to code on YouTube, and when does it become not enough? (15:46)
• How Shona enrolled into a bootcamp (18:26)
• Why did Shona feel like she needed to give coding a go? (21:35)
• Quick-fire questions: Lo-fi Disney and the perfect music for a C-section (23:02)
• Shona's new role in a health tech startup (26:03)
• When did Shona feel ready to apply for jobs? (Also, her portfolio projects are amazing. )(27:26)
• Shona's cold email that brought her a job (31:05)
• Shona got hired without a tech interview (32:55)
• Why unique projects are never a waste of time (33:55)
• Start networking earlier than you think! (35:28)
• How Scrimba podcast helped Shona with her career change (36:12)
• How to deal with sunk cost fallacy (38:53)

🧰 Resources Mentioned

• Kevin Powell
• Kevin Powell on the Scrimba podcast
• Stephanie Chiu on the Scrimba podcast
• SoundState

⭐️ Leave a Review

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🎙 About the episode

Meet Zuza Grońska 🇵🇱🇳🇱! Zuza is a recently hired new developer with a previous career in social media marketing in the music industry. She's also a Polish transplant who moved to the Netherlands during the pandemic. She craved a career change, and when it turned out that all of her work friends were from the software development team, she put two and two together and decided to learn to code. She landed her first dev job after only four months of intense studying! 

Zuza has ADHD, which can be a hindrance and a superpower. In this episode, she talks about the importance of spreading awareness of ADHD and neurodiversity in general. You'll also learn how she approached her portfolio projects, why you should think like a marketer, and how you can stand out in a world where every new developer has a unit converter in their portfolio. Zuza shares how she approached learning to code, what kept her going when she felt unmotivated, why she wanted to leave Poland, and why a career in social media marketing can be draining even though it sounds glamorous. 

🔗 Connect with Zuza

• 👩‍💼 LinkedIn
• 🌐 Website
• 👩‍🚀 Github

🔗 Timestamps

• How Zuza started coding in the early 2000s, but never pursued coding (02:26)
• How misogyny plaid a part in Zuza's career choices (04:21)
• Zuza worked in social media marketing, until she realized it was time for a change (05:46)
• How Zuza approached learning to code (spoiler alert: hyperfocus!) (07:30)
• Community Break with Jan the Producer (08:54)
• Following schedules, and good and bad sides of ADHD (11:35)
• How Zuza kept herself motivated (14:25)
• How Zuza approached her porfolio and went beyond the stretch goals with her porftolio projects (18:45)
• How to think about your projects like a marketer (19:56)
• How Zuza applied for a job, even though the job ad was in Dutch and she didn't speak it (24:39)
• Why Zuza wanted to leave Poland (and eventually moved to the Netherlands) (29:24)
• Zuza's new job (31:22)
• Zuza's interview process (32:34)
• Quick-fire questions! (33:26)
• Zuza's tech interview (36:39)
• Zuza became a CSS expert! (37:45)
• Working with ADHD (40:17)
• Zuza only got diagnosed with ADHD two years ago (44:10)
• Why spreading ADHD awareness is important (45:12)

🧰 Resources Mentioned

• Frontend Developer Career Path
• Scrimba Bootcamp
• Kevin Powell
• MDN Web Docs
• Sass
• Kink.nl radio

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You can also Tweet Alex from Scrimba at @bookercodes and tell them what lessons you learned from the episode so that he can thank you personally for tuning in 🙏 Or tell Jan he's butchered your name here.

🎙 About the episode

Meet Luke Hovee 🇺🇸! After a career in the US Army, Luke didn't know what to do next. He was considering a career in construction, until he stumbled upon a bootcamp teaching army veterans how to code. Today, he's a full-time web developer with a passion for helping other aspiring web developers getting into tech. Currently, he's creating a software apprenticeship program so that he can help people at scale.

In this episode, you'll find out whether army is a good training for having to deal with product managers, why grit and determination are important, and what's the most important thing you should have to break into tech in today's job market. Luke and Alex also talk about LinkedIn, why getting your second job in tech is way easier than landing the first one, and the current state of the market for junior developers.

🔗 Connect with Luke

• 👨‍💼 LinkedIn

⏰ Timestamps

• How Luke stumbled upon coding by accident (02:11)
• Why Luke chose a career in the Army in the first place, and why he eventually retired (04:00)
• Why learning to code was challenging (06:19)
• On drive and (intrinsic) motivation (09:02)
• Were there any transferable skills that Luke gained in the Army? (12:11)
• Community break with Jan the Producer (14:11)
• How Luke got his first role in Tech (17:13)
• Job candidates lack attitude (19:02)
• Luke's first role was basically a learning opportunity (20:56)
• Why gettint your second developer job is easier (22:27)
• Quick-fire questions (23:05): Is Web3 dead?!
• Why LinkedIn is Luke's main platform, and why he helps aspiring developers (25:33)
• Luke's apprenticeship program (28:41)
• Job market's tough right now (33:34)
• Can you cultivate the right attitude? (36:11)

🧰 Resources mentioned

• Danny Thompson on YouTube
• Scrimba Podcast: How to become a successful Junior Developer, with Danny Thompson
• Scrimba Podcast: Freecodecamp Founder Quincy Larson: Why Learning To Code as an Adult Might Be Easier Than You Think
• David Roberts on YouTube

⭐️ Leave a Review

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You can also Tweet Alex from Scrimba at @bookercodes and tell them what lessons you learned from the episode so that he can thank you personally for tuning in 🙏 Or tell Jan he's butchered your name here.

🎙 About the episode

No matter where you are in your career journey - whether you're a new developer just looking to break into the industry or an industry veteran - having a strategic and up-to-date LinkedIn profile is a must. LinkedIn is something we often talk about on this podcast - many people, from experts to recently hired Scrimba students, have shared their tips and tricks for this social network over the course of 130 episodes.

In this episode, we have compiled their best, most actionable advice. If you're looking to refresh your LinkedIn profile this fall, or you're just about to create one for the first time, this is the episode for you!

Tune in for LinkedIn tips from the LinkedIn profile review guy Austin Henline, pastor-turned-developer Chris Mccoy, GitHub program manager Laura Thorson (who has only ever gotten jobs through LinkedIn), and iOS engineer at paypal and career mentor Stephanie chiu.

📻 Listen to the full interviews

• How to make your LinkedIn profile stand out according to a LinkedIn expert, with Austin Henline
• How Pastor-Turned-Developer Chris Crushed It on LinkedIn and Landed an Internship... and a Job
• It's about Who You Know: An Introvert's Guide to Networking (and Becoming Amazing at LinkedIn), with Stephanie Chiu from PayPal
• Laura Thorson From GitHub: This Is How You Master the Mindset of a Programmer

🔗 Connect with everybody

• Austin: 👨🏻‍💼 LinkedIn, 🐦 Twitter
• Laura:👩‍💼 Linkedin, 🌐  Website, 🐦 Twitter, 👨‍🚀 GitHub
• Stephanie: 📸 Instagram, 👩‍💼 Linkedin, 🌐 Website, 🐦 Twitter, 👩‍🚀 Github
• Chris: 👨🏼‍💼 Linkedin

⏰ Timestamps

• Who is Austin Henline (01:32)
• Why LinkedIn is a must for aspiring developers (03:00)
• What are the most important sections of your LinkedIn profile? (04:04)
• How to reverse-engineer what recruiters are searching for (05:26)
• Should you be careful not to spam your LinkedIn profile with keywords? (07:54)
• How to know if you're ready to put a skill on your LinkedIn (09:37)
• Skill assesments (11:37)
• Community break! Your tweets and reviews from Apple Podcasts (12:18)
• Chris McCoy signed up for LinkedIn halway through Scrimba (14:15)
• How to be genuinely present on the platform (15:59)
• How to find your tone of voice... and not spread yourself too thin (18:35)
• How Chris added Scrimba to his education on LinkedIn and THINGS WENT WILD (19:30)
• You shouldn't let LinkedIn replace your portfolio or GitHub profile, but it can be a significant part of your strategy (21:41)
• How to make the LinkedIn algorithm work for you, with Stephanie Chiu (22:50)
• Keep your goal in mind and remember nobody likes to scroll (24:46)
• Check what a recruiter sees on LinkedIn and optimize accordingly! (26:46)
• How Laura Thorson went to interview at Facebook and realized they had printed out her LinkedIn profile (28:18)
• LinkedIn bio in third person (29:52)
• Life-changing advice from a recruiter on LinkedIn (31:24)
• What to do if you don't want to make content on LinkedIn (35:07)

⭐️ Leave a Review

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You can also Tweet Alex from Scrimba at @bookercodes and tell them what lessons you learned from the episode so that he can thank you personally for tuning in 🙏 Or tell Jan he's butchered your name here.

🎙 About the episode

Meet Tomáš Lukeš 🇨🇿! Tomáš is an audio engineer turned primary school teacher turned developer! In only nine months, he learned to code alongside a full-time job, created an awesome portfolio, and then landed a job in three business days. What?!

In this episode, you'll discover exactly how he did it! Tomáš will reveal why he approached learning to code as if it were an RPG, how he selected his projects, why going the extra mile while crafting your portfolio is a must, and how you can transform code-alongs into something of your own. You'll also learn the definitive answer to the question of how many hours it truly takes to reach a hireable level of coding proficiency. Tomáš and Alex also discuss job hunting strategies,  the power of persistence, self-discovery,and the importance of knowing the exact industries you want to work in.

🔗 Connect with Tomáš

• 👨‍💼 LinkedIn
• 🌐 Website

⏰  Timestamps

• How Tomáš went from audio engineering to learning development (01:25)
• Why sound technicians make good develoeprs (02:10)
• Tomáš had always been interested in coding (03:15)
• How Tomáš learned to code alongside a full-time job, and how long did it take? (04:39)
• What courses did Tomáš use? (06:35)
• Learning coding during the AI boom (07:06)
• Community break with Jan the Producer (08:19)
• How Tomáš approached projects - by taking course projects and making them his own (10:53)
• Why you need good projects to impress HR people (13:59)
• Tomáš learned to code at a hireable level in this many hours! (15:12)
• How Tomáš approached job hunting, and landed a job in three business days (15:30)
• Why Tomáš only applied for local jobs (17:53)
• Startups hire quicker than bigger and older companies (19:26)
• Why you should say "I don't know" during an interview (21:17)
• Quick-fire questions: Tailwind, Josh Tried Coding, and Steve Lacy (23:47)
• How to learn to code: persistence and self-discovery (25:54)
• Advice for building portfolios (28:44)
• Localized job search (33:18)
• Trust the process! (34:53)

🧰 Resources Mentioned

• Colt Steele on Udemy
• Scrimba's Frontend Developer Career Path
• Josh Tried Coding on YouTube

⭐️ Leave a Review

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🎙 About the episode

Meet Johannes Kettmann 🇩🇪! Johannes is a Fullstack JavaScript Developer from Germany who's also the mastermind behind profy.dev - it’s a React Job Simulator program for aspiring Junior React developers. Originally, Johannes studied physics before transitioning into coding, and he's been working as a freelancer or contractor ever since!

In this episode, dive into Johannes's coding journey and discover why he's all about React. Get ready for tales of his first freelancing gig - it wasn't a walk in the park, but it taught him loads and gave him a taste of freedom. That's why Johannes never considered a 9-to-5 job and embraced contracting. Tune in for the lowdown on why React rocks and the rookie mistakes even experienced developers stumble upon. Curious about a React Job Simulator? You'll learn what it is and why we needed one. Plus, hear what are the skills that aspiring junior developers usually don't have, that can really make you stand out.   

✅ 👨‍💻Sign up for profy.dev with 10% discount using coupon code SCRIMBA at checkout!

🔗 Connect with Johannes

• 🎓 Profy.dev
• 👨‍💼 LinkedIn
• 🌐 Website
• 🐦 X

⏰  Timestamps

• How Johannes went from experimenal physics to software development (01:36)
• Johannes started from Android development, but the first steps were shaky (04:51)
• Johannes worked on a project for six months... and didn't get paid (07:31)
• What Johannes learned from his first freelance experiences, and why he never considered getting a full-time job (08:22)
• Freelancing vs. contract work (11:20)
• Community break with Jan the Producer (13:06)
• Is contracting a good way to get your first job in tech? (15:09)
• Is freelancing a good way to get your first job in tech? (16:12)
• How Johannes eventually focused on React (17:06)
• What is profy.dev? (22:09)
• Why code rewiews are cool, and what are the most common React mistakes (26:37)
• Quick-fire questions and Kent C. Dodds (31:33)
• How can junior developers stand out during job interview process, from the perspective of someone who interviews a lot (37:05)
• Should a junior learn TypeScript? (39:19)
• Why your personality is important (40:26)

🧰 Resources Mentioned

• Podcast: Intentional career building with Kent C. Dodds

⭐️ Leave a Review

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You can also Tweet Alex from Scrimba at @bookercodes and tell them what lessons you learned from the episode so that he can thank you personally for tuning in 🙏 Or tell Jan he's butchered your name here.

🎙 About the episode

Meet Mohamed Amine Hachemi! Mohamed is a full-stack developer who recently landed his first dev job! But that's not the most amazing part of his story. He actually found that job through Instagram! In a world where everyone is applying through LinkedIn, Mohamed decided to take a different approach and utilize social media. In this episode, you'll discover exactly how he did it. And no, it doesn't involve cold DMing.

After completing his law studies, Mohamed realized that a career in law wasn't what he truly desired for the next few decades. He reflected on his childhood interests and rediscovered his passion for coding. With some prior experience in HTML and CSS from editing Blogger templates as a teenager, he immersed himself in front-end development. Eventually, he expanded his skills to backend development when he joined his current company. Tune in to hear more about his coding journey.

🔗 Connect with Mohamed

• 👨‍💼 LinkedIn

⏰ Timestamps

• Mohamed was always interested in tech, but he studied law (01:29)
• Why Mohamed decided to switch careers (02:21)
• How Mohamed learned to code and did editing Blogger templates in his teen years help (04:24)
• Why is JavaScript more challenging than HTML and CSS, and how did Mohamed learn it (on YouTube, of all places)? (07:34)
• Community break with Jan the Producer (10:26)
• How long did it take Mohamed to learn enough to start applying for jobs (12:33)
• How Mohamed try the typical job-hunting strategy (applying on LinkedIn) and then decided to pivot to social media (14:06)
• Can you land a job on Instagram, and how?! (15:02)
• Mohamed's new job, and learning back-end (19:06)
• Why you need an internship (20:49) 
• Working remotely vs. a saturated job market (21:09)  
• What did Mohamed's interview process look like (22:38)
• Quick-fire questions: Friends, not followers (23:14)
• What happens if you get an internship that doesn't turn into a job afterward? (24:14)
• What does an employee want to see from an intern? (25:50)
• Mohamed blogged about his learning progress on LinkedIn, but didn't care how many people saw that (27:31)  
• Was it difficult to decide to switch careers? (32:40)
• Don't truest everything you see on YouTube (33:52)

🧰 Resources Mentioned

• Scrimba's Frontend Developer Career Path
• Marian Rydzanych on Instagram

⭐️ Leave a Review

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You can also Tweet Alex from Scrimba at @bookercodes and tell them what lessons you learned from the episode so that he can thank you personally for tuning in 🙏 Or tell Jan he's butchered your name here.

🎙 About the episode

Meet Danny Vogel 🇩🇪🇪🇸! Danny is a lawyer-turned-developer who decided to switch careers after ten years in law! In high school, he thought he could never do maths and picked a different path. It was meeting his wife, who is a software developer, that made him stop seeing coding as something unachievable, and the search for a better work-life balance that made him start learning. When he quit his job, he focused on coding. But nobody was responding to his job applications. Danny then went to a developer meetup in Barcelona, where somebody gave him wise advice...

In this episode, Danny shares about his coding journey and the struggles along the way. You'll learn how to approach projects, why a "shotgun" approach might work for you, and why it's better not to work remotely if you're just starting out. Danny also talks about his experience with Chingu.io, a platform that pairs you with other developers to create group coding projects, and how he's benefited from joining it. Ultimately, you'll find out how Danny landed his first dev job, even though the company didn't advertise the job he's doing now as a junior position!

🔗 Connect with Danny

• 👨‍💼 LinkedIn

⏰ Timestamps

• Danny always liked computers but never saw himself as a coder (02:26)
• Is coding more about letters or numbers? (03:03)
• Danny went into law, studying in Barcelona and New York. How did it feel to switch careers after ten years? (03:45)
• What made Danny learn to code? (05:22)
• Did Danny’s wife, a developer, play a part in his decision to learn to code? (06:10)
• Coding and law are often misrepresented in movies and on TV (07:20)
• How Danny learned to code (07:45)
• Frontend vs backend (08:43)
• Was learning to code hard? (09:14)
• Community break with Jan the Producer (10:35)
• How Danny knew it was time to quit his job in law (12:21)
• What was Danny’s approach to looking for dev jobs (13:47)
• Danny went on a meetup and got a great piece of advice (15:09)
• Danny also joined Chingu.io - what is it? (20:38)
• Group projects vs. solo projects (21:49)
• How Danny’s projects helped him land the job he now has (22:26)
• Shotgun approach! (23:06)
• People often talk themselves out of applying for jobs not classified as junior (24:07)
• Give yourself options! (25:35)
• Quick-fire questions: Danny’s wife, coding to Muse, and videogames! (27:07)
• Danny’s interview process (30:12)
• What’s HackerRank, and why you should be prepared for it (32:45)
• How Danny felt when he got the job (37:01)
• Does Danny’s experience in law help in his new role? (39:13)
• Should new developers work remotely or at the office? (41:43)

🧰 Resources Mentioned

• Danny's gameState app
• Scrimba Bootcamp
• Chingu.io
• Angela Yu’s web development course

⭐️ Leave a Review

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You can also Tweet Alex from Scrimba at @bookercodes and tell them what lessons you learned from the episode so that he can thank you personally for tuning in 🙏 Or tell Jan he's butchered your name here. 

🎙 About the episode

Meet Vanessa Vun 🇺🇸! Vanessa is a long-time listener of the Scrimba podcast. She's also a career changer who has spent a decade working as a lab scientist before realizing she would be happier coding. She started learning front-end in April 2022. By September, she started applying for jobs. In June this year, she landed a job at a startup making lab software!

However, Vanessa's path to success was not without challenges. She started applying for tech jobs during layoffs, facing rejections due to a lack of relevant experience. In this episode, she shares how she tackled that and whether or not unpaid internships and volunteering are a good idea. You'll also learn how Vanessa created her own curriculum by analyzing what people learn at bootcamps, why it's essential to get outside feedback on your coding projects, and how to make the most out of your LinkedIn, mentorships, and the podcasts you listen to. 

🔗 Connect with Vanessa

• 👩‍💼 LinkedIn
• 🌐 Website
•  𝕏  Twitter, I guess

⏰ Timestamps

• How Vanessa gave up on coding and became a lab scientist (01:25)
• Vanessa was surprised at how analog lab management tends to be (02:55)
• Why Vanessa decided to leave her lab career behind (04:17)
• How Vanessa learned to code - but this time, for real (05:36)
• Vanessa has been a webmaster of Lady Crvsh Crew since 2019. What did she learn making a website with Squarespace? (08:58)
• Vanessa started applying for jobs during layoffs! (09:45)
• Community break with Jan The Producer (10:22)
• How Vanessa stayed motivated during tech layoffs, and tackled her lack of tech experience  (12:36)
• Why volunteer experience is different to just working by yourself (15:07)
• What is SciShield? (17:01)
• Vanessa's LinkedIn strategy (18:16)
• How Vanessa discovered a position at SciShield (19:18)
• The power of domain knowledge: SciShield liked Vanessa being a former scientist! (20:10)
• How Vanessa went through six rounds of interviews (21:08)
• Quick-fire questions: Learning resources, Javascript superpowers, and people to follow (22:27)
• What Vanessa gained from consultations with a mentor (23:56)
• Should you go for unpaid internships, or should you always insist on being paid for your time? (25:16)
• Careful where you volunteer at! (26:53)
• What is Hack for LA? (27:47)
• How does domain knowledge help Vanessa at her new job? (29:16)
• Should a front-end engineer know databases? (32:24)
• The importance of having a good manager (33:37)
• Was learning to code worth it? (34:39)

🧰 Resources Mentioned

• Front-end Developer Career Path
• Learn React for free! 
• Podcast: Homeschooler, College Dropout, Developer and Master Networker: Crush Your Career with Madison Kanna
• Podcast: Listen to This If You're Working on Your Developer Portfolio, with Alex from TechRally
• Brian Jenney
• Vanessa's Lab Kanban

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You can also Tweet Alex from Scrimba at @bookercodes and tell them what lessons you learned from the episode so that he can thank you personally for tuning in 🙏 Or tell Jan he's butchered your name here.

🎙 About the episode

Personal branding is something we often mention on this podcast. However, it is also something many developers don’t prioritize. 

In today's job market, having a strong personal brand is vital for success in the tech industry. Personal branding involves crafting a distinctive image and reputation for yourself, setting you apart, and ensuring you get noticed rather than ignored. When others appreciate your work and projects and understand your capabilities, they may approach you with enticing job opportunities or freelance projects. A hiring manager at a company you applied for will, for sure, google you. Wouldn't it be great if you could control what they see?

Also, by maintaining a personal brand, you’ll be more visible to your peers - which will help you create or find community. 

In this episode, we’ve compiled advice from multiple experts to help you get started with or further develop your brand as a developer. Get ready for actionable advice from Gary Simon, Cassidy Williams, Josh Comeau, Shawn Wang (Swyx), and Madison Kanna!

⏰ Timestamps

• What is a personal brand (02:22)
• Why you should have a blog (04:02)
• Allow yourself to iterate (04:34)
• Why you shouldn’t rely solely on social media (06:27)
• What can you do if you’re not good at design? (07:21)
• Community break with Jan The Producer (16:40)
• Why you should blog about your learning process (18:54)
• How to streamline your content production (23:46)
• How can you do all this while actually learning without just becoming a content creator? (26:24)
• Different ways of learning in public (28:10)
• How to organize your portfolio projects and talk about them (30:52)
• Putting yourself out there is intimidating, BUT (33:19)
• Start small and just write (35:50)

🧰 Resources Mentioned

• The Coding Career Handbook by Swyx (30% discount applied when you use this link)
• Learn in Public by Swyx
• Josh's book, Building an Effective Dev Portfolio (it's FREE!)
• xScope
• PixelSnap
• Fontpair
• Podcast: Becoming a six-figure freelancer, with Gary Simon
• Podcast: Homeschooler, College Dropout, Developer and Master Networker: Crush Your Career with Madison Kanna
• Podcast: How to Create a Web Dev Portfolio That Both HR and Other Developers Will Love, with Josh Comeau
• Podcast: Ace the job interview with Cassidy Williams 
• Podcast: How to make your own luck with Shawn Wang (Swyx)

🔗 Connect with Gary Simon

• 👨‍💼 LinkedIn
• 🎥 YouTube

🔗 Connect with Cassidy Williams

• 👨‍💼 LinkedIn
• ❎ Twitter

🔗 Connect with Josh Comeau

• 👨🏻‍💼 LinkedIn
• 🌐 Blog + Website

🔗 Connect with Shawn Wang

• 🌐 Website
• ❎ Twitter

🔗 Connect with Madison Kanna

• 👩🏼‍💼 LinkedIn
• 🌐  Website

⭐️ Leave a Review
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You can also Tweet Alex from Scrimba at @bookercodes and tell them what lessons you learned from the episode so that he can thank you personally for tuning in 🙏 Or tell Jan he's butchered your name here.

🎙 About the episode

Meet Jen-Li Lim 🇲🇾! Jen is a writer-turned-developer who has recently landed her first developer job! Although she had been tech-adjacent in the past (before becoming a full-stack developer, she worked in content marketing) and had always been interested in coding, it wasn't until the lockdowns that Jen started learning to code. She was doing it alongside a full-time job and quickly realized that she shouldn't compare herself to other learners since everybody has different circumstances. 

Jen started learning to code as a hobby. But after a couple of years and only about 400 hours of studying later, Jen realized - hey, this could also be an exciting career! She now works at a company offering free, lightweight vector animations for your website and tools to create, edit, and embed them. In this episode, you'll learn about Jen's struggles with coding and how she overcame them. She'll share invaluable insights on selecting portfolio projects, navigating roadmaps, and why learning to code is akin to learning to swim. Get ready to be inspired!

🔗 Connect with Jen-Li

• 👩‍💼 LinkedIn
• 🌐 Website

⏰ Timestamps

• How Jen got interested in tech back in the days of Neopets but never pursued it (01:40)
• Do you need to be good at math to become a developer (02:29)
• How Jen became a writer and worked in content marketing (03:32)
• Are there any similarities between content marketing and code? (04:21)
• What was it about coding that drew Jen in? (05:57)
• The hard part of learning web development is that there's no single path, and that's why Jen ultimately learned on Scrimba (07:55)
• How Jen structured her studying (08:50)
• Community break with Jan The Producer (10:42)
• How Jen logged her studying time and learned to code in only 400 hours! (12:48)
• Why you should learn to code at your own pace (13:39)
• How to get project ideas (15:32)
• Did Jen plan to switch careers? (18:18)
• Changing careers challenges your identity (19:38)
• Jen changed careers by means of an internal transfer. How's that different from applying for a job from the outside? (21:01)
• How Jen felt about the competition, and what was her advantage (22:23)
• Shortcuts vs. strategies (23:09)
• What is LottieFiles? (24:15)
• How Jen found out she was getting her first dev job (25:52)
• What Jen wishes she knew when she was starting to learn to code (26:51)  

🧰 Resources Mentioned

• Frontend Developer Career Path
• Podcast: From Classroom to Code: How Teacher-Turned-Developer Jess Secured a Tech Job Prior to Diving into Software Development
• LottieFiles
• One More Page
• Steph Smith
• Roadmap.sh

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🎙 About the episode

Meet Ian Douglas 🇺🇸🇨🇦! The first repeat guest on the Scrimba Podcast and author of The Tech Interview Guide, Ian Douglas, has been coding professionally since 1996. With experience at several notable companies and currently working at Postman, Ian is not only a software engineer but also a mentor, streamer, and career coach.

Whether you're a new developer or aiming for a mid-level or senior position, the onboarding process can feel overwhelming. In this episode, Ian shares his invaluable insights on how to make your onboarding experience truly worthwhile. From essential do's and don'ts to areas where proactive engagement is crucial, Ian covers it all. Discover the importance of taking notes, effectively handling negative feedback, and the significance of asking questions. Worried about asking too many questions? Ian addresses that too. With these insights and more, you'll be equipped to have an amazing first few weeks at your new job.

🔗 Connect with Ian

• 👨🏻‍💼 LinkedIn
• 🌐 Website
• 🐦 Twitter

⏰ Timestamps

• Ian's background (02:20)
• Last time we spoke, Ian had been "live blogging" his job search on LinkedIn. Why? (03:07)
• What is onboarding? (07:38)
• How formal is the onboarding process? (08:54)
• Onboarding at startups vs. at bigger companies (11:55)
• Do this to make your onboarding better (12:58)
• What are the expectations from new developers during the onboarding period? (14:06)
• Tip 1: Don't rush your onboarding (15:22)
• If you're maid to feel you're a drain on someone, that's a sign of bad company culture (19:13)
• Be proactive and take time to get to know your coworkers (21:55)
• Tip 2: Find a mentor (23:15)
• You should also have a mentor OUTSIDE the company (24:01)
• How to identify a mentor or a buddy internally (25:41)
• When does a coworker become a mentor? (27:16)
• Tip 3: Ask lots of questions (30:26)
• What are the good questions? (34:09)
• Tip 4: Make it easy for people to give you feedback (35:09)
• Feedback vs. criticism, and how to deal with the latter (35:54)
• Keep track of good feedback, and good track of feedback (40:08)
• How to handle feedback you don't agree with (42:51)
• In software, there's a lot of ways of accomplishing a goal (48:00)
• What are the most improtant traits a developer should have during onboarding? (49:51)

🧰 Resources Mentioned

• Our previous show with Ian: An expert guide to technical interviews 

⭐️ Leave a Review

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You can also Tweet Alex from Scrimba at @bookercodes and tell them what lessons you learned from the episode so that he can thank you personally for tuning in 🙏 Or tell Jan he's butchered your name here.

🎙 About the episode

Meet Kyle Tan 🇵🇭! A business major with an unrelenting passion for coding, Kyle decided he couldn't wait any longer to pursue his dream. Taking a leap of faith, he left his job, discovered Scrimba's Frontend Career Path, and within only four months, he found his first developer job. Talk about lightning speed!

In this episode, Kyle shares his approach to learning, unveiling the secrets behind his rapid progress. Discover the invaluable role of downtime and gain insights into the way Kyle chose his portfolio projects: what are the right ones, and why embracing open-source resources is a game-changer. Kyle also takes you through his interview process, when he had to dive into backend technologies for a week so that he could build his take-home project in less than 72 hours. 

Kyle also reveals how his business background played a role in landing his dream job, what's the power in having a community, and what's his advice for everybody currently learning to code. Tune in and unlock the secrets to accelerated coding mastery!

🔗 Connect with Kyle

• 👨‍💼 LinkedIn
• 🐦 Twitter
• 🌐  Portfolio
• 📺 TikTok

 ⏰ Timestamps

• How Kyle decided to learn to code after getting a degree in business (01:14)
• How Kyle discovered Scrimba and chose frontend (02:13)
• What challenges did Kyle face, and how did he solve them? (06:03)
• Kyle finished the Career path in only three months by doing it full-time (07:04)
• The importance of downtime (07:48)
• How Kyle branched out of Scrimba (09:47)
• Kyle’s portfolio projects (11:21)
• Why simple projects rock (13:06)
• Community break with Jan The Producer (14:23)
• How Kyle started applying for jobs after only four months of learning to code (17:07)
• To interview for the job he got, Kyle had to take a week to learn backend! (20:08)
• The interview process: Kyle had to build an app in 72 hours (21:38)
• Kyle’s tips for presenting your code in job interviews (23:33)
• Culture fit interviews (24:39)
• How Kyle felt when he got the job (26:55)
• Quick-fire questions (27:44)
• What motivated Kyle to change careers (29:47)
• Did Kyle’s previous experience help him to land a job so quickly? (31:13)
• Did working as a developer live up to Kyle’s expectations? (32:40)

🧰 Resources Mentioned

• The Coding Career Handbook
• Scrimba's Discord Community
• Frontend Developer Career Path
• Podcast: How to make your own luck with Shawn Wang (Swyx) 
• html.new

⭐️ Leave a Review

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You can also Tweet Alex from Scrimba at @bookercodes and tell them what lessons you learned from the episode so that he can thank you personally for tuning in 🙏 Or tell Jan he's butchered your name here.

🎙 About the episode

Meet Jess Gilbert 🇬🇧! Jess recently made a career change from being a primary school teacher to becoming a developer. In this episode, we delve into her journey and explore how she successfully transitioned in less than a year!

What was it like being a teacher? Are there any similarities between teaching and coding? How did Jess manage to secure a job offer before diving into her coding education? Jess and Alex also discuss Code First: Girls and why it's worth exploring if you belong to an underrepresented group in the tech industry.

Jess shares why Instagram is her social network of choice, which may surprise you since it's not commonly associated with developers. Plus, find out how she learned to code while working as a full-time school teacher and whether the tech industry lived up to her expectations.

🔗 Connect with Jess

• 👩‍💼 LinkedIn
• 📸 Instagram

⏰ Timestamps

• Jess had never considered a career in tech and became a teacher (01:48)
• What made Jess learn to code, and how she found Code First: Girls (03:01)
• Why learning to code at her own pace was challenging for Jess, and why in the end, she shouldn't have been as worried (05:42)
• Why teachers are sometimes reluctant to work on their personal development (09:03)
• Community break! Your Tweets and LinkedIn posts, with Jan The Producer (10:20)
• How does Code First: Girls work? (12:57)
• How Jess landed a job offer even before learning to code? (14:43)
• Why do companies invest in programs like Code First: Girls? (17:51)
• What was it like to learn to code while having a full-time job? (20:10)
• Why the support of a cohort was important to Jess? (21:17)
• Was there variation in the ability level of the people in Jess's cohort, and why do soft skills matter? (22:58)
• How do Jess's skills as a teacher transfer to coding? (24:17)
• Is there a better work-life balance in coding? (25:55)
• Quick-fire questions! Do teachers listen to lo-fi bears? (28:56)
• How Jess found a community on Instagram as a developer (31:27)
• Why are so many people transitioning from teaching? (33:38)
• Learning to code is hard, but there are great resources out there, and you can pick the style of learning that works for you specifically (37:59)
• How long did it take for Jess to switch careers? (40:12)
• What was her first week on the new job like? (41:18)
• Why the size of the codebase is a BIG difference between learning to code and working at a company (42:23) 

🧰 Resources Mentioned

• Programming with Mosh on YouTube
• Web Dev Simplified on YouTube
• Katherine Gilligan on Instagram
• Learn React for free!
• Podcast: What a good developer resume looks like and how to write one, with Gergely Orosz
• Podcast: The Power of Domain Knowledge: How Katrina Skipped Junior Roles and Immediately Landed a Senior Developer Job

⭐️ Leave a Review

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🎙 About the episode

This is a rebroadcast of one of our most popular interviews. Meet Kevin Powell 🇨🇦! Kevin is a CSS Evangelist and educator. He makes weekly YouTube videos, streams on Twitch, writes articles, and teaches courses. His mission is to show new developers that CSS is fun and teach them how it works... and why it works the way it does.

In this episode, you'll learn how not to get frustrated with CSS, how to debug it, why people struggle with it, and how come we might never see a launch of CSS 4. Kevin also explains why different browsers render CSS differently and how much you should actually care about that. Alex and Kevin also discuss how the web gets made behind the scenes and how you can join the conversation and suggest the features you'd like to see in certain technologies. Plus: Bad design trends, tools and plugins, CSS memes, and tabs vs. spaces.

🔗 Connect with Kevin

• 📹 YouTube
• 🐦 Twitter
• 🌐 Website
• 👩‍🚀 GitHub

⏰ Timestamps

• How Kevin found himself in the world of web design (01:40)
• Can a new developer focus solely on CSS? (04:38)
• What is a CSS Evangelist? (07:24)
• Why do people struggle with CSS? (09:26)
• Community break! (11:00)
• Why CSS works the way it does (13:25)
• CSS tools you should use (15:25)
• CSS extensions for your editor (17:26)
• The learning curve of CSS and the Importance of Experience (17:17)
• Why different browsers render CSS differently (and why it sometimes doesn't work) (22:31)
• Progressive enhancement and accessibility (27:05)
• The History of CSS (30:34)
• Will there ever be a CSS4? (34:24)
• How to stay in the loop and join the conversation around features (36:30)
• Quick-fire questions (38:43)

🧰 Resources Mentioned

• Kevin's courses on Scrimba
• Miriam Suzanne
• Adam Argyle
• Modern CSS
• Podcast: Ace the job interview with Cassidy Williams 

⭐️ Leave a Review

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You can also Tweet Alex from Scrimba at @bookercodes and tell them what lessons you learned from the episode so they can thank you personally for tuning in 🙏 Or tell Jan he's butchered your name here. 

🎙 About the episode

Meet Katrina Tucker 🇺🇸! Katrina recently changed careers and got her first software engineering job. But here's the interesting part – she didn't start as a junior! No, Katrina was immediately offered a senior title.

In this episode, you'll discover the importance of never labeling yourself as a junior, especially when transitioning careers. Katrina dives into the significance of language and emphasizes how your domain knowledge can make a significant impact. Get ready to uncover Katrina's networking strategies (spoiler alert: you're probably overthinking yours) and gain insights into how she learned to code while juggling a full-time job and family responsibilities. Plus, find out the number one thing you should know about technical interviews and what you can do to work on your interviewing skills.

Join us as Katrina shares her inspiring journey, challenges conventional notions, and reveals valuable tips and tricks for career success. Disclaimer: The opinions expressed by Katrina in this podcast are solely her own and do not represent the views or opinions of her employer.

🔗 Connect with Katrina

• 👨‍💼 LinkedIn
• 🐦 Twitter
• 🌐  Blog

⏰ Timestamps

• Katrina learned to code at school, thanks to her father, but ended up majoring in international finance (02:19)
• Katrina's career in finance and law (04:14)
• After the stock market crashed, Katrina went on to work at IRS (05:04)
• Suddenly, Katrina realized she was coding! (05:46)
• Katrina's current job combines all of her skills (06:39)
• Don't call yourself junior! (07:18)
• What made Katrina transition into software engineering (08:10)
• Why we should retire the term "breaking into tech" (08:50)
• How Katrina joined #100Devs (10:28)
• How to learn to code when you have a family and full-time job (11:50)
• Community break! Your LinkedIn posts and tweets, with Jan The Producer (14:22)
• How Katrina wanted to address her knowledge gap (16:40)
• When did Katrina start to feel ready to apply for coding jobs? (18:52)
• The most important thing to know about coding interviews (19:47)
• How Katrina practiced her interview skills with Brilliant Black Minds (20:56)
• Katrina's networking strategy (22:22)
• What's the difference between networking and just talking to people? (24:10)
• How Katrina found her first software role (26:56)
• Find your unique angle and double down (31:44)
• How Katrina prepared for her final interview round (32:58)
• Why you should ask your prospective employer business questions (33:54)
• Why your domain knowledge is important (37:04)

🧰 Resources Mentioned

• #100Devs
• freeCodeCamp
• Brilliant Black Minds

⭐️ Leave a Review

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🎙 About the episode

Meet Tom Chant 🇬🇧! Tom is a Scrimba instructor who has just released a course on building your own AI apps! In this episode, he joins Alex to discuss everything about AI for developers. You'll find out how AI can augment your skills. You'll learn how to use ChatGPT, Codex, and GitHub Copilot, all powered by OpenAI, what their limitations are, and where they overlap.

Tom will also give you useful tips for prompt engineering. You'll hear about the ethical and security risks of using AI when writing code. You'll also get to know how you can train your own ChatGPT model for a specific use! Finally, Tom and Alex also discuss the future of AI. Will coders be replaced with AI language models? Spoiler alert: nope.

🔗 Connect with Tom

• 👩‍💼 Linkedin
• 🐦 Twitter

⏰ Timestamps

• What AI tools can developers use in their coding today? (01:11)
• GitHub Copilot vs. ChatGPT for coders (02:57)
• Why is generating code with GitHub Copilot superior? (04:34)
• What is prompt engineering and how to get better at it (06:01)
• What parameters can you tweak when using the OpenAI API to get more customized results? (10:08)
• Using AI for debugging (13:03)
• The downsides of using AI: security risks and false information (15:05)
• How to find balance and use AI wisely (18:08)
• Ethical considerations of using AI for coding (19:50)
• Why some companies aren’t okay with developers using ChatGPT (23:31)
• Community break! Your tweets and LinkedIn posts with Jan The Producer (25:25)
• Tom taught English before joining Scrimba (27:27)
• Why student examination is broken, and how AI might help change it (28:19)
• What’s in Tom’s OpenAI course (30:49)
• How to train and fine-tune your own ChatGPT using OpenAI API (35:07)
• Why does training data need to be checked by a human, and can you automate that (41:01)
• How will developers and AI coexist in the future? (43:21)

🧰 Resources Mentioned

• Course: Build AI Apps with ChatGPT, Dall-E, and GPT-4

⭐️ Leave a Review

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You can also Tweet Alex from Scrimba at @bookercodes and tell them what lessons you learned from the episode so they can thank you personally for tuning in 🙏  Or tell Jan the Producer he has butchered your name here.

🎙 About the episode

Meet Shaun Jackie Hickman 🇬🇧! Shaun is a new developer who has recently landed his first dev job after meeting his now boss at a LAN party, playing Call of Duty! Earlier, Shaun wanted to become an English teacher but ended up studying social sciences and graduating in business.

Eventually, Shaun realized there was another language he was interested in - and that language was JavaScript. Within a year of dedicated studying, he changed careers. In this episode, Shaun shares how he learned to code while working a full-time job and why it's important to take breaks and have hobbies other than coding. He reveals why long interview processes are not necessarily a bad thing and talks about the philosophy of AI and the ethics of using ChatGPT. Plus: Shaun and Alex delve into the power of determination and maintaining the right mindset. 

🔗 Connect with Shaun

• 👨‍💼 LinkedIn
• 🐦 Twitter

⏰ Timestamps

• Shaun's long and winding journey into tech (01:29)
• Shaun discovered Scrimba by listening to the Scrimba podcast while at work at his previous job! (04:52)
• How Shaun learned to code alongside a full-time job, and why you should not overwhelm yourself (05:54)
• Power hour (08:16)
• What motivated Shaun to get back into coding, and why this episode almost got titled "Learning to code after a breakup" (09:08)
• Community break! Your tweets, LinkedIn comments, and Apple Podcast reviews (12:25)
• How Shaun met his future boss at a LAN party (14:25)
• Increase your surface area! (17:10)
• Nobody talks about LAN parties, but they can actually be great for networking (18:08)
• Shaun's interview process was long. But that was a good thing! Also, he was at a crossroads: React or PhP? (18:52)
• Contacts don't always turn into opportunities overnight, and that is why Shaun wanted to take things slowly (20:45)
• Quick-fire questions: Favorite projects, ChatGPT, NetworkChuck, and coding to soundtracks and lo-fi Synthwave (21:56)
• Finding a balance in using AI (24:24)
• What is business development (27:07)
• How Shaun combines his background in business with coding (28:03)
• You always bring something from your previous experience with you (29:51)
• On failing and sucking at things, and why you shouldn't avoid that (32:24)
• Commitment and drive are all you need (34:39)

🧰 Resources Mentioned

• Frontend Developer Career Path
• Kevin Powell
• Network Chuck

⭐️ Leave a Review

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🎙 About the episode

Meet Angie Jones 🇺🇸! Angie is a veteran software developer currently working as a global Developer Relations executive at TBD. Before that, she worked as an automation engineer at Twitter and as a software engineer and master inventor at IBM (where she worked for nine years)! Angie is also a teacher and an international keynote speaker who has authored 27 patents.

In this episode, Angie takes us through her career path, from falling in love with coding through automation engineering to eventually discovering her passion for teaching and DevRel. You'll learn the differences between large enterprises, medium-sized companies, and startups and find out what to look for if you're just breaking into the industry. Angie also talks about teaching, patenting your ideas, and finding specialization. Plus: decentralized technologies, changing jobs with the same company, and why it's important to keep learning new stuff. 

🔗 Connect with Angie

• 👩‍💼 Linkedin
• 🌐  Website
• 🐦 Twitter
• 👩‍🚀 GitHub

⏰ Timestamps

• Angie's father thought she should familiarize herself with computers, so she took a C++ course. The rest is history! (01:41)
• What Angie loved about programming (03:14)
• Are developers missing out if they don't study computer science at university? (04:02)
• What makes a good teacher? (05:51)
• Community break! Your Tweets and LinkedIn posts (10:00)
• Angie got his first role in tech through an internship (11:23)
• How Angie spent nine years at IBM (12:54)
• What are the advantages of changing jobs within the same company? (13:31)
• How does working at a huge corporation compare to working at smaller companies and startups, and why should you try a bit of both (15:12)
• What does career progression look like? (17:17)
• As a beginner, should you prioritize learning opportunities? What size companies should you go after? (17:55)
• Pay attention to the ratio of juniors vs. seniors (19:18)
• Software development is about much more than coding (19:39)
• How Angie discovered automation engineering and, subsequently, DevRel (20:22)
• There are gaps in the market for specializations (23:56)
• How to find a slight specialization within frontend (28:06)
• Quick-fire questions: Java, decentralized technologies, Sarah Drasner and Kelsey Hightower (29:53)
• Angie Jones has 27 patents! Here's how that happened. (34:00)
• What does a patent look like? (35:24)
• What's it like to invent patents within a big corporation like IBM? (37:54)
• Closing advice: Aside from technical competency, what else should new developers focus on? (39:31)

🧰 Resources Mentioned

• Sarah Drasner
• Kelsey Hightower
• Scrimba Podcast with Chad Stewart: Tech Is Hiring, and Here's What You Need to Do!

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🎙 About the episode

Meet Jimmy Johnston 🇺🇸! Jimmy is a sous-chef turned developer who's just landed his first developer job after working in the culinary industry for twenty years! The career change took Jimmy eleven months. It also involved going through burnout, figuring out his "why," as well as hitting a dead-end with job applications and changing the strategy from the ground up! In this interview, Jimmy will let you in on all of these things so that you can learn from his experience.

You'll find out the similarities between cooking and computing, how Jimmy learned to code, and why you shouldn't try to learn too many technologies at once. Jimmy also talks you through his interview process so that you can figure out at what point you are ready to apply for a similar position.

🔗 Connect with Jimmy

• 👨‍💼 LinkedIn
• 🌐 Website

⏰ Timestamps

• Jimmy was always interested in computing but became a chef instead (02:30)
• The restaurant industry was hit hard by the pandemic, but coding is almost like cooking (02:54)
• How Jimmy learned to code and chose what to focus on (04:59)
• Why you should learn how to learn (07:21)
• Cooking and web development: science or art? (08:37)
• Community break: Your LinkedIn posts, Tweets, and Apple Podcast reviews from the past week (10:41)
• How Jimmy discovered the Scrimba bootcamp (12:58)
• Jimmy needed mentorship and community, and on Scrimba bootcamp, he found all of that and more (14:31)
• If he hadn’t enrolled in a bootcamp, Jimmy would have been back to cooking (19:31)
• Quick-fire questions: brain food, getting old, game development, and learning in silence (21:08)
• How Jimmy dealt with burnout (25:43)
• Jimmy’s job hunting strategy: start with “why” (27:07)
• Jimmy tried the “spray and pray” method before, and it didn’t work - but when he changed his strategy, he saw results immediately (28:51)
• Jimmy’s interview process (30:27)
• What do you need to know to start interviewing for jobs? (33:09)
• Jamie’s first technical interview (34:08)
• How Jimmy got his first developer job (37:48)
• What Jimmy wishes he had known when he was starting to learn to code: Stick to one programming language! (40:38)

🧰 Resources Mentioned

• Scrimba Bootcamp
• Front-end Developer Career Path
• Scrimba's Discord Community
• Book: How to Speak Machine: Computational Thinking for the Rest of Us
• Kevin Powell
• Scrimba Podcast: An Introvert's Guide to Networking (and Becoming Amazing at LinkedIn), with Stephanie Chiu from PayPal
• Scrimba Podcast: Homeschooler, College Dropout, Developer and Master Networker: Crush Your Career with Madison Kanna

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🎙 About the episode

Meet Laura Thorson 🇺🇸! Laura is a Program Manager at GitHub and has previously worked at Facebook, Twitter, and Salesforce. She broke into tech after attending the first-ever coding bootcamp in history and has only ever gotten jobs through LinkedIn. So... there's a lot we can learn from her!

In this episode, Laura talks about her career path and how he went from not knowing what coding was to working in high-profile tech companies. You will hear how she approaches LinkedIn and what was the one piece of advice she got from a recruiter that enabled her to get back into tech after a four-year hiatus. You'll also hear how she got a second chance at Facebook after bombing a job interview - and it only took sending a single email!

Laura and Alex also talk about best practices for job interviews, why you should stalk your interviewers, and what to do about impostor syndrome at a new job. Ultimately, Laura reveals how, no matter how you learn to code, the technologies you know come and go - and what you should focus on instead.

🔗 Connect with Laura

• 👩‍💼 Linkedin
• 🌐  Website 
• 🐦 Twitter
• 👨‍🚀 GitHub

 ⏰ Timestamps

• Laura studied oboe, then English, and then enrolled in the first bootcamp in history! (02:05)
• How Laura knew made sure she wanted to code before paying for the bootcamp (05:26)
• On bootcamps vs. learning on your own (06:35)
•  What was the first ever bootcamp like? (07:55)
• Community break: We got some new reviews on Apple Podcast! Plus, your tweets from last week. (10:06)
• Laura’s career in tech: it all started when Salesforce reached out to her on LinkedIn (12:44)
• Laura’s role at Twitter (14:07)
• How Laura bombed her interview at Facebook but got another chance after sending an email to the hiring manager (15:08)
• At Facebook, Laura worked on the Live Video API (18:32)
• How Laura approaches LinkedIn (19:49)
• Why Laura’s LinkedIn bio is written in the third person (21:37)
• How to use your LinkedIn about section (23:19)
• Why you should send follow-up emails and research your interviewers so you can ask them better questions (25:21)
• If you’re going to ask a question, be prepared, BUT LISTEN (27:42)
• When you interview, every touchpoint is an opportunity for them to assess whether you’re the right culture fit (29:22)
• The killer LinkedIn advice Laura learned the hard way (30:18)
• What to do with your LinkedIn (and portfolio) if you don’t have relevant coding experience (32:05)
• Interviewers will do homework on you (33:33)
• Quick-fire questions: Ruby, Taylor Swift, water, and AI (35:11)
• Laura’s career journey at GitHub (38:47)
• Why your most valuable asset is not the coding language you’ve learned (41:29)
• Imposter syndrome? Don’t overcompensate but talk to a peer or mentor (44:28)

🧰 Resources Mentioned

• Erica Brescia on Twitter
• Scrimba Podcast with Shannon Brown

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🎙 About the episode

Meet Gabriel Pedroza 🇺🇸! Gabriel is a Scrimba student who has just landed his first internship. And the internship is at Meta (formerly known as Facebook)!

After finishing Scrimba's Frontend Career Path, Gabriel studied computer science at a university, so if you were wondering about the main differences between Scrimba and university, he's the right person to talk to! You'll also hear how he approached learning, how he's already been teaching others how to code, and what did it take for him to get an internship at Meta. More importantly, Gabriel will teach you how to follow your interests and passion, why you shouldn't be afraid of AI, and how to maximize your chances when applying for jobs!

🔗 Connect with Gabriel

• 👨‍💼 LinkedIn

⏰ Timestamps

• How Gabriel got interested in coding when he saw Bruno Simon’s portfolio (01:17)
• How Gabriel learned to code (03:23)
• Gabriel had imposter syndrome! (04:18)
• Scrimba and a university: do they go together, and how do they differ? (05:17)
• Community break: Your tweets and LinkedIn posts (08:10)
• How Gabriel got his foot in the door at companies like Meta and Google, and the importance of keywords (09:40)
• What are OAs (open assessments)? (10:42)
• Gabriel almost didn’t apply at Meta! (11:37)
• Gabriel taught programming workshops at the university where he’s studying (12:11)
• Hard skills or soft skills? Gabriel only had behavioral interviews in person at Meta! (13:03)
• How Gabriel prepared for an interview at Meta (14:28)
• Why you should practice LeetCode and learn to think like a programmer (15:17)
• Gabriel’s internship at Meta (16:10)
• Quick-fire questions: coding languages, AI, and people to follow on YouTube (17:00)
• Will AI take over coding? (18:43)
• Follow your passion (20:52)
• Is AI relevant for front-end development? (21:33)
• Learning coding is just like learning anything else (23:15)
• Don’t try to memorize everything! (24:46)
• It’s easy to apply for jobs: here’s what you can do to maximize your chances (25:45)
• Gabriel’s plans for the future (28:26)
• Next week: Laura Thorson from GitHub! (30:59)

🧰 Resources Mentioned

• Front-end Developer Career Path
• Scrimba's Discord Community
• Bruno Simon's portfolio
• Theo Browne
• ThePrimeagen
• Find your Ikigai!

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🎙 About the episode

Meet Chad Stewart 🇯🇲! Chad is a Senior Front End Engineer and the founder of TechIsHiring - it's a hashtag, a community, and a transnational job listing channel helping great jobs and great engineers discover each other. 

In this episode, Chad talks about the inspiration behind TechIsHiring, plans for its future, and how he cultivated a community around it. More importantly, Chad will teach you how to cultivate community yourself! We all know we need to network, but networking can be daunting. Chad reveals how he networks, who he follows on Twitter, and why being part of a community can help you get jobs, grow as a programmer, and get help when you need it.

Chad and Alex also talk about different paths to getting into tech. Becoming a developer is not the only way, and we hope this interview gives you some ideas. Plus: computer bugs, the threat of AI, and water.

🔗 Connect with Chad

• 👨‍💼 Linkedin
• 🌐  Blog
• 🌐  TechIsHiring 
• 🐦 Twitter
• 🐦 Tech Is Hiring Twitter
• 👩‍🚀 GitHub

⏰ Timestamps

• How Chad got interested in computers from a very young age (01:54)
• There were literal bugs in his computer at times! (03:07)
• Why do you eventually need to learn how to learn on your own so you can keep growing (04:35)
• Also… Chad learned React using Scrimba! We had no idea. (05:32)
• What is TechIsHiring, and how did it start? (07:36)
• Community break! We’re highlighting tweets and LinkedIn comments from the past week. (09:27)
• Starting a hashtag is not enough - here’s how Chad cultivates community and what the community says about it (10:57)
• Becoming a developer is not the only way you can get into tech (13:28)
• What TechIsHiring is about, and why Chad doesn’t want to branch out into other niches (18:51)
• Quick-fire questions: Will AI replace software developers?
• What is the most important thing that a new developer should focus on so they can get their first job? Leverage your connections to get jobs, but don’t forget to grow with your network (25:32)
• How to create a network and get involved in communities if you’re not good at networking? (28:42)
• Networking is a marathon, not a sprint (31:26)

🧰 Resources Mentioned

• TechIsHiring (also on Twitter)
• Learn React for free with Scrimba
• Angie Jones on Twitter
• Virtual Coffee
• Scrimba Podcast with Dan Moore, author of Letters to a New Developer

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You can also Tweet Alex from Scrimba at @bookercodes and tell them what lessons you learned from the episode so they can thank you personally for tuning in 🙏  Or tell Jan the Producer he has butchered your name here.

🎙 About the episode

Meet Leo de Leon 🇺🇸! Leo was a successful self-taught motion graphics designer. Today, he's a successful self-taught developer! He used to design motion graphics for billboards at an arena in Kansas City that seats 20,000 people. But he needed a change. Eventually, he taught himself how to code in 314 hours over 3.5 months and landed his dream job in a Web3 startup around four months later.

In this episode, you will hear why it's essential to know your learning style and how not doing great at school doesn't mean you cannot learn new things. Leo will teach you how to approach your project and portfolio website, as well as his number one tactic for landing your dream job: niching down.

Alex and Leo also talk about some shady recruiter practices you can come across nowadays, the perks of working at startups (yes, especially in this economy!), developers to follow on YouTube, learning opportunities, consistency, and blessings in disguise.

🔗 Connect with Leo

• 👨‍💼 LinkedIn
• 🌐  Website

⏰ Timestamps

• How Leo decided to do something with computers after he saw a Matthew Broderick movie when he was 8 (01:59)
• How Leo worked as a motion graphics designer for a decade (03:15)
• Why Leo wanted to change careers and get into coding, and how a failed job opportunity propelled him forward (04:20)
• Why Leo is equipped to teach himself new skills (06:49)
• Leo signed up for a bootcamp and then realized it didn’t work for him (when he discovered Scrimba!) (08:31)
• How long it took Leo to learn to code (11:01)
• Why you need to set realistic goals (11:45)
• You’re not too late: there’s never a bad time to get into tech (13:37)
• Community break: Highlighting tweets and LinkedIn posts from our community (that’s you!) (15:26)
• How Leo approached finding a job and positioning himself in the job market (17:25)
• When choosing portfolio projects, choose something difficult! (18:08)
• Here’s how to make sure your projects and portfolio look nice! (20:07)
• Leo got his first developer job when a recruiter reached out to him on LinkedIn (21:27)
• Why a culture fit is important at startups (25:14)
• Leo’s trial project took an entire month, but he still got the job! (27:48)
• Quick-fire questions: first lines of code, favorite tech YouTubers, and music with lyrics (32:16)
• How to create an appealing LinkedIn profile, and how to recognize shady recruiting practices (34:15)
• Leo works at a Web3 and blockchain-related company. How did he optimize his LinkedIn profile to get there? (37:30)
• Let other people review your LinkedIn profile and your resume before putting yourself out there! (38:36)
• Why do you need to niche down and focus on one field or technology (39:56)
• Don’t get FOMO: you can’t be known for everything (41:07)
• Be consistent and purpose-driven because motivation comes and goes (45:12)
• What’s ReadMe Driven Development and how to apply that approach to your career (48:39)

🧰 Resources Mentioned

• Front-end Developer Career Path
• Scrimba's Discord Community
• DonTheDeveloper on YouTube
• James Cross on YouTube
• Chris Sean on YouTube
• Syntax.fm

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🎙 About the episode

This is a rebroadcast of one of our most popular interviews. Meet Randall Kanna 🇺🇸! Randall is a software developer, lead product engineer, and the author of The Standout Developer.

Once upon a time, Randall learned the unsettling truth that almost everyone on her team earned more money than her. She mustered the courage to confront her boss and said, “Hey! Google is interested in me. I could go there, or you can give me the fair salary bump I deserve!” They obliged, and at that moment, Randall learned just how important it is to advocate yourself.

Randall wants you to have the best possible start to your tech career and joins the podcast to share what she’s learned about how to stand out and thrive in tech. Spoiler: It’s not just about your coding skills.

🔗 Connect with Randall

• 🐦 Twitter
• 🌐 Website
• 📄 LinkedIn

🧰 Resources mentioned

• 📕 The Standout Developer

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🎙 About the episode

Meet Spencer Dye 🇺🇸! Spencer is a new developer who recently got his first dev job! In the past, he was a designer, but before that, he studied to become a biologist, and then, an accountant! While moonlighting as a designer during his studies, he discovered Webflow, and from there, realized that development is... kind of fun?

In this episode, you'll hear how Spencer learned to code, kept up his motivation by practicing stoicism and filling in a habit tracker, and ultimately landed his first dev job after only five months since he decided to change careers. Alex and Spencer discuss whether you should focus on any job or only the jobs you like, why your background is your asset, and are your coding skills the only thing you should focus on. You'll hear how Spencer interviewed his interviewers and focused on making a human connection - which resulted in one of the shortest interview processes we've heard about on the pod!

Plus: YouTube recommendations, your tweets, and many words of encouragement.

🔗 Connect with Spencer

• 👨‍💼 LinkedIn
• 🌐 Website

⏰ Timestamps

• How Spencer went from computers to design to biology to accountancy, back to design, and eventually, into development (01:25)
• Before learning frontend, Spencer freelanced as a designer and worked with Webflow (03:03)
• Spencer dropped out of college and decided to learn development (03:44)
• How Spencer created his own curriculum and why he used a habit tracker (04:40)
• What challenges Spencer faced while learning to code (06:17)
• Nobody teaches problem-solving, but it's essential (06:51)
• It only took Spencer five months to learn to code at a hireable level (07:53)
• Community break! Here's what you've been tweeting and posting on LinkedIn (08:35)
• Interviewing is a skill (11:17)
• What's the benefit of focusing only on opportunities you find exciting (12:07)
• How stoicism helped Spencer during his job search (12:46)
• What Spencer found surprising during his job search (14:23)
• Why the job Spencer ended up getting had the most effortless interview process compared to the previous ones (15:06)
• Where does Spencer work now? (16:30)
• Did Spencer's previous experience in design help him in his new role? (16:56)
• Another advantage: Spencer interviewed his boss! (17:49)
• On transferable skills (18:18)
• Quick-fire questions: favorite frontend YouTube channels, future coding plans, and English breakfast tea (18:52)
• Why Spencer chose a career in coding (21:03)
• Webflow jobs vs. coding jobs (22:37)
• How Spencer got the job within five days of his first interview (24:29)
• Spencer's interview process and interviewing his interviewers (22:54)
• Focus on making a human connection! (26:47)
• Did Spencer have a tech interview? (29:35)
• Your coding skills are not the only thing (30:31)
• Why it's important to practice interviewing (32:45)
• Spencer's tip: Apply at the same company through multiple channels! (33:30)
• Closing advice: You will get better! Just focus on the smallest steps. (34:58)  

🧰 Resources Mentioned

• Front-end Developer Career Path
• Scrimba's Discord Community
• freeCodeCamp 
• Everyday habit tracker
• Web Dev Simplified on YouTube
• DesignCourse on YouTube
• Traversy Media on YouTube

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🎙 About the episode

Meet Rizel Scarlett 🇺🇸! Rizel is a Developer Advocate at GitHub. She's also a career changer, software engineer, and community builder!

Rizel dropped out of psychology studies after running out of money. Then she went into IT support, then into coding, and then realized that, after working in an organization that teaches women and non-binary people of color to code, developer advocacy could be a great career for her!

In this episode, you will hear how Rizel learned to code, paved her own path, and knew when she needed to pivot. You'll learn why internships are cool and what to be on the lookout for if you're looking for your first opportunity. Rizel will also teach you why you need personal branding and how to do it even if you're an introvert - complete with step-by-step instructions on how to write a blog post, practice public speaking, or network.

🔗 Connect with Rizel

• 👩‍💼 Linkedin
• 🌐 Website
• 🐦 Twitter
• 👩‍🚀 GitHub

⏰ Timestamps

• Why Rizel switched from psychology to IT and, later, to coding (01:59)
• Was the transition to coding easy? (03:08)
• Rizel tried many different jobs. Here’s why that’s not a bad thing! (03:41)
• How Rizel approached learning to code (05:55)
• Community and camaraderie are important parts of learning to code (06:29)
• How Rizel decided to enroll in a bootcamp (07:50)
• On learning to code with your significant other (08:49)
• Thinking like a programmer comes with practice (09:34)
• Why Rizel pursued internships (10:44)
• Why connections are important (12:13)
• What was Rizel’s internship experience like (13:02)
• What should you look for in an internship or your first job? (13:47)
• Community break! Here’s what you’ve been tweeting (15:47)
• What juniors bring to the table (17:30)
• How Rizel discovered developer advocacy and got hired as a developer advocate at GitHub (18:45)
• What does a supportive manager do (20:46)
• How Rizel approaches personal branding (22:08)
• You can’t expect people to find you. The best person to advocate for you is you (23:31)
• How to work on your public speaking (24:36)
• How to work on your writing and how Rizel approaches writing blog posts (26:58)
• How to get involved with the community (31:18)
• Closing advice: it’s okay to switch your focus, take your time, and maintain a list of your wins! (35:11)

🧰 Resources Mentioned

• How to support early career developers
• freeCodeCamp

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🎙 About the episode

Meet Emre Albayrak 🇹🇷!  Emre is a classical pianist from Turkey who decided to change careers, so he trained as a pilot! But then, the pandemic hit. Looking for something else to do (yet again), Emre discovered coding, tried it, and realized he enjoyed it! Only a year after starting to learn to code, Emre landed a job at an international IT company.

In this episode, Emre talks about his long and winding but also efficient path to becoming a developer. You'll hear how he learned to code, what resources he used, and how he approached his portfolio projects and job applications! You will probably learn something about keeping up your motivation and managing stage fright before your interviews.

🔗 Connect with Emre

• 👨‍💼 LinkedIn

⏰ Timestamps

• How Emre went from music to piloting to coding (02:06)
• Emre had a developer friend who encouraged him to focus on frontend, after writing his first code in Python (05:10)
• What resources did Emre use to learn to code? And how did he discover Scrimba? (07:06)
• Emre landed a job only a year after he started learning to code... and he completed the Career Path in the meantime! (08:10)
• Emre's job hunting strategy: it's all about your portfolio (09:19)
• The secret to getting a job quickly (10:45)
• Quickfire questions: Why doesn't Emre, a musician, listen to music while coding? Who are his favorite coding teachers? Who does he follow on YouTube?
• How Emre knew he was ready for job interviews? (15:24)
• Where does Emre work now? (16:01)
• Emre found the job posting on LinkedIn. Here's what happened next (18:12)
• Emre had to learn Redux for the test project (18:44)
• The interview was so successful that HR told Emre they would continue with him immediately! (19:32)
• The final stage of the interview was an English test! (20:05)
• How Emre felt when he found out he was hired (20:24)
• Community break! Here's what you tweeted since our previous episode. (20:55)
• Did Emre regret leaving musicology? (22:37)
• How Emre made sure to stay motivated during tougherr times)? (22:57)
• How Emre deals with the stage fright that hits right before job interviews and with the pain of being rejected for a job (24:28)
• Why does stage anxiety hit? (27:28)

🧰 Resources Mentioned

• Front-end Developer Career Path
• Scrimba's Discord Community
• freeCodeCamp 

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🎙 About the episode

Meet Saron Yitbarek 🇺🇸! Saron is a developer, entrepreneur, community builder, and the founder of CodeNewbie. Saron has been helping new developers break into tech for a decade, and in this episode, she distills her best and most sought-after advice!

Saron, who recently launched a new project called NewDevCareer.com, is a career changer herself - she first studied to become a doctor! In this interview, you will hear how she decided to make that change, why her first attempts at learning to code didn't work, and what she wishes she knew then. You will learn the ins and outs of different paths you can take to break into tech. You will get practical tips for creating deeper connections within your online community - and learn why they're important. Saron and Alex also discuss the right motivation to learn to code, why tech is fascinating, and how to decide what to learn first.

🔗 Connect with Saron

• 🧑‍💻 CodeNewbie
• 👩‍💼 Linkedin
• 🌐 Website
• 🐦 Twitter

⏰ Timestamps

• Saron’s road to becoming a developer: Originally, she studied to become a doctor and then worked as a journalist (01:31)
• How Saron got interested in tech after reading a book on Steve Jobs (03:32)
• How Saron approached learning to code and why that approach was wrong (05:43)
• Saron first joined startups working in sales and marketing and decided to try coding again out of frustration (08:03)
• Bootcamp, university, or a self-directed path? Here’s how Saron made that decision (09:38)
• The benefits of bootcamps… and coding communities (11:35)
• Community break! Jan the producer reads your tweets, reviews, and LinkedIn posts (13:21)
• How can an aspiring developer involve more in the community? (15:21)
• How to foster deeper connections online? (17:24)
• How important is consistency when learning to code? (19:21)
• Can anybody teach themselves coding? (20:23)
• What is the right motivation to become a developer? How much should you be passionate about coding? (22:00)
• What are a first-time developer’s biggest assets and why? (24:22)
• Is “passion” too strong of a word? Should you be passionate about coding? (27:15)
• The importance of mentoring juniors (28:53)
• Junior developers are an investment (30:45)
• What is newdevcareer.com? (32:22)
• Information is all around us, but we’re lacking action (36:42)
• What is the main problem new developers face? (38:38)

🧰 Resources Mentioned

• CodeNewbie
• NewDevCareer.com
• Scrimba Podcast: Tech Layoffs Are Still Happening, and ChatGPT Can Code: How To Stay Ahead of the Curve as a New Developer, With Lane Wagner
• How to Be Great? Just Be Good, Repeatably

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🎙 About the episode

Meet Jamie Baker 🇬🇧! Jamie is a recently hired new developer who used to be a butcher. Recently, he took the plunge to leave his growing business and, at 38, start his first front-end developer job after only interviewing at one company!

This is a story of perseverance and knowing when to niche down. You will hear how Jamie started coding, why he loves CSS, and how he fell in love with Shopify. You will learn why you should be enthusiastic about the tech you're working with and why if you're sending too many resumes, that might mean you need a better strategy. Jamie also talks about his typical day as a developer working at Velstar, a Shopify agency,  why honesty and people skills matter, and why you shouldn't sleep on domain knowledge. There are also some fun quick-fire questions!

🔗 Connect with Jamie

• 👨‍💼 LinkedIn
• 🌐 The butcher shop

⏰ Timestamps

• How Jamie started learning CSS by hosting a football forum (01:54)
• How Jamie landed his first paid gig while knowing only CSS (03:16)
• How Jamie decided to go from a craft butcher shop owner to front-end developer (and discovered Scrimba) (04:33)
• Jamie learned to code alongside his day job (07:29)
• His butcher shop had a Shopify website, and Jamie loved it (08:01)
• Today, Jamie works in a Shopify agency (09:17)
• How Jamie decided to narrow down his focus on Shopify-related jobs (09:58)
• Community break! (11:32)
• How Jamie left his business and started a coding job at the age of 38 (13:11)
• The job Jamie got was the only job he applied for! (13:54)
• Jamie's personality and people skills played the biggest role when it came to him getting the job (14:29)
• Find what excites you! (18:44)
• Quick-fi e questions: Favorite coding courses? Is CSS a language? Why is everybody wearing headphones? (19:28)
• What Jamie's typical day at a Shopify agency looks like, and why you should put yourself in the shoes of the user (21:50)
• Why you should be honest with your prospective employers (23:27)
• Has the career change been worth it for Jamie? (17:00)
• Next week: Saron Yitbarek, the founder of CodeNewbie! (29:20)

🧰 Resources Mentioned

• Front-end Developer Career Path
• Scrimba's Discord Community
• Scrimba Podcast: Becoming a Standout Developer with Randall Kanna

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🎙 About the episode

Meet Lane Wagner 🇺🇸! Lane is an engineering manager and the founder of Boot.dev. In this episode, as an experienced leader and educator, Lane talks about the recent changes in the job market and what they mean for aspiring and established developers alike. With tech layoffs and  AI that can write code, how do you even stand out?

Lane and Alex discuss the future of the industry as well as the ongoing recession and why it seems to hit tech companies especially hard. You'll learn what's the main difference between a developer and an AI that can write code and how to focus on it. They also talk about different types of companies, how different paths require different strategies to break into tech, and why it's okay to change companies as that's the quickest way to learn and figure out what works for you..

🔗 Connect with Lane

• 👨‍💼Linkedin
• 🌐 Website
• 🐦 Twitter
• ✏️ Blog

⏰ Timestamps

• Why is the tech industry experiencing layoffs? (01:41)
• Do tech layoffs affect junior developers in the long run? (03:20)
• Why we are in a recession: the (tech) bubble created during the COVID pandemic burst (05:00)
• Why have big companies mostly hired seniors in the past three years (08:31)
• Should junior developers aim to work at smaller companies? (09:24)
• Getting a job requires different strategies for different types of companies (12:29)
• Changing jobs is okay! (16:06)
• Community break! (18:23)
• Get your first developer job ASAP because that's the quickest way to learn (20:36)
• AI can write code. Should developers be worried for their livelihoods? (22:37)
• The difference between ChatGPT and a junior developer (26:03)
• If your biggest selling point as a junior is what technologies you use, you're doing something wrong (30:21)
• What we can learn from the data available at layoffs.fyi (33:39)
• We can't control most things happening in the job market, but we can focus on the things we can control: Lane's advice for junior developers (35:21)

🧰 Resources Mentioned

• boot.dev
• layoffs.fyi
• Blog post: What Do Tech Layoffs Mean for Budding Developers
• Scrimba Podcast: How to become a successful Junior Developer with Danny Thompson
• Scrimba Podcast: How to Use Twitter to Beat Your Social Anxiety and Land Your First Job, with Scrimba Student Trecia

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🎙 About the episode

Meet Matheus Pessoa 🇧🇷! Matheus is a recently hired new developer who landed his first junior developer job after only about a year of learning to code. To make this story even more awesome, the CTO of the company he now works at reached out to him!   

In this episode, you'll hear how Matheus approached learning to code with ADHD, how he chose front-end development as a career that blends his different interests, and how he ultimately landed his first dev job. You'll learn what's important when applying for jobs at startups (hint: it's not necessarily your tech knowledge, especially if you're a junior), whether you can apply for a position involving something you haven't learned yet, and how not to get stuck if everybody on your team is super young.

🔗 Connect with Matheus

• 👨‍💼 Linkedin
• 👨‍🚀 GitHub

⏰ Timestamps

• How Matheus decided to learn to code after studying statistics while being interested in visual arts (01:42)
• What projects did Matheus make to learn to code? (03:02)
• How Matheus decided to focus on becoming a front-end developer (04:32)
• How Matheus approached learning to code and navigated being self-taught while having ADHD (05:56)
• What's the job market like in Brazil, and when did Matheus start applying? (08:23)
• Community break! (09:35)
• The real challenge is finding the right cultural fit (11:37)
• Matheus found a job because the CTO of the company reached out to him! (12:06)
• Interviewing in reverse (14:43)
• What kind of technical skills were they looking for from a junior candidate? (15:47)
• What made Matheus stand out (16:10)
• What is more important: mission fit, tech, or communication skills?
• Matheus got an offer letter only five days after the interview! (18:22)
• What does a day of work look like for Matheus today? (20:08)
• Matheus works in a very young team. Here's why that's awesome and how to do with its shortcomings (20:41)
• Matheus's future career goals (21:55)
• What Matheus wishes he had known when he was starting out: Be patient! (22:38)
• Next week, Lane Wagner of Btalks about layoffs and what they mean for new developers (24:06)

🧰 Resources Mentioned

• Front-end Developer Career Path
• Scrimba's Discord Community
• Matheus' museum project
• Optimize Your LinkedIn Page with Danny Thompson
• Scrimba Podcast: How to Make Your LinkedIn Stand Out
• Scrimba Podcast: An Introvert's Guide to Networking (and Becoming Amazing at LinkedIn), with Stephanie Chiu from PayPal

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🎙 About the episode

Meet Mathias Biilmann 🇩🇰! Matt is CEO and Co-founder of Netlify, a cloud computing company you might have heard of. He's also a self-taught developer who was a music journalist in a past life! In this episode, he talks about bootstrapping a company, and hiring his first developers. He also talks about how he initially learned to code and, eventually, decided to change careers! Yes, this story will also take you to the time before everybody had Internet.

Matt will teach you how to best position yourself as a developer, and why companies in different stages of their development look for different things in their hires. Alex and Matt will discuss the current state of the job market and whether you should be worried about the potential for finding job opportunities. And on top of that, this episode is also about the fascinating story about the inception of a company we all know and love.

🔗 Connect with Matt

• 👨‍💼Linkedin
• 🐦 Twitter

⏰ Timestamps

• How Matt started fiddling with a Commodore 64 before becoming a developer was cool (02:07)
• How you would learn coding in the era before everybody was connected to the Internet (03:56)
• Matt pursued musicology, comparative literature, and cultural studies degrees and worked as a freelance music journalist! (05:40)
• How Matt kept coding as a hobby and decided to switch careers after meeting a girl from Spain (06:10)
• Matt’s first notable coding projects: a Sudoku game where you could challenge friends like in Wordle, and a procedurally generated space game (07:24)
• How Matt got his first developer job (09:29)
• Break: Here’s what our community is saying! (11:50)
• How Matt Biilmann went from being an employee to CTO to CEO (14:28)
• Matt had a hunch about the future of the web… And it turned out he was right! (17:04)
• What is Jamstack? (20:38)
• How much code does Matt write today, and how much did he use to write in Netlify’s early days? (23:32)
• What was Netlify looking for in the first developers they hired? (25:45)
• What kinds of developers do early-stage startups need? What are the differentiators between developers with similar backgrounds? (27:57)
• Break: Subscribe! (31:37)
• Why do companies still need to hire junior developers? (32:19)
• Are junior developers a good investment? (37:03)
• Why are there tech layoffs happening right now? (37:49)
• Should you be worried about the current state of the job market? (44:28)

🧰 Resources Mentioned

• Netlify
• Netlify Drop, formerly BitBalloon
• Jamstack
• Scrimba Podcast: How to Avoid Burnout, Improve Your Confidence and Keep Coding Fun, with Scrimba Student Sylvia

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🎙 About the episode

Meet Trecia Kat 🇿🇦! Trecia is a new developer from South Africa who originally wanted to work in healthcare. She eventually decided to study IT, but she dropped out of college when it turned out that online resources were better! Today she's a front-end developer. She got her feet wet in the world of Developer Advocacy, she beat her social anxiety, and she even spoke at a conference!

In this episode, you'll learn why passion doesn't mean you'll be great at something - and how to recognize what you can actually be great at. Trecia tells us how she learned to code, overcame her fear of interacting with people she doesn't know, and landed her first developer job. Twitter was essential for Trecia's journey - she will teach you how to use it to get out of your comfort zone and what Tech Twitter tropes to ignore. You will also hear about Trecia's DevRel internship at Strapi and how she ended up speaking at a conference by trying not to speak at a conference.

🔗 Connect with Trecia

• 👩‍💼Linkedin
• 🌐 Website
• 🌐 Blog
• 🐦 Twitter

⏰ Timestamps

• How Trecia decided to learn to code, and should you be passionate about coding to do so (01:27)
• Trecia wanted to work in healthcare but eventually decided to study IT (02:52)
• Why Trecia dropped out of her studies (06:42)
• How Trecia decided to pick up front-end when her cousin needed a website (9:30)
• Resources Trecia used to learn to code (11:18)
• Break: Here’s what you’ve tweeted about the podcast. (13:54)
• The biggest challenge Trecia faced was wanting to learn too many things at once (16:13)
• Tech Twitter is useful… but don’t believe everything you read (17:41)
• How Trecia grew her Twitter following (18:52)
• How Trecia used Twitter to fight her social anxiety and connect with the community (20:05)
• Trecia got her first freelance gig because of Twitter! (26:15)
• How Trecia learned about DevRel and got a DevRel internship (27:29)
• Ad break: Next week, it’s Netlify CEO Matt Biilmann! (30:03)
• On Trecia’s DevRel internship at Strapi (32:10)
• How Trecia spoke at the Next.js conference by trying too hard not to speak at a conference at all (33:36)
• Why Trecia decided to drop being a developer advocate for the time being and focus on becoming a better developer (34:34)
• What Trecia wishes she knew when she was starting out as a coder: focus on yourself and break out of your comfort zone (37:15)

🧰 Resources Mentioned

• freeCodeCamp
• Learn Javascript for free on Scrimba
• Trecia at Next.JS
• Intro to artificial intelligence and Developer Relations with Pratim Bhosale
• Pratim Bhosale on Twitter
• TraversyMedia on Youtube
• Scrimba Podcast: How to get started in Developer Relations according to Head of Developer Relations Phil Leggetter

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🎙 About the episode

Meet Patrick Akil 🇳🇱! Patrick is a software engineer, Golang trainer, and the host of the Beyond Coding podcast. In this interview, he shares his story of becoming a developer and talks about everything beyond coding - mindset, mental health, life- and soft skills. By the way, this is the 100th episode of the Scrimba podcast! 🎉

In this episode, you will learn how to become a better team player and what being a good communicator actually entails. Patrick will teach you how to find your strengths even if you're not the best coder in the world, why mental health is important, and how creating genuine connections with your coworkers benefits everybody. You will also hear how Patrick pivoted to coding after initially missing an opportunity to study it at a university and how he learned from consultants from a company he later worked for!

🔗 Connect with Patrick

• 📹 YouTube
• 👨‍💼Linkedin
• 🌐 Website
• 🐦 Twitter

⏰ Timestamps

• Patrick’s long and winding path to coding through operations (01:28)
• Is attending a university a good path to becoming a developer? (05:02)
• How Patrick learn development on the job from external consultants (07:36)
• People around you will define your growth curve, and mentors are important (10:09)
• How much of success is luck, and how much is under your control? (11:09)
• How to advocate for yourself (13:13)
• What does it mean to be a good communicator (14:16)
• Ad break! Next week, it’s Trecia Kat! (16:13)
• Why it’s important to talk about things that are ‘beyond coding’? (17:53)
• How not to be too harsh on yourself (19:37)
• Creating a system that doesn’t rely on motivation (21:55)
• What’s more important: hard skills or soft skills? (24:04)
• The typical roles within a team (25:28)
• How to get better at teamwork (29:04)
• Where does perfectionism come from? (33:17)
• How to get better at receiving feedback (35:11)
• How to apply the takeaways from this interview to interviewing for a job without going over the top (37:56)
• Redefining what success means (40:19)
• What are goals (43:05)
• How Patrick got his first developer job even though he wasn’t expecting to (44:15)
• How Patrick became a podcaster (47:54)

🧰 Resources Mentioned

• Beyond Coding on Youtube
• Beyond Coding on Anchor
• Beyond Coding: Mental Health Problems and Conference Talks, with Stacy Cashmore 

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🎙 About the episode

Meet Amy Corson 🇺🇸! Amy is a recently hired new developer. She's also an aspiring comedian! During the pandemic, she realized she was unhappy with her day job and decided to change it. So: this episode is both insightful and funny!

In this interview, Amy talks about learning to code and how her brother, also a self-taught developer, introduced her to Scrimba. You'll learn about ghost buses, local coding meetups, and how help can come from the unlikeliest of places. Amy also teaches you how to pick a coding project you're not going to give up on, even if it might give you food poisoning. Ultimately, you will hear how Amy approached both studying and applying for jobs, how she prepared for the job interview that landed her the job she's doing now, and why vague emails from recruiters are even more stressful when you're in the mountains.

🔗 Connect with Amy

• 👩‍💼 Linkedin
• 🌐 Website
• 👩‍🚀 Github

⏰ Timestamps

• How Amy went from an aspiring comedy writer with a day job to learning to code (02:12)
• Amy quit her job and focused on coding (04:51)
• Amy landed her first developer job after a little over a year of studying! (06:20)
• How Amy approached learning to code (06:48)
• What projects did Amy build? (08:07)
• How Amy decided on a complex project, learned a lot, and avoided food poisoning (08:20)
• Ad break! Next week, it’s Patrick Akil! (10:17)
• How Scrimba’s Discord community helped Amy solve problems better (12:11)
• When did Amy decide to start applying for jobs? (13:58)
• How Amy tackled her lack of teamwork experience by joining a civic open-source meetup (15:02)
• What Amy did when she got stuck on her new project (17:38)
• Does Amy’s new job mirror her experience working on the projects at the local meetup group? (18:52)
• You don’t know who you know! (21:24)
• How Amy landed her developer job (25:14)
• What Amy did to prepare for her job interview (27:37)
• Why did Amy put work into presenting herself to the interviewers (28:58)
• How did Amy's technical interview go? (32:47)
• Amy almost two job offers at once! (34:29)
• How do you tell your prospective employer to hurry up? (36:22)
• How Amy got the job offer she ended up accepting while on a hike with no phone reception (38:15)
• Should you negotiate the salary for your first opportunity? (40:08)
• Junior developers are an investment (44:39)

🧰 Resources Mentioned

• The Front-End Developer Career Path
• Scrimba's Discord server!

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🎙 About the episode

Meet Stephanie Chiu 🇺🇸! Stephanie is a self-taught iOS software engineer and career coach. She's also a chemical engineer who thought she would never code... until she met people who actually worked in tech!

In this episode, you'll learn everything about her path to becoming a developer and landing her first job at PayPal! You'll also learn how important it was for Stephanie to be a part of a local developer community. Stephanie will teach you how to optimize your LinkedIn (and think about what recruiters see), seek mentorship, and reach out to senior developers for coffee chats, even if you're introverted.

Stephanie and Alex share excellent tips to help you find your niche and stand out as a new developer. They also discuss predictions for the state of the industry and job market in 2023. 

🔗 Connect with Stephanie

• 📸 Instagram
• 👩‍💼 Linkedin
• 🌐 Website
• 🐦 Twitter
• 👩‍🚀 Github

⏰ Timestamps

• How Stephanie started coding even though she thought she would never do that (01:36)
• The life of a chemical engineer working as a production supervisor and why Stephanie wanted to change careers (04:28)
• The collaborative nature of getting into tech and how to do coffee chats with developers (05:52)
• Why you should go to hackathons (07:13)
• Why getting out of your comfort zone can lead to cool stuff (08:17)
• How Stephanie surrounded herself with tech people and why that was helpful (09:16)
• Should a junior developer work remotely or in person? (11:48)
• Ad break! Reading your podcast reviews + next week on the show: a comedian-turned-developer Amy Corson! (14:00)
• How Stephanie picked her tech stack and approach learning to code, and why you shouldn't focus on collecting certificates (16:58)
• Why iOS developer communities are tightly knit (20:51)
• Why iOS developers generally receive higher compensation (21:55)
• How Stephanie got her job at PayPal and why you shouldn't sleep on LinkedIn (25:32)
• Do small companies hire juniors in the current job market? (27:34)
• How Stephanie was found on LinkedIn by a manager at PayPal... and then rejected (28:50)
• The engineers replied back to Stephanie's thank you email, she took up one of them on an offer to help her with learning, and the rest is history! (30:56)
• The engineers initially doubted Stephanie (32:28)
• How Stephanie's manager needed somebody who could think outside the box (35:24)
• What is more important for junior developers: a resume, portfolio, LinkedIn, or GitHub? (37:46)
• How to teach LinkedIn's algorithm what is it that you want to become (39:55)
• The key to using LinkedIn is curation (40:53)
• How the Skills section on LinkedIn makes a difference in what you see and who reaches out (42:33)
• People don't scroll, so put the most essential things on top! (44:17)
• What recruiters see on LinkedIn, and why Stephanie put her GitHub projects into the Experience section (45:36)
• Stephanie's take on the state of the job market in 2023 (47:24)

🧰 Resources Mentioned

• Levels.fyi - Salaries and tools to level up your career
• Scrimba podcast with Austin Henline: How to make your LinkedIn profile standout according to a LinkedIn expert
• Scrimba's Discord server!

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🎙 About the episode

Meet Marleigh Morgan 🇺🇸! Marleigh is a recently hired graphic designer turned developer. She has always wanted to learn to code, and she tried to study computer science but gave up after it turned out that, at her university, she was supposed to write Java on paper. During the pandemic, she picked up coding again. Two years later, she changed careers!

In this episode, Marleigh will teach you how to balance learning to code with having a full-time job. She also talks about online communities and how to benefit from them, the importance of developing independent projects for your portfolio, and why you shouldn't be afraid to take breaks when you need them. She also shares how she eventually changed career paths within the company she was already working at and how she knew she was ready to apply for jobs.

🔗 Connect with Marleigh

• 👩‍💼 Linkedin
• 🌐 Website
• 🐦 Twitter
• 👩‍🚀 Github
• 🤖 kittywizard#9211 on Scimba Discord

⏰ Timestamps

• Marleigh was interested in coding, but gave up after her university wanted her to write Java on paper (01:27)
• Marleigh went back to coding after changing majors and working as a designer for ten years (02:22)
• What made Marleigh pick up programming again (03:57)
• The importance of being consistent (06:05)
• How Marleigh learned coding alongside a full-time job (06:28)
• Marleigh's advice for everybody learning to code alongside work (07:41)
• The difference in mindset between learning to code as a hobby and learning to code as a career path (10:05)
• Ad break: Next week, it's Stephanie Chiu!
• How specifically Marleigh learned to code (14:34)
• Do you ever feel ready to apply for jobs? (16:44)
• Remote vs on-site work for junior developers (17:55)
• Marleigh is a Scrimba Community Hero with over 2000 messages on our discord server. Here's how she discovered the Scrimba Community (19:33)
• Why being in a developer community is important when you're starting out (20:50)
• Job applications don't always pan out - here's how Marleigh knew when to take a step back and tweak her resume (21:13)
• Marley eventually ended up changing careers internally - here's how it happened (23:10)
• Did they grill Marleigh about her coding skills? (27:33)
• The perks of being in the Scrimba community while job searching (28:41)
• It's okay to take breaks! (30:37)

🧰 Resources Mentioned

• The Front-End Developer Career Path
• Scrimba's Discord server!

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🎙 About the episode

Meet Don Hansen 🇺🇸! Don is a software engineer and developer mentor who helps aspiring juniors land their first opportunity. He's also a Youtuber, podcaster, and streamer who met his first boss on Twitch!

In this episode, Don and Alex talk about career changes, leaving a good first impression, and the state of the job market right now. You'll learn whether you should consider attending a coding bootcamp or stick to a self-directed path, how to see past the marketing copy on a coding bootcamp's website, and how to actually look at networking (especially if you're bad at it). Don also shares valuable insights on all the things you might be doing wrong if you're just starting your job search.   

🔗 Connect with Don

• 👨‍💼 Linkedin
• 🌐  Website
• 📹 Youtube
• 📹 Twitch

⏰ Timestamps

• Don always coded as a hobby (01:19)
• Bridging the gap between a hobbyist and a professional: it's a shift in mindset (02:56)
• How to keep coding playful while maintaining discipline (05:02)
• How did Don go about getting his first coding job? (06:23)
• Don met his first boss on Twitch! (07:20)
• Why is providing transparency very powerful + are you curious about coding? (09:01)
• What Don learned from failed job applications (11:21)
• How you should think about networking (13:10)
• Ad break! Next week, it's Marleigh Morgan! (14:52)
• Fight shyness with exposure (16:21)
• How James Mariott fought his insecurities by streaming, and why streaming can be a great strategy for you (19:03)
• On imposter syndrome: it never goes away (20:32)
• Why you should train yourself to be a problem solver (23:25)
• Don put stuff you don't know (or senior developers, for that matter) on a pedestal (25:47)
• Short-term vs long-term goals (26:19)
• How to pick your area of expertise, and why Don picked CSS (30:10)
• Should you sign up for a bootcamp or choose a self-directed route? (34:32)
• Can you pick a bootcamp based on their success rate? (38:24)
• What to do if you're applying for junior developer jobs but never hearing back? (42:39)
• Coding ability vs. soft skills, and why it's important to learn presentation skills (45:58)
• What's the motivation behind Don's YouTube channel? (48:13)
• How to look for jobs during a recession (51:05)
• The only surefire way to fail is to quit (55:47)

🧰 Resources Mentioned

• DonTheDeveloper YouTube channel
• Don's YT video: How I Got My First Web Developer Job
• Don't review of Scrimba
• Should aspiring developers be worried about the recession?
• Scrimba podcast: Code Like Nobody Is Watching: On Community, Learning, and Finding the Right Culture Fit, With Scrimba Student James

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🎙 About the episode

Meet Mislav Markušić 🇭🇷! Mislav is a new developer from Croatia who has changed careers at the age of 40. After attending law school and realizing it wasn't a good fit for him, he spent 14 years working in a record store! Now, he's a junior developer.

In this episode, Mislav shares how he decided to pursue coding, how long it took, and how he managed to do it alongside a full-time job and a family. Mislav and Alex discuss taking breaks, knowing you're ready to apply for jobs, and whether or not a junior should learn TypeScript. Mislav also talks about his portfolio, how having a well-thought-out portfolio can help you stand out in a sea of candidates, and how you can prepare for your job interview by listening to podcasts!

🔗 Connect with Mislav

• 👨‍💼Linkedin
• 🌐 Portfolio
• 🌐 Blog
• 🐦Twitter

⏰ Timestamps

• How Mislav started coding after dropping out of law school and working in a record store for 14 years (01:22)
• How Mislav knew which technologies to focus on (05:07)
• How Mislav approached learning to code (06:54)
• Hurry up, but slowly (08:33)
• Ad break! Check out our video where Alex is reenacting a day in a life as a learner. Next week on the podcast, it's Don Hansen! (10:55)
• Mislav wasn't ready too apply for jobs, but a friend of his thought otherwise (13:22)
• The hiring manager loved how Mislav presented himself. Here's what he did, and how he picked his portfolio projects! (14:55)
• Podcasts were the single best resource for Mislav when it comes to nailing the interview. Here's why (18:20)
• Mislav's interview process (20:22)
• Mislav's new job! (23:13)
• What's the first week of his first developer job been like for Mislav? (23:47)
• How fast do you learn coding at home, and how fast do you learn on the job? (26:55)
• How you feel about your abilities can change within a month (28:04)
• What would Mislav do differently, and why is that - learning TypeScript? (29:03)

🧰 Resources Mentioned

• Blog: Mislav's Roadmap to Getting Hired as a Frontent Dev
• Mislav's portfolio
• YouTube video: A day in the life of a self-taught React developer in London
• Scrimba's Discord server!

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🎙 About the episode

Meet Katy Ashby 🇬🇧! Katy studied physics before becoming a developer, and once she did, she went from a complete novice to a principal developer and team lead in only four years! In this episode, Katy shares how she fast-tracked her career and how you can do the same.

In this episode, Katy talks about why you should remain curious, how to recognize opportunities to progress in a company, and what makes a senior developer. Katy shares her view on whether you should seek a remote position as a junior developer and the benefits of staying at a job for longer. Alex and Katy also discuss contractors and whether you should be wary of them (or become one). Also: HTML for Dummies, and rats!

🔗 Connect with Katy

• 👩‍💼 Linkedin
• 🌐  Website
• 🐦 Twitter

⏰ Timestamps

• Katy never thought she was going to become a developer, even though she dabbled with coding as a child (01:06)
• How Katy worked on her first website as a kid and kept coding playful (01:54)
• Katy never thought about studying computer science because her computer classes at school were boring, and she ended up majoring in physics with a minor in French! (04:23)
• Why a developer career, in hindsight, was a perfectly logical choice for Katy (06:25)
• How Katy went from a beginner to a principal developer in four years (07:27)
• Ad break! Next week, it's Mislav Markušić! (12:21)
• What made Katy determined to climb the ranks? (14:13)
• Why becoming a senior developer is more about your attitude than just your coding skills (15:07)
• Did Katy know much about software development jobs before she got her first one? (16:10)
• More and more physicists are becoming coders. Here's why (17:05)
• What Katy learned over the course of four years (19:08)
• How Katy used the experience of using Python for a physics internship to kickstart her coding journey (19:55)
• Is there anything that Katy would do differently? (23:42)
• What challenges did Katy face when she started working? (25:29)
• How Katy turned a graduate role into an actual job (27:55)
• Consider the whole offer, and not just the salary (30:40)
• Should junior developers work remotely or in person? (32:45)
• Why applying for jobs at other companies can get you a raise (34:18)
• How does everybody working remotely change the job landscape? What's the difference between employees and contractors? (37:46)
• How Katy took a break between jobs and shared her knowledge with the community (42:09)
• Quick-fire questions: favorite places in the UK, Anglo-Indian food, coffee, and keeping rats as pets! (45:07)

🧰 Resources Mentioned

• Dummies
• Scrimba's Discord server!

⭐️ Leave a Review

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🎙 About the episode

Meet Sylvialynn Favello 🇺🇸! Sylvia got exposed to coding accidentally: by watching online courses for fun after she took a break from work and studying so that she could have surgery. Today, she works at Docker! She will teach us how to stay on track even when our brains don't want to.

In this episode, Sylvia will give us her insights on how to recognize you're heading towards burnout, how to keep learning fun, and how to remain motivated. She also talks about working on her self-confidence and public speaking by participating in communities and Twitter spaces (the latter is also how she met her hiring manager!), as well as how she found a way to enjoy the learning process for what it is. Spoiler alert: you'll get many unconventional study tips, but they might work for you!

Alex and Sylvia also discuss programming with ADHD, why being a developer is rewarding, and how you can turn perceived failures into learning experiences.   

🔗 Connect with Sylvia

• 👩‍💼 Linkedin
• 🌐  Hashnode
• 👩‍🚀 GitHub
• 🌐  Website
• 🐦 Twitter

⏰ Timestamps

• How Sylvia started learning to code because she was bored and wanted to learn... anything (01:48)
• Alex met Sylvia a year ago when she was joining Twitter spaces to work on her self-confidence and public speaking. Here's how it went down! (03:59)
• Why you should try different things until you find something that sticks (05:12)
• How Sylvia's dream about studying at Harvard turned into a passion for coding (05:53)
• How Alex got exposed to coding by watching videos from Stanford, and Sylvia's unconventional learning practices (07:09)
• Developers with ADHD and how programming can be stimulating (11:12)
• Ad break: Have you heard our show with Jessica Chan? Coming up next week, lead software engineer Katy Ashby.
• Sylvialynn's approach to learning and why you shoulud follow your cuiosity (15:27)
• Why you should always be open to tweaking your goals and plans (17:21)
• Finding motivation in challenges (18:39)
• Keep learning fun! (20:06)
• How to recognize and avoid burnout? (23:18)
• Why you should enjoy the journey, not the destination (26:44)
• When did Sylvia feel she was ready to start applying for jobs? (28:12)
• How Sylvia chose her portfolio project (29:34)
• What resources did she use to learn JavaScript and React? (30:25)
• Sylvia's approach to findind a job (spoiler: in the end, community is always important) (31:26)
• Why you should start working on your presentation skills right away (34:13)
• How to deal with mental setbacks in networking and socializing (39:16)
• Sylvia met a hiring manager at Docker in a Twitter space! (43:33)
• Are you an introvert... or an anxious extrovert (45:33)
• Sylvia's interview process at Docker (47:33)
• What is it like being an intern at Docker? (49:47)
• What's it like doing an internship remotely? (51:00)
• Technical vs behavioral questions for a Docker internship (53:12)
• How long did the internship last and did it come with a promise of a possible job opportunity? (54:46)
• Keep trying different things! (57:19)

🧰 Resources Mentioned

• How to speak
• CS50's Introduction to Computer Science on edX
• Mia Bala on Twitter
• Scrimba's Front-End Developer Career Path
• Sylvia's project, Blue Signal
• Scrimba Podcast: How To Learn To Code From the Free Content on YouTube, With Jessica Chan
• Scrimba Podcast: Communication skills for developers with Dylan Israel from Amazon
• freeCodeCamp
• Learn Python for Free on Scrimba
• Scrimba's Discord server!

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You can also Tweet Alex from Scrimba at @bookercodes and tell them what lessons you learned from the episode so they can thank you personally for tuning in 🙏

🎙 About the episode

Meet Alexander Lee 🇺🇸! Alexander, also known as TechRally, is a front-end engineer at Amazon. He's also a developer coach, Youtuber, and career changer. In this episode, TechRally teaches you how to solve a number of challenges you might face as a junior developer trying to break into the industry.

Alex (the host) and Alex (the guest) discuss the pros and cons of bootcamps, as well as developer portfolios, job market trends, and whether job hunting is similar to... dating. You'll also learn what's the least you can do to stand out as an applicant and how to make sure you really stand out. TechRally will teach you how to approach your portfolio project, how to keep up the motivation, and what to do when you feel stuck in your job search.

🔗 Connect with TechRally

• 📹 YouTube
• 🐦 Twitter
• 📸 Instagram
• 👨‍💼 LinkedIn
• 🌐 Website

⏰ Timestamps

• How Alexander Lee decided to enroll into a coding bootcamp and become a developer (01:48)
• Bootcamps vs. traditional education (03:16)
• Are bootcamps a good path for people learning to code and breaking into tech? Is there a difference between bootcamps in 2015 and bootcamps today? (05:02)
• The best advice for aspiring developers (07:59)
• What should you do if you think you're doing everything right but you still don't hear back after you apply for jobs? (09:39)
• Ad break! Have you listened to our interview with Madison Kanna? Plus: You can leave a review of our podcast and make the producer smile. Next Tuesday: Sylvia Favello, who started learning to code because she was bored after surgery!
• Your developer portfolio and resume should be the best at the start of your career (16:31)
• How many projects should you have in your developer portfolio? (18:31)
• How Alexander landed a job at Amazon (19:19)
• Why do there seem to be fewer recruiters reaching out at the moment? (21:28)
• What is the current state of the tech job market, and is there enough work for juniors?  (22:42)
• Should you worry about seasonal trends in the job market? (25:24)
• What are the aspects of the hiring process that a junior developer can control? (26:43)
• Job hunting vs. Tinder (30:46)
• What kind of projects should you have in your portfolio? (33:14)
• One solid project kills two birds with one stone (34:34)
• How to stay motivated while building bigger projects (36:26)
• Quick-fire questions: coffee, front-end frameworks, and Korean food! (41:13)

🧰 Resources Mentioned

• TechRally Youtube Channel
• Scrimba Podcast: Homeschooler, College Dropout, Developer and Master Networker: Crush Your Career with Madison Kanna
• Scrimba's Discord server!

⭐️ Leave a Review

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🎙 About the episode

Meet James Marriott 🇬🇧! He's a software developer and a career changer who previously worked in education, project management, and communications. He devoted himself to learning to code during a lockdown because he likes making things! In this episode, you'll hear how he found a way to get more comfortable coding in front of interviewers by streaming on YouTube, avoided emails to stay motivated, and ultimately landed a job at a company that perfectly fits his personality.

James also talks about impostor syndrome, the importance of finding a community, and how being open about not knowing something can benefit you in the long run. He and Alex also discuss whether coding skills alone are enough to land you your first job and whether your previous work experience is relevant when you're breaking into tech.

🔗 Connect with James

• 👨‍💼 LinkedIn

⏰ Timestamps

• How James decided to become a developer after decades of waiting (02:31)
• How did James learn to code? (04:18)
• How does one go from hobbyist to professional? Plus, the true value of Scrimba (05:26)
• How James connected to other coders in the community (07:06)
• The difficulty of changing careers later in life (09:30)
• Ad break! Have you listened to our interview with Quincy Larson? How to support us and who's on next week (10:29)
• Changing careers in your 40s: advantage or disadvantage? (13:30)
• What do you have in your 40s that you don't have in your 20s? (16:06)
• Where does motivation come from? (17:03)
• How James approached finding his first developer job (18:40)
• James set up an email filter so that he couldn't see rejections! (19:32)
• Focusing on the things you can control (20:32)
• James was interviewed by three companies - here's how it went down (21:25)
• What James learned from his first interview and how he battled his fear of live coding by... streaming on YouTube! (23:40)
• Why should you learn how to explain your code to other people (27:16)
• On imposter syndrome (29:10)
• How James ended up in a company that aligns with his values (31:08)
• Slow burning motivation, humility, and finding a good fit (34:19)
• James' interview process and why you shouldn't lie on your resume (36:59)
• James' technical task and being transparent (42:37)
• Salaries, how to do them differently, and why a higher salary isn't always a good thing (47:19)

🧰 Resources Mentioned

• Scrimba Podcast: Quincy Larson: Why Learning To Code as an Adult Might Be Easier Than You Think 
• Scrimba's blog!
• Our discord community

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🎙 About the episode

Meet Caitlyn Greffly 🇺🇸! She's a career changer, developer career mentor, and the author of The Bootamper's Companion, a book of tips she wishes she had known when she was breaking into tech. In her past life, she was a psychologist working in beer. After changing careers at 31, Caitlyn is nowadays a full-stack software engineer with a passion for frontend.

In her book, Caitlyn shares resources, advice, and approaches to help you stand out and find a job. In this interview, she does the same! You'll hear how she decided to become a developer and chose a path to get there. You'll learn why you shouldn't be intimidated by your more experienced colleagues, and why struggling is essential. Caitlyn and Alex also discuss how employers can help juniors grow and how new developers can figure out if an employer is right for them.

🔗 Connect with Caitlyn

• 👩‍💼 LinkedIn
• 🌐  Website
• 🐦 Twitter

⏰ Timestamps

• How Caitlyn ended up in programming after studying psychology and working in beer (01:37)
• Becoming a coder as a woman in a male-dominated industry (03:03)
• Did Caitlyn have any exposure to coding before attending a bootcamp? (04:39)
• How Caitlyn knew she was ready for a career change (05:59)
• The bootcamp landscape in 2019 and why Caitlyn chose that instead of a self-directed route (08:35)
• How Caitlyn found a bootcamp that worked for her life circumstances (10:06)
• Ad break: We had a bootcamp mentor on the show! (13:04)
• What Caitlyn found more challenging - coding itself or maintaining positivity and motivation (15:08)
• The importance of struggling and what to do when you struggle (18:17)
• Why you should time box (21:22)
• Caitlyn’s book, The Bootcamper’s Companion (21:54)
• How Caitlyn got her first developer job (25:02)
• On being front of mind and building a community (26:49)
• The thing that had the biggest impact on Caitlyn’s journey - how one tweet resulted in her hanging out with Scott Hanselman! (29:17)
• How to get yourself out there as a new developer… if you’re an introvert (32:46)
• Caitlyn’s experience interviewing (35:45)
• Are interview processes a necessary evil? (40:28)
• Don’t forget to interview the company! (42:42)
• Did Caitlyn feel like she was starting from scratch, changing careers at 31? (46:58)

🧰 Resources Mentioned

• Scrimba Podcast: Bootcamp Mentor Hussien Khayoon: Careers Come in Three Stages, and Here’s How To Navigate Them
• Scrimba Podcast: How to become a successful Junior Developer with Scott Hanselman from Microsoft
• Book: The Bootamper's Companion by Caitlyn Greffly
• Scrimba's Discord server!
• Thinkful

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🎙 About the episode

Meet Michael Robards 🇺🇸! Michael is a career changer whose path to becoming a developer was a long and winding one: he was a business analyst and a personal trainer; he worked front of house and managed restaurants; he studied biology and worked in customer service. Eventually, he got a developer job at Coca-Cola!

In this episode, Michael shares his story and his approach to learning and getting a job. He did a lot of things right, and he's also a proof that it's never too late for a carreer change. Michael and Alex also talk about imposter syndrome, difficulties of learning to code while having a full-time job, differences between big and small companies, and why having to keep on learning is a great thing about working in tech.

🔗 Connect with Michael

• 👨‍💼LinkedIn

⏰ Timestamps

• Michael's long and winding path to becoming a developer (01:44)
• Why Michael thought becoming a software developer wasn't right for him (08:17)
• How Michael commited to learning to code - and did that on company time, at least at first (09:04)
• On learning to code while having a full-time job (11:56)
• How Coca-Cola helped Michael on his coding journey (12:45)
• Ad break: We had a lot of career changers on the podcast. Here's one of them! Plus how to support us, and who's on next week (it's Caitlyn Greffly)!
• Is there anything Michael would've done differently? (17:43)
• Why did it take four and a half years for Michael to get a software job at Coke? (20:31)
• What does it look like to be hired internally? (22:57)
• How to fight imposter syndrome? (25:12)
• What kind of a coworker does a junior developer need? (27:32)
• Why you should do things at your own pace and choose your employers wisely (28:35)
• Michael's career goals (31:01)
• Keep on learning! (31:47)

🧰 Resources Mentioned

• Some of the career changers we interviewed: Chris, Silvia, Theo, Wemerson
• Scrimba's Discord Community
• Grow with Google
• The Frontend Developer Career Path
• Codecademy
• Freecodecamp

⭐️ Leave a Review

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You can also Tweet Alex from Scrimba at @bookercodes and tell them what lessons you learned from the episode so they can thank you personally for tuning in 🙏

🎙 About the episode

Meet Madison Kanna 🇺🇸! She's a front-end developer and a creator of a coding book club. She's also a college dropout, a master networker, and a former homeschooler. In this episode, you'll learn about her fascinating journey and get a lot of good, actionable advice!

Madison will teach you how to figure out what you are actually interested in and how to keep pursuing it. You'll learn about her journey to becoming a developer and how being homeschooled helped her in the early days of her coding career.

Also in this episode: Why do companies want juniors with experience, and what did Madison do to go around it? Do you get any better at personal branding if you get a domain with your name at the age of nine? Why is it important to work on production code? How to stand out if you don't have a degree?

Madison also shares how a single tweet turned being laid off into the best experience of her life!

🔗 Connect with Madison 

• 👩🏼‍💼 LinkedIn
• 🌐  Website
• 🐦 Twitter
• 👩‍🚀 Github

⏰ Timestamps

• How Madison dropped out of college and decided to learn to code (01:28)
• Do you need a college degree? (02:50)
• What's it like being homeschooled, and did it help Madison teach herself development? (04:11)
• How to avoid burnout as you're learning to code? (06:20)
• How to tackle projects as a self-taught developer? (08:09)
• How to follow your curiosity? (11:48)
• What was Madison's goal? (14:07)
• When should you start applying for jobs? Also, MOMS! (15:37)
• Madison and her sister, Randall, both became developers. Were their parents an influence there? (18:40)
• Madison's approach to personal branding and history of blogging (21:26)
• How Madison created her first tech opportunity - and why it was an unpaid apprenticeship (24:25)
• Why do companies want juniors with experience (26:44)
• How to get the experience needed for your first tech job (28:28)
• Why you should work on production code (29:28)
• Should you go easy on yourself or keep grinding? (31:50)
• Recently, Madison got laid off! But one tweet changed everything. A.K.A. Here's why you need to build community (37:04)
• Should you interview even when you're happy at your job? (44:38)

🧰 Resources Mentioned

• Scrimba Podcast: From Doctor to Developer, with Jefferson Tang
• Scrimba Podcast: Becoming a Standout Developer with Randall Kanna
• Book: Deep Work by Cal Newport
• Blog post: Why I'm Glad I Grew Up Playing Neopets

⭐️ Leave a Review

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🎙 About the episode

Meet Rían Errity 🇮🇪! He's a Scrimba student who started learning to code as a child. Today, he studies Computer Science and Language, a study program that marries his interest in linguistics with his passion for computing. He has also recently completed an internship with Microsoft!

In this interview, Rían talks about his love for computers, growing up with Linux, how he ended up choosing his study program (hint: there was YouTube involved), and whether he actually needs a CS degree. Alex and Rían discuss what self-taught developers might be missing out on compared to developers who are learning to code at a university and what universities could learn from bootcamps and online platforms like Scrimba. You'll also hear all about Rían's internship at Microsoft and learn about his journey from Dublin, where he was competing with 16.000 candidates, to former Skype offices in Tallinn, Estonia!

This episode is jam-packed with actionable advice, but it also brings you an exciting story brimming with enthusiasm!

🔗 Connect with Rían 

• 👨‍💼 LinkedIn
• 🌐  Website
• 👨‍🚀 Github
• 🤖 Rían#6500 at the Scrimba Discord

⏰Timestamps

• How Rían became a programmer: it started with growing up with Linux (02:00)
• What is CoderDojo (02:45)
• Why programming appealed to Rían as a child (04:01)
• On Lubuntu and Minecraft (05:42)
• How Rían chose his study program (by watching Tom Scott) (06:26)
• Computer Science and Language (08:37)
• Do universities give you more in-depth knowledge? (12:34)
• Teaching children how to code as another way of learning (14:17)
• Ad break: If you like the show - share it! And mention Alex on Twitter. Next week, it's Madison Kanna! We already interviewed her older sister (and the link for that episode is below, under Resources).
• What are self-taught developers missing out on compared to the ones coming out of a university? Do self-taught developers have a hidden advantage? (16:58)
• How do you test programming at a university? (20:11)
• Has math been important to Rían as a developer? (21:54)
• How Rían got an internship at Microsoft (23:42)
• Are Microsoft internships attainable to self-taught developers? (26:38)
• How Rían had to compete with 16.000 people and eventually ended up at the old Skype headquarters in Estonia (28:58)
• Does Microsoft care about technical skills or culture fit? (32:48)
• Rían's interview process for a Microsoft internship (35:24)
• What is the difference between coding and programming? (37:37)
• How Rían thought the offer from Microsoft was a spam email (38:40)
• More on Microsoft's interviews (39:49)
• What does being an intern at Microsoft look like? (41:17)
• Rían's advice to anybody who's just starting to learn how to code (45:18)
• Easy apply! (46:40)

🧰 Resources Mentioned

• CoderDojo
• Tom Scott and Computerphile on YouTube
• Scrimba Podcast: Becoming a Standout Developer with Randall Kanna
• Scrimba's Discord community 

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🎙 About the episode

Meet Mike Chen 🇺🇸! Mike is a self-taught developer who worked at Yahoo, Google, and Airbnb, before becoming a CTO and co-founder of Motivo. Nowadays, he also helps other coders succeed. In this episode, you'll find out what it was like to work at Google and what are the pros and cons of working in a big tech company. You'll learn how to stand out as a new developer without a degree and why you should (not) idealize Silicon Valley.

Ultimately, Mike will tell us why tech is cool (if you have a passion for it), as well as how we should go about putting in our work wisely and why it is worth it. He will also reveal what motivates him to teach and mentor other developers!

🔗 Connect with Mike

• 👨‍💼 Linkedin
• 🐦 Twitter
• 🌐  Website
• 👨‍🚀 Github

⏰ Timestamps

• How Mike went from studying biochemistry to becoming a developer and eventually worked at Google (01:45) 
• Paul Irish: Tools, not rules (04:19)
• Has the way big tech companies hire changed since Mike broke into the industry? (07:12)
• How were the front-end roles at Google structured back then? (08:36)
• Ad break: How to support us + Next week: Rian Errity, who's doing a lot of cool stuff (11:15)
• How big is Google's infrastructure, actually? (12:55)
• Mike's experience at Google and the benefits of working at a big tech company (14:22)
• Why working in big tech ultimately didn't work for Mike (16:01)
• Why do hiring managers like people with big companies on their resumes (17:15)
• You have to figure out what you want out of a tech job (20:15)
• The best way to demystify Silicon Valley is to be in Silicon Valley (21:41)
• Career advice for new developers: How can they stand out if they don't have a degree and haven't worked at Google? (23:09)
• Why you should have a demonstrable track record (26:35)
• Losing your passion is normal over time; here's what to do first (27:34)
• What did Mike have to give up on to learn to code and change careers? (30:09)
• In tech, it pays off to put in more work, but not any kind of work (31:59)
• What motivates Mike to help other developers (36:08) 

🧰 Resources Mentioned

• Mock Junior Front End Web Developer Interview with Mike Chen and Silvia
• 8 essential career tips for new web developers
• Paul Irish's blog

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🎙 About the episode

Meet Vikas Jyani 🇮🇳! He studied fine arts before discovering coding and realizing that web development is what can combine his eye for design and interest in tech.

In this episode, you'll hear about Vikas's approach to learning and job hunting and why he thinks remote work might still not be optimal for a junior. He talks about life-changing advice he got from a senior developer when he saw Vikas was burning out, recognizing red flags in job offers, and, eventually, how he tripled his salary within a year from getting his first job!

You will also learn more about India. Specifically, its job market and education, differences between big and small cities, and why a hybrid approach to work, combining remote work and going to an office, might not work there.

🔗 Connect with Vikas

• 👨🏽‍💼 Linkedin
• 🌐  Portfolio
• 🤖 Vick_Pro#6327 on the Scrimba Discord

⏰ Timestamps

• How Vikas started coding after studying fine art and also discovered Scrimba (01:37)
• Job opportunities vs. the population in India (05:00)
• How Vikas got out of tutorial hell (07:33)
• How Vikas decided to get into React (09:04)
• Ad break: We did an episode with Bob Ziroll! Next week, an episode with Mike Chen! Also: how you can support us if you like what we're doing. (10:34)
• Vikas's approach to applying for jobs (13:21)
• How positive feedback from a hiring manager who couldn't hire him helped Vikas keep going (14:31)
• Vikas even turned down an offer because he recognized shady practices! (16:15)
• How Vikas got a job offer when he thought he failed a trial assignment (17:27)
• A senior developer recognized Vikas was burning out and gave him life-changing advice (20:40) 
• As a junior, should you go for a remote or office job? (21:54)
• Would a hybrid approach to working work out in India? (26:16)
• How Vikas tripled his junior salary (27:18) 

🧰 Resources Mentioned

• The Frontend Developer Career Path
• Scrimba's Discord Community
• Scrimba Podcast with Bob Ziroll

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🎙 About the episode

Meet Hussien Khayoon 🇨🇦! Hussien is a Full-stack engineer with almost a decade of experience. Currently, he works as a Staff Software Engineer at Shopify. He is also a Bootcamp Mentor at Springboard, and, as you can guess, he's very passionate about helping new developers land on their feet. In this episode, Hussien will be your mentor.

Hussien and Alex will help you feel confident and teach you a couple of things that can help you land your first coding job. They explain why is the interview process at big tech companies as complicated as it is and tell you what you do about it. Hussien shares his approach to both interviewing and being interviewed, as well as his take on bootcamps vs. universities. By the end of the show, you'll hopefully feel more inspired to learn to code, start applying for jobs, and navigate your new role - or at least figure out how to assess if you need to study more.

🔗 Connect with Hussien

• 👨🏽‍💼 Linkedin
• 🐦 Twitter
• 📹 Youtube

⏰ Timestamps

• How Hussien started coding - it wasn't without struggle (01:29)
• What's the difference between solving a math problem and a coding problem? (04:31)
• The problem with the way coding is taught at universities (06:02)
• Is there any prestige in getting a degree? (08:20)
• Programming is vast: do you have to know everything? (12:40)
• Elitism and gatekeeping in the coding community (15:48) 
• Is learning to code similar to learning a language? (17:38)
• Interview processes at big companies: why are they the way they are? (18:13)
• Does LeetCode make you a better developer? (22:36)
• Intrinsic and extrinsic motivation, and learning to code (23:09)
• Are big tech companies doing interviews right? (24:55)
• Coding is just half the job (25:59)
• What a mentoring session is about (30:00)
• Companies are changing the way they hire + Hussien's approach to being interviewed (33:37)
• What do coding students need (35:49)
• Why do companies hire people who aren't perfect yet? (39:09)
• Your career has three stages (42:03)

🧰 Resources Mentioned

• Free report: 4 Tips to Get your FIRST Coding Job Faster
• Hussien's course: Get Your First Coding Job
• Scrimba Podcast: This Scrimba Student Battled Depression and Landed a Job at Amazon After 1000 LeetCode Challenges

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🎙 About the episode

Meet Khaidem Sandip Singha 🇺🇸! He's a Scrimba student from Assam, India, who recently got a job at Amazon! 🎉 Originally, he studied civil engineering before realizing he was more interested in coding. In this episode, you'll hear how he learned to code, battled depression, and reverse-engineered a path to a FANG company.

You will also learn about his approach to problem-solving and the benefits of practicing on LeetCode - not many students we interviewed did that, but Khaidem completed one thousand challenges! He also shares some details about Amazon's interview process and his approach to keeping up motivation.

🔗 Connect with Khaidem

• 👨‍💼 Linkedin
• 👩‍🚀 GitHub
• 🌐  LeetCode profile

⏰ Timestamps

• How Khaidem went from civil engineering to learning to code (01:41)
• Chasing coding certificates or mastering the basics - what is more important for landing your first developer job? (03:20)
• How Khaidem reverse-engineered the path to a FANG company (04:33)
• Should you do LeetCode (06:01)
• The importance of consistency and persistency (07:16)
• Why Khaidem focused on LeetCode (08:34)
• Try different frameworks, but then specialize (12:09)
• Khaidem's approach to problem-solving (13:57)
• How Khaidem started his job search while suffering from depression (17:47)
• Khaidem's first jobs and how he knew he was overqualified (21:41)
• How Khaidem discovered Scrimba around Javascriptmas 2020 (23:15)
• Why Khaidem benefited from the Scrimba community (24:15)
• How Khaidem applied for Amazon (25:15)
• Amazon's interview process (27:18)
• How Khaidem got an offer, and why it's important to keep up motivation (30:03)
• Why you shouldn't give up (31:42)

🧰 Resources Mentioned

• Udacity Intro to Programming Nanodegree
• Bob Ziroll's React courses
• LeetCode
• Scrimba Podcast: A Teacher's Job Is Never Done: Get Your Hands on the Keyboard with Bob Ziroll
• Scrimba Podcast: Talent Alone Is Not Enough: How Theo Changed Careers at 49 
• Scrimba Discord community

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🎙 About the episode

Meet Bob Ziroll 🇺🇸! Bob is Scrimba's Head of Education and one of the Internet's favorite React teachers. In a past life, Bob worked in marketing before enrolling into a bootcamp, where he eventually became a teacher and Director of Education. In this podcast, you'll learn about his coding story and teaching philosophy, but also about the early days of Scrimba!

Bob and Alex discuss career change, Sunday scaries, and finding the right learning path for you. You'll find out how much work goes into creating a quality coding course, what's the difference between courses and YouTube videos, and why it's sometimes better to learn things more slowly. Bob also talks about how he pushed the limits of the Scrimba platform, how it perfectly lent itself to a successful approach to pedagogy, and shares a wealth of good advice for everybody currently learning to code.

🔗 Connect with Bob

• 👨🏼‍💼 Linkedin
• 🐦 Twitter

⏰ Timestamps

• How Bob went from coding, to advertising, to coding again (via V School)(01:56)
• Why Bob got interested in advertising, and ended up with Sunday scaries (04:43)
• How Bob realized he was interested in teaching and making a bootcamp better (07:12)
• Is there a selfish aspect to teaching? (09:13)
• What does it take to make a Scrimba course? And how is the approach different when compared to YouTube? (11:51)
• How Bob discovered Scrimba and ended up recording his first Scrimba course (13:19)
• Bob's first React course gained traction... How did he look at the stats? (16:27)
• React is always evolving and a teacher's job is never done: Bob made more courses and here's in what order to watch them (19:54)
• What happens if you release a course and something immediately changes? (21:10)
• Pushing the limits of Scrimba's platform and Bob's approach to pedagogy (23:02)
• The importance of practice when learning to code (and otherwise) (25:16)
• Do not cram! (26:53)
• There's no reason to drink from a firehose (29:19)
• Making a students' knowledge sharp, vs broad (32:32)
• Quick-fire questions: lofi beats, electric cars, how not to disappoint Cassidy Williams (34:55)
• Remix meetup (38:33)

🧰 Resources Mentioned

• Bob's courses on Scrimba
• Lofi beats on Spotify
• Centered app
• Learn and Understand Node JS by Antony Alicea
• Scrimba Podcast - Quincy Larson: Why Learning To Code as an Adult Might Be Easier Than You Think
• Scrimba Podcast - Ace the job interview with Cassidy Williams
• Scrimba Podcast - Be a Librarian, Not an Encyclopedia of Code: How To Learn (and Teach) Better, With Guil Hernandez
• Scrimba Podcast - Intentional career building with Kent C. Dodds
• Bob's Remix meetup lightning talk

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🎙 About the episode

Meet Chris McCoy 🇺🇸! He's a pastor who did odd jobs on the side. But he was always interested in coding! Somewhere between working retail and doing food delivery, he realized he needed something more stimulating. Nine months later, he landed not one but two job offers as a junior developer!

Chris CRUSHED it on LinkedIn, even though he never liked social media: in this episode, he shares his approach to posting and being actively present on the platform. You can use it both to learn and to connect with people working in the industry, and that's exactly what Chris did. Spoiler alert: it doesn't have to be complicated.

You'll also learn more about internships: Chris landed one, which turned out to be pretty cool! What do companies look for in an intern? Should you become one,  and how? He also shares how he approached learning to code and found a balance between learning and work. Chris and Alex also discuss what you can learn from odd jobs.

Sadly, you won't learn the recipe for Chick-fil-A. But it does make an appearance in this episode :)

🔗 Connect with Chris

• 👨🏼‍💼 Linkedin

⏰ Timestamps

• How Chris decided to become a developer (01:51)
• Can you still learn something from odd jobs that have nothing to do with coding? (03:19)
• How Chris chose to learn to code and found support in his community (04:35)
• Balancing work, learning, and being a pastor: how Chris did it (06:28)
• How Chris discovered Scrimba (09:16)
• It's okay not to know everything about development (12:08)
• Why you need real-world examples when learning a new skill (12:57)
• Did Chris complete Scrimba's Career Path or get a job before he managed to? (14:14)
• When and how did Chris start applying for jobs? (16:31)
• How Chris created a LinkedIn profile and started crushing it (17:31)
• How to be genuinely present on LinkedIn and use the platform to connect (18:33)
• Chris's approach to writing LinkedIn posts (21:36)
• How adding Scrimba to his education connected Chris to a recruiter (21:51)
• Can an internship be... good? (24:41)
• What does a company expect from an intern, and what did Chris do about it (27:05)
• Working with other interns and the higher-ups (30:02)
• How Chris compared to the other interns in his group (32:38)
• How Chris's internship turned into a job (34:33)
• In the end, Chris had not one but two job offers! How did he pick one? (36:17)
• The hard work paid off (37:49)

🧰 Resources Mentioned

• The Frontend Developer Career Path

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🎙 About the episode

Meet Quincy Larson 🇺🇸! Quincy is the founder of freeCodeCamp, a nonprofit company that makes coding accessible for all. He is a self-taught developer who learned to code when he was 31. Why did he learn to code? Because he wanted to make a school he was a director of more efficient. So... We have a career changer!

So, how does a teacher teach himself to code? And how does he teach others? In this episode, Alex asks hard questions, and Quincy answers all of them, sharing valuable insights on how adults learn, how important are your intrinsic capabilities, and why learning a new skill after the age of 25 might be easier than you think. You will also learn about the hacker ethic, how you can overcome your limitations, and why software developers need to be humble.

🔗 Connect with Quincy

• 👨🏼‍💼 Linkedin
• 🐦 Twitter

⏰ Timestamps

• How Quincy Larson started coding at the age of 31... as a school director (01:55)
• Why you should hang out with other developers (03:52)
• What is the hacker ethic? (04:51)
• Why do software developers need to be humble? (07:07)
• Quincy learning to code before freeCodeCamp. What was that like? (08:16)
• How does a teacher learn? (11:09)
• The key learning technique for people over 25 (11:56)
• The elusive nature of learning to code (15:41)
• How does an adult brain learn, and why might kinesthetic learning be the best way? (17:29)
• Can an old dog learn new tricks? (18:57)
• Learning with analogies and associations + why you shouldn't drink (21:47)
• Quincy is a master learner... But what if you're not? (24:49)
• Can anyone learn to code and become a successful developer? (27:35)
• Are aptitudes important? (28:24)
• Overcoming your limitations (32:16)
• How does Quincy feel about the success of freeCodeCamp? (34:44)

🧰 Resources Mentioned

• freeCodeCamp
• Hackers: Heroes of the Computer Revolution, book by Steven Levy

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🎙 About the episode

Meet Stevie Gill 🇬🇧! Stevie was a scientist, a medical writer and an editor, and then he wrote about video games. Eventually, he moved countries and changed careers. Nowadays, Stevie lives in Toronto, Canada, and works as a full-time front-end developer at Kijiji.  In this episode, he shares his story and everything he learned along the way that can help you land your first developer job!

You'll hear how Stevie learned to code, how he prepared for the interviews, and that LinkedIn can be useful even if you only have a handful of connections. He reveals how he took a generic portfolio project and made it his own - and why you should do the same. Stevie and Alex discuss Stevie's interview process in depth (be warned: there are some witty HR people out there) and also answer the question of whether you should be dreading the gaps on your resume.

🔗 Connect with Stevie

• 👨🏼‍💼 Linkedin
• 🐦 Twitter
• 🌐  Blog
• 🌐  Portfolio
• 👩‍🚀 GitHub

⏰ Timestamps

• Stevie's journey into coding (02:01)
• How moving countries helped Stevie switch careers... and discover Scrimba in the process (05:27)
• Is LinkedIn that important, and how can you stack the deck in your favor (07:56)
• A hiring manager discovered Stevie's LinkedIn. How? (13:40)
• Can you have seven years of React experience and still be a junior? (15:39)
• Are there any hidden perks of generic messages from recruiters? (16:44)
• What do recruiters want to know when they're getting to know you as a candidate? (18:40)
• Taylor Desseyn on how to spot a good recruiter on LinkedIn (19:48)
• How to deal with a gap on your resume when you're changing careers (20:51)
• How to stand out from other job candidates (23:14)
• Stevie's four job interviews: deep dive (24:19)
• Fun HR questions in a soft skills interview: how to answer them and why are they there (24:30)
• How to prepare for a tech interview + how Stevie impressed an interviewer (27:59)
• Stevie's final interview, and how he made an app that became a major talking point (33:56)
• How to make a fun portfolio project and impress your interviewers (35:40)
• Don't do this! (39:02)
• How Stevie got a job offer... with a drumroll! (39:41) 

🧰 Resources Mentioned

• FreeCodeCamp
• The Frontend Developer Career Path
• Stevie's RetroFix app
• Scrimba Podcast: How To Work With Recruiters According to Senior Recruiter Taylor Desseyn

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🎙 About the episode

Meet Tiffany Jachja 🇺🇸! Tiffany is a data scientist, career coach, engineering manager, and Twitch streamer! By day, she works at Vox Media. In her free time, she helps fellow developers by sharing career advice and her computer and data science knowledge. In this episode, Tiffany helps you understand a company's organizational structure so that you can come to your job interview prepared!

Alex and Tiffany also talk about resumes: what is their function, and is there such a thing as an ideal resume? You'll also learn the main differences between studying computer science and taking a bootcamp, how to approach the job-hunting tips you find online, how to know if you're ready to apply for your first developer job, and why inspiration matters. Tiffany also shares her favorite online coder communities and job boards!

🔗 Connect with Tiffany

• 👩🏻‍💼 Linkedin
• 📹 Twitch
• 🐦 Twitter
• 🌐  Website

⏰ Timestamps

• How Tiffany got interested in coding thanks to Neopets (02:07)
• What's the main difference between studying computer science and taking a coding bootcamp? (04:10)
• The importance of trying stuff out (05:36)
• What drew Tiffany into management... and data science (08:40)
• What does Tiffany's typical day at Vox look like? (09:52)
• Understanding company hierarchy for new developers (10:56)
• Project management vs. people management (16:00)
• What should a new developer look for in their engineering manager? (18:37)
• How does Tiffany choose between a stronger technical fit and a stronger culture fit when hiring? (22:42)
• Should you meet 100% of the requirements when applying for your first junior role? (27:41)
• How to build up the confidence needed for career advancement (29:09)
• How does Tiffany get out of her comfort zone? (32:31)
• How Tiffany became a career coach (33:26)
• What should a good resume do? (36:46)
• Why are resumes so difficult to get right? (37:14)
• Attaching numbers to your contributions on a resume: how to do it, and why? (40:48)
• How to approach online advice on job-hunting, so you don't lose your mind (45:38)  
• Tiffany's advice for a new developer entering the job market (46:59)

🧰 Resources Mentioned

• Video: From Student to Senior: Career Development 101
• Danny Thompson's Commit Your Code community
• RemoteJobHunters on Reddit

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🎙 About the episode

Meet Silvia Piovesan 🇮🇹! Silvia is a Scrimba student who recently got for job offers after four different interviews. But her success didn't come overnight! Silvia used to be a project manager in the pharmaceutical industry - where she first got interested in coding. After she got laid off (and became a mom!), she wanted to learn to code so that she could become a knowledgeable project manager in IT... before realizing that she actually wanted to code!

In this episode, Silvia reveals what's the similarities between learning to code and hiking Camino de Santiago, as well as her approach to learning and finding a job as a new developer. You'll find out how to utilize your soft skills, what to do if you don't know the answer to a question on a technical interview, and what to do during your first week on the job. Alex and Silvia also discuss goal setting, and why it's not a good idea to give your 100% every day.

🔗 Connect with Silvia

• 👩🏻‍💼 Linkedin
• 🐦 Twitter
• 🌐  Website
• 👩‍🚀 Github

⏰ Timestamps

• Silvia's journey from pharmaceuticals to tech (01:11)
• How Silvia knew a lot about the inner workings of a company but wanted to pursue specialization (03:27)
• Did Silvia's professional skills from her previous career help her when she became a developer?  (06:06)
• Silvia's approach to learning to code (09:07)
• Silvia only learned to code so that she can become a better project manager. What happened next? (10:29)
• What knowledge did Silvia lack after a bootcamp? How did she discover Scrimba? (14:25)
• Key takeaways from Silvia's approach (16:41)
• On setting realistic goals (19:56)
• How Silvia knew it was time to start applying for jobs and how long it took to get there (21:08)
• On comparing yourself to other people learning to code (23:39)
• Did Silvia have doubts about whether or not she would make it? (26:41)
• Silvia's approach to finding her first developer job (plus: do you need to have a portfolio?) (28:21)
• Let's talk numbers: how many applications, how many interviews, how many offers? (31:59)
• How to stand out in a job interview (33:34)
• Silvia's job interview process (36:10)
• The most important thing you should know if you're interviewing for jobs (28:52)
• Where does Silvia work now? (40:49)
• Silvia's first pull request, and how long does it take to code a button? (42:13)
• What should you do during your first week on the job? (44:24)

🧰 Resources mentioned

• Scrimba's Frontend Career Path
• Learn React for Free
• Scrimba's Discord community
• Mock Junior Front End Web Developer Interview with Mike Chen and Silvia

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🎙 About the episode

Meet Jess Chan 🇺🇸! Jess's YouTube channel, Coder Coder, has almost 400,000 subscribers at the time of recording. She's a web developer turned educator, and when she's not teaching her subscribers JavaScript and CSS, she's working on her first course. This episode is about learning, YouTube, and learning on YouTube!

In this show, you'll learn how to evaluate a course and quickly decide if you can trust a YouTube tutorial. Jess and Alex talk about how YouTube evolved over the years and why it might be an underrated place to meet other developers. You'll hear about Jess's long and meandering road to coding and learn why it's okay if you don't become a full-time developer in just three months. Finally, Jess will reveal, once and for all, what's the best camera for YouTubers. 

🔗 Connect with Jess

• 📹 YouTube
• 🐦 Twitter
• 🌐  Website
• 📸 Instagram

⏰ Timestamps

• On Coder Coder, and why Jess loves web development (and enjoys teaching it) (01:33)
• Why you should remember what's it like to be a beginner at something before teaching it (03:33)
• Can you teach problem-solving on YouTube? (04:55)
• How Jess went from Pre-Med to photography to becoming a developer and, finally, an educator (06:24)
• Why it's okay if you don't become a full-time developer in three months (07:51)
• On becoming a developer in the era before bootcamps (09:33)
• Can you judge the current state of the industry from YouTube comments? (12:41)
• How would Jess approach cracking her first coding interview today? (13:22)
• Why you should look for other people's job interview experiences on YouTube and how the YouTube landscape has changed over the years (14:33)
• On Jess's YouTube content, the barrier to entry, and the democratization of educational content (16:51)
• Should new developers make their own YouTube channels? Can you learn soft skills on YouTube? (19:20)
• Hard skills vs. soft skills - what's more important when it comes to getting your first junior dev job? (21:04)
• They say you should "be so good they can't ignore you." What does this mean? (22:51)
• There are a lot of content creators on YouTube. How can you know who to trust? (24:51)
• Jess's new course on responsive web design, and can you learn without a mentor (30:21)
• Can you combine resources while learning? (33:25)
• Quick-fire questions: mechanical keyboards, music for coding, best social networks for developers, and best cameras for YouTube

🧰 Resources mentioned

• Jessica's YouTube channel: Coder Coder
• Jessica's new responsive web development course
• Book: Cracking the Coding Interview

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🎙 About the episode

Meet Theo Ntogiakos 🇬🇧! Theo has just switched careers at the age of 49! Recently, he landed a paid apprenticeship and is currently attending a coding bootcamp. But before that, he learned on Scrimba - he joined a coding challenge in February and became an active member of our community. Although he always did something with computers, he used to think he could never become a front-end developer. Well, he was wrong! And that's why he's here.

In this episode, Theo shares details about a path that led him here, as well as his approach to learning. You'll find out what's it like to attend a bootcamp and how it compares to Scrimba's learning platform, as well as what kinds of opportunities to keep an eye out for if you're a new developer and live in the UK. Theo also talks about motivation, self-doubt, and whether he could've shifted gears earlier. He and Alex also discuss the importance of wanting to become a developer for the right reasons.

🔗 Connect with Theo

• 👨🏻‍💼 LinkedIn

⏰ Timestamps

• Theo's journey into web development (it's a long and winding path!) (01:33)
• Theo's coding background (it includes Pascal!) (02:48)
• Why Theo wanted to change careers (05:29)
• On self-doubt (06:13)
• Was it challenging to change careers later in life? Plus, the perks of a coding apprenticeship (06:41)
• How Theo landed a paid apprenticeship after only six months of learning to code... and discovered Scrimba along the way (08:42)
• Scrimba's coding challenges (11:02)
• UK developer bootcamps (11:56)
• How to get an apprenticeship as a web developer in the United Kingdom (14:27)
• Is salary enough of a reason for a career change? (19:23)
• What do employers want to see in a candidate? (21:33)
• Slow and steady wins the race (25:17)
• How does Scrimba compare to a boot camp? (27:49)
• If you're a self-taught developer, do this! (29:10)
• Theo's deep dive into Scrimba (30:51)
• Let's talk pricing: how much does Scrimba cost compared to a coding bootcamp? And what are the differences between the two? (32:18)

🧰 Resources Mentioned

• YT Video: Where to Find Developer Job Openings When You Have No Experience
• The Front-End Career Path

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🎙 About the episode

Meet Dave Mayer 🇺🇸! Dave is a founder and CEO of Technical Integrity, a boutique recruiting firm famous for its culture-first approach. TI has worked with big companies like Twitter, as well as many mid-size startups. In this episode, you'll get a glimpse into the other side of recruiting. Dave explains his culture-first approach and why it benefits both you and the employer. You'll learn why it's important to know your values and how to make sure you find a company that aligns with them.

Dave explains why you shouldn't feel desperate if you don't get a job in a company that was your first choice and how to probe into a company's values without sounding disrespectful. From the recruiter side, Dave reveals how looking for a culture fit can backfire and why it's much better to look for a "culture add."

Dave and Alex also talk about recessions (Dave has lived and worked through three of them already!) and how to stay focused on what's truly important. 

🔗 Connect with Dave

• 🐦 Twitter
• 🌐  Website
• 👨🏻‍💼 LinkedIn

⏰ Timestamps

• Dave's path as a recruiter: from a traditional approach to focusing on finding a long-term fit between a developer and a company (01:44)
• What is company culture, and what makes someone a good fit? (03:19)
• Should you share your company's values? (06:15)
• Find your own values first (07:24)
• How can you verify that a company truly embodies what they claim to be their values? (12:10)
• Ask your interviewer: What does success in your company look like? (16:45)
• The importance of technical vs soft skills (18:12)
• Don't care who's hiring, find out where you belong (20:08)
• Why integrity matters (23:39)
• Challenges of recruiting, and the difference between the quantity-first and quality-first approach (25:53)
• Advice for developers who are thinking about approaching recruiters (30:01)
• We're in a recession. Now what? (33:14)

🧰 Resources Mentioned

• Blog post: The Best Engineering Team Values Statement We've Ever Seen
• Simon Sinek's "Start With Why" Ted talk

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🎙 About the episode

Meet Wemerson Queiroz 🇧🇷! Wemerson never thought he was going to become a developer. He started studying computer science, dropped out, and spent ten years working in sales because he wanted to earn money immediately. Ten years later, he realized he was unhappy (after all, money is not everything), learned to code, and got his first developer job in no time!

What got him back into IT was Blockchain, so he first started learning Solidity before realizing he should first learn the basics. Shortly after, those basics got him a job at a startup working with Blockchain technology! In this episode, you'll learn how far HTML, CSS, and Javascript can get you and how important it is to follow your passion. You'll also hear about Wemerson's unusual interview process and why taking a chance can sometimes pay off.

🔗 Connect with Wemerson

• 👨🏻‍💼 LinkedIn
• 🌐 Website
• 👩‍🚀 GitHub
• 🐦 Twitter