Learning to code? Looking for or starting your first dev job? Let’s break in to tech together!
Maintaining a technical blog helps you learn more and gain a deeper understanding of whatever topic you choose to write about. It contributes a valuable resource to the programming community *and* it gets your name and work out there into the world––a *great* thing to show potential employers.
Keep reading to learn just how much you'll gain from blogging and find out how to get started!
Coding bootcamps are rigorous and intense. They include the curriculum you need to succeed as a dev and get a job. However, it can be helpful to explore topics and efforts outside the curriculum, especially as your time as a bootcamp student comes to an end. So, when one of our readers asked about what to focus on outside of school, we answered. Keep reading to find out!
Hey all! My name is Natalie - Fordham biology major, turned Flatiron School student, turned instructor, turned software engineer (hopefully at one point I can end my intro with 'Mother of Dragons'). I have always had a love for problem solving so I'm glad I have found a place where I can do that everyday with amazing people. Outside of programming, I love competitive picnic sports - spike ball, outdoor volleyball, cornhole, the list goes on.
Keep reading to learn about my path into coding, what my bootcamp experience was like as both a student and a teacher, and more!
Jeremy Schuurmans is a current bootcamp student who gives you the inside scoop on the bootcamp experience! “Whether you are thinking about a bootcamp, or already in one, this post is for you. I've been in my bootcamp for about four months. I made a lot of mistakes in the beginning that made the first couple of months harder than they needed to be, and now that I'm past the halfway point, I see people who are where I was four months ago making the same mistakes. So I'm writing this for them, and for you”
As programmers, one thing we know how to do is iterate. We can take a simple project or bit of code and add to it, make it more flexible, less error-prone and capable of handling more functionality. Rachel Salois shows us how she applied that mentality to her job search, improving her interview prep and performance over time by building out her “Interview Manifesto”!
When you start your first dev job, you'll almost certainly enter into an environment that uses at least *some* agile development practices. You'll be asked to join meetings where you estimate tickets and plan sprints. You'll hear words like "stakeholder" and "retro" thrown around. Unless you came to software engineering from a programming-adjacent background like product management, this will probably all be pretty new to you. That's why we've developed this beginner's guide to Agile Development practices. Armed with this guide, you'll build the context you need to hit the ground running at your first dev job.
Lot's of interview processes include a "take home" challenge. In this portion of the interview, you'll be presented with a lengthier problem to solve, like an app to build. You'll be given a few days or a week to provide your solution, then you'll submit it for review. Read one to find out how to ace the take-home interview challenge!
Talking words into someone else's face is hard. Especially when those words are meant to describe a frustrating bug. Developers at any level, but especially juniors, often struggle to communicate clearly about their code to team members, making it hard to solve problems together. Strengthen your debugging communication skills with this handy guide!
Leigh Scherrer is a software engineer at Condé Nast: “Starting your first developer job is extremely exciting! But as with anything new, there will be things that will surprise you, and an adjustment period as you get familiar with your team, your company, and the products(s) you'll be working on.
Here are some things I wish I'd known to expect at my first (and second) engineering job, and some tips to get the most out of it.”
Have you ever asked a question of a friend, co-worker or teacher only to stop yourself halfway through an realize--"I got it!"
Well, there's actually a name for that in programming: Rubber Ducking. Rubber Duck debugging is a useful tactic to adopt when you’re stuck on a tricky code problem. Read more to find out how to use it!
For many bootcamp grads and self-taught programmers, the whiteboard exercise can be the most dreaded part of the interview process. Those of us lacking a computer science background can feel underprepared for this challenge and don't know how to turn it to our advantage. First, we'll learn what the whiteboard exercise really is and what to expect from it. Then, we'll break down a few strategies for you to ace this part of your interview.
Helping your fellow students learn is absolutely worth your time. It will help you gain a deeper understanding of the topic, build a strong relationship with other learners and gain the vital "peer pairing" skills that will help you excel as an engineer. So, when one of our subscribers asked for some techniques for helping other students learn, we asked Antoin Campbell a former bootcamp student, teacher and an engineer at Street Easy, to share his ideas.
