How to transition into tech - Julianna's journey from classroom to coding.

Coding Chats episode 41 - Julianna Messineo shares her journey with John Crickett, from being a math teacher to transitioning into the tech industry, particularly focusing on educational technology (EdTech). She discusses her experiences with various educational software, the challenges she faced in the job market, and the importance of building projects to enhance her skills. Julianna also emphasizes the significance of networking and personal branding in her job search, as well as the role of AI and podcasts in her learning process. The conversation concludes with Julianna's aspirations for the future and her ongoing projects.

Chapters

00:00 Introduction to EdTech and Personal Journey

03:17 Challenges in Educational Software and UX

06:02 Transition from Teaching to Tech

08:40 Navigating the Job Market in Tech

11:11 Building Projects and Learning by Doing

13:47 Networking and Community Engagement in EdTech

20:48 Building Connections and Networking

22:45 The Importance of Personal Branding

25:09 Learning Through Projects

27:15 Utilizing Podcasts for Learning

29:24 The Role of AI in Learning

33:00 Exploring Coding Challenges and Projects

Julianna's Links:

https://www.linkedin.com/in/julianna-messineo/

John's Links:

John's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/johncrickett/

John’s YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@johncrickett

John's Twitter: https://x.com/johncrickett

John's Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/johncrickett.bsky.social

Check out John's software engineering related newsletters:

Coding Challenges: https://codingchallenges.substack.com/ which shares real-world project ideas that you can use to level up your coding skills.

Developing Skills: https://read.developingskills.fyi/ covering everything from system design to soft skills, helping them progress their career from junior to staff+ or for those that want onto a management track.

Takeaways

EdTech encompasses a wide range of educational technologies.

User experience (UX) in educational software is often lacking.

Transitioning from teaching to tech can be challenging due to job market conditions.

Building projects is a crucial part of learning software development.

Networking and personal branding are essential for job seekers in tech.

Podcasts can be a valuable resource for learning on the go.

AI can assist in coding but requires critical evaluation of suggestions.

The job market for junior developers is currently very competitive.

Creating educational tools can help bridge the gap in learning.

Engaging with the community can lead to job opportunities.