#153 How to get a Developer Job – even in this economy – with James Q Quick
Dec 13, 2024
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In this conversation, James Q Quick, a developer and educator known for his work at Microsoft and FedEx, shares his transformative journey from athlete to coder. He discusses how creating a Harry Potter trivia app kickstarted his career and emphasizes the importance of networking for job seekers. James also reflects on navigating job market challenges, including layoffs and competition, while advocating for resilience and community support. Listeners will gain valuable insights on securing their first developer role and making a name through public speaking and tutorials.
Engaging in cold outreach and networking, despite their discomfort, is vital for securing tech roles and improving salaries.
The competitive job market necessitates a proactive approach, with applicants needing to distinguish themselves through networking and skill showcasing.
Building a strong professional network and conducting informational interviews can yield invaluable insights and potential job referrals in tech.
Creating real-world projects and participating in local tech events enhances coding skills and builds credibility within the developer community.
Deep dives
Embracing Discomfort for Growth
Engaging in activities that induce discomfort can lead to personal and professional growth. Cold outreach and networking, while challenging, are crucial for achieving milestones such as securing a role in tech or negotiating a better salary. Acknowledging the awkwardness and potential challenges of these actions can help individuals prepare mentally and emotionally. Ultimately, doing uncomfortable things can set the stage for opportunities that offer improved work-life balance and financial stability.
The Current Job Market Landscape
The job market for developers has become increasingly competitive due to recent layoffs and a surge of mid-career professionals vying for the same roles as entry-level candidates. While opportunities may seem scarce, they are still available, and a proactive approach is key to navigating this landscape. Blindly applying for jobs often yields little success, making it essential for applicants to distinguish themselves through networking and showcasing their skills. Focusing on building credible validators, such as content creation and community involvement, can significantly enhance a job seeker's profile.
The Importance of Networking
Building a strong professional network is essential in today's job market, as personal connections can facilitate job opportunities. Confidence in reaching out to industry professionals can lead to invaluable insights and potential job referrals. Informational interviews and coffee chats offer opportunities to learn about companies and roles while showcasing an applicant's interest and initiative. Establishing genuine relationships in the tech community fosters trust and support that can make a significant difference in job searches.
Learning Through Building and Community Involvement
Creating projects that solve real-world problems is an effective way to enhance coding skills and gain credibility as a developer. Engaging in local hackathons and tech meetups allows individuals to learn from peers and gain hands-on experience. Participating in such events can also lead to collaboration opportunities and exposure to industry trends. By actively contributing to the community, aspiring developers can build their reputations while expanding their skill sets.
The Power of Public Learning
Learning in public—by sharing knowledge and documenting experiences—can significantly boost a developer's influence and credibility. Publicly addressing mistakes and taking feedback into account can lead to unexpected learning opportunities. Demonstrating transparency and openness fosters a strong personal brand that attracts job offers and collaborations. Consistency in sharing relevant content is crucial for building authority in a specific domain and gaining recognition in the tech community.
Managing Feedback and Negativity
Dealing with negative comments is a common challenge for public figures in the tech space. It's essential to separate constructive criticism from unhelpful negativity, focusing instead on feedback that can enhance personal growth. Embracing the learning journey means acknowledging that mistakes will happen and using them as opportunities to improve. Building resilience to face online negativity not only strengthens a developer's character but also helps maintain motivation and passion for their work.
Transitioning Between Roles
Navigating career transitions requires a strategic approach to identify opportunities while remaining open to temporary roles that provide financial stability. A willingness to explore various positions, including those outside one's immediate expertise, can lead to personal and professional growth. Networking, research, and continuous skill development should remain prominent in an individual's strategy. Ultimately, experiencing different roles can clarify career aspirations and lead to fulfilling long-term positions.
On this week's episode of the podcast, freeCodeCamp founder Quincy Larson interviews James Q Quick. He's a developer, speaker, and teacher.
James grew up in Memphis. He was an athlete who played violin, and knew nothing about computer science but chose it as his college major. Since then, he's not only worked as a dev at Microsoft, FedEx and many tech startups. And he's given more than 100 talks at conferences about technical topics.
Support for this podcast comes from a grant from Wix Studio. Wix Studio provides developers tools to rapidly build websites with everything out-of-the-box, then extend, replace, and break boundaries with code. Learn more at https://wixstudio.com.
Support also comes from the 11,043 kind folks who support freeCodeCamp through a monthly donation. Join these kind folks and help our mission by going to https://www.freecodecamp.org/donate
We talk about: - How coding a Harry Potter Trivia app launched James' developer career - Getting laid off then getting back onto the bike - How to go about getting a first developer job - How to make a name for yourself through conference talks and creating tutorials
