How to Get Your First Dev Job by Playing Call of Duty, with Scrimba Student Shaun

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

⏰ 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

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