Learn to Advocate for Yourself with Developer Advocate Rizel Scarlett
Jul 17, 2024
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Meet Rizel Scarlett 🇺🇸, a Staff Developer Advocate, who shares her journey from psychology to coding. She discusses the importance of internships, personal branding, and networking for career growth. Rizel also gives tips on writing, public speaking, and building a personal brand in tech.
Transitioning careers in tech is possible through internships and personal branding.
Developing coding skills requires community support and gradual learning experiences.
Networking and celebrating small wins are essential for long-term success in tech.
Deep dives
Personal Advocacy and Career Transition
Advocating for oneself in the tech industry is crucial as highlighted by Rizal Scarlett in the podcast. She transitioned from psychology studies to a career in tech due to financial constraints, starting as an IT support person before becoming a software engineer. Scarlett emphasizes the importance of personal branding even for introverts, detailing step-by-step instructions for blog writing, public speaking practice, and networking.
Professional Growth and Job Opportunities
Scarlett's journey underscores the value of internships over junior developer roles for gaining experience and understanding software engineering dynamics. By starting with internships, individuals can evaluate company fit, team structures, and gain mentorship without overwhelming pressure. Scarlett leveraged her IT support connections to secure her first opportunities in software engineering, emphasizing the significance of networking in landing roles.
Learning and Skill Development
Scarlett's learning path involved a mix of self-teaching, coding bootcamps, and formal training, highlighting the importance of structured learning for accountability. She acknowledges the challenges in transitioning to software engineering but found joy in the logical thinking it demanded. Scarlett's experience with Resilient Coders, a bootcamp for people of color, emphasizes the community and camaraderie that aid learning and growth.
Community Engagement and Personal Branding
Engaging with communities virtually and in person, Scarlett suggests starting with small interactions to build familiarity and connections. She shares strategies for easing into public speaking and writing, emphasizing the balance between improving coding skills and cultivating a personal brand. Scarlett advocates for saving and celebrating small wins to stay motivated and resilient in the face of challenges.
Professional Development and Career Advice
Scarlett's advice centers on allowing oneself the freedom to explore different tech careers before settling, encouraging a gradual growth trajectory in the field. She promotes a patient approach to learning and career progression, debunking the myth of rapid success in tech. Finally, Scarlett recommends documenting accomplishments to boost morale during tough days and maintain a positive outlook on professional growth.
Meet Rizel Scarlett 🇺🇸! Rizel is a Staff Developer Advocate at TBD. 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 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 writing a blog post, practicing public speaking, or networking.
This is a rebroadcast of one of our favorite interviews!
If you enjoyed this episode, please leave a 5-star review hereand 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 they can thank you personally for tuning in 🙏
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