Brian Jenney, Senior Software Engineering Manager at Clorox, shares his struggles with addiction, his journey to sobriety and coding, and the importance of being a leader regardless of life's challenges. He also discusses the transition from rideshare driver to front-end developer, his passion for teaching and coaching, challenges after completing a boot camp, and the significance of fitness and soft skills in the developer field.
Building confidence through positive activities is crucial for personal growth and avoiding destructive behaviors.
Networking effectively involves creating genuine connections and providing value, rather than simply asking for job opportunities.
Deep dives
Building Confidence in a Positive Way
One piece of advice Brian would give his younger self is to find confidence in a positive way, rather than turning to drugs and alcohol. He recommends finding activities, such as working out, that build confidence and provide long-term benefits.
Consistency and Dealing with Rejection
Brian emphasizes the importance of consistency and not expecting instant success. He highlights the need to persist through rejection and keep learning and improving. He advises against painting oneself as a junior developer and instead presents oneself as a competent software developer.
Effective Networking and Genuine Connections
Brian suggests that genuine connections and providing value to others are essential in networking. He advises against approaching strangers with a request for a job but rather engaging in meaningful conversations and offering help or relevant resources.
Taking High-Risk Opportunities
Brian believes that taking calculated risks can lead to great opportunities. He shares how his career advancements were the result of taking chances, such as investing his last $2,000 into coding education and joining a five-person startup. He encourages others to plan and take calculated risks to pursue their career goals.
In this episode, Saron sits down with Brian Jenney, Senior Software Engineering Manager at Clorox. Saron talks to Brian about his struggles with addiction, how he changed his life and turned a new leaf with coding and sobriety, and how his go-getter personality has served him well and continues to play a role in his current success. They also talk about what being a leader looks like and the ways in which you can become a leader regardless of the challenges life throws at you.
Brian is a software engineering manager who transitioned into tech at 30. He is a JavaScript enthusiast who enjoys teaching and mentoring others and runs a business teaching others how to code and accelerate their developer careers.
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