Using a side hustle and Build in Public to advance your software engineering career

Coding Chats episode 40 - David Weiss shares his journey from being a Spanish teacher to a software engineer, highlighting the transferable skills that educators bring to tech. He discusses the importance of teaching in reinforcing knowledge, the challenges of building SaaS applications, and the significance of personal branding in today's job market. David also introduces his initiative, Build to Give, which connects early career tech professionals with non-profits, providing them with real-world experience while helping organizations in need.

Chapters

00:00 From Teaching to Tech: A Journey of Transition

04:10 Transferable Skills: Bridging Teaching and Software Engineering

07:38 The Power of Teaching in Tech

11:14 Side Hustles and Newsletters: Building a Personal Brand

16:42 Building SaaS Apps: Lessons Learned

20:11 The Importance of Personal Branding

23:42 Navigating the Job Market: Insights on AI and Tech

27:08 Build to Give: Connecting Tech Professionals with Nonprofits

David's Links:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/bydavidweiss

Besides Code: https://www.besidescode.com

Resume: https://www.useresume.app

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

David transitioned from teaching to tech by self-learning coding.

Teaching skills like communication and collaboration are valuable in tech.

Teaching reinforces knowledge and helps fill gaps in understanding.Building side projects can enhance personal growth and skill.

A newsletter can provide accountability and community engagement.

Marketing is crucial for the success of SaaS applications.

Validating ideas with potential customers is essential before coding.

Personal branding is important for career stability in tech.

The tech job market is challenging for early career professionals.

Build to Give connects early career professionals with non-profits for mutual benefit.