

The Scrimba Podcast
Alex Booker
Learn from inspiring developers about how they found meaningful and fulfilling work that that also pays them well. On The Scrimba Podcast, you'll hear motivational advice and job-hunting strategies from developers who've been exactly where you are now. We talk to developers about their challenges, learnings, and switching industries in the hopes of inspiring YOU. This is the podcast that provides the inspiration, tools, and roadmaps to move from where you are to work that matters to you and uniquely fits your strengths and talents.
Episodes
Mentioned books

Apr 26, 2022 • 36min
How to make your LinkedIn profile standout according to a LinkedIn expert
Meet Austin Henline 🇺🇸! Austin works at LinkedIn and has reviewed more than 1200 LinkedIn profiles. In this episode, Austin teaches you how to make your LinkedIn profile discoverable to companies.🔗 Connect with Austin👨🏻💼 LinkedIn🐦 Twitter⏰ TimestampsIntroduction (0:00)Coming soon...🧰 Resources mentionedComing soon...⭐️ Leave a ReviewIf you enjoy this episode please leave a 5 star review here and let us know 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 🙏

Apr 19, 2022 • 26min
From Doctor to Developer
🎙 About the episodeMeet Jefferson Tang 🇦🇺! Being a doctor is one of the most prestigious jobs out there, but Jefferson's coding itch would not go away! Enoramoured with web3 and the unlimited possibilities, Jefferson learned to code using a Web3 Bootcamp and Scrimba's Frontend Developer Career path. Now he works as a full-time developer at a Decentralised finance start-up! In this episode, Alex and Jefferson discuss the challenges of changing careers after 7 years of study. Other topics include staying motivated when learning to code and what Jefferson wished he knew at the beginning that would help him now.🔗 Connect with Jefferson👨🏻💼 LinkedIn🌐 Website👩🚀 GitHub🐦 Twitter🤖 jefferson#8477 on the Scrimba Discord⭐️ Leave a ReviewIf you enjoy this episode please leave a 5 star review here and let us know 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 🙏

Apr 12, 2022 • 51min
An expert guide to technical interviews with Ian Douglas from Postman
🎙 About the episodeMeet Ian Douglas 🇺🇸🇨🇦! Ian has been in the industry for 26 years and in this episode, imparts his wisdom about how stand out then succeed at technical interviews to you. 🔗 Connect with Ian👨🏻💼 LinkedIn🌐 Website🐦 Twitter⏰ TimestampsIntroduction (0:00)Removing the stigma from the interview process (01:39)Why technical interviews are kinda broken (3:16)What the heck does culture fit even mean? (08:57)How to answer “What is your biggest weakness?” in an interview (14:04)More on culture fit (16:08)The truth behind why companies hide salaries in job descriptions (18:52)Your previous salary has nothing to do with your new one (20:50)Ian’s experience interviewing at 27 companies (23:28)How to increase your callback % when applying to jobs, even if you don’t have much experience yet (27:39)Ian’s LinkedIn #drama (31:15)Rejection isn’t personal and you never know what’s happening internally (36:42)It all works out in the end (39:15)How to practice your interview skills in the real world (40:49)Get your foot in the door and the rest will follow (43:14)How much loyalty should you have to a company? (46:06)How Ian botched an interview at Twilio (46:29)🧰 Resources mentionedIan’s website, Techinterview.guideRezi.ai⭐️ Leave a ReviewIf you enjoy this episode please leave a 5 star review here and let us know 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 🙏

Apr 5, 2022 • 25min
How Ineza stood out with a "why you should hire me" video
Meet Ineza Bonté 🇨🇦🇷🇼! After completing #100DaysOfCode and building a beautiful portfolio, Ineza got his foot in the door by recording a charming "why you should hire me" video. As you might expect, it wasn't all smooth sailing. Ineza struggled with rejection in the early days but his persistence paid off when he was finally hired as a Junior Developer. In this episode, you'll learn exactly how he did!🔗 Connect with Ineza👨🏻💼 LinkedIn🌐 Website👩🚀 GitHub🐦 Twitter🤖 inezabonte#6980 on the Scrimba Discord⏰ TimestampsIntroduction (00:00)How Ineza got into coding (01:47)Do you need to do #100DaysOfCode in a row? (04:54)Learning how to learn (06:22)Deciding what projects to build (07:46)Why Ineza prioritised building a portfolio and how it helped him (10:20)Ineza's approach to finding a Junior Developer job (11:44)Why this company chose Ineza (14:13)What the interview process looked like (16:31)Challenges Ineza faced you might be facing too (18:57)Ineza's advice to aspiring Junior Developers (20:17)The importance of community when learning to code (21:59)⭐️ Leave a ReviewIf you enjoy this episode please leave a 5 star review here and let us know 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 🙏

Mar 29, 2022 • 35min
How to become a successful Junior Developer with Scott Hanselman from Microsoft
Meet Scott Hanselman 🇺🇸! Scott has been coding for 30 years, blogging for 20, and podcasting for 16. He helps new developers learn to code and find success in their tech career so they, too, can have long and happy tech careers. In this episode, Scott reflects on his career to share the most important things you should know as an aspiring junior. We discuss if you need to know algorithms and data structures to be successful and explore some interesting ideas around systems thinking and toast!🔗 Follow Scott👨🏻💼 LinkedIn🌐 Website👩🚀 GitHub🐦 Twitter⏰ TimestampsIntroduction (0:00)Becoming an “old” programmer (02:21)How fast does do tools and technology move? (03:56)Upcoming technology to keep an eye on (08:25)Why coding is just like LEGO (10:17)Responsible AI and Alexa (16:39)Learning to code and social mobility (21:19)Systems thinking and burnt bread 🍞 (22:51)How deep down the technology stack should you go? (25:19)What you should know to be a successful junior (33:12)🧰 Resources mentionedEverything's broken and nobody's upset by Scott⭐️ Leave a ReviewIf you enjoy this episode please leave a 5 star review here and let us know 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 🙏

Mar 22, 2022 • 20min
How LinkedIn helped Buse become a Junior Dev in London
🎙 About the episodeMeet Buse Hizarci 🇹🇷🇬🇧! She just got her first Junior Developer role in London. It’s one of the most competitive tech cities in the world, yet the recruiter came to her through LinkedIn. As an extroverted economics graduate, Buse wasn’t sure if coding was for her. After 5 unsuccessful interviews (and one shockingly rude interview experience, which you’ll hear about towards the end of the episode!), she eventually found success at a well-known company in the UK called Vision Direct. In this episode, you’ll learn how Buse utilised LinkedIn to find success and how she wowed her employers with the take-home task..🔗 Connect with Buse👨🏻💼 LinkedIn🌐 Website👩🚀 GitHub📝Medium🤖 Bhz#2497 on the Scrimba Discord⏰ TimestampsIntroduction (0:00)From economics graduate to developer (01:35)Why learning web development is great if you want a job (03:43)How to make what you learn stick with projects (04:30)Building confidence through early job interviews (06:42)Buse’s best interview advice (08:17)Working as a contractor for experience before finding full-time work (10:32)A recruiter reached out to Buse! (12:02)The take-home task that got Buse the job (12:44)Day in the life of a newly-hired junior web developer (14:19)Kill your ego (15:24)Don’t compare your real life to other people’s highlight reel (15:50)What Buse wish she knew at the beginning (16:18)Overcoming stress and anxiety (17:17)What’s next for Buse (18:35)🧰 Resources mentionedReach out to Recruiters on LinkedIn (as a Developer)⭐️ Leave a ReviewIf you enjoy this episode please leave a 5 star review here and let us know 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 🙏

Mar 15, 2022 • 38min
Why nobody hires junior developers anymore according to an engineering manager
Meet Gregory Witek 🇳🇱! Greg is an experienced developer and engineering manager currently working at Booking.com. There, he made an alarming observation: While the industry is going nuts for experienced Senior developers, it would seem no one is really hiring junior developers. Why?In this episode, we explore the state of the junior developer job market and how you can maximise your chance for success. Don't worry! Becoming a Junior developer was always going to be tough. Gregory maintains there's room for everyone in this industry and even shares what he would specifically do with the benefit of all his experience breaking into tech and now hiring developers.🔗 Connect with Gregory👨🏻💼 LinkedIn🌐 Website👩🚀 GitHub🐦 Twitter⏰ TimestampsIntroduction (00:00)Becoming an engineering manager (01:24)Why nobody hires juniors anymore (02:20)The tragedy of commons (04:37)Companies who only hire mid-level developers cause problems (08:37)Changing jobs normally yields the most profitable salary bump (11:02)Don't we need more juniors to satisfy the demand for online software and services created during the pandemic? (12:14)Juniors are needed but not right now it seems (14:57)Onboarding junior developers remotely is hard (16:56)You can still find success! (19:07)Companies where you'll have the best chance of success as a junior (19:54)How Gregory found his first tech job (22:58)Even if you lack experience you can contribute to experience or volunteer (24:12)If you don't have a job your job is finding a job (25:25)How to know if you're ready to apply for jobs (26:53)Always ask for feedback and don't be afraid to apply again (28:40)How to impress Gregory as a candidate (30:02)How much time to engineering managers spend per resume or application? (31:45)What Alex learned about finding work from Tinder (33:11)What motivates Gregory to help? (36:12)🧰 Resources mentionedWhy nobody hires junior developers and what happens next by GregoryGitLab Handbook⭐️ Leave a ReviewIf you enjoy this episode please leave a 5 star review here and let us know 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 🙏

4 snips
Mar 8, 2022 • 28min
How Robert got his first developer job at 33
Meet Robert Corrado 🇺🇸! Rob tried to become a coder several times, but as a business owner and Dad, it was hard to carve out time and really make it stick! It was during the pandemic, Robert realized his opportunity to double down on his passion and finally learn to code with Scrimba. As his confidence in JavaScript grew, he started to apply for jobs and sending out feelers. In this episode, you'll learn from Rob's experience doing several coding interviews and how he finally found success!🔗 Connect with Robert👨🏻💼 LinkedIn👩🚀 GitHub🐦 Twitter🤖 RobbyCors#0066 on the Scrimba Discord⏰ TimestampsIntroduction (0:00)From business owner to coder (01:45)Deciding to finally go for it (04:01)Learning Spanish vs. learning JavaScript (05:01)Robert’s greatest challenges and how he overcame them (06:37)Employers don’t want someone who only knows HTML and CSS? (08:33)As a Junior, you can do the task, you just need a bit more time (10:11)Learning to code and career a little later in life and with kids (11:07)What Rob learned from his unsuccessful interviews (13:18)Self-confidence and the job search (15:54)How Rob got 8 job interviews (17:18)How Rob got his first Junior developer job (18:48)⭐️ Leave a ReviewIf you enjoy this episode please leave a 5 star review here and let us know 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 🙏

Mar 1, 2022 • 46min
How to Actually Use a Web Developer Roadmap: Mike Karan on Better Learning and Must-Have Skills for Junior Developers
🎙 About the episodeMeet Mike Karan 🇨🇦! Mike is a successful web development business owner and a co-host of the HTML All The Things podcast. His podcast and social media platforms have had tremendous growth in 2021, but Mike explains it's not all about the stats: it's about creating value and connecting with people. In this episode, we're talking roadmaps! If you're learning to code, it's easier to follow a roadmap that somebody else has made. But, that can also be tricky: it's not always clear when to branch out or move on to another part of a roadmap. You'll learn how to recognize these opportunities, how to figure out if you should quit learning something, and why you should only focus on one framework at a time. Plus, there's a rant about regex.🔗 Connect with Mike👨🏻💼 LinkedIn🌐 Website👩🚀 GitHub🐦 Twitter⏰ TimestampsIntroduction (0:00)Mike's podcast and Twitter growth (02:00)How Mike chose the front-end developer career path (07:08)Step by step guide for learning to become a front-end developer (09:08)What can you achieve with just HTML and CSS? When is the right time to learn JavaScript? (14:00)How should you look at a roadmap? (17:49)Figure out what you hate! (18:48)How to know you've given something enough of a try? (21:34)When to monetize your skills? (24:51)On roadmaps and choosing the right framework (27:21)What does a junior developer have to know? (33:47)Apply your knowledge! (36:45)🧰 Resources mentionedHTML All The Things web developer roadmapJunior web developer checklistMike's podcast⭐️ Leave a ReviewIf you enjoyed this episode please leave a 5-star review here and let us know 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 🙏

Feb 22, 2022 • 38min
How to market yourself as a developer (according to a marketer turned developer!)
🎙 About the episodeMeet Stefi Rosca 🇷🇴🇪🇸. Stefi worked as a marketer but couldn't ignore her passion for tech anymore! Using Scrimba and other resources, Stefi learned to code online and now works at Adevinta - a company almost everyone in Spain knows. Believe it or not, when she first applied, they ignored her! It was only through her perseverance (following up and connecting with people in the company) that Stefi earned this prestigious opportunity. In this episode, you'll learn how meetups gave Stefi the connections and confidence she needed to find success.🔗 Connect with Stefi👨🏻💼 LinkedIn🌐 Website👩🚀 GitHub🐦 Twitter⏰ TimestampsIntroduction (0:00)Stefi’s experience doing a mock React interview with Scrimba (01:30)Transitioning from marketing to development (02:46)Working at a company all your friends and family recognise 🤩 (06:41)Recurse center (07:34)Code Bar (09:51)How meetups impacted Stefi’s career success (12:29)Navigating meetups as an introvert (13:45)Challenges transitioning from marketing to coding (15:14)How to market yourself as a developer, according to a developer (20:04)Stefi’s EPIC story about how she got a job at Adevinta (25:49)🧰 Resources mentionedStefi’s mock React interview with ScrimbaRecurse centerCode Bar