The Scrimba Podcast

Tomáš Lukeš, an audio engineer turned primary school teacher turned developer, shares how he learned to code in nine months and landed a job in three business days. He discusses approaching coding like an RPG, selecting projects, crafting portfolios, and transforming code-alongs. The podcast also covers job hunting strategies, the power of persistence, and self-discovery.

Johannes Kettmann, a Fullstack JavaScript Developer, shares his coding journey and why he loves React. He discusses his first freelancing gig, the benefits of contracting, and the skills that aspiring junior developers often lack. The podcast also dives into the importance of sticking with one technology, learning from anti patterns, and the significance of soft skills for junior React developers.

Mohamed Amine Hachemi, a full-stack developer, shares how he landed his first dev job through Instagram. He talks about his decision to switch careers from law to coding, his journey of learning web development using YouTube tutorials, and the challenges of mastering JavaScript. Mohamed also highlights the power of networking on Instagram and leveraging social media to showcase his coding journey and attract job opportunities.

🎙 About the episodeMeet Danny Vogel 🇩🇪🇪🇸! Danny is a lawyer-turned-developer who decided to switch careers after ten years in law! In high school, he thought he could never do maths and picked a different path. It was meeting his wife, who is a software developer, that made him stop seeing coding as something unachievable, and the search for a better work-life balance that made him start learning. When he quit his job, he focused on coding. But nobody was responding to his job applications. Danny then went to a developer meetup in Barcelona, where somebody gave him wise advice...In this episode, Danny shares about his coding journey and the struggles along the way. You'll learn how to approach projects, why a "shotgun" approach might work for you, and why it's better not to work remotely if you're just starting out. Danny also talks about his experience with Chingu.io, a platform that pairs you with other developers to create group coding projects, and how he's benefited from joining it. Ultimately, you'll find out how Danny landed his first dev job, even though the company didn't advertise the job he's doing now as a junior position!🔗 Connect with Danny👨‍💼 LinkedIn⏰ TimestampsDanny always liked computers but never saw himself as a coder (02:26)Is coding more about letters or numbers? (03:03)Danny went into law, studying in Barcelona and New York. How did it feel to switch careers after ten years? (03:45)What made Danny learn to code? (05:22)Did Danny’s wife, a developer, play a part in his decision to learn to code? (06:10)Coding and law are often misrepresented in movies and on TV (07:20)How Danny learned to code (07:45)Frontend vs backend (08:43)Was learning to code hard? (09:14)Community break with Jan the Producer (10:35)How Danny knew it was time to quit his job in law (12:21)What was Danny’s approach to looking for dev jobs (13:47)Danny went on a meetup and got a great piece of advice (15:09)Danny also joined Chingu.io - what is it? (20:38)Group projects vs. solo projects (21:49)How Danny’s projects helped him land the job he now has (22:26)Shotgun approach! (23:06)People often talk themselves out of applying for jobs not classified as junior (24:07)Give yourself options! (25:35)Quick-fire questions: Danny’s wife, coding to Muse, and videogames! (27:07)Danny’s interview process (30:12)What’s HackerRank, and why you should be prepared for it (32:45)How Danny felt when he got the job (37:01)Does Danny’s experience in law help in his new role? (39:13)Should new developers work remotely or at the office? (41:43)🧰 Resources MentionedDanny's gameState appScrimba BootcampChingu.ioAngela Yu’s web development course⭐️ Leave a ReviewIf you enjoyed this episode, please leave a 5-star review here and 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 that he can thank you personally for tuning in 🙏 Or tell Jan he's butchered your name here. 

🎙 About the episodeMeet Vanessa Vun 🇺🇸! Vanessa is a long-time listener of the Scrimba podcast. She's also a career changer who has spent a decade working as a lab scientist before realizing she would be happier coding. She started learning front-end in April 2022. By September, she started applying for jobs. In June this year, she landed a job at a startup making lab software!However, Vanessa's path to success was not without challenges. She started applying for tech jobs during layoffs, facing rejections due to a lack of relevant experience. In this episode, she shares how she tackled that and whether or not unpaid internships and volunteering are a good idea. You'll also learn how Vanessa created her own curriculum by analyzing what people learn at bootcamps, why it's essential to get outside feedback on your coding projects, and how to make the most out of your LinkedIn, mentorships, and the podcasts you listen to. 🔗 Connect with Vanessa👩‍💼 LinkedIn🌐 Website 𝕏  Twitter, I guess⏰ TimestampsHow Vanessa gave up on coding and became a lab scientist (01:25)Vanessa was surprised at how analog lab management tends to be (02:55)Why Vanessa decided to leave her lab career behind (04:17)How Vanessa learned to code - but this time, for real (05:36)Vanessa has been a webmaster of Lady Crvsh Crew since 2019. What did she learn making a website with Squarespace? (08:58)Vanessa started applying for jobs during layoffs! (09:45)Community break with Jan The Producer (10:22)How Vanessa stayed motivated during tech layoffs, and tackled her lack of tech experience  (12:36)Why volunteer experience is different to just working by yourself (15:07)What is SciShield? (17:01)Vanessa's LinkedIn strategy (18:16)How Vanessa discovered a position at SciShield (19:18)The power of domain knowledge: SciShield liked Vanessa being a former scientist! (20:10)How Vanessa went through six rounds of interviews (21:08)Quick-fire questions: Learning resources, Javascript superpowers, and people to follow (22:27)What Vanessa gained from consultations with a mentor (23:56)Should you go for unpaid internships, or should you always insist on being paid for your time? (25:16)Careful where you volunteer at! (26:53)What is Hack for LA? (27:47)How does domain knowledge help Vanessa at her new job? (29:16)Should a front-end engineer know databases? (32:24)The importance of having a good manager (33:37)Was learning to code worth it? (34:39)🧰 Resources MentionedFront-end Developer Career PathLearn React for free! Podcast: Homeschooler, College Dropout, Developer and Master Networker: Crush Your Career with Madison KannaPodcast: Listen to This If You're Working on Your Developer Portfolio, with Alex from TechRallyBrian JenneyVanessa's Lab Kanban⭐️ Leave a ReviewIf you enjoyed this episode, please leave a 5-star review here and 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 that he can thank you personally for tuning in 🙏 Or tell Jan he's butchered your name here.

Learn how to create a personal brand as a developer to stand out in the tech industry. Experts share advice on building a personal brand, the importance of blogging, not relying solely on social media, and how to streamline content production. They also discuss learning in public, designing a personal website, and the power of sharing knowledge and establishing credibility.

Writer-turned-developer Jen-Li Lim shares her journey of breaking into tech after only 400 hours of learning. She discusses her initial interest in tech, the similarities between content marketing and coding, and her experiences studying and learning during the pandemic. Jen also talks about her new job at a company offering free vector animations for websites and shares valuable insights on selecting portfolio projects and navigating roadmaps.

🎙 About the episodeMeet Ian Douglas 🇺🇸🇨🇦! The first repeat guest on the Scrimba Podcast and author of The Tech Interview Guide, Ian Douglas, has been coding professionally since 1996. With experience at several notable companies and currently working at Postman, Ian is not only a software engineer but also a mentor, streamer, and career coach.Whether you're a new developer or aiming for a mid-level or senior position, the onboarding process can feel overwhelming. In this episode, Ian shares his invaluable insights on how to make your onboarding experience truly worthwhile. From essential do's and don'ts to areas where proactive engagement is crucial, Ian covers it all. Discover the importance of taking notes, effectively handling negative feedback, and the significance of asking questions. Worried about asking too many questions? Ian addresses that too. With these insights and more, you'll be equipped to have an amazing first few weeks at your new job.🔗 Connect with Ian👨🏻‍💼 LinkedIn🌐 Website🐦 Twitter⏰ TimestampsIan's background (02:20)Last time we spoke, Ian had been "live blogging" his job search on LinkedIn. Why? (03:07)What is onboarding? (07:38)How formal is the onboarding process? (08:54)Onboarding at startups vs. at bigger companies (11:55)Do this to make your onboarding better (12:58)What are the expectations from new developers during the onboarding period? (14:06)Tip 1: Don't rush your onboarding (15:22)If you're maid to feel you're a drain on someone, that's a sign of bad company culture (19:13)Be proactive and take time to get to know your coworkers (21:55)Tip 2: Find a mentor (23:15)You should also have a mentor OUTSIDE the company (24:01)How to identify a mentor or a buddy internally (25:41)When does a coworker become a mentor? (27:16)Tip 3: Ask lots of questions (30:26)What are the good questions? (34:09)Tip 4: Make it easy for people to give you feedback (35:09)Feedback vs. criticism, and how to deal with the latter (35:54)Keep track of good feedback, and good track of feedback (40:08)How to handle feedback you don't agree with (42:51)In software, there's a lot of ways of accomplishing a goal (48:00)What are the most improtant traits a developer should have during onboarding? (49:51)🧰 Resources MentionedOur previous show with Ian: An expert guide to technical interviews ⭐️ Leave a ReviewIf you enjoyed this episode, please leave a 5-star review here and 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 that he can thank you personally for tuning in 🙏 Or tell Jan he's butchered your name here.

🎙 About the episodeMeet Kyle Tan 🇵🇭! A business major with an unrelenting passion for coding, Kyle decided he couldn't wait any longer to pursue his dream. Taking a leap of faith, he left his job, discovered Scrimba's Frontend Career Path, and within only four months, he found his first developer job. Talk about lightning speed!In this episode, Kyle shares his approach to learning, unveiling the secrets behind his rapid progress. Discover the invaluable role of downtime and gain insights into the way Kyle chose his portfolio projects: what are the right ones, and why embracing open-source resources is a game-changer. Kyle also takes you through his interview process, when he had to dive into backend technologies for a week so that he could build his take-home project in less than 72 hours. Kyle also reveals how his business background played a role in landing his dream job, what's the power in having a community, and what's his advice for everybody currently learning to code. Tune in and unlock the secrets to accelerated coding mastery!🔗 Connect with Kyle👨‍💼 LinkedIn🐦 Twitter🌐  Portfolio📺 TikTok ⏰ TimestampsHow Kyle decided to learn to code after getting a degree in business (01:14)How Kyle discovered Scrimba and chose frontend (02:13)What challenges did Kyle face, and how did he solve them? (06:03)Kyle finished the Career path in only three months by doing it full-time (07:04)The importance of downtime (07:48)How Kyle branched out of Scrimba (09:47)Kyle’s portfolio projects (11:21)Why simple projects rock (13:06)Community break with Jan The Producer (14:23)How Kyle started applying for jobs after only four months of learning to code (17:07)To interview for the job he got, Kyle had to take a week to learn backend! (20:08)The interview process: Kyle had to build an app in 72 hours (21:38)Kyle’s tips for presenting your code in job interviews (23:33)Culture fit interviews (24:39)How Kyle felt when he got the job (26:55)Quick-fire questions (27:44)What motivated Kyle to change careers (29:47)Did Kyle’s previous experience help him to land a job so quickly? (31:13)Did working as a developer live up to Kyle’s expectations? (32:40)🧰 Resources MentionedThe Coding Career HandbookScrimba's Discord CommunityFrontend Developer Career PathPodcast: How to make your own luck with Shawn Wang (Swyx) html.new⭐️ Leave a ReviewIf you enjoyed this episode, please leave a 5-star review here and 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 that he can thank you personally for tuning in 🙏 Or tell Jan he's butchered your name here.

🎙 About the episodeMeet Jess Gilbert 🇬🇧! Jess recently made a career change from being a primary school teacher to becoming a developer. In this episode, we delve into her journey and explore how she successfully transitioned in less than a year!What was it like being a teacher? Are there any similarities between teaching and coding? How did Jess manage to secure a job offer before diving into her coding education? Jess and Alex also discuss Code First: Girls and why it's worth exploring if you belong to an underrepresented group in the tech industry.Jess shares why Instagram is her social network of choice, which may surprise you since it's not commonly associated with developers. Plus, find out how she learned to code while working as a full-time school teacher and whether the tech industry lived up to her expectations.🔗 Connect with Jess👩‍💼 LinkedIn📸 Instagram⏰ TimestampsJess had never considered a career in tech and became a teacher (01:48)What made Jess learn to code, and how she found Code First: Girls (03:01)Why learning to code at her own pace was challenging for Jess, and why in the end, she shouldn't have been as worried (05:42)Why teachers are sometimes reluctant to work on their personal development (09:03)Community break! Your Tweets and LinkedIn posts, with Jan The Producer (10:20)How does Code First: Girls work? (12:57)How Jess landed a job offer even before learning to code? (14:43)Why do companies invest in programs like Code First: Girls? (17:51)What was it like to learn to code while having a full-time job? (20:10)Why the support of a cohort was important to Jess? (21:17)Was there variation in the ability level of the people in Jess's cohort, and why do soft skills matter? (22:58)How do Jess's skills as a teacher transfer to coding? (24:17)Is there a better work-life balance in coding? (25:55)Quick-fire questions! Do teachers listen to lo-fi bears? (28:56)How Jess found a community on Instagram as a developer (31:27)Why are so many people transitioning from teaching? (33:38)Learning to code is hard, but there are great resources out there, and you can pick the style of learning that works for you specifically (37:59)How long did it take for Jess to switch careers? (40:12)What was her first week on the new job like? (41:18)Why the size of the codebase is a BIG difference between learning to code and working at a company (42:23) 🧰 Resources MentionedProgramming with Mosh on YouTubeWeb Dev Simplified on YouTubeKatherine Gilligan on InstagramLearn React for free!Podcast: What a good developer resume looks like and how to write one, with Gergely OroszPodcast: The Power of Domain Knowledge: How Katrina Skipped Junior Roles and Immediately Landed a Senior Developer Job⭐️ Leave a ReviewIf you enjoyed this episode, please leave a 5-star review here and 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 that he can thank you personally for tuning in 🙏