The Scrimba Podcast

🎙 About the episodeMeet Patrick Akil 🇳🇱! Patrick is a software engineer, Golang trainer, and the host of the Beyond Coding podcast. In this interview, he shares his story of becoming a developer and talks about everything beyond coding - mindset, mental health, life- and soft skills. By the way, this is the 100th episode of the Scrimba podcast! 🎉In this episode, you will learn how to become a better team player and what being a good communicator actually entails. Patrick will teach you how to find your strengths even if you're not the best coder in the world, why mental health is important, and how creating genuine connections with your coworkers benefits everybody. You will also hear how Patrick pivoted to coding after initially missing an opportunity to study it at a university and how he learned from consultants from a company he later worked for! 🔗 Connect with Patrick📹 YouTube👨‍💼Linkedin🌐 Website🐦 Twitter⏰ TimestampsPatrick’s long and winding path to coding through operations (01:28)Is attending a university a good path to becoming a developer? (05:02)How Patrick learn development on the job from external consultants (07:36)People around you will define your growth curve, and mentors are important (10:09)How much of success is luck, and how much is under your control? (11:09)How to advocate for yourself (13:13)What does it mean to be a good communicator (14:16)Ad break! Next week, it’s Trecia Kat! (16:13)Why it’s important to talk about things that are ‘beyond coding’? (17:53)How not to be too harsh on yourself (19:37)Creating a system that doesn’t rely on motivation (21:55)What’s more important: hard skills or soft skills? (24:04)The typical roles within a team (25:28)How to get better at teamwork (29:04)Where does perfectionism come from? (33:17)How to get better at receiving feedback (35:11)How to apply the takeaways from this interview to interviewing for a job without going over the top (37:56)Redefining what success means (40:19)What are goals (43:05)How Patrick got his first developer job even though he wasn’t expecting to (44:15)How Patrick became a podcaster (47:54)🧰 Resources MentionedBeyond Coding on YoutubeBeyond Coding on AnchorBeyond Coding: Mental Health Problems and Conference Talks, with Stacy Cashmore ⭐️ 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 they can thank you personally for tuning in 🙏

🎙 About the episodeMeet Amy Corson 🇺🇸! Amy is a recently hired new developer. She's also an aspiring comedian! During the pandemic, she realized she was unhappy with her day job and decided to change it. So: this episode is both insightful and funny!In this interview, Amy talks about learning to code and how her brother, also a self-taught developer, introduced her to Scrimba. You'll learn about ghost buses, local coding meetups, and how help can come from the unlikeliest of places. Amy also teaches you how to pick a coding project you're not going to give up on, even if it might give you food poisoning. Ultimately, you will hear how Amy approached both studying and applying for jobs, how she prepared for the job interview that landed her the job she's doing now, and why vague emails from recruiters are even more stressful when you're in the mountains. 🔗 Connect with Amy👩‍💼 Linkedin🌐 Website👩‍🚀 Github⏰ TimestampsHow Amy went from an aspiring comedy writer with a day job to learning to code (02:12)Amy quit her job and focused on coding (04:51)Amy landed her first developer job after a little over a year of studying! (06:20)How Amy approached learning to code (06:48)What projects did Amy build? (08:07)How Amy decided on a complex project, learned a lot, and avoided food poisoning (08:20)Ad break! Next week, it’s Patrick Akil! (10:17)How Scrimba’s Discord community helped Amy solve problems better (12:11)When did Amy decide to start applying for jobs? (13:58)How Amy tackled her lack of teamwork experience by joining a civic open-source meetup (15:02)What Amy did when she got stuck on her new project (17:38)Does Amy’s new job mirror her experience working on the projects at the local meetup group? (18:52)You don’t know who you know! (21:24)How Amy landed her developer job (25:14)What Amy did to prepare for her job interview (27:37)Why did Amy put work into presenting herself to the interviewers (28:58)How did Amy's technical interview go? (32:47)Amy almost two job offers at once! (34:29)How do you tell your prospective employer to hurry up? (36:22)How Amy got the job offer she ended up accepting while on a hike with no phone reception (38:15)Should you negotiate the salary for your first opportunity? (40:08)Junior developers are an investment (44:39)🧰 Resources MentionedThe Front-End Developer Career PathScrimba's Discord server!⭐️ 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 they can thank you personally for tuning in 🙏

🎙 About the episodeMeet Stephanie Chiu 🇺🇸! Stephanie is a self-taught iOS software engineer and career coach. She's also a chemical engineer who thought she would never code... until she met people who actually worked in tech!In this episode, you'll learn everything about her path to becoming a developer and landing her first job at PayPal! You'll also learn how important it was for Stephanie to be a part of a local developer community. Stephanie will teach you how to optimize your LinkedIn (and think about what recruiters see), seek mentorship, and reach out to senior developers for coffee chats, even if you're introverted.Stephanie and Alex share excellent tips to help you find your niche and stand out as a new developer. They also discuss predictions for the state of the industry and job market in 2023.  🔗 Connect with Stephanie📸 Instagram👩‍💼 Linkedin🌐 Website🐦 Twitter👩‍🚀 Github⏰ TimestampsHow Stephanie started coding even though she thought she would never do that (01:36)The life of a chemical engineer working as a production supervisor and why Stephanie wanted to change careers (04:28)The collaborative nature of getting into tech and how to do coffee chats with developers (05:52)Why you should go to hackathons (07:13)Why getting out of your comfort zone can lead to cool stuff (08:17)How Stephanie surrounded herself with tech people and why that was helpful (09:16)Should a junior developer work remotely or in person? (11:48)Ad break! Reading your podcast reviews + next week on the show: a comedian-turned-developer Amy Corson! (14:00)How Stephanie picked her tech stack and approach learning to code, and why you shouldn't focus on collecting certificates (16:58)Why iOS developer communities are tightly knit (20:51)Why iOS developers generally receive higher compensation (21:55)How Stephanie got her job at PayPal and why you shouldn't sleep on LinkedIn (25:32)Do small companies hire juniors in the current job market? (27:34)How Stephanie was found on LinkedIn by a manager at PayPal... and then rejected (28:50)The engineers replied back to Stephanie's thank you email, she took up one of them on an offer to help her with learning, and the rest is history! (30:56)The engineers initially doubted Stephanie (32:28)How Stephanie's manager needed somebody who could think outside the box (35:24)What is more important for junior developers: a resume, portfolio, LinkedIn, or GitHub? (37:46)How to teach LinkedIn's algorithm what is it that you want to become (39:55)The key to using LinkedIn is curation (40:53)How the Skills section on LinkedIn makes a difference in what you see and who reaches out (42:33)People don't scroll, so put the most essential things on top! (44:17)What recruiters see on LinkedIn, and why Stephanie put her GitHub projects into the Experience section (45:36)Stephanie's take on the state of the job market in 2023 (47:24)🧰 Resources MentionedLevels.fyi - Salaries and tools to level up your careerScrimba podcast with Austin Henline: How to make your LinkedIn profile standout according to a LinkedIn expertScrimba's Discord server!⭐️ 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 they can thank you personally for tuning in 🙏

🎙 About the episodeMeet Marleigh Morgan 🇺🇸! Marleigh is a recently hired graphic designer turned developer. She has always wanted to learn to code, and she tried to study computer science but gave up after it turned out that, at her university, she was supposed to write Java on paper. During the pandemic, she picked up coding again. Two years later, she changed careers!In this episode, Marleigh will teach you how to balance learning to code with having a full-time job. She also talks about online communities and how to benefit from them, the importance of developing independent projects for your portfolio, and why you shouldn't be afraid to take breaks when you need them. She also shares how she eventually changed career paths within the company she was already working at and how she knew she was ready to apply for jobs.🔗 Connect with Marleigh👩‍💼 Linkedin🌐 Website🐦 Twitter👩‍🚀 Github🤖 kittywizard#9211 on Scimba Discord⏰ TimestampsMarleigh was interested in coding, but gave up after her university wanted her to write Java on paper (01:27)Marleigh went back to coding after changing majors and working as a designer for ten years (02:22)What made Marleigh pick up programming again (03:57)The importance of being consistent (06:05)How Marleigh learned coding alongside a full-time job (06:28)Marleigh's advice for everybody learning to code alongside work (07:41)The difference in mindset between learning to code as a hobby and learning to code as a career path (10:05)Ad break: Next week, it's Stephanie Chiu!How specifically Marleigh learned to code (14:34)Do you ever feel ready to apply for jobs? (16:44)Remote vs on-site work for junior developers (17:55)Marleigh is a Scrimba Community Hero with over 2000 messages on our discord server. Here's how she discovered the Scrimba Community (19:33)Why being in a developer community is important when you're starting out (20:50)Job applications don't always pan out - here's how Marleigh knew when to take a step back and tweak her resume (21:13)Marley eventually ended up changing careers internally - here's how it happened (23:10)Did they grill Marleigh about her coding skills? (27:33)The perks of being in the Scrimba community while job searching (28:41)It's okay to take breaks! (30:37)🧰 Resources MentionedThe Front-End Developer Career PathScrimba's Discord server!⭐️ 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 they can thank you personally for tuning in 🙏

🎙 About the episodeMeet Don Hansen 🇺🇸! Don is a software engineer and developer mentor who helps aspiring juniors land their first opportunity. He's also a Youtuber, podcaster, and streamer who met his first boss on Twitch!In this episode, Don and Alex talk about career changes, leaving a good first impression, and the state of the job market right now. You'll learn whether you should consider attending a coding bootcamp or stick to a self-directed path, how to see past the marketing copy on a coding bootcamp's website, and how to actually look at networking (especially if you're bad at it). Don also shares valuable insights on all the things you might be doing wrong if you're just starting your job search.   🔗 Connect with Don👨‍💼 Linkedin🌐  Website📹 Youtube📹 Twitch⏰ TimestampsDon always coded as a hobby (01:19)Bridging the gap between a hobbyist and a professional: it's a shift in mindset (02:56)How to keep coding playful while maintaining discipline (05:02)How did Don go about getting his first coding job? (06:23)Don met his first boss on Twitch! (07:20)Why is providing transparency very powerful + are you curious about coding? (09:01)What Don learned from failed job applications (11:21)How you should think about networking (13:10)Ad break! Next week, it's Marleigh Morgan! (14:52)Fight shyness with exposure (16:21)How James Mariott fought his insecurities by streaming, and why streaming can be a great strategy for you (19:03)On imposter syndrome: it never goes away (20:32)Why you should train yourself to be a problem solver (23:25)Don put stuff you don't know (or senior developers, for that matter) on a pedestal (25:47)Short-term vs long-term goals (26:19)How to pick your area of expertise, and why Don picked CSS (30:10)Should you sign up for a bootcamp or choose a self-directed route? (34:32)Can you pick a bootcamp based on their success rate? (38:24)What to do if you're applying for junior developer jobs but never hearing back? (42:39)Coding ability vs. soft skills, and why it's important to learn presentation skills (45:58)What's the motivation behind Don's YouTube channel? (48:13)How to look for jobs during a recession (51:05)The only surefire way to fail is to quit (55:47)🧰 Resources MentionedDonTheDeveloper YouTube channelDon's YT video: How I Got My First Web Developer JobDon't review of ScrimbaShould aspiring developers be worried about the recession?Scrimba podcast: Code Like Nobody Is Watching: On Community, Learning, and Finding the Right Culture Fit, With Scrimba Student James⭐️ 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 they can thank you personally for tuning in 🙏

🎙 About the episodeMeet Mislav Markušić 🇭🇷! Mislav is a new developer from Croatia who has changed careers at the age of 40. After attending law school and realizing it wasn't a good fit for him, he spent 14 years working in a record store! Now, he's a junior developer.In this episode, Mislav shares how he decided to pursue coding, how long it took, and how he managed to do it alongside a full-time job and a family. Mislav and Alex discuss taking breaks, knowing you're ready to apply for jobs, and whether or not a junior should learn TypeScript. Mislav also talks about his portfolio, how having a well-thought-out portfolio can help you stand out in a sea of candidates, and how you can prepare for your job interview by listening to podcasts!🔗 Connect with Mislav👨‍💼Linkedin🌐 Portfolio🌐 Blog🐦Twitter⏰ TimestampsHow Mislav started coding after dropping out of law school and working in a record store for 14 years (01:22)How Mislav knew which technologies to focus on (05:07)How Mislav approached learning to code (06:54)Hurry up, but slowly (08:33)Ad break! Check out our video where Alex is reenacting a day in a life as a learner. Next week on the podcast, it's Don Hansen! (10:55)Mislav wasn't ready too apply for jobs, but a friend of his thought otherwise (13:22)The hiring manager loved how Mislav presented himself. Here's what he did, and how he picked his portfolio projects! (14:55)Podcasts were the single best resource for Mislav when it comes to nailing the interview. Here's why (18:20)Mislav's interview process (20:22)Mislav's new job! (23:13)What's the first week of his first developer job been like for Mislav? (23:47)How fast do you learn coding at home, and how fast do you learn on the job? (26:55)How you feel about your abilities can change within a month (28:04)What would Mislav do differently, and why is that - learning TypeScript? (29:03)🧰 Resources MentionedBlog: Mislav's Roadmap to Getting Hired as a Frontent DevMislav's portfolioYouTube video: A day in the life of a self-taught React developer in LondonScrimba's Discord server!⭐️ 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 they can thank you personally for tuning in 🙏

🎙 About the episodeMeet Katy Ashby 🇬🇧! Katy studied physics before becoming a developer, and once she did, she went from a complete novice to a principal developer and team lead in only four years! In this episode, Katy shares how she fast-tracked her career and how you can do the same.In this episode, Katy talks about why you should remain curious, how to recognize opportunities to progress in a company, and what makes a senior developer. Katy shares her view on whether you should seek a remote position as a junior developer and the benefits of staying at a job for longer. Alex and Katy also discuss contractors and whether you should be wary of them (or become one). Also: HTML for Dummies, and rats!🔗 Connect with Katy👩‍💼 Linkedin🌐  Website🐦 Twitter⏰ TimestampsKaty never thought she was going to become a developer, even though she dabbled with coding as a child (01:06)How Katy worked on her first website as a kid and kept coding playful (01:54)Katy never thought about studying computer science because her computer classes at school were boring, and she ended up majoring in physics with a minor in French! (04:23)Why a developer career, in hindsight, was a perfectly logical choice for Katy (06:25)How Katy went from a beginner to a principal developer in four years (07:27)Ad break! Next week, it's Mislav Markušić! (12:21)What made Katy determined to climb the ranks? (14:13)Why becoming a senior developer is more about your attitude than just your coding skills (15:07)Did Katy know much about software development jobs before she got her first one? (16:10)More and more physicists are becoming coders. Here's why (17:05)What Katy learned over the course of four years (19:08)How Katy used the experience of using Python for a physics internship to kickstart her coding journey (19:55)Is there anything that Katy would do differently? (23:42)What challenges did Katy face when she started working? (25:29)How Katy turned a graduate role into an actual job (27:55)Consider the whole offer, and not just the salary (30:40)Should junior developers work remotely or in person? (32:45)Why applying for jobs at other companies can get you a raise (34:18)How does everybody working remotely change the job landscape? What's the difference between employees and contractors? (37:46)How Katy took a break between jobs and shared her knowledge with the community (42:09)Quick-fire questions: favorite places in the UK, Anglo-Indian food, coffee, and keeping rats as pets! (45:07)🧰 Resources MentionedDummiesScrimba's Discord server!⭐️ 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 they can thank you personally for tuning in 🙏

🎙 About the episodeMeet Sylvialynn Favello 🇺🇸! Sylvia got exposed to coding accidentally: by watching online courses for fun after she took a break from work and studying so that she could have surgery. Today, she works at Docker! She will teach us how to stay on track even when our brains don't want to.In this episode, Sylvia will give us her insights on how to recognize you're heading towards burnout, how to keep learning fun, and how to remain motivated. She also talks about working on her self-confidence and public speaking by participating in communities and Twitter spaces (the latter is also how she met her hiring manager!), as well as how she found a way to enjoy the learning process for what it is. Spoiler alert: you'll get many unconventional study tips, but they might work for you!Alex and Sylvia also discuss programming with ADHD, why being a developer is rewarding, and how you can turn perceived failures into learning experiences.   🔗 Connect with Sylvia👩‍💼 Linkedin🌐  Hashnode👩‍🚀 GitHub🌐  Website🐦 Twitter⏰ TimestampsHow Sylvia started learning to code because she was bored and wanted to learn... anything (01:48)Alex met Sylvia a year ago when she was joining Twitter spaces to work on her self-confidence and public speaking. Here's how it went down! (03:59)Why you should try different things until you find something that sticks (05:12)How Sylvia's dream about studying at Harvard turned into a passion for coding (05:53)How Alex got exposed to coding by watching videos from Stanford, and Sylvia's unconventional learning practices (07:09)Developers with ADHD and how programming can be stimulating (11:12)Ad break: Have you heard our show with Jessica Chan? Coming up next week, lead software engineer Katy Ashby.Sylvialynn's approach to learning and why you shoulud follow your cuiosity (15:27)Why you should always be open to tweaking your goals and plans (17:21)Finding motivation in challenges (18:39)Keep learning fun! (20:06)How to recognize and avoid burnout? (23:18)Why you should enjoy the journey, not the destination (26:44)When did Sylvia feel she was ready to start applying for jobs? (28:12)How Sylvia chose her portfolio project (29:34)What resources did she use to learn JavaScript and React? (30:25)Sylvia's approach to findind a job (spoiler: in the end, community is always important) (31:26)Why you should start working on your presentation skills right away (34:13)How to deal with mental setbacks in networking and socializing (39:16)Sylvia met a hiring manager at Docker in a Twitter space! (43:33)Are you an introvert... or an anxious extrovert (45:33)Sylvia's interview process at Docker (47:33)What is it like being an intern at Docker? (49:47)What's it like doing an internship remotely? (51:00)Technical vs behavioral questions for a Docker internship (53:12)How long did the internship last and did it come with a promise of a possible job opportunity? (54:46)Keep trying different things! (57:19)🧰 Resources MentionedHow to speakCS50's Introduction to Computer Science on edXMia Bala on TwitterScrimba's Front-End Developer Career PathSylvia's project, Blue SignalScrimba Podcast: How To Learn To Code From the Free Content on YouTube, With Jessica ChanScrimba Podcast: Communication skills for developers with Dylan Israel from AmazonfreeCodeCampLearn Python for Free on ScrimbaScrimba's Discord server!⭐️ 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 they can thank you personally for tuning in 🙏

🎙 About the episodeMeet Alexander Lee 🇺🇸! Alexander, also known as TechRally, is a front-end engineer at Amazon. He's also a developer coach, Youtuber, and career changer. In this episode, TechRally teaches you how to solve a number of challenges you might face as a junior developer trying to break into the industry.Alex (the host) and Alex (the guest) discuss the pros and cons of bootcamps, as well as developer portfolios, job market trends, and whether job hunting is similar to... dating. You'll also learn what's the least you can do to stand out as an applicant and how to make sure you really stand out. TechRally will teach you how to approach your portfolio project, how to keep up the motivation, and what to do when you feel stuck in your job search.🔗 Connect with TechRally📹 YouTube🐦 Twitter📸 Instagram👨‍💼 LinkedIn🌐 Website⏰ TimestampsHow Alexander Lee decided to enroll into a coding bootcamp and become a developer (01:48)Bootcamps vs. traditional education (03:16)Are bootcamps a good path for people learning to code and breaking into tech? Is there a difference between bootcamps in 2015 and bootcamps today? (05:02)The best advice for aspiring developers (07:59)What should you do if you think you're doing everything right but you still don't hear back after you apply for jobs? (09:39)Ad break! Have you listened to our interview with Madison Kanna? Plus: You can leave a review of our podcast and make the producer smile. Next Tuesday: Sylvia Favello, who started learning to code because she was bored after surgery!Your developer portfolio and resume should be the best at the start of your career (16:31)How many projects should you have in your developer portfolio? (18:31)How Alexander landed a job at Amazon (19:19)Why do there seem to be fewer recruiters reaching out at the moment? (21:28)What is the current state of the tech job market, and is there enough work for juniors?  (22:42)Should you worry about seasonal trends in the job market? (25:24)What are the aspects of the hiring process that a junior developer can control? (26:43)Job hunting vs. Tinder (30:46)What kind of projects should you have in your portfolio? (33:14)One solid project kills two birds with one stone (34:34)How to stay motivated while building bigger projects (36:26)Quick-fire questions: coffee, front-end frameworks, and Korean food! (41:13)🧰 Resources MentionedTechRally Youtube ChannelScrimba Podcast: Homeschooler, College Dropout, Developer and Master Networker: Crush Your Career with Madison KannaScrimba's Discord server!⭐️ 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 they can thank you personally for tuning in 🙏

🎙 About the episodeMeet James Marriott 🇬🇧! He's a software developer and a career changer who previously worked in education, project management, and communications. He devoted himself to learning to code during a lockdown because he likes making things! In this episode, you'll hear how he found a way to get more comfortable coding in front of interviewers by streaming on YouTube, avoided emails to stay motivated, and ultimately landed a job at a company that perfectly fits his personality. James also talks about impostor syndrome, the importance of finding a community, and how being open about not knowing something can benefit you in the long run. He and Alex also discuss whether coding skills alone are enough to land you your first job and whether your previous work experience is relevant when you're breaking into tech.🔗 Connect with James👨‍💼 LinkedIn⏰ TimestampsHow James decided to become a developer after decades of waiting (02:31)How did James learn to code? (04:18)How does one go from hobbyist to professional? Plus, the true value of Scrimba (05:26)How James connected to other coders in the community (07:06)The difficulty of changing careers later in life (09:30)Ad break! Have you listened to our interview with Quincy Larson? How to support us and who's on next week (10:29)Changing careers in your 40s: advantage or disadvantage? (13:30)What do you have in your 40s that you don't have in your 20s? (16:06)Where does motivation come from? (17:03)How James approached finding his first developer job (18:40)James set up an email filter so that he couldn't see rejections! (19:32)Focusing on the things you can control (20:32)James was interviewed by three companies - here's how it went down (21:25)What James learned from his first interview and how he battled his fear of live coding by... streaming on YouTube! (23:40)Why should you learn how to explain your code to other people (27:16)On imposter syndrome (29:10)How James ended up in a company that aligns with his values (31:08)Slow burning motivation, humility, and finding a good fit (34:19)James' interview process and why you shouldn't lie on your resume (36:59)James' technical task and being transparent (42:37)Salaries, how to do them differently, and why a higher salary isn't always a good thing (47:19)🧰 Resources MentionedScrimba Podcast: Quincy Larson: Why Learning To Code as an Adult Might Be Easier Than You Think Scrimba's blog!Our discord community⭐️ 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 they can thank you personally for tuning in 🙏