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Showing posts from August, 2017

Fwd: wish you had a coding mentor?

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Recently I've been getting emails from lots of you guys, asking me to mentor you. Unfortunately, alongside my full-time job, the LTCWM blog and podcast, writing for Forbes , and all my other commitments, I just don't have time to mentor anybody at the moment. :( But that doesn't mean you have to go at it alone! Here are three options you can try instead: 1. Use Codementor Codementor is a marketplace for live one-to-one support from tech experts. It also offers a mentor-student matchmaking service. Simply post your request with a description of your goals, and connect with the mentors who are interested in your request. As far as payment goes, each mentor sets their own rates, starting at $10 per 15-minute session. Try it out! (That's an affiliate link, btw.) 2. Use RookieUp You may remember RookieUp from their recent guest post on LTCWM called How to Find a Coding Mentor . RookieUp is an online mentorship platform for people learning coding and design ...

Fwd: JavaScript libraries and frameworks you should know

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As a new developer, or if you're learning JavaScript for the first time, the number of libraries and frameworks you can use can be daunting. How do you know which to learn first? Which will be most useful in your coding career? In this guest post, Erik Hanchett gives us an overview of his top ten JavaScript libraries and frameworks. Here are the libraries and frameworks you'll learn about in Erik's post: jQuery: An Old Classic (But Is It Obsolete?) Underscore and Lodash: Utility Libraries D3.js: For Graphing and Visualizations React: Facebook's Favorite Library Glimmer.js: UI Components for the Web Bootstrap: For Those of Us Who Dislike Design Angular and AngularJS: Google's Framework Ember.js: The Batteries-Included Framework Aurelia: The Forward-Looking Framework Vue.js: The Progressive Framework

Fwd: 4 ways to fast-track your success

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Recently I've been hearing from a lot of LTCWM readers who want to know how to speed up their progress. Some of you have been job hunting and want to know how to get your foot in the door sooner rather than later. Others have just started coding and want to know the most efficient way to reach their goals. Of course, there's no substitute for putting in the work, but there are a few ways to fast-track your progress. Here are some of the approaches that we've been talking about on the podcast recently... 1. Learn to negotiate. If you're applying for jobs, one way to get ahead is by negotiating a higher wage. If you already have a job, you can ask for a raise instead. In episode 14, I spoke with Alexandra Dickinson. Alexandra is the founder of Ask For It – a consulting company that gives people the skills and confidence to negotiate. In our interview, she shares her top tips for negotiating a higher salary. Learn how to negotiate a higher wage. 2. Gro...

Fwd: how to get your first freelance coding client

Everyone who's worked as a freelancer knows one thing for certain: the first few clients are always the hardest to find. Without referrals, testimonials or a portfolio of client work behind you, getting your first freelance coding client can be a real challenge. In this week's guest post, Alec McGuffey from RookieUp is back to chat with successful coding mentors Jordan Deutsch and Trudy MacNabb about how to find your perfect first freelancing gig. Here's a taster of what Alec, Jordan and Trudy had to say: Focus on what you're interested in - When building your portfolio, there's no point in focusing on things you're not passionate about. Put together projects that show off your skills, and if you don't have enough, create some! You're already good enough for your first gig - At first, focus on the things you're most proficient at. Then, when you've proven you can handle the basics and hit deadlines, you can open up to new areas. ...

Fwd: 4 ways to advance your tech career

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By now you may have noticed that there's not just one single route into tech. Loads of techies are self-taught, some study computer science at college, and others go to intensive bootcamps. Whether you're learning to code, applying for jobs, or starting your own business, there are loads of different strategies you can try. Today I want to highlight four approaches you can take to advance your career.  1. Look for opportunities within your current workplace In episode six, I spoke with Christie Pitts. Christie began working at Verizon twelve years ago as a customer service representative. Today she's a venture development manager at the same company. Listen to our conversation to hear how she progressed within the company. 2. Code every day for 100 days In episode seven, I spoke with Alexander Kallaway. Alexander is a front-end web developer and the creator of the #100DaysOfCode movement. Listen to our conversation to he...

Fwd: pushing through tough moments & learning to love coding again

Ever felt like you've hit a bit of a rut in your coding journey? Maybe you've fallen out of love with learning or you feel like you've hit a ceiling in your career. In this week's guest post, Leah Brunetto lets us in on how she pushed herself through a rut and learned to love learning again. Here are some of my favorite takeaways: Remember that slow and steady wins the race - It's so easy to rush yourself and burn out when learning to code, so it's important to remember that it's a marathon, not a sprint! Make it as easy as possible to fit in study time - Even though most of the time learning to code should be hands-on, Leah found it helpful to watch video tutorials while doing other things (like cooking or laundry). It's all about finding ways to fit in learning, even if it's not necessarily optimal. Work on your existing strengths - The idea of learning a new skill can sometimes be intimidating. Instead of putting off studying ...

Fwd: how to find a coding mentor at every stage of your career

Learning to code can be a lonely journey, especially if you're teaching yourself. Having an experienced coder on hand to mentor you through the rough patches can make a world of difference. In this week's guest post, Alec McGuffey from RookieUp shares his advice on finding a great coding mentor no matter what stage you're at in your career. Here are Alec's main pieces of advice: For coding newbies - If you're learning through a coding bootcamp, make the most of the one-to-one support on offer . Going solo? Immerse yourself in online communities for inspiration and support, or use a platform like RookieUp to set up on-demand video mentor sessions with professional coders. For intermediate coders - As you begin to feel more confident in your coding skills, start actively contributing to communities and seeking ways to meet other like-minded coders around you. Check out local in-person events and reach out to other coders directly to start developin...

Fwd: 7 ways to shine in interviews using what you already know

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Job interviews are scary, especially when you know you'll be tested on your technical knowledge. So what if you could improve your interview performance without learning any new coding skills? In this week's guest post, Yaphi Berhanu from Simple Steps Code gives you his top tips for impressing recruiters using what you already know. Here are the takeaways: Frame answers in terms of who will be impacted Don't just give the solution. Show that you've considered who will be affected by your solution (i.e. the users, the business or the team). Name things clearly It can be tempting to use shorthand during an interview, but it's also easy to lose track of what names you've used when under pressure. Naming things clearly is also crucial when working within a team. Lay out the puzzle pieces This is like showing your working in an exam. It lets your interviewer see your thought process and it'll make it easier to spot solutions yourself. If...

Fwd: why learning to code won't take you 10,000 hours

Hey, It's supposed to take 10,000 hours to become an expert at something. Is that the case with coding? Ken Mazaika from The Firehose Project doesn't think so. In this week's sponsored guest post, Ken breaks down why it won't take you 10,000 hours to learn to code. Click here to read the sponsored post. Here are the main takeaways: The media has changed the meaning of the rule. The 10,000 hour rule used to mean it took that long to become an expert in an advanced field. Now it seems to mean it takes that long just to be good at something. Companies don't hire people based on the hours they've spent learning. You'll be expected to have some experience in the field, but no hiring company is going to ask you exactly how many hours you've been learning for. Companies hire new developers as an investment. They won't expect you to be an expert. They'll expect you to have the ability to figure stuff out and a hunger to ...

Fwd: options for app developers (web, desktop, mobile or cross-platform)

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Hey, If you're diving into app development for the first time, it can be difficult to know which platform you should be writing for. This week's sponsored post is from Geoff Perlman of Xojo. In it, he lays out the pros and cons of each platform, and lets you in on how to develop for all of them at once. Click here to read the full sponsored post. Here are the main takeaways: Desktop Apps - These normally provide the richest (and fastest) user experience, but they're not great for apps that people want to use immediately. Web Apps - These solve the problem of users wanting to use the app immediately, but they're at the mercy of your users' Internet speed. Mobile Apps - Fast, responsive, easy to install... but there's not a lot of screen space to work with. That means mobile apps are best suited to "dashboard-type" apps that display the status of something without being super interactive. Cross-Platform Development - Cross-platfor...

Fwd: How to optimize your site for a global audience

The number of worldwide internet users is 3.3 billion. Are you making it easy enough for them to use your site? In the latest Learn to Code With Me guest post, Christina from Day Translations lets us in on why (and how) you should be playing the numbers game and making sure your website is globally accessible. Click here to read this post. Here's a snapshot of what Christina says are the top things to incorporate to make sure everybody has a good time on your site: Minimalism. I'm a big fan of keeping things simple, and, turns out, it makes website localization so much easier in the long run. Unicode. This makes sure your site's compatible with just about any language, regardless of the script being used. Hreflang tags. There are a few different ways you can use them, but the main thing is you're letting Google know when one page is a translation of another. Space. White space definitely looks good, but it also comes in handy when tra...

Fwd: 5 truths every code newbie should know

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Coding isn't easy. If it were, everyone would be doing it. In the newest Learn to Code With Me blog post guest writer Avi Flombaum, Dean at Flatiron School , shares five things all newbies need to know as the embark on their coding journey. Click here to read this sponsored post. Avi drops so many knowledge bombs - I kept nodding my head while I read through the article! Here are a few of my favorite takeaways: Embrace failure. "Embrace things being broken and know it's not your fault, it's not because you're stupid, it's not because you're bad at programming. It's because that is the nature of this craft: to exist in a broken state." In fact, failing is GOOD. "The only way for everything to work all the time would be to stop innovating. So get comfortable existing in a state of error." Finish learning what you started. "Even if you're learning a language that has become outdated, the act of finishin...

Fwd: guess which engineer earns $110,000 on average per year...

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When I was looking for full-time jobs a few months ago, one thing shocked me more than anything: the amount of job listings looking for iOS developers/engineers. (Don't believe me? Here's one . Here's another . And another .) And according to Glassdoor , an iOS engineer in the US makes on average $110,000 per year. (By the way, a software engineer in the US earns $95,195 on average .) Now, I'm not telling you to ditch everything you're doing in life—all your hopes, dreams, and goals—to pursue iOS development. Far from it. What I am saying is that if you've had thoughts about learning how to build iOS apps, a feeling that it may be something you'd like...you should definitely consider pursuing it. Because here's the good news: Now till August 3 Udemy is offering a special 50% off discount on TWO brand new iOS 10 courses: The Complete iOS 10 Developer Course - Build 21 Apps by Rob Percival iOS 10 and Swift 3: Fr...

Fwd: Why should you care about marketing as a techie??

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You may believe that as a web developer or designer you don't have to worry about marketing. After all, why would you? You're not a salesperson, you don't want to work in marketing, you don't have your own business and may not ever plan on starting one. You just want to work in engineering or design -- a technical role. But if you think you don't need to market yourself, you're wrong. Every person (and company) needs to take advantage of marketing today. Because even if you have all the skills and experience required for a job, it doesn't mean you'll get it. You can spend years getting more skills, more education, more certificates, more credentials, etc., but they won't magically catapult you to a better job and higher salary. In today's ultra-competitive world, across business models and industries, marketing is everything -- whether you're marketing a business, your services, or yourself for a job. It may not be fair, but the fac...

Fwd: 5 things I did that helped me snag 3 job interviews in 48 hours

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Hey, As I mentioned yesterday, I have some big news to share. Here it is: I got my first-ever "big girl" full-time job. And I start soon. Real soon . (Towards the end of this email I share more details about this. Stick around.) After my initial phone interview, I was made an offer in just 10 days. (Not business days. 10 actual days. Depending on which study you turn to, and the industry, the average time for a job offer after an interview is anywhere from 16-40 days.) Woah, hold up. Let's rewind. Several weeks ago, when I decided I wanted to get a full-time job, I applied to three dream jobs, at three awesome companies. I applied to all the openings online, and didn't rely on any personal connections to give me an "in". (Simply because I didn't have any connections the companies I felt comfortable asking for a referral.) And I heard back from all three within 48 hours for interviews. This special email, not published anywhere else...

Fwd: Here’s how I began contributing on Forbes…

Hey all - Hope you had a great weekend. As some of you know, this month I started contributing to Forbes. (See my articles here !) Since starting, I've had some people asking me how I did it -- how I went from writing on my own site, learntocodewith.me , to writing on a major news publication. The short answer? Through a connection. The long answer? Over the past several years, I've been cultivating an online presence in the "learn to code"-slash-"digital skills acquisition" niche. I started out writing guest posts for free, then worked my way up to bigger and better sites, all the while building connections and credibility in the industry. Through one of those connections, I got an introduction to an editor at Forbes. They had me submit an initial piece as a guest writer, and after it performed well, I was offered the opportunity to write regularly, as a contributor. Naturally, I accepted! So, it was a long journey, and it involved investing t...

Fwd: Why (and how) to learn new things as a techie

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As a developer or designer, it's easy to become comfortable. Maybe you've landed a cushy job with flexible hours, so you slowly stop trying new things and updating your knowledge of best practices. If you've already got the gig, what's the point, right? Here's the thing: if you want to remain relevant, it's important to keep learning. Even the most experienced designers, developers, and engineers need to stay in the know. Otherwise, they run the risk of becoming obsolete. Below are three ways you can stay on top of things, and thus in demand, as a techie. 1. Build or experiment with new things. Learning by doing is a great way to keep learning and pushing your boundaries. There's this thing called the 70:20:10 rule which says that for adult learners, 70% of learning is experiential. It takes place during day-to-day tasks, challenges, and practice. 20% of learning is social . It happens with and through others, like coworkers, peers, and oth...

Fwd: Hack your coding career with these tools

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You now know what to learn, where to learn it, how to get a dream job in tech, and more Now, I want to share my favorite career-related tools, broken down into categories: Tools for everyone Tools specifically for full-time job (FTJ) chasers Tools for freelancers, solopreneurs, and biz owners Ready, set, it's time make money!!! *TOOLS FOR EVERYONE* LinkedIn profile: It's time for some tough love: if you don't have a LinkedIn profile as a professional, you look like a hermit. Need help creating yours? Check out my $7 LinkedIn crash course for techies . Github: Github has many purposes. But essentially it's for anyone who is writing code. Which includes web developers, programmers, web designers, UX designers, etc. Learn more here . Online portfolio/personal website: Claim your domain name while you can! Your portfolio/personal site can be as simple or detailed as you want it to be. Need help or inspiration? Make sure to check out my free portfoli...

Fwd: Which is better for you: freelance or full-time?

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Hey, With 54 million Americans (and counting) freelancing, it's clear that many are deserting offices and turning to self-employment. With coding skills, it is easy to freelance. However, that life is not for everyone. A common question I receive is how to know which one is right for you. So today, to help you decide, here are some pros and cons of each. Freelancing Pros: Freedom to choose who you work with Flexibility over your schedule Ability to work from anywhere Freedom to choose individual projects, which relates to more creativity and increased variety in the work you do Potential to earn more than what you would make with a fixed salary Cons: Income tied to how many clients you can handle (and their budgets) No work-sponsored benefits If working from home, isolation or difficulty separating work/home life Increased responsibility (tracking payments, collections, taxes, organization, marketing your business, etc.): you need self-discipline Client...