Blossoming Technologist

What's it like to interview for and work at a startup? How is the startup experience different from bigger companies?

Learn from Chase Kocher, the Founder and CEO of Aim4Hire, a boutique tech recruiting firm based in Austin, Texas. Aim4Hire partners with hyper-growth tech companies to recruit tech talent in Austin and for fully-remote positions. Not only does Chase own a startup, but he works with dozens of startups every day.

In this episode, Chase talks about why candidates should consider working at a startup, how that interview process is different from bigger companies, and advice for current job-seekers. We also cover what it's like to work with a recruitment agency to secure a job.

Watch on YouTube: https://youtu.be/pzFiS772Dig

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• LinkedIn /chase-kocher

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Credits:

• Podcast Production by Marisa Hoenig

How can you better understand technical concepts as a non-technical professional?

In this episode, we chat with Aman Y. Agarwal, the Founder and CEO at SANPRAM TRANSNATIONAL CORPORATION and host of two podcasts: The Age of AI and The Eccentric CEO. He also recently published his book "Tech Fluent CEO," which helps non-technical founders gain an understanding of technical concepts like databases, caching, and artificial intelligence.

While his book is aimed at CEOs, it's a great book for anyone looking to learn more about technical concepts! We discuss why it's important for CEOs to understand technical concepts, the inspiration behind Aman's book, and a deep-dive into databases' similarities to libraries. Check out the link to a free PDF of "Tech Fluent CEO" below!

Watch on YouTube: https://youtu.be/RGttkQqFdgg

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Credits:

• Podcast Production by Marisa Hoenig

How do you get started in tech? What programming language should you learn first?

In this solo episode, Marisa answers the #1 question people ask her: "How do I start in tech?" She talks through 3 main sections: figuring out the right role, understanding that tech is everywhere, and where to start as a software developer.

Marisa Hoenig is the founder and host of Blossoming Technologist. She also works full-time as a software developer consultant at Thoughtworks and is based out of Denver, Colorado. She is on a mission to help young professionals discover the right tech career for them through her podcast.

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• Podcast Production by Marisa Hoenig

How do you choose the perfect coding bootcamp? After graduating bootcamp, how do you find the right job?

Jai Bhagat is a UI Engineer working on Nomad, a flexible container orchestrator. He is currently building a free course to help fellow bootcamp grads who are struggling to get hired. Jai has personally worked with 60 bootcamp grads to get them hired and has studied 100+ existing bootcamps to determine the best ones to enroll in.

In this episode, we discuss common misconceptions about bootcamps, how to determine the right bootcamp for you, which questions to ask before enrolling, how to find a job afterward, and much more.

Watch on YouTube: https://youtu.be/sOw57fxsXzU

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Looking for a new job and wondering how to pivot? Want to learn how to leverage LinkedIn to find your dream job?

In this episode, we chat with Chloe Belangia, an executive recruiter and self-professed die-hard LinkedIn fan. Chloe is passionate about helping young professionals find the perfect careers, with her podcast, TikTok, LinkedIn group, and 1:1 mentorship calls. Her LinkedIn group, Young Professional Career Connects, helps connect young professional job seekers to recruiters and full-time employees.

In this episode, we discuss mistakes people make with their LinkedIn profiles, how to stand out to recruiters, when it's the right time to leave your job, and so much more!

Watch on YouTube: https://youtu.be/lPL4nwpzHVU

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Credits:

• Podcast Production by Marisa Hoenig

How does Research & Development in aerospace relate to tech? What are grant proposals used for?

Sean Hoenig is a proposal manager at Advanced Space in Westminster, Colorado. He has over 7 years of experience in Research & Development as well as a Bachelors and Masters in chemical engineering from Lehigh University.

In this short episode, we talk about research & development in aerospace, what grant proposals are used for, and challenges while writing proposals.

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• Podcast Production by Marisa Hoenig

Welcome back for Season 3 of Blossoming Technologist! We're so excited to share this season's episodes. We will once again be publishing episodes every Monday!

In this episode, Marisa talks about upcoming changes to the podcast, including publishing both audio and video versions of the podcast! Want to check out the video? Watch on Spotify or YouTube.

Marisa also discusses 6 lessons she learned from interviewing 30+ technologists over the course of this podcast and how these lessons can relate to your job.

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• Podcast Production by Marisa Hoenig

What's it like to be a tech lead? What about playing the role for the first time?

In this solo episode and the last episode of Season 2, Marisa Hoenig talks about her 5-month experience as a tech lead, from the initial discussion that led to taking on the role to her decision to move back to a developer position. Based out of Denver, Marisa is the host of Blossoming Technologist and a software developer consultant at Thoughtworks.

This episode covers the feelings of imposter syndrome taking on the tech lead at a young age, the 7 biggest lessons learned from being a first-time tech lead, and advice for others taking on the role.

Thanks for listening, and we'll see you soon in Season 3!

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• Podcast Production by Marisa Hoenig

Why should you start a side project? How do you come up with new project ideas?

Meet Justin Higgins, a software engineer and creative programmer based out of Los Angeles. With over ten years of software development experience, Justin has helped companies like Beats Music and Polaroid launch and scale their services to millions of users. Justin is the Founder of 24 Hour Homepage, a website in which every second is a clickable image for advertising. This creative endeavor was an effort to learn sales and marketing while leveraging his software development skills.

In this episode, we discuss Justin's love for side projects, and how he utilizes them to tackle skills he wants to learn. We also discuss ways to learn and come up with ideas and how he utilizes platforms like Twitter to connect with people for his projects.

Mentioned in This Episode:

• Ship 30 For 30: ship30for30.com

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• Twitter: @marisahoenig

Credits:

• Podcast Production by Marisa Hoenig

What are the parallels between UX design and Mesoamerican culture? What's it like to switch from graphic design to UX design?

Learn from Itzy Ramirez, a New York City-based user experience designer with more than 10 years of design experience. She's worked in content marketing and publishing and has seen how user experience principles can be applied to graphic design. Itzy is also deeply connected to the culture of her ancestors in Mesoamerica, which inspires much of the art she creates.

We discuss switching from graphic design to user experience design and how the two are different. Itzy talks about how her appreciation for Mesoamerican culture has made her a better designer and the parallels between her culture and design.

Mentioned in This Episode:

• General Assembly UX Design Immersive: generalassemb.ly/education/user-experience-design-immersive

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Credits:

• Podcast Production by Marisa Hoenig