Software Developers Journey

Emma took us from her computer science studies and start at IBM all the way to her current role at Spotify. We spoke about privileges, struggling, reality-check, playing catch-up, learning on your own. Emma told us how she chose to become an asynchronous mentor, putting ever more content out there. We finally talked about the Ladybug podcast that she co-hosts and how to say "yes" to things!

Here are the links from the show:

• https://www.twitter.com/EmmaBostian
• https://www.linkedin.com/in/emmabostian
• https://compiled.blog
• https://codingcoach.io
• https://www.ladybug.dev

Credits

• Cover Campfire Rounds by Blue Dot Sessions is licensed CC BY-NC-ND 4.0.
• Your host is Timothée (Tim) Bourguignon, more about him at timbourguignon.fr.
• Gift the podcast a rating on one of the major platforms https://devjourney.info/subscribe
• Support the podcast, support us on Patreon: https://bit.ly/devjpatreon

Support the show

Kadi placed the start of her study in her discovery of C++ during her maths & psychology studies. We then talked about her first steps in the industry and finding a job. We talked about consultancies vs. product shops. We explored her time at a startup. We discussed her discovery of communities and becoming a force multiplier.

Here are the links from the show:

• https://www.twitter.com/kadikraman
• https://www.linkedin.com/in/kadi-kraman-922a7277
• https://frontendmasters.com/workshops/intermediate-react-native

Credits

• Cover Campfire Rounds by Blue Dot Sessions is licensed CC BY-NC-ND 4.0.
• Your host is Timothée (Tim) Bourguignon, more about him at timbourguignon.fr.
• Gift the podcast a rating on one of the major platforms https://devjourney.info/subscribe
• Support the podcast, support us on Patreon: https://bit.ly/devjpatreon

Support the show

Amarachi took us from her accounting studies and her dislike for the field to her first lines of code. She explained how she learned her first coding skills, and how she got a foot in the door with a first company. We then talked about communities and creating a meetup. And finally, we talked about her book "Getting started in tech," why and how it came to be, and how it might evolve in the future.

Here are the links from the show:

• https://www.twitter.com/AmarachiAmaechi
• https://amarachiamaechi.com
• https://twitter.com/VuejsNg
• https://www.linkedin.com/in/amaechi-amarachi
• https://guramroad.com/l/gswtebook

Credits

• Cover Campfire Rounds by Blue Dot Sessions is licensed CC BY-NC-ND 4.0.
• Your host is Timothée (Tim) Bourguignon, more about him at timbourguignon.fr.
• Gift the podcast a rating on one of the major platforms https://devjourney.info/subscribe
• Support the podcast, support us on Patreon: https://bit.ly/devjpatreon

Support the show

In a captivating exchange, Shannon Kendall takes us through her unique journey from an acting career to becoming a self-made software developer. Shannon’s unconventional path illustrates that it's never too late to pivot, embrace change, and create a new narrative for yourself.

Shannon took first took us toward her acting career. She told us about the highs and lows and how she realized her dreams had changed. She then told us about discovering development and the world of boot camps. She explained how she enrolled in one and became a software developer. She also told us about her current job, where Google-ing is not an option. We closed by circling back, talking about dreams.

In this episode, Shannon opens up about her transition into tech, the imposter syndrome she faced, how her arts background influences her coding style, and the continual evolution of her personal and career goals. She shares her experiences and insights about learning to code, the impact of mentorship, and the importance of constant self-evaluation.

If you're interested in learning more about transitioning into tech from a non-traditional background and drawing inspiration from Shannon's remarkable journey, tune in to this episode!

Three reasons why you should listen to the full episode:

• Gain valuable insights from Shannon's unique journey into tech from an acting background, providing a fresh perspective on making career transitions and overcoming imposter syndrome.
• Understand the importance of mentorship, self-guided learning, and resilience in mastering coding skills and establishing oneself in the tech industry.
• Learn how to continuously self-evaluate and adjust personal and career goals, an essential lesson for developers and anyone aiming for personal and professional growth.

Support the show

Jenn started by telling us about her discovery of web development when she was 14 years old, but also how she skipped it entirely and went to study law instead. After a few years, she felt miserable, changed jobs, and slowly came back to development. We talked about applying for jobs, mentorship, Angular 1.0, learning Javascript, theatrical performance, tech conferences, and giving talks.

Here are the links from the show:

• https://www.twitter.com/gurlcode
• https://reactadvanced.com
• https://anchor.fm/single-threaded
• https://github.com/getify/You-Dont-Know-JS
• https://www.writespeakcode.com

Credits

• Cover Campfire Rounds by Blue Dot Sessions is licensed CC BY-NC-ND 4.0.
• Your host is Timothée (Tim) Bourguignon, more about him at timbourguignon.fr.
• Gift the podcast a rating on one of the major platforms https://devjourney.info/subscribe
• Support the podcast, support us on Patreon: https://bit.ly/devjpatreon

Support the show

Helen's journey started with a "classical" computer science degree at the end of the 90s but took a sharp turn toward technical writing. Helen told us the horror story of her first development job. We discussed her misconceptions about technical writing and what it became for her. We talked about advocating for the users and why in 2020, she accepted to work for JetBrains as a developer advocate. We finished talking about writing, content creation, and scratching your own itch!

Here are the links from the show:

• https://www.twitter.com/HelenJoScott

Credits

• Cover Campfire Rounds by Blue Dot Sessions is licensed CC BY-NC-ND 4.0.
• Your host is Timothée (Tim) Bourguignon, more about him at timbourguignon.fr.
• Gift the podcast a rating on one of the major platforms https://devjourney.info/subscribe
• Support the podcast, support us on Patreon: https://bit.ly/devjpatreon

Support the show

Grace took us on her journey, from IBM to IBM, via her biology studies. We talked about loving computer science but choosing to follow a different path. We talked about changing careers, feeling like an imposter, playing catch-up (too much), and finally finding a sweet spot by combining two fields. We finally talked about reactive systems and how Grace has been using her biology background to help us better understand what reactive systems are.

Here are the links from the show:

• https://www.twitter.com/gracejansen27
• https://www.linkedin.com/in/grace-jansen
• https://developer.ibm.com/profiles/grace.jansen1
• https://developer.ibm.com/series/learning-path-introduction-to-reactive-systems
• https://www.oreilly.com/library/view/reactive-systems-explained/9781492077336
• https://www.reactivemanifesto.org

Credits

• Cover Campfire Rounds by Blue Dot Sessions is licensed CC BY-NC-ND 4.0.
• Your host is Timothée (Tim) Bourguignon, more about him at timbourguignon.fr.
• Gift the podcast a rating on one of the major platforms https://devjourney.info/subscribe
• Support the podcast, support us on Patreon: https://bit.ly/devjpatreon

Support the show

Sandra took us from her first computer and attempts at circumventing her parent's restrictions, all the way to her current job as a developer advocate at Microsoft. We talked about her studies, hackathons, communities, conferences, mentorship, startup world, gender-discriminations, embracing the unexpected, and finding your professional, sweet spot.

Here are the links from the show:

• https://www.twitter.com/sKriemhild
• Java on Azure Youtube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCySRyO_0qCXxnHb6p7vMFnQ

Credits

• Cover Campfire Rounds by Blue Dot Sessions is licensed CC BY-NC-ND 4.0.
• Your host is Timothée (Tim) Bourguignon, more about him at timbourguignon.fr.
• Gift the podcast a rating on one of the major platforms https://devjourney.info/subscribe
• Support the podcast, support us on Patreon: https://bit.ly/devjpatreon

Support the show

In this episode, Layla took us on a wild ride, which started... on horseback. She told us the story of her first career as a horse-riding teacher and fitness coach, followed by her pilates and personal coaching business story. But Layla also described how software development slowly but surely entered her life during all this time. Finally, she told us how she entered this second or third career as a developer, embraced communities, drank from the firehose, and became a developer advocate.

Here are the links from the show:

• https://www.twitter.com/LaylaCodesIt
• https://www.laylacodes.it
• https://www.twitch.tv/LaylaCodesIt
• https://discord.com/invite/rV3cu5ykRF

Credits

• Cover Campfire Rounds by Blue Dot Sessions is licensed CC BY-NC-ND 4.0.
• Your host is Timothée (Tim) Bourguignon, more about him at timbourguignon.fr.
• Gift the podcast a rating on one of the major platforms https://devjourney.info/subscribe
• Support the podcast, support us on Patreon: https://bit.ly/devjpatreon

Support the show

Mark first told us how computers and programming entered his childhood and left him to study musicology instead. We then talked about how working with people with disabilities made him long for some technical solutions to help them. We discussed how he then re-learned web technologies and mustered the courage to apply as a developer. He told us one interview horror story, and we then exchanged tips on how to be better interviewers.

Here are the links from the show:

• https://www.twitter.com/marktnoonan
• https://www.codeforatlanta.org
• https://www.codeforamerica.org
• https://peoplemakingprogressinc.org/donate/index.html
• https://civichall.org/civicist/how-civic-tech-has-evolved-over-the-last-25-years
• https://www.a11yproject.com
• https://www.codingblocks.net
• https://css-tricks.com/a-step-by-step-process-for-turning-designs-into-code
• https://virtualcoffee.io

Credits

• Cover Campfire Rounds by Blue Dot Sessions is licensed CC BY-NC-ND 4.0.
• Your host is Timothée (Tim) Bourguignon, more about him at timbourguignon.fr.
• Gift the podcast a rating on one of the major platforms https://devjourney.info/subscribe
• Support the podcast, support us on Patreon: https://bit.ly/devjpatreon

Support the show