The Scrimba Podcast

🎙 About the episode

Meet Quincy Larson 🇺🇸! Quincy is the founder of freeCodeCamp, a nonprofit company that makes coding accessible for all. He is a self-taught developer who learned to code when he was 31. Why did he learn to code? Because he wanted to make a school he was a director of more efficient. So... We have a career changer!

So, how does a teacher teach himself to code? And how does he teach others? In this episode, Alex asks hard questions, and Quincy answers all of them, sharing valuable insights on how adults learn, how important are your intrinsic capabilities, and why learning a new skill after the age of 25 might be easier than you think. You will also learn about the hacker ethic, how you can overcome your limitations, and why software developers need to be humble.

🔗 Connect with Quincy

• 👨🏼‍💼 Linkedin
• 🐦 Twitter

⏰ Timestamps

• How Quincy Larson started coding at the age of 31... as a school director (01:55)
• Why you should hang out with other developers (03:52)
• What is the hacker ethic? (04:51)
• Why do software developers need to be humble? (07:07)
• Quincy learning to code before freeCodeCamp. What was that like? (08:16)
• How does a teacher learn? (11:09)
• The key learning technique for people over 25 (11:56)
• The elusive nature of learning to code (15:41)
• How does an adult brain learn, and why might kinesthetic learning be the best way? (17:29)
• Can an old dog learn new tricks? (18:57)
• Learning with analogies and associations + why you shouldn't drink (21:47)
• Quincy is a master learner... But what if you're not? (24:49)
• Can anyone learn to code and become a successful developer? (27:35)
• Are aptitudes important? (28:24)
• Overcoming your limitations (32:16)
• How does Quincy feel about the success of freeCodeCamp? (34:44)

🧰 Resources Mentioned

• freeCodeCamp
• Hackers: Heroes of the Computer Revolution, book by Steven Levy

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🎙 About the episode

Meet Stevie Gill 🇬🇧! Stevie was a scientist, a medical writer and an editor, and then he wrote about video games. Eventually, he moved countries and changed careers. Nowadays, Stevie lives in Toronto, Canada, and works as a full-time front-end developer at Kijiji.  In this episode, he shares his story and everything he learned along the way that can help you land your first developer job!

You'll hear how Stevie learned to code, how he prepared for the interviews, and that LinkedIn can be useful even if you only have a handful of connections. He reveals how he took a generic portfolio project and made it his own - and why you should do the same. Stevie and Alex discuss Stevie's interview process in depth (be warned: there are some witty HR people out there) and also answer the question of whether you should be dreading the gaps on your resume.

🔗 Connect with Stevie

• 👨🏼‍💼 Linkedin
• 🐦 Twitter
• 🌐  Blog
• 🌐  Portfolio
• 👩‍🚀 GitHub

⏰ Timestamps

• Stevie's journey into coding (02:01)
• How moving countries helped Stevie switch careers... and discover Scrimba in the process (05:27)
• Is LinkedIn that important, and how can you stack the deck in your favor (07:56)
• A hiring manager discovered Stevie's LinkedIn. How? (13:40)
• Can you have seven years of React experience and still be a junior? (15:39)
• Are there any hidden perks of generic messages from recruiters? (16:44)
• What do recruiters want to know when they're getting to know you as a candidate? (18:40)
• Taylor Desseyn on how to spot a good recruiter on LinkedIn (19:48)
• How to deal with a gap on your resume when you're changing careers (20:51)
• How to stand out from other job candidates (23:14)
• Stevie's four job interviews: deep dive (24:19)
• Fun HR questions in a soft skills interview: how to answer them and why are they there (24:30)
• How to prepare for a tech interview + how Stevie impressed an interviewer (27:59)
• Stevie's final interview, and how he made an app that became a major talking point (33:56)
• How to make a fun portfolio project and impress your interviewers (35:40)
• Don't do this! (39:02)
• How Stevie got a job offer... with a drumroll! (39:41) 

🧰 Resources Mentioned

• FreeCodeCamp
• The Frontend Developer Career Path
• Stevie's RetroFix app
• Scrimba Podcast: How To Work With Recruiters According to Senior Recruiter Taylor Desseyn

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🎙 About the episode

Meet Tiffany Jachja 🇺🇸! Tiffany is a data scientist, career coach, engineering manager, and Twitch streamer! By day, she works at Vox Media. In her free time, she helps fellow developers by sharing career advice and her computer and data science knowledge. In this episode, Tiffany helps you understand a company's organizational structure so that you can come to your job interview prepared!

Alex and Tiffany also talk about resumes: what is their function, and is there such a thing as an ideal resume? You'll also learn the main differences between studying computer science and taking a bootcamp, how to approach the job-hunting tips you find online, how to know if you're ready to apply for your first developer job, and why inspiration matters. Tiffany also shares her favorite online coder communities and job boards!

🔗 Connect with Tiffany

• 👩🏻‍💼 Linkedin
• 📹 Twitch
• 🐦 Twitter
• 🌐  Website

⏰ Timestamps

• How Tiffany got interested in coding thanks to Neopets (02:07)
• What's the main difference between studying computer science and taking a coding bootcamp? (04:10)
• The importance of trying stuff out (05:36)
• What drew Tiffany into management... and data science (08:40)
• What does Tiffany's typical day at Vox look like? (09:52)
• Understanding company hierarchy for new developers (10:56)
• Project management vs. people management (16:00)
• What should a new developer look for in their engineering manager? (18:37)
• How does Tiffany choose between a stronger technical fit and a stronger culture fit when hiring? (22:42)
• Should you meet 100% of the requirements when applying for your first junior role? (27:41)
• How to build up the confidence needed for career advancement (29:09)
• How does Tiffany get out of her comfort zone? (32:31)
• How Tiffany became a career coach (33:26)
• What should a good resume do? (36:46)
• Why are resumes so difficult to get right? (37:14)
• Attaching numbers to your contributions on a resume: how to do it, and why? (40:48)
• How to approach online advice on job-hunting, so you don't lose your mind (45:38)  
• Tiffany's advice for a new developer entering the job market (46:59)

🧰 Resources Mentioned

• Video: From Student to Senior: Career Development 101
• Danny Thompson's Commit Your Code community
• RemoteJobHunters on Reddit

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🎙 About the episode

Meet Silvia Piovesan 🇮🇹! Silvia is a Scrimba student who recently got for job offers after four different interviews. But her success didn't come overnight! Silvia used to be a project manager in the pharmaceutical industry - where she first got interested in coding. After she got laid off (and became a mom!), she wanted to learn to code so that she could become a knowledgeable project manager in IT... before realizing that she actually wanted to code!

In this episode, Silvia reveals what's the similarities between learning to code and hiking Camino de Santiago, as well as her approach to learning and finding a job as a new developer. You'll find out how to utilize your soft skills, what to do if you don't know the answer to a question on a technical interview, and what to do during your first week on the job. Alex and Silvia also discuss goal setting, and why it's not a good idea to give your 100% every day.

🔗 Connect with Silvia

• 👩🏻‍💼 Linkedin
• 🐦 Twitter
• 🌐  Website
• 👩‍🚀 Github

⏰ Timestamps

• Silvia's journey from pharmaceuticals to tech (01:11)
• How Silvia knew a lot about the inner workings of a company but wanted to pursue specialization (03:27)
• Did Silvia's professional skills from her previous career help her when she became a developer?  (06:06)
• Silvia's approach to learning to code (09:07)
• Silvia only learned to code so that she can become a better project manager. What happened next? (10:29)
• What knowledge did Silvia lack after a bootcamp? How did she discover Scrimba? (14:25)
• Key takeaways from Silvia's approach (16:41)
• On setting realistic goals (19:56)
• How Silvia knew it was time to start applying for jobs and how long it took to get there (21:08)
• On comparing yourself to other people learning to code (23:39)
• Did Silvia have doubts about whether or not she would make it? (26:41)
• Silvia's approach to finding her first developer job (plus: do you need to have a portfolio?) (28:21)
• Let's talk numbers: how many applications, how many interviews, how many offers? (31:59)
• How to stand out in a job interview (33:34)
• Silvia's job interview process (36:10)
• The most important thing you should know if you're interviewing for jobs (28:52)
• Where does Silvia work now? (40:49)
• Silvia's first pull request, and how long does it take to code a button? (42:13)
• What should you do during your first week on the job? (44:24)

🧰 Resources mentioned

• Scrimba's Frontend Career Path
• Learn React for Free
• Scrimba's Discord community
• Mock Junior Front End Web Developer Interview with Mike Chen and Silvia

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🎙 About the episode

Meet Jess Chan 🇺🇸! Jess's YouTube channel, Coder Coder, has almost 400,000 subscribers at the time of recording. She's a web developer turned educator, and when she's not teaching her subscribers JavaScript and CSS, she's working on her first course. This episode is about learning, YouTube, and learning on YouTube!

In this show, you'll learn how to evaluate a course and quickly decide if you can trust a YouTube tutorial. Jess and Alex talk about how YouTube evolved over the years and why it might be an underrated place to meet other developers. You'll hear about Jess's long and meandering road to coding and learn why it's okay if you don't become a full-time developer in just three months. Finally, Jess will reveal, once and for all, what's the best camera for YouTubers. 

🔗 Connect with Jess

• 📹 YouTube
• 🐦 Twitter
• 🌐  Website
• 📸 Instagram

⏰ Timestamps

• On Coder Coder, and why Jess loves web development (and enjoys teaching it) (01:33)
• Why you should remember what's it like to be a beginner at something before teaching it (03:33)
• Can you teach problem-solving on YouTube? (04:55)
• How Jess went from Pre-Med to photography to becoming a developer and, finally, an educator (06:24)
• Why it's okay if you don't become a full-time developer in three months (07:51)
• On becoming a developer in the era before bootcamps (09:33)
• Can you judge the current state of the industry from YouTube comments? (12:41)
• How would Jess approach cracking her first coding interview today? (13:22)
• Why you should look for other people's job interview experiences on YouTube and how the YouTube landscape has changed over the years (14:33)
• On Jess's YouTube content, the barrier to entry, and the democratization of educational content (16:51)
• Should new developers make their own YouTube channels? Can you learn soft skills on YouTube? (19:20)
• Hard skills vs. soft skills - what's more important when it comes to getting your first junior dev job? (21:04)
• They say you should "be so good they can't ignore you." What does this mean? (22:51)
• There are a lot of content creators on YouTube. How can you know who to trust? (24:51)
• Jess's new course on responsive web design, and can you learn without a mentor (30:21)
• Can you combine resources while learning? (33:25)
• Quick-fire questions: mechanical keyboards, music for coding, best social networks for developers, and best cameras for YouTube

🧰 Resources mentioned

• Jessica's YouTube channel: Coder Coder
• Jessica's new responsive web development course
• Book: Cracking the Coding Interview

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🎙 About the episode

Meet Theo Ntogiakos 🇬🇧! Theo has just switched careers at the age of 49! Recently, he landed a paid apprenticeship and is currently attending a coding bootcamp. But before that, he learned on Scrimba - he joined a coding challenge in February and became an active member of our community. Although he always did something with computers, he used to think he could never become a front-end developer. Well, he was wrong! And that's why he's here.

In this episode, Theo shares details about a path that led him here, as well as his approach to learning. You'll find out what's it like to attend a bootcamp and how it compares to Scrimba's learning platform, as well as what kinds of opportunities to keep an eye out for if you're a new developer and live in the UK. Theo also talks about motivation, self-doubt, and whether he could've shifted gears earlier. He and Alex also discuss the importance of wanting to become a developer for the right reasons.

🔗 Connect with Theo

• 👨🏻‍💼 LinkedIn

⏰ Timestamps

• Theo's journey into web development (it's a long and winding path!) (01:33)
• Theo's coding background (it includes Pascal!) (02:48)
• Why Theo wanted to change careers (05:29)
• On self-doubt (06:13)
• Was it challenging to change careers later in life? Plus, the perks of a coding apprenticeship (06:41)
• How Theo landed a paid apprenticeship after only six months of learning to code... and discovered Scrimba along the way (08:42)
• Scrimba's coding challenges (11:02)
• UK developer bootcamps (11:56)
• How to get an apprenticeship as a web developer in the United Kingdom (14:27)
• Is salary enough of a reason for a career change? (19:23)
• What do employers want to see in a candidate? (21:33)
• Slow and steady wins the race (25:17)
• How does Scrimba compare to a boot camp? (27:49)
• If you're a self-taught developer, do this! (29:10)
• Theo's deep dive into Scrimba (30:51)
• Let's talk pricing: how much does Scrimba cost compared to a coding bootcamp? And what are the differences between the two? (32:18)

🧰 Resources Mentioned

• YT Video: Where to Find Developer Job Openings When You Have No Experience
• The Front-End Career Path

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🎙 About the episode

Meet Dave Mayer 🇺🇸! Dave is a founder and CEO of Technical Integrity, a boutique recruiting firm famous for its culture-first approach. TI has worked with big companies like Twitter, as well as many mid-size startups. In this episode, you'll get a glimpse into the other side of recruiting. Dave explains his culture-first approach and why it benefits both you and the employer. You'll learn why it's important to know your values and how to make sure you find a company that aligns with them.

Dave explains why you shouldn't feel desperate if you don't get a job in a company that was your first choice and how to probe into a company's values without sounding disrespectful. From the recruiter side, Dave reveals how looking for a culture fit can backfire and why it's much better to look for a "culture add."

Dave and Alex also talk about recessions (Dave has lived and worked through three of them already!) and how to stay focused on what's truly important. 

🔗 Connect with Dave

• 🐦 Twitter
• 🌐  Website
• 👨🏻‍💼 LinkedIn

⏰ Timestamps

• Dave's path as a recruiter: from a traditional approach to focusing on finding a long-term fit between a developer and a company (01:44)
• What is company culture, and what makes someone a good fit? (03:19)
• Should you share your company's values? (06:15)
• Find your own values first (07:24)
• How can you verify that a company truly embodies what they claim to be their values? (12:10)
• Ask your interviewer: What does success in your company look like? (16:45)
• The importance of technical vs soft skills (18:12)
• Don't care who's hiring, find out where you belong (20:08)
• Why integrity matters (23:39)
• Challenges of recruiting, and the difference between the quantity-first and quality-first approach (25:53)
• Advice for developers who are thinking about approaching recruiters (30:01)
• We're in a recession. Now what? (33:14)

🧰 Resources Mentioned

• Blog post: The Best Engineering Team Values Statement We've Ever Seen
• Simon Sinek's "Start With Why" Ted talk

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🎙 About the episode

Meet Wemerson Queiroz 🇧🇷! Wemerson never thought he was going to become a developer. He started studying computer science, dropped out, and spent ten years working in sales because he wanted to earn money immediately. Ten years later, he realized he was unhappy (after all, money is not everything), learned to code, and got his first developer job in no time!

What got him back into IT was Blockchain, so he first started learning Solidity before realizing he should first learn the basics. Shortly after, those basics got him a job at a startup working with Blockchain technology! In this episode, you'll learn how far HTML, CSS, and Javascript can get you and how important it is to follow your passion. You'll also hear about Wemerson's unusual interview process and why taking a chance can sometimes pay off.

🔗 Connect with Wemerson

• 👨🏻‍💼 LinkedIn
• 🌐 Website
• 👩‍🚀 GitHub
• 🐦 Twitter

⏰ Timestamps

• Wemerson's journey into tech (02:44)
• How important is money? (05:13)
• How Wemerson decided to leave his previous career behind and learn to code (06:45)
• On diving head-first into Blockchain and Solidity... and then going back to basics (08:29)
• How Wemerson landed his first developer job after only three months of learning to code (09:47)
• Why junior developers should look for work opportunities as soon as they can (11:00)
• On motivation, passion, and learning (14:29)
• Why context matters in problem-solving (15:43)
• About the Web3 startup excal.tv, where Wemerson got his first developer job (18:18)
• What's it like working at a startup as a junior developer? (20:50)
• How Wemerson landed this opportunity? (25:18)
• Was Emerson put off by an unorthodox interview process? (26:59)
• Wemerson's plans for the future (27:56)

🧰 Resources mentioned

• The Frontend Developer Career Path
• Learn React for free!

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🎙 About the episode

Meet Josh W. Comeau 🇨🇦! Josh is a developer, indie hacker, educator, and author. He worked in some companies you might have heard of (including, but not limited to, DigitalOcean, Gatsby, and Khan Academy). He also wrote a book on how to build an effective web dev portfolio. In this episode, we're answering that and many other questions! Spoiler alert: all the advice is actionable.

You'll learn why you need to have a portfolio, how to make one, and is there a formula that works. Josh will teach you how to steal a design for your portfolio website and not get caught and how to develop an eye for design in the long run. Plus: why everybody needs junior developers and how to create an exciting portfolio project even if you don't have any niche interests to base them on. Josh and Alex also discuss handy tools you can use, writing cover letters, and hiring biases in the industry. 

🔗 Connect with Josh

• 👨🏻‍💼 LinkedIn
• 🌐 Blog + Website
• 🐦 Twitter

⏰ Timestamps

• Josh's trajectory from development to education (01:09)
• Why Josh wrote a book on web developer portfolios (02:12)
• Don't put skill bars on your website! What do they even mean?! (04:40)
• Who should you cater your portfolio to, and how to do it? There are two main target audiences. (06:16)
• How does a portfolio compare to a LinkedIn profile or a resume? (10:53)
• Why everybody needs to hire juniors (12:41)
• Can you get away with not having a portfolio? (14:40)
• What to do if you're a developer but not good at design? (16:00)
• Why minimal design could be better (21:53)
• Can you use a template? (23:45)
• What should you put on your portfolio website (25:46)
• How to present your projects (29:49)
• How to choose your projects... and write about them (31:10)
• How to write a good cover letter (34:58)
• How to approach looking for a job (39:07)
• Hiring biases in the industry (40:56)

🧰 Resources mentioned

• Josh's book, Building an Effective Dev Portfolio (it's FREE!)
• xScope
• PixelSnap
• Fontpair

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🎙 About the episode

Meet Jonathan Gauthier 🇨🇦! Jonathan volunteered when the company where he worked needed somebody to figure out how to turn a Figma design into a website. The rest is history.

After quitting that job, Jonathan gave himself three months to properly learn front-end development and get his first developer job. And he succeeded! In this interview, he shares how. Yes, Jonathan was pulling long hours, but there's more to it!

Jonathan talks about his way of learning and why knowing how to approach a problem is better than knowing the exact method of solving it. You'll also learn why it's good to find a mentor - and how to find one! Lastly, Jonathan shares his approach to looking for a job online and why it's important to interview your interviewer. Believe it or not, the latter can make or break your interview process!   

🔗 Connect with Jonathan

• 👨🏻‍💼 LinkedIn
• 🐦 Twitter
• 🤖 Pancarte#2314 on the Scrimba Discord

⏰ Timestamps

• Jonathan's journey into coding by way of learning to translate designs in Figma into a website + his introduction to Scrimba (01:59)
• How Jonathan quit his job and had only three months to learn to code and get a job in front-end (04:14)
• What's manual QA, and was that a helpful background to a new developer? (05:41)
• Learn the approach, not the method (06:29)
• How Jonathan decided to switch careers(07:27)
• Why you should apply when others think you're ready (08:53)
• Jonathan's study plan (10:21)
• How can you study both properly and fast? (11:41)
• The importance of taking breaks (14:10)
• How Jonathan found a mentor and why are mentors important (15:10)
• Jonathan's approach to finding his first developer job: LinkedIn, Angel.co, and messaging recruiters directly (17:43)
• How to optimize your LinkedIn profile (19:16)
• Jonathan's interview process (21:22)
• How to interview your interviewers and why that gives you an advantage (22:15)
• What skills should a junior developer have? (24:44)
• How Jonathan got his job offer (27:13)
• Jonathan's new company + Do you have to know Agile? (28:21)
• How to ask questions as a junior (29:38)
• Closing advice: don't stress about feeling ready; remember to take breaks, and come up with personal projects! (31:18)
• On notetaking (32:12)

🧰 Resources mentioned

• Jonathan's LinkedIn profile
• The Frontend Developer Career Path
• HTML and CSS crash course with Kevin Powell
• ProgrammingBuddies() on Reddit
• No Whiteboard
• Angel.co

⭐️ Leave a Review

If you enjoy this episode, please leave a 5-star review here and let us know 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 🙏