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Design a 40-hour "work week" that provides time for:
- Code At least 2 hours a day, hopefully closer to 3
- Outreach 2 hours a day
- Research 1-2 hours a day, maybe more depending on how invested in a new tech I get.
- Network 4 hours a week
- Any other areas where you'd like to grow
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Backwards planning: What is your cut-off for ending the job search? When do you want to receive and sign an offer by? There is no real cut off. Maybe if I didn't get a job inside a year? I find that highly unlikely w/how things are going currently in my job search.
I'd like to have the job that I want locked down inside 3 months. Preferably within 1 month of graduation.
- Based on what you outlined above, create monthly, weekly, and daily goals in order to reach your big goal.
- Week 1: Apply to at least 3 jobs a day. Start learning 1 new language/framework combo. Start research into topics of interest (machine learning, etc). Attend 1 meetup.
- Week 2: Apply to at least 3 jobs a day. Continue learning new language/framework combo. Continue to hone in javascript.Continue to research original top of interest. Attend 1 meetup.
- Week 3: Apply to at least 3 jobs a day. Continue learning new language/framework combo. Continue to hone in javascript.Start writing code in topic of interest. Attend 1 meetup.
- Week 4: Apply to at least 3 jobs a day. Continue learning new language/framework combo. Continue to hone in javascript. Continue writing code in topic of interest. Attend 1 meetup. Milestones: At least 84 jobs applied to this month, strong working knowledge of JS and Node, really putting the pieces together on new language/framework. Attend 1 meetup.
- Week 1: Apply to at least 3 jobs a day. Continue learning previous new language/framework. Start learning new language. Decide to continue w/old research topic or start anew. Attend 1 meetup.
- Week 2: Apply to at least 3 jobs a day. Continue learning old and new language/framework combo. Continue to hone in javascript. Continue to learn topic of interest. Attend 1 meetup.
- Week 3: Apply to at least 3 jobs a day. Continue learning old and new language/framework combo. Continue to hone in javascript.Start writing code in topic of interest or continue to learn topic of interest. Attend 1 meetup.
- Week 4: Apply to at least 3 jobs a day. Continue learning old and new language/framework combo. Continue to hone in javascript. Continue writing code in topics of interest. Attend 1 meetup. Milestones: At least 84 jobs applied to this month, very strong working knowledge of JS and Node, strong working knowledge of new lang/framework, putting pieces together on new language. Attend 1 meetup.
- Reassess approach and modify as needed
Notes:
- My schedule is going to be as free as I need it to be until I get a job.
- What "barriers" tend to hold you back in the job search? What steps will you take to overcome those "barriers"?
- I've never really had many problems on the job search. I'm highly motivated and ready to roll.
Where do you want to go in your career?
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Not completely sure, but I'm currently looking into development positions with an eye for consulting firms. Have been given advice from a mentor that consulting firms have essentially unlimited resources and well built programs in place to bring junior devs up to a senior level.
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Might end up going back to school to tack on CS undergrad degree, would like to get master or PHD at some point.
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Would like to find a topic that I'm really passionate in in programming and be able to pursue that significantly either in my career or in my free personal development time.
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Would like to be volunteering a portion of my time coding to a good cause / charity institution.
- Imagine that it's 5 years from now - what have you accomplished during that time? How is your life different? What steps did you take to achieve your goals?
- CS undergrad complete
- Potentially started a masters
- Multiple years as Senior Dev
- Living in Colorado
- Good balance of work/life
- Would like to be contributing skills to a charity or good cause for multiple years at this point.
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Create a vision statement for these longterm goals.
- Is the statement grounded -- have you been able to demonstrate something similar in the past?
- I will have had a senior dev position for 3 years
- I will live in Colorado
- I will contribute a portion of my time to charity/good cause and have done so for 3 years.
- I will have a particular passion in programming that I will be able to follow either at work or in my spare time.
- I will have a fair balance of work and life.
- I will have a cs undergrad degree
- I will have started the process of getting a cs masters.
- Reference what you outlined in your Flower Exercise -- what preferred level of responsibility do you want to move to? Do you want to start your own company? What kind of work do you see yourself doing longterm? In your first year on the job, what skills do you want to develop to work towards your longterm goals?
- I want a high level of responsibility. End goal is either CTO of a large company or Founder of a startup. (definitely down the road, obviously not in 5 years)
- I'm not sure what kind of work I want to do long-term. I don't think I'm going to stick solely in web development as I'm interested in programming machines and AI.
- In my first year on the job I want to really push myself to be proficient at whatever languages I use at work and two side languages/frameworks of my choice.
- I want to keep my passion for learning and get back into academia to further my career.