8/19 Joined TechFriends and DenverDev slack channels 8/20 LinkedIn connect w/ Jack Mallahan 8/21 Sent LinkedIn request and note to Dan Hannigan
8/25 Zoom call with Jack Mallahan at CapTech
8/23 Applied to Bounteous.
I will feel like the PD in this mod will have been successful if I can have a solid game-plan for looking for a job once I complete the program. Once I have completed the final project and can focus on creating example projects for my portfolio, I think I will be able to create some really good projects and focus on networking. If I can feel confident that I understand everything in a job offer, and know some red flags to watch out for, I will feel like this has been successful.
The two things I learned that were most useful is to put all of my school work into a new repo that is called something like "Turing projects." The other suggestion was to have example projects that are code/functionality as close to perfect as possible. What we tell them to look at is what they will pay attention to.
Not great. Hearing the guest speakers talk about having really excellent projects with very clean code to show when applying for a job, made me realize that I don't have any projects at the moment that are of the quality needed to get a job. I just want to focus on finishing Turing so that I can devote myself to getting my projects up to snuff. Because I know that my work isn't where it will need to be to be considered, it makes it feel like a waste of time to be applying to jobs and I am worried that if another job comes up in the future at a company my poor first impression if I apply now could hurt my chances in the future.
Explore if you have a fixed or growth mindset around negotiation? What mantra or thought can you use to foster a growth mindset when it comes time to negotiate an offer?
"I have a specific combination of personal and technical skills that make me an asset to any team. Those skills have value, and I am selling that value to the company for a specific range of salary.
I was a playwright who worked collaboratively and individually to develop ideas from nothing to a completed product. As a freelance writer and content producer, I have had clients who asked for a particular product (or even just ideas) and then gave feedback on the project, which I then implemented until the client was satisfied with the product. I have met deadlines and had crises derail projects at the last minute, requiring creativity and determination to pull things together quickly. I have worked as bartender in an old west town and as a concierge at a science museaum. I know how to talk to people about all kinds of issues, and I have worked with an incredibly diverse group of people and have always been appreciated for my strong work ethic, good humor, and strong conflict resolution abilities. People like working with me.
I know HTML. CSS/SCSS and Javascript. I have worked in React and Redux, and I've built microservices using Express. I know how to work effectively remotely, and have worked to turn out MVPs on an average of once per week. I have a good understanding of git workflows, and a strong grasp of best practices when it comes to accessibility and the use semantic elements to improve accessibility. I have tested applications using Mocha/Chia and Jest, as well as React-Testing-Library. Almost all of my projects involved HTML requests to Restful APIs, and I have experience with asynchronous testing and error handling.
Contact at Company,
Thank you so much for reaching out with this offer, and for allowing me the time to review it. While I find the unlimited PTO and Professional Development stipend very appealing, I did have some thoughts regarding the salary of $65,000. The average starting salary for graduates of Turing is 75-85k, and I'm hoping we can work together to get closer to that range. There are so many things about your company that make me excited to begin working with you, including your company's mission and the incredibly positive interactions I have had with everyone I've met so far. I know that I can provide the value to your team to make closing this gap worth it. If I can provide you with any more references, or if you have any questions, I would happy to answer them. I look forward to hearing from you soon.
Charles Wefso
CareerJournal Prompts Week 3:Mock Interview Practice:
How did the mock interviews go for you? What is one tip, question, or part of the experience that you will use to prepare you for your next interview?
My mock interview went really well. The best point of feedback was just specific places where I could trim down my personal story, and give better context for my work previous to Turing and how it ties in to the work I want to be doing as a software engineer. I also could have been a little bit clearer about how elaborated on the questions, so I will practice those extrapolations before my next interview.
How is your Gear up presentation coming along? This week the slides and talking points/outline should be in a solid place for the final in-class practice.
Our feedback was that we needed to nail down the script for our slides, and that we could talk more about the future of the subject.
Do your slides complement your talk by providing just enough information (but do not compete with your talking points)?
We had good feedback on the slides.
Not that I can think of.
How is your networking plan going? Have you had a coffee meeting thus far in Mod 4? If so, how did it go? If you have not, please share your progress and challenges in this area.
I have had three coffee meetings with different people in the tech industry. They were informative meetings, but most likely will not lead to a position. They basically suggested the same thing as everyone else I have spoken to: that I should primarilly focus on building projects that are much cleaner and more complete than the projects I have created for Turing. They all seemed very nice and were very honest about the job situation right now, but encouraging about things getting better eventually.
I did not have very intense job search goals for this mod, as I was mostly focused on getting through the last bit of the program. My goals mostly revolved around networking and researching job listings, which I was fairly successful at doing.
I had a nice talk with one of the founders of the Denver Devs channel who gave me good advice. I can't think of anything else job hunt related that feels like a win.
I could be applying to more jobs, though I haven't felt that I have had any time to focus on that during this module.
Once Turing is over, I will have more time to dedicate to actually applying for jobs.
I am so excited to have time to work on rebuilding my projects without the crush of a deadline. After I take some time to relax, I have several projects that I want to create again, from the ground up so that I have at least one or two projects that I can be really proud to show off. Also to not be in Zoom meetings or on Slack!!!
Charles, your resume is coming along nicely! I need access to the cover letter. Also, dont forget to start your alumni portfolio. I look forward to seeing both. Thanks and keep up the good work!