what am I looking for in my first dev job?
my top three priorities are working for a company that is doing things that I am in support of, is active in mentorship, and is in support of the advancement of my learning while I am working with them. I want to work for a company that I am not ambivalent about. I want to feel like I am helping to change the world for the good. As a relative newbie to coding, I also want to experience direction and insight from more experienced coders. finally, I have not learned all I need to learn, and I know that it is difficult for me to spend my spare time doing that when I am doing it all day, so I’d like to work for someone who is interested in helping me learn.
barriers:
entering the industry: feeling like a newb, not having any experience
stop this: there will always be people above AND below you. and you DO have experience, and you will get more as you go.
networking: talking to people is scary, it feels fake
stop this: talking to people is hard, for sure, but it’s doable, and a lot of people feel the same way you do. think about ways that you can help the people you come across. introduce people to each other.
interviewing: coming across like I’m desperate, like I don’t have my shit together, looking naive
stop this: interviewers are nervous too, and they aren’t looking for you to know everything. they want to know how you think through things you don’t know.
personal branding: I am terrible at selling myself, I am not as good as others
stop this: you do have to put yourself out there. it’s okay if someone doesn’t like you. you will meet many more that do. own the hard work you have done to get to this point.