DEV Community: JC Smiley

The best opportunities often come through connections

JC Smiley — Sun, 01 Dec 2024 01:27:16 +0000

Here’s the truth: the best opportunities often come through connections. Engaging with your local tech community opens doors in ways that job boards or LinkedIn posts alone can’t. Let me share a few reasons why being active is a game-changer:

🗝️ Access to Hidden Opportunities
Many opportunities aren’t publicly advertised. When community members know you personally, they’re more likely to recommend you for roles, projects, or collaborations. Putting a face to a name makes all the difference.

🥳 Showcase Your Skills and Achievements
Adopt the mindset: Give them something to praise. Share your journey, wins, and growth. How will others know how awesome you are if you don’t let your work shine?

🤗 Pay it Forward
Getting involved isn’t just about you; it’s also about giving back. Sharing your experiences helps others see what’s possible, especially those following in your footsteps. You may not realize how much of an impact you’re making but trust me—someone is always watching and learning from you.

So, take that step. Join meetups, attend events, and contribute to your local tech community. Not only will you grow your network and refine your brand, but you’ll also inspire the next wave of tech talent.

What’s your favorite part about being active in your tech community? Let’s discuss below! 👇👇👇

Treat relationship-building like a competitive sport

JC Smiley — Sun, 10 Nov 2024 12:53:37 +0000

When it comes to networking as you build your career, think of relationship-building like a competitive sport. Here’s how to approach it:

🏀 Play to Win: The most impactful team, with the highest score, wins the game. For you, this means growing your network, both in quality and quantity. Aim for double-digit growth in meaningful connections.

🏈 Measure Your Impact: Are you bringing more value to conversations this year than last? This reflects the impact you have on others and the influence of your network.

⚽ Build Your Support Team: Cultivate a network of mentors, supporters, and collaborators. The strength and depth of your “bench” can be crucial for your journey.

🎾 Communicate Consistently: Like the 10,000-hour rule, time and regular engagement matter. Are you actively connecting and staying in touch with your network?

🏐 Participate and Add Value: Join and contribute to communities where you can make a difference. How many spaces are you involved in where you create value?

Networking is about more than just contacts—it’s about building a team that supports your growth.

Standing out in today's job market means "Doing it All"

JC Smiley — Tue, 29 Oct 2024 13:59:21 +0000

Standing out in today's job market means "Doing it All". I still remember teaching myself to code. I thought the hard work alone would open doors, but when I stepped into the job market, it was silent—no responses, no interviews, just crickets.

That’s when I started attending tech events and noticed a common thread among those who were thriving. They weren’t just “good at the work”; they were doing everything they could to stand out:
🚀 Networking and connecting
🚀 Building tools and projects that solved real problems
🚀 Volunteering their time and expertise
🚀 Leading and stepping up when possible
🚀 Teaching and sharing their knowledge
🚀 Researching the latest in-demand skills
🚀 Not just showing up but being seen and heard

It wasn’t one thing that set them apart—it was All of the Above. This combination made them memorable in interviews and capable on the job. And in today’s competitive environment, it’s essential, even for juniors, to start doing all these things from day one.

Here are a few tips for managing "All of the Above" approach:
🎯 Pace yourself. This is a marathon, not a sprint.
🎯 Streamline your schedule. Use tools that help you minimize conflicts and reduce cognitive load.
🎯 Step out of your comfort zone regularly, even if it’s just a little.
🎯 Say yes to opportunities. When they come, find a way to make them work for you.

It’s challenging, but it’s not impossible. With so many real-life inspirations around us, we can see that doing "All of the Above" opens doors, builds skills, and sets us up for success.

Let me know your thoughts on the topic in the comments. If you like my content, feel free to follow or connect with me on LinkedIn!

Hey aspiring Devs, the world doesn't know your worth. It's up to you to tell them.

JC Smiley — Thu, 17 Oct 2024 15:38:57 +0000

Here is the honest truth for aspiring developers; the world doesn't know your worth. They didn't see the hours you sank into learning and building. They haven't looked at that awesome side project you built that could bring value if someone used it. They don't know your worth. It's up to you to tell them.

Someone once told me "A closed mouth doesn't get fed". We have to find ways to stand out with our best work. We need those one-on-one conversations so they can see the passion in our eyes. Look for ways to open closed doors and to be in rooms where people are making decisions.

Someone I admired gave these tips to a crowd of promising tech professionals:

What are you building and does anyone know you building it?
What are you learning and is it in demand?
What is your platform to be visible and are you consistently using it?

I would love to hear from others their answers to the questions above.

They talked about their vision and ideas instead of tearing down others.

JC Smiley — Tue, 15 Oct 2024 12:34:09 +0000

I want to share three true stories of people in tech who stood out because they talked about their vision and ideas instead of tearing down others.

🤩 One friend talked about "being in service to the community" and followed through by helping others find their first job in tech. I watched him share advice, make introductions, and set up opportunities for others to find mentors. Karma repaid him tenfold with opportunities and a legion of supporters.

🤩 Another friend was big on being part of others' journeys into tech and opening doors to rooms where that next-level conversation was happening. I watched him mentor person after person until he had a broad circle of over-achievers surrounding him. I didn't understand why he wanted to be in rooms with others until I saw him make big boss moves. He was quietly learning and absorbing knowledge.

🤩 A third friend was quiet until he would show up and show out. He believed in being an expert at your craft and sharing that knowledge. I watched his career rise because others saw that passion for excellence, not drama. When we were in the same space, he always led with positivity, compassion, and humor.

💓 I would love to hear other examples of people with visions lifting the community. Shout them out in the comments.

If you like my content, feel free to follow here or connect on LinkedIn!

Introducing the Smiley Investment Planner 1.0

JC Smiley — Tue, 27 Aug 2024 17:47:18 +0000

I'm excited to introduce the web app "Smiley's Investment Planner". It helps me track stock investments based on the researched prices I plan to buy and sell at. The idea is to reduce the emotional decision-making after researching the stock.

The goal of this app is to track the buy low and sell high strategy to see if it works.

Key Features

Efficient tagging system (flags) for each stock showing where they are on the journey. Those flags include sell now, buy now, wait, dump, and more.

Flags indicate suggested actions based on the logic you researched.
The fundamental ability to track stock purchases/sales and allows users to input data like buying or selling prices for internal logic.
The opportunity to designate a stock as a scout investment and be flagged when it reaches the "buy now" price.
A chart comparing potential profit margins from selling all stocks at optimal prices versus the current profit margins at today's prices.
Executive summary section for a brief overview of progress.

How would a user use this product

Research a stock investment using your preferred tools or websites to identify a suitable entry price for buying shares and a target sell price for realizing a profit.
Open the app, go to the purchase investment tab, and fill in all input fields to complete your investment.
Monitor the app daily for stock indicators (call flags) that indicate actions like "Buy Now" or "Sell Now".

Three technical challenges to overcome

Utilizing React context and reducers to manage the global state and share data across components and server actions.
Creating CRUD API requests to MongoDB Atlas to save and retrieve data.
Learning how to visualize data with ChartJS.

Future updates

Component testing with Jest and End to End testing with Cypress
Additional charts summarizing the effectiveness of the strategy

The app was built with:

Next.js is a frontend JavaScript framework, based on React but with server components/actions, used for displaying the user interface.
TailwindCSS is a CSS library utilized to quickly style the application.
Netlify is the hosting platform employed for hosting the application.
Intelligence Financial Modeling Prep provided stock prices via an API. https://intelligence.financialmodelingprep.com/
MongoDB is an open-source NoSQL database management system (DBMS) that uses documents instead of tables and rows to store and process data. With this project, data is stored virtually using MongoDB Atlas and Mongoose ORM.
Chartjs is an open-source library that helps you easily visualize data using JavaScript.

GitHub Repository
Smiley Investment Planner website link

In tech, Success isn't a solo sport

JC Smiley — Thu, 22 Aug 2024 13:56:46 +0000

My local tech community often talks about how "Success isn't a solo sport".

As an aspiring tech professional, we need support in letting the world see how incredible we are. We appreciate shares, likes, and endorsements, as they are vital for increasing our visibility. It's essential for others to expose us to areas for growth and learning. For us, success is a collaborative effort.

In tech, you can be a fantastic developer. But you need a QA tester to identify those bugs you don't see. A designer that focuses on the user experience of the software. A product manager/business analyst to focus on the business side while you are heads-down in development. Everyone plays a part in your greatness.

“Success is not a solo sport” means that we are limited in what we can accomplish alone. Real success comes from having people in your corner. They can be a safety net while you do the heavy lifting or your partner in crime while creating awesome value. There is nothing you want to achieve that advice or help from others will not magnify your efforts.

I would love to know in the comments how people in your community have supported you on your journey.

If you like my content, feel free to follow or connect with me on LinkedIn

A passionate plea to build side projects in service to your community.

JC Smiley — Tue, 14 May 2024 18:22:45 +0000

I would like to encourage software developers to use their skills to create solutions for challenges within their communities. Your community starts with those you can directly touch and influence. Being in service to them means looking beyond ourselves and bringing value to others.

One example that resonates deeply with me is the app I created called "Keeping Up." This app allows multiple individuals to come together and contribute to the care of a loved one, particularly our elderly. Taking care of our elders is not only a privilege but also a means to stay connected with our roots and our values.

Recognizing the challenges faced by individuals balancing the care of elderly relatives with their own families, "Keeping Up" addresses the need for a support system to prevent burnout. It truly does take a village to provide the necessary care, love, and attention for the well-being of a loved one. As software developers, we must ask ourselves how we can serve others with the talents we possess.

"Keeping Up" was designed with key features in mind, such as

📱 A mobile-first UI/UX
🗓️ Listing upcoming appointments
💊 Listing medications
👵🏾 Unique tasks specific to each loved one

The impact of this app is that everyone involved in the care of a loved one can easily coordinate and support one another. The primary caregiver can also share precious memories and experiences through journal entries, creating a sense of unity and support within the caregiving community.

Once again, we have the incredible opportunity to truly impact our community with our skills and dedication through building applications. Let's seize this chance to make a difference and create something that will positively impact those around us.

You can check out this full stack side project at: https://elder-two.vercel.app/

Insights on community engagement

JC Smiley — Thu, 09 May 2024 12:42:26 +0000

I would like to offer some insights on fostering connections within the community.

Here is how I connect with the tech community:

One of the most impactful forms of engagement I've experienced is being a supporter or cheerleader for someone else's journey. It's not necessary to be a mentor to celebrate their successes and provide a listening ear during their challenges.
I thrive in digital chats through platforms like Slack, LinkedIn, and Discord. I find my greatest connection in one-on-one messages that focus on a shared experience. Typing out my responses allows me to carefully craft thoughtful answers, rather than just a simple Yes or No. I enjoy the ability to read and re-read the conversation, giving me the opportunity to provide a more meaningful response without being distracted by others.
Attending small tech meetups where there is a specific topic to discuss is another way I engage. These intimate settings provide a comfortable environment for easy conversation starters and allow me to interact with everyone in a relaxed and personal manner.
I love sharing my thoughts and experiences through blog posts, inviting the community to join me in my journey.
Building in public is both exhilarating and nerve-wracking, but the feedback and questions from others make it all worthwhile.

I have also witnessed other individuals successfully engaging the tech community in various ways:

Some have a magical ability to captivate audiences as conference or tech meetup speakers, engaging on a one-to-many level effortlessly.
Content creation through videos, written pieces, or courses is another powerful form of engagement.
Sharing victories on social media platforms spreads positivity and light in a world filled with negativity. Let's celebrate together and uplift one another.

I welcome any feedback or insights you may have regarding community engagement strategies and practices. Please feel free to share your experiences and observations in the comments section. Thank you.

Tracking your technical skills and career, Level Up Dev app

JC Smiley — Wed, 03 Apr 2024 12:54:56 +0000

This is an app that helps developers visually track their technical skills and career progression. AKA, a how-to model of leveling up your inner developer to the best version of yourself. In today’s job market, you can’t just learn skills. Starting a career requires a combination of projects and experiences that demonstrate those skills.

What is this:

Map of what you plan to learn, build, and experience.
Vision Board of your accomplishments
Career guide that is adaptable enough to change over time and clearly show what’s next.

Tech Stack

Level Up Dev has been developed with Next.js/Tailwind, unit test with Jest, and deployed using Netlify as a proof of concept. Future versions will integrate Netlify functions and Sanity.io headless CMS as a backend service.

Functionality

Display, by category, what you want and what you have accomplished.

Nothing says “I ROCK” like a visual collage of wins in chronological order.

Simple 1-2 steps to add what you want to learn, build, or experience.

Quick wizard to confirm your achievement.

What I know now, that would have accelerated getting my first job.

JC Smiley — Fri, 15 Mar 2024 18:06:23 +0000

I want to share a testimony on how I was able to transition into the tech industry in hopes that this inspires and motivates others.

After 20 years of working two jobs, just to be poor, I started to attend tech events. Incredibly, the people I met showed me another life. I didn’t know that people, similar to my background, could work just 40 hours, take sick leave (total shocker), and do something that they enjoyed doing on the weekends for free. AKA, I wanted an opportunity for a better life worth living.

My first job in tech came from a referral. That referral came from being an active part of my local tech community. This included:

Learn in public. I strived for 3 years to build 12 projects a year in public. People watch my ideas grow from design to deployment.
Say “Yes” to every opportunity to volunteer. Someone mentioned being a TA at a tech boot camp, I said Yes. Someone mentioned volunteer leadership to set up meetups, arrive first, shake hands, find speakers, and a dozen other tasks. I said Yes.
Find opportunities to work with and engage others. I attended (and lost) dozens of hackathons. I’ve attended hundreds of tech meetups. I've given several tech talks. I’ve been to tech conferences. I’ve paired-programmed with others for thousands of hours.

AKA, I sincerely believe that the referral came from me showing the world my worth, moving away from the computer to meet others, and giving a lot of myself to the community. All of this before the referral was even considered. Give God (or the universe) something to bless.

A few things I know now that I wished I had known earlier:

A tech role isn’t about being the best coder. 75% of the job is communication and working with others. I wish I’d spent more time practicing my communication skills and working on group projects.
There are different types of work experiences. I wished that I hadn’t spent several years just coding. Instead, I should have been seeking opportunities to work on remote teams, open source contributions, freelance with others (share the load, not about the money), and anything that creates value.
Your network is equal to your net worth. I’m quiet, scared of people, and like being alone. Nothing in that sentence has helped me in any shape or form. I wished I had spent more time meeting people and making connections than coding. Coding is safe, but not the only requirement for a tech career. The number of people who know you, who can vouch for you, who will listen to you, and who are willing to talk about your achievements when you aren’t in the room is the single biggest career factor.

So friends, please share your thoughts on the following questions in the chat:

What can tech professionals do to get referrals?
What do you know now that you wished you knew earlier?

6 Job hunt tips from speakers Arit A & Kati Frantz

JC Smiley — Tue, 12 Mar 2024 12:04:00 +0000

I want to share my top 6 takeaways from two tech events I attended in January by Arit A. & Kati Frantz.

Your goal, while on the job hunt, is to show evidence of your worth. Your professional profile should scream that you have a reasonable level of competence, not just knowledge. Competence means you can execute in unfamiliar contexts, environments, or settings. AKA, are you doing the work that the job description is asking you to do?
Focus on standing out in a crowded job space by building amazing projects that deliver impact or business value. Being average isn't going to land you a job.
A solid job search requires a professional profile. This includes an optimized resume, a LinkedIn profile, a completed portfolio, and in certain fields required certifications (think Cloud & Security).
Don't underestimate the power of community. Building a strong network can keep you motivated and help you find better job opportunities.
Be patient with your progress and yourself. Part of the job search is iterating your strategy over time and discovering your knowledge gaps. A golden nugget of advice was optimizing your job search to sync with your energy.
Be intentional about creating a healthy feedback loop. This includes analyzing failed interviews, recording your interviews, and seeking feedback that can help you improve your interview skills.