DEV Community: Karen Dickenson

Job Hunt 2021

Karen Dickenson — Tue, 02 Nov 2021 18:23:14 +0000

What am I looking for?

My career has been with web agencies doing work for higher education clients, theming and building out Drupal sites (WordPress too). I would like to continue serving the public and not-for-profit sectors (higher education, government, foundations, institutes).

I am looking to join an established team. I have no interest in being the only women on the development team. I am also looking for a diverse team with varying levels of expertise and backgrounds.

I have been deliberate in choosing the companies I apply to. I have never had more than three applications going at one time. I am not the main bread-winner in our family and therefore I have the luxury of time. I know many job seekers are not that lucky.

Job Hunt Search Terms

Approach #1: "Drupal Developer"

Since Drupal 8 sunsets November 2021 and Drupal 7 sunsets November 2022, I found that companies looking for "Drupal Developers" are anxiously trying to find people with migration experience.

That is not me. Most of my career has been spent in the "front-end". I got to the technical interview on two postings but was ultimately rejected because I didn't have enough custom module experience. Time to take a different approach.

One company loved my site building skills and would love have someone on their team to alleviate that responsibility from their backend staff they just don't have that role developed or funded yet.

Approach #2: "Front-End Developer"

Job posting that resulted from this search were really looking for people with JAMstack experience. And if the roles included Drupal, it was as a headless backend. Most where looking for React.js and/or Gatsby.js. As much self-learning I have done in both, I do not have any production experience.

Approach #3: "Drupal Front-End Developer"

These postings seem to align better with my current skills except my projects have been non-enterprise one-offs. These posting are looking for more design system integration. Here is were my self-education in Pattern Lab, Storybook, or USWDS just isn't enough. Without production experience, I don't match their needs.

Take Aways

My 80% Fallacy

Although I apply to roles where I meet at least 80% of the qualifications, it is the missing 20% that trips me up. I have come to the conclusion that web agencies, in particular, don't have the bandwidth for someone to learn on the job. They have specific needs for specific projects that they are trying to fulfill and therefore they need a 100% match on qualifications.

1st Interview -> Technical Interview

If I do make it trough the first interview I consistently make it to the technical interview. Some roles had technical take-homes as part of their process but two did not.

My self-confidence takes a dive regarding my lacking skills and that seems to come through in the technical interviews. I don't have any completion certificates to "prove" my self-taught skills nor my own projects to show them off. Something I still need to work on.

Great Fit BUT

Personality wise, a good portion of my interviewers have responded that I would be a great fit for their company culture. As great as my skills are, they are not what they are looking for at this time. Is this the "kind" rejection template or am I getting an honest reaction? I don't know. I hope they are being as honest with me as I am with them.

Conclusion

Job hunting can knock your confidence to a new low. All I can do is keep looking for the right job with the right company for me. It has NEVER been said that "job hunting is easy". I need to put in some more hard work and believe it will pay off.

Job hunt stats to date for 2021:

Out of 11 Applications (3 via recruiters, 8 via company's website):

6 Meet & Greets;
4 1st Round Interviews;
2 Technical Take-Homes;
4 Technical Interviews;
9 Rejections (7 by companies, 2 pull-outs by me);
2 Ghosted (no response) applications

Bullet Journal - 2021 version

Karen Dickenson — Tue, 05 Jan 2021 20:01:41 +0000

I have used a dot-grid journal for three years, and over that time, it has morphed. I'm a straight-forward, non-artistic type. For those who are creative, please feel free to dress up your pages! I don't need the full set of colored pens, decorative stickers, and stencils to make my journal work for me.

If you are new to bullet journaling, a quick explanation can be found at https://bulletjournal.com/pages/learn.

The first year, I did my calendar one week at a time and allowed for as many pages as I needed in-between weeks for project notes or collections. My journal index looked haphazard.

The second year, the calendar was input as monthly chunks with the other type of pages in between the months. The Index looked a bit better, and I now could look ahead more than a week at a time.

For the third year, I kept all my calendar pages (input monthly) in the front of the journal and added project notes, conference notes, and collections starting at the back of the book, working back to front (pages were numbered B-#). Because of this, the final page of my index was for the "Back pages." Working backward was really awkward when I had notes that needed several pages.

Keeping the calendar pages together

This year I will be pre-loading all my calendar pages, January through December. This includes the monthly reviews at the end of each month as well as the final annual review, all together at the front of the journal. This should take me to about the middle of the book. Doing this upfront gives me a definitive point where I can start my collections pages. I have some magnetic page markers I can use for quick reference to these open content pages. And now I can work from front to back instead of back to front. I have always had a hard time walking backward, and now I'll be able to "see" where I'm going.

Other things I have learned over the years

Learned this year: you need a notebook with more than 160 pages!

I wanted to get fancy and order a red-covered journal with heavy paper. It only had 160 pages, and I need at least 200.
Also, do NOT get a journal with pre-numbered pages. I have had to trim botched pages from the journal before. When I did, the page numbering was then off. I am mathematical and linear, so a missing page erks me.

Order of pages in my journal for 2021:

Calendar: (165 total pages)

Key (1 page)
Index - 2 columns (3 pages)
Future - 3-months per page for (4 pages)
Beyond (2022) - 2 columns x 6 rows (1 page)
Annual Goals (1 page)
Monthly - dated, single line per day (1 page)
Monthly ToDos (1 page)
Weekly - 2 pages per week (8-10 pages)
Monthly Review - weekly blocks, 2 columns x 2 rows (1 page)
Notes/Goals for next month (1 page) -- If the Monthly Review needs more than 4 blocks, use the top of this page.

Repeat the Monthly pages (#6- #10) until you have the full year done.

At the tail end of the calendar pages, add:

Year in Review - 4 months per page, 2 columns x 2 rows (3 pages)
Next Years Goals (1 page)

Collection Pages:

2021 Conferences - monthly, 2 columns x 3 rows (2 pages)
Books - two sections: personal & business (1 page)

The rest of the book is available for note-taking, project planning, training schedule, or whatever else I might want to jot down.

Tools

My Long-Time Favorites

A lucite right triangle (mine is orange, you need one you can see through)
Sharpie 0.8mm Pen Stylo (mainly blue, also use green & red) -- for page headings, month/day dates, rules/lines, and other permanent markings
Mechanical pencil (0.5mm usually) -- for daily entries
A chunky pink erasure -- I mainly write in pencil since life is fluid and always changing.

My Additional Tools for 2021

Hobonichi Accessory - Stencil - Basic
Suatelier Planner Sticky Notes - Month -- small, easy to see the month at a glance, and movable as I progress through the weeks. I circle important dates like family birthdays in color.
Suatelier Planner Sticky Notes - White Checklist -- for ToDo items that don't have set due dates, also movable.

All of these additional tools are available on JetPens.com.

Some other changes for 2021

New symbol -> ★ (for notes of WINS!)

Tackling Advent of Code 2020

Karen Dickenson — Sun, 06 Dec 2020 21:52:09 +0000

A challenge worth taking on

I have been working with HTML, CSS, WordPress, and Drupal for 15 years. Creating javascript functions from scratch is a skill I have yet to master. I know all the programming basics, but still, I struggle with "stringing it all together".

My progress

Advent of Code 2020 is giving me an opportunity to strengthen my algorithm solving skills. It offers up two katas a day from December 1 through December 25. The first week of Advent of Code is coming to a close and I have been able to solve 4 out of 6 challenges (skipped day 3 and am yet to tackled day 6).

Refactor? Maybe later.

My solutions are clumped into single functions and are not elegant. I'm sure it would be prudent to break them down into smaller, single-focused functions. When I get more efficient (time-wise), I'll give that a go but in the meantime, as long as I get the correct answer, I celebrate!

Should you give it a try?

Why not? If you have the time to spare or need algorithm practice, Advent of Code is a great way to go.

If you are motivated by competition, there is a leaderboard. The ranking is determined how quickly you solve the day's puzzle correctly as soon as the puzzle has been released. Give it a try.

I don't expect to see my own name on the leaderboard. I'm doing this for skill-building. I will enjoy my leisurely pace and relish my small wins, one algorithm at a time.

Another Step to Vanquishing Imposter Syndrome

Karen Dickenson — Mon, 23 Nov 2020 18:40:31 +0000

Take that imposter syndrome!

Friday was my first time presenting an industry-related lightning talk. I covered the challenge of handling imposter syndrome as a remote freelancer.

What my talk covered

Now with work and networking remote for just about everyone, we are all in the same boat. Connecting virtually with team meetings via Zoom, chatting over Slack, as well as virtual events and conferences. Geographic limitations no longer exist, just watch out for time zones.

In essence, the talk was about taking advantage of the ALL remote environment we currently find ourselves in. Some of the challenges I have faced in the past have transformed. Looking back, I think the suggestions I make can be useful to everyone.

The key take-aways are:

You need to take control of your own career and make your own growth/learning plan.
Keep a bullet journal. Document projects/tutorials/events. It can help you assess your growth.
Find a supportive, non-judgmental community that can help guide you forward.
Participate in the community

Keeping my nerves in check

For someone as introverted as I am, giving a lightning talk is a BIG step. I have taught HTM and CSS to small groups on behalf of Girl Develop It, but a lighting talk was a different beast for me.

I did my "power pose" and deep breathing beforehand (all suggestions from a workshop I did years ago). I tried to speak slower than normal and tried to fill my verbal stumbles with silence instead of "um" or "like."

Let's see how I did (timestamp 40:40 to 49:25):

I hope my personal experience offers advice others can use on their own journey to vanquish/tame imposter syndrome.

The support of a community

Virtual Coffee (VC) has been a game-changer for me. Professionally, I have had a hard time coming out of my shell. Having the chance to "meet up" with my VC compatriots twice a week for informal chats and check-ins via Zoom and ongoing Slack conversations on technical and non-tech related topics has been what I needed.

Bekah asked me to present, and I jumped. What really got me to focus was that I only had a week to prepare, an impending hard deadline. This is contrary to my usual cautious self. I let my nerves lead me to a new challenge instead of driving me back into my shell ("BAM" imposter syndrome).

Presenting to my Virtual Coffee compatriots instead of a group of strangers was another small step to tempering my anxiety and building my confidence ("POW BAM").

Bekah was gracious to do a run-through with me. Although only 5-7 minutes, the presentation took a lot of work, as any presenter knows. With each successive run-through, the content and delivery improved.

Altogether there were eight lightning talks given by Virtual Coffee members. There was a nice balance between technical and soft skills. We had our own mini (two-hour) conference. The members of VC have a broad range of technical expertise as well as varying experience presenting.

I put myself out there and challenged myself, just what my imposter syndrome was holding me back from. With the support of the VC, I hope to continue taking challenges head-on.

I hope I can give back to this community as much as I get!

What is next?

I don’t know yet.

I have taken several “big” steps these past couple of months:

Started blogging,
Contributed to open source projects,
First lightning talk,
exercise team katas,
Drupal recipes

I'm going to take some time to enjoy the holidays with my loved ones (virtually as needed), review my 2020 journal, and reflect on how far I have come with the support of the wonderful people at Virtual Coffee.

Exercism Teams - The support I needed

Karen Dickenson — Sat, 14 Nov 2020 19:48:03 +0000

My imposter syndrome took another hit this week, in a good way!

I "joined" exercism back in May 2016. But I did not submit a JavaScript kata till July 2018 (yes, it took me over two years to get the guts to submit). I did have a productive day back on July 13, 2018 when I submitted five katas. Then my confidence took a nosedive, nothing until this November (2020). I would love to say that work or family life got busy but I just think it was imposter syndrome lurking again.

Where I started

Time for a little background, I have been doing web coding for 15 years. I have mastered HTML, CSS, Drupal, and WordPress to build sites. What has been missing is a command of JavaScript. I have done freeCodeCamp, tutorials on Udemy, workshops, conferences, etc. I've got a strong foundation of the JS basics but stumbled on breaking a problem down into little pieces and programming them all together.

What helped

Nicole Archambault's Problem Solving course gave me some concrete ways to break down a programming problem into smaller pieces and using natural language for better understanding. Code comments here I come!

My compatriot, Mike Rogers, at Virtual Coffee started a VC team on Exercism. He started a channel on our Slack and offered to answer any questions and to pair-program if needed. Thanks, Mike!

And this week it all fell into place and clicked! Now I'm back at doing exercism katas! Just this week, I have submitted three individual JavaScript track katas, three extra individual katas, and three team katas.

Wow, typing this all up feels so monumental. Thank you everyone!

Shout Outs

@antoniosaric on exercism, a great mentor who provides great refactoring ideas that help me take my code up to the next level.
Nicole Archambault (@lavie_encode ).
Virtual Coffee for prompting me to write about my coding journey.

Drupal Recipes - updated

Karen Dickenson — Sat, 07 Nov 2020 18:22:48 +0000

Giving Back to the Drupal Community with Recipes

One of the benefits of 2020 is attending conferences and Meetups from all over the country (or world for that matter) since they have all been remote. I have been able to join Drupal users group from Chicago and San Francisco for their get-togethers from my home office in Michigan.

In a circuitous way, I kept running into Bob Snodgrass, Fox Valley users group organizer. They are located outside of Chicago. Bob and Fox Valley have been working on compiling a collection of recipes, step-by-step instructions for common and/or desired functionality for Drupal.

A while ago, I was asked to create a video gallery for an existing D8 site. The client wanted to have a single page to collect all the videos from the media library in a list of some kind, allowing the user to choose which one to play.

I mentioned the gallery at the Meetup, and the interest and support of the other attendees were inspirational.

Nine months later and the client still has not approved the video gallery. My time has been paid for, but my creation is not out in the world. I am working to recreate the gallery in a generic Drupal 8 build with videos unrelated to the previous client. Update 1: client finally gave approval 10 months after the first development of the functionality. The Drupal version has been bumped up from version 8 to version 9 and one of the contributed modules is no longer viable. The video gallery was reworked on the Drupal 9 site and is now live.

A learning experience

This project afforded me opportunities to learn some new skills. I have been a long-time user of Lando (all the way back to Kalobox) but a new user of ddev. Although I have heard of composer for quite some time, I am mainly front-end, creating themes and doing the site build, and have usually relied on my back-end teammates to do the scaffolding. Now I have some new tools in my belt/box!

Update 2: The Video Gallery Demo is now up on Pantheon. I have become very proficient at both composer and ddev with Pantheon (through trial and error, multiple times). I kept documentation in Notion for the project and updated it with each iteration.

Things learned along the way

Make sure that you have finished the Drupal install on your Pantheon environment before you clone it locally.
When first in the project working directory, do the ddev auth pantheon ....
After your ddev config pantheon, immediately add drush with ddev composer require drush/drush (this will force addev start` automatically).
With ddev, you should NOT need to make a setting.local.php.
Add modules with composer but enable with drush.
drush dl-cycle-lib is great at making the library folders you need but does NOT pull down the jQuery library contents. Download the jQuery plugins/libraries from their repos, manually add them.

Releasing it in the Wild (in process)

Sharing this recipe with the rest of the Drupal community is a bit scary for me. I have been building Drupal sites for over 10 years but have let imposter syndrome get the better of me. This is also my first technical blog post. Hopefully, this will be the first step in boosting my confidence.

Next step is getting the Video Gallery Drupal recipe up on FoxValley.

I am hoping that this recipe may relieve the frustration of other developers trying to create similar functionality. It might even provide them a jumping-off point to create their own recipes. It is a rewarding way to give back to the community.

Thanks for the Inspiration

Bob Snodgrass and the Fox Valley Drupal Users Group
Virtual Coffee November challenge working together to hit 50,000 words. Based on NanWriMo (National Novel Writing Month) Challenge.
Ali Spittel's talk at Southern Dev Fest, Nov. 7, 2020
Ali Spitte's talk to the Hashnode Bootcamp III, April 7, 2021