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Discussion on: How did you get your first Dev job?

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JD Gonzales

I was a bootcamp student, so I didn't have much going for me in terms of experience. So I did the following:

  • Had a system for applying to jobs, a Trello board more specifically, where I tracked every lead, every application, every email, phone call, interview, and status. I'd also write down on the card when a company committed to reach back out to give me an answer or set something up so I could always follow up 48 hours after that deadline.

  • I practiced coding interviews and challenges like crazy. Every day I spent about an hour going over code katas and I'd speak out loud (to my dog mostly) about how I was approaching solving the problem.

  • I practiced explaining technical topics in "human language." Which also helped me to find gaps in my own knowledge

  • I networked like crazy which ultimately lead me to getting the job I have now. I met the CTO of Modern Message at a meet up and we hit it off, developing a good rapport. As a result, I was able to apply and get interviewed for a position at the company and get hired about a month later. I'm still with the company today and I really enjoy it.