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Sergey
Sergey

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Interviews, docker compose and algorithms

While I’m job hunting, I’ll post each day on my LinkedIn page what I did the day before and what challenges I overcame. Here and on my blog — once a week — I am going to post a summary of these statuses.

Workplace

Last Friday was spent mostly on daily tasks and planning. I updated my resume (for the 5th or 6th time, I think), got another badge on LinkedIn (CSS this time), and created a new cover letter template for companies that require one.

I also know that my weak point is algorithms and data structures, so I watched a few videos and found trusted sources to understand this topic and start grinding Leetcode. I hope to do much better this time.

And I haven’t forgotten my coding exercises either. Right now I’m in the middle of the task where I have to update and check settings and package my API project in Docker. I don’t have much time left, so I really want to finish it as soon as possible.

Monday was a real Docker Day! I sat down at the computer at 8 am and did not finish until 9 pm. Only took small breaks to talk to Andrew Clarkson (hey buddy 👋🏻), go to the post office and eat something. But all the other time — Docker.

I had the task on my Bootcamp and was supposed to finish it yesterday. But a lot of things did not work out. First I misplaced directories in my project, then there were weird issues with DockerHub. But finally, I managed to fix all the bugs and get my project up and running. And I was so extremely proud of myself!

As for Tuesday, it was a pretty productive day! First, I fixed some bugs in my Docker project, and now it’s working smoothly. Then I finished two test assignments, and in the evening I received another one from another company that wants to hire young software engineers. I also have three interviews with recruiters scheduled for this week and next, and I hope things go well.

Oh, and I have not forgotten to apply for more jobs and make contacts with interesting people.

On Wednesday I finally got the reviewer’s approval for my Docker project (yes, yes, yes!). I’ve done it a few days before the deadline, so now I have some free time to study more. So I decided to work with my knowledge of algorithms and data structures. Oh, man, this is really hard. But I hope that one day I will understand the basics and manage to solve Leetcode problems. By the way, while looking for a simple explanation, I found this helpful YouTube video. If you are struggling with algos, check it out:

Also I had an interview with the recruiter of a great company. She promised to get back to me in a few days and let me know the next steps. Will see!

As usual on Thursdays, I had a phone call with my mentor Daniil Volynkin and we talked about my job search strategy, some of his projects, and the necessity of studying algorithms and data structures.

So I spent the next few hours studying and coding.

Then I had several interviews. One of them went smoothly, and I really enjoyed the process. I like seeing my progress, because with each new interview I feel more confident. It’s especially nice when the interviewer is friendly, appreciates your time and asks you smart questions. I wish I had more cool interviews like that. And I hope that I will be lucky enough to get this job.

And some stats:
Applications submitted: 15
EasyApplies: 34
Interviews: 4

I hope me and my new job will meet soon.

P.S. If you like the idea — join in and use the hashtags #dailystandup and #todayilearned on LinkedIn. Let's support each other, newbie coders!

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