Congrats, Victoria! FireHydrant looks like a really solid place to work! The site is well done and it's technical! I think you landed at a great spot, granted that your team members are nice and helpful! I always think choosing a technical company is a far better choice for learning than a product company :)
I enjoy reading these posts, because I've worked with a decent amount of folks prepare for interviews whether new grad from a CS program, friends from a bootcamp, or even experienced engineer friends from top-10 schools. Everyone is taking it hard right now -- not the best of times to be in a hunt. It is absolutely rewarding once you land your first role and get your bearings.
I've seen people that have sent out over 2000 applications by automation and still don't have a job 1.5 years in - saw a post on LinkedIn. The r/cscareerquestions sub-Reddit also contains a lot of stories, too, but for every success story, there are hundreds (if not thousands) more that aren't successul. I also have relatives that have done the bootcamp thing and gave up, never finding a role and going back to their old gig :(
I, too, have been through such a journey quite a few times and each time is as lonely as the last. But once you have that first role with a year or two under your belt, things change -- people come knocking on your door. It doesn't make it any easier as the process can still be grueling, but less of the tossing applications into the abyss.
Stay curious and stay contributing, but definitely give yourself opportunity to explore things that interest you. Don't let that fire die, even if you're working with a fire hydrant :D
Congrats, Victoria! FireHydrant looks like a really solid place to work! The site is well done and it's technical! I think you landed at a great spot, granted that your team members are nice and helpful! I always think choosing a technical company is a far better choice for learning than a product company :)
I enjoy reading these posts, because I've worked with a decent amount of folks prepare for interviews whether new grad from a CS program, friends from a bootcamp, or even experienced engineer friends from top-10 schools. Everyone is taking it hard right now -- not the best of times to be in a hunt. It is absolutely rewarding once you land your first role and get your bearings.
I've seen people that have sent out over 2000 applications by automation and still don't have a job 1.5 years in - saw a post on LinkedIn. The r/cscareerquestions sub-Reddit also contains a lot of stories, too, but for every success story, there are hundreds (if not thousands) more that aren't successul. I also have relatives that have done the bootcamp thing and gave up, never finding a role and going back to their old gig :(
I, too, have been through such a journey quite a few times and each time is as lonely as the last. But once you have that first role with a year or two under your belt, things change -- people come knocking on your door. It doesn't make it any easier as the process can still be grueling, but less of the tossing applications into the abyss.
Stay curious and stay contributing, but definitely give yourself opportunity to explore things that interest you. Don't let that fire die, even if you're working with a fire hydrant :D
David thank you so much for this well thought out comment. I think this adds so much to the discussion and I am so grateful for it.
I definitely feel as if I landed at an amazing company and I am so excited to see myself and the company grow over time.