Your First Year in Code — What to Expect and How to Thrive
You can find entry-level jobs after learning the basics of coding in languages like C++ and JavaScript. You won’t progress very quickly, though, unless you take some steps that help you stand out as a qualified candidate for more involved projects.
Isaac Lyman sat down with Practicum to provide some insights that he learned transitioning from an English major to a professional programmer. You can get more details by reading Lyman’s book Your First Year in Code: A Complete Guide for New and Aspiring Developers. Until you get his book, you can pick up some highlights from the following summary of his Practicum webinar.
Build Something to Show Potential Employers
Many people never finish independent projects while earning CS degrees. That leaves you with nothing to show potential employers.
At Practicum students complete up to 15 independent projects, which they can show off on their resumes. Check out how our project review works. (link)
If you haven’t finished a coding project, start with something small. Lyman mentions options as simple as making a tic-tac-toe game or Twitter bot that generates a to-do list when you tweet at it.
When you finish, post your project with the source code on GitHub, and link to it on your resume so companies can see that you know how to build something from scratch.
Go to a Small-to-Medium Sized Meetup
You need to make connections with people in the technology industry. Meetup.com can help a lot. Look for an event in your area, and arrive a few minutes early to talk with other participants.
Choosing a fairly small meetup is best because it will provide the best opportunity to meet a lot of people and get a lot of job leads quickly. If you live in a rural area, you may not have many options. Just attend an event near you. If you live in a metropolitan area, focus on meetups for niche topics. That’s where you have the best shot of forming connections and learning about job openings.
Find a Mentor Who Can Help Guide Your Career
Finding a mentor can take time and patience, but it offers several rewards. Look for someone with a career in something that interests you. When you find someone, send them a question they can answer pretty easily. You could ask a coding question, request career advice, or anything else that will form an initial connection.
The first person you contact may not work out. You need to find someone you can build a long-lasting relationship with.
The right person can give you enormous benefits, such as helping you explore job opportunities, reviewing your resume, answering questions about code, and teaching you to interview well.
Rewrite — Not Edit — Your Resume
You can accumulate a lot of accomplishments quickly during your first year coding. Editing your resume probably won’t show off your best qualities. Instead, take the time to rewrite the whole thing.
You can use resume templates, but don’t feel constrained by them. Make your own if you can’t find something that fits you perfectly. You want to include every example that shows you took initiative and stood out from your peers. Many templates don’t have the flexibility for that.
The most impressive thing about yourself doesn’t have to be your education or current job. You want to select a stellar achievement that makes you look like a terrific job candidate.
Learn to Interview Better
A lot of people feel nervous about interviews. Much of that nervousness comes from worrying that they can’t answer every question perfectly. The good news is that you don’t need to be perfect to make a fantastic first impression.
For example, you can admit that you don’t know how to solve a problem. Give your best guess, say that you aren’t sure, and show an eagerness to learn. You can also admit that you don’t know the exact syntax, but that you can tell the interviewer what you would type into search engine to get the correct syntax.
You should also show enthusiasm for the projects you include on your resume. The interview could turn into a long conversation about how you built the product and how you troubleshoot problems when they arise.
Never underestimate the power of enthusiasm.
Be Aware of Impostor Syndrome
Impostor syndrome is the feeling that you’re underqualified for your job. It’s common among programmers because no one can know everything about such a rapidly evolving field.
You can confront impostor syndrome by being aware of the issue, giving yourself room to grow into your job, and noting that you learn something new every day.
Combat Feeling Out of Place or Disrespected
Systemic bias in the tech industry can make some people feel out of place or disrespected. This often applies to women, people of color, LGBTQ people, and members of certain religious groups. The industry is trying to overcome systemic bias, but it takes time.
You can combat bias by finding advocates online and offline. There are people who will champion your ideas.
Other recommendations from people who have experienced this issue include:
- Becoming an expert in something and educating others to display your value.
- Being upfront about who you are so you can gauge whether you will feel comfortable at a company.
- Knowing your value to the organization.
Avoid Burnout
Almost everyone in tech experiences burnout at some point. Demanding schedules, deadline pressure, unhealthy workplace cultures, the constant need to learn new skills, and other factors can make you feel like doing anything except going to work.
Learn to notice the early signs of burnout before it’s too late.
When you notice symptoms of burnout, take time to talk to someone about your feelings. Expressing your feelings can help quite a bit.
Unfortunately, taking a few days off from work probably won’t cure burnout. You need to make a permanent change in your work life, such as lowering the number of people who report to you or getting more people on your team to finish projects on time. If your employer doesn’t help, you may want to start looking elsewhere for a job.
Know What is Normal
The first year of coding can feel intense and intimidating. That doesn’t give anyone the right to take advantage of you.
Standard features of coding jobs include:
- 40-hour workweeks.
- Taking 20 or more vacation days per year.
- Extended, paid leave for new parents.
- Health and insurance benefits.
- Helpful, kind managers.
- Cooperative teams that work well together.
- Healthy boundaries in and out of the workplace.
- Creating ethical products for honest companies.
- Getting paid on time, every time.
In the Q&A section, we covered a bunch of questions from Practicum students, such as “What should you focus on first in an interview?”, “How do you know what you are worth when starting out?,” “How important is it to have a degree?” Be sure to watch the full webinar to see Isaac’s answers and to gain more insight about your first year in web development.
As you gain more experience, you and your career will grow. Getting started on the right path will make success easier to find.
