So you want
to be a dev?
Imposter Syndrome
Yes, let us talk about that first
Why ?
- People are fundamentally insecure about their ability when it hasn't yet been reinforced by an external factor
- You're entering into a career where you get paid equivalent to what one would have studied 3-4 years for after 3-4 months
- Your parents didn't praise you enough as a kid (sorry)
I feel too old..
- News = Exceptions
- Take 65 - Current Age = Alot of years to have pigeoned hole yourself into your Supposed-To-Be job
- This is the 21st century
This is too hard..
- It is supposed to be hard to get over
- If you really want to, think of it as job security
- Only those that really want it will work on it
Everyone has an Opinion
Everyone
Which is the best framework?
- None
- One of them
- All of them
=> This is also my opinion
Conclusion: Withhold judgement, then form your own
Which is the best language?
- None
- One of them
- All of them
=> This is also my opinion
Conclusion: Withhold judgement, then form your own
Meet people
Most of them don't bite
Meetups
In the beginning, GO TO MEETUPS.
Introduce yourself and help out. Give back. Have fun.
- www.webuild.sg
- www.thelist.sg
BUT being at every meet up and wearing cool t-shirts will do nothing for your dev skills.
Talks are best at providing an initial exposure to topics and reducing your mental barrier to entry, but beyond that you have to DIY.
Special note: Ladies
Please don't confine yourselves to ladies only initiatives
Why confine yourself to learning from only a portion of devs?
Women-only meetups = social support networks
Usually great for starting out only..
Don't stifle your own growth
You are better than that, you are not only a woman, you are a dev!
Interviews
Comes in all SHAPES and sizes
Types
- Timed logic test (I can't help you there..)
- Soft skills (Can't help you there either...)
- Short programming assignment
- Long programming assignment
- Discussions
- Whiteboard test
- On the spot debugging
- Theoretical interview
Master your CSS
ERGONOMICS
Get it right...
Picking the right fit
Know what you want
You make your own choices
Coding sweat shop
Relaxed work environment
High pressure startup
High pressure pretend-to-be-startup startup
Consultancy
Corporate gig
Freelancing
Do it for the right reason
Why are you even doing this?
Cool = Fail
Cool cannot take you through sleepless sprints and tension in the office during stressful period
You have to be interested to keep learning
Self-Management
Uh huh..
Don't count on someone to
This is not the corporate world..
- Your bosses might be your age or younger
- They are busy GSD
- They might not know any better
- They are still learning through trial and error
- They might be devs-turned-reluctant-managers
=> Steer your direction
Prioritise your work
Estimating time for task
In development, estimating time needed is tough...
Debugging = ? minutes/hours/days
If you learn how to estimate accurately, tell me.
Misc Tips
Oh really?
Please (Tor long!)
Comment your code!
Organise your CSS
Standardise your naming conventions
Maintainability
Keep Learning
Web Development is the easiest step in programming...
Stay Humble
+ Good Luck! :)
So you want to be a dev?
By Min Ong
So you want to be a dev?
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