Outside The Code

Restaurant Manager to Frontend Engineer in 10 Years with Joel Hernandez - Ep.1

Restaurant Manager to Frontend Engineer in 10 Years with Joel Hernandez

I'm not sure how many of us would say becoming a Software Engineer was their dream.  For Joel Hernandez, it was very clear that this was what he wanted to become. Joel came to New York City, starting off as a dishwasher, knowing no English - but ready to take on any challenges that came his way.  He used the money he earned to learn English and get his associate's degree in computer science. He was ready to start applying for jobs, but nothing hit. Joel stopped looking for a job after being rejected time after time. On top of that, life just throws you curve balls. Joel got married, had a kid, and needed to support his family. Unfortunately, having a dream is one thing, but life, and the unexpected things that come with it, happened.. He got a job as a restaurant manager, made decent money, had health insurance, and gave up on his dream to become a Software Engineer.  He always had the itch to get back into software development, but it wasn't until the pandemic hit, when he lost his job, that he finally went all in to start again. Join me in my conversation with Joel on how he did it.

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