The Scrimba Podcast Alex Booker

🎙 About the episode
Meet Zuza Grońska 🇵🇱🇳🇱! Zuza is a recently hired new developer with a previous career in social media marketing in the music industry. She's also a Polish transplant who moved to the Netherlands during the pandemic. She craved a career change, and when it turned out that all of her work friends were from the software development team, she put two and two together and decided to learn to code. She landed her first dev job after only four months of intense studying! 
Zuza has ADHD, which can be a hindrance and a superpower. In this episode, she talks about the importance of spreading awareness of ADHD and neurodiversity in general. You'll also learn how she approached her portfolio projects, why you should think like a marketer, and how you can stand out in a world where every new developer has a unit converter in their portfolio. Zuza shares how she approached learning to code, what kept her going when she felt unmotivated, why she wanted to leave Poland, and why a career in social media marketing can be draining even though it sounds glamorous. 
🔗 Connect with Zuza

👩‍💼 LinkedIn
🌐 Website
👩‍🚀 Github
🔗 Timestamps

How Zuza started coding in the early 2000s, but never pursued coding (02:26)
How misogyny plaid a part in Zuza's career choices (04:21)
Zuza worked in social media marketing, until she realized it was time for a change (05:46)
How Zuza approached learning to code (spoiler alert: hyperfocus!) (07:30)
Community Break with Jan the Producer (08:54)
Following schedules, and good and bad sides of ADHD (11:35)
How Zuza kept herself motivated (14:25)
How Zuza approached her porfolio and went beyond the stretch goals with her porftolio projects (18:45)
How to think about your projects like a marketer (19:56)
How Zuza applied for a job, even though the job ad was in Dutch and she didn't speak it (24:39)
Why Zuza wanted to leave Poland (and eventually moved to the Netherlands) (29:24)
Zuza's new job (31:22)
Zuza's interview process (32:34)
Quick-fire questions! (33:26)
Zuza's tech interview (36:39)
Zuza became a CSS expert! (37:45)
Working with ADHD (40:17)
Zuza only got diagnosed with ADHD two years ago (44:10)
Why spreading ADHD awareness is important (45:12)
🧰 Resources Mentioned

Frontend Developer Career Path
Scrimba Bootcamp
Kevin Powell
MDN Web Docs
Sass
Kink.nl radio
⭐️ Leave a Review
If you enjoyed this episode, please leave a 5-star review here and tell us who you want to see on the next podcast.You can also Tweet Alex from Scrimba at @bookercodes and tell them what lessons you learned from the episode so that he can thank you personally for tuning in 🙏 Or tell Jan he's butchered your name here.

🎙 About the episode
Meet Luke Hovee 🇺🇸! After a career in the US Army, Luke didn't know what to do next. He was considering a career in construction, until he stumbled upon a bootcamp teaching army veterans how to code. Today, he's a full-time web developer with a passion for helping other aspiring web developers getting into tech. Currently, he's creating a software apprenticeship program so that he can help people at scale.
In this episode, you'll find out whether army is a good training for having to deal with product managers, why grit and determination are important, and what's the most important thing you should have to break into tech in today's job market. Luke and Alex also talk about LinkedIn, why getting your second job in tech is way easier than landing the first one, and the current state of the market for junior developers.
🔗 Connect with Luke
👨‍💼 LinkedIn⏰ Timestamps

How Luke stumbled upon coding by accident (02:11)
Why Luke chose a career in the Army in the first place, and why he eventually retired (04:00)
Why learning to code was challenging (06:19)
On drive and (intrinsic) motivation (09:02)
Were there any transferable skills that Luke gained in the Army? (12:11)
Community break with Jan the Producer (14:11)
How Luke got his first role in Tech (17:13)
Job candidates lack attitude (19:02)
Luke's first role was basically a learning opportunity (20:56)
Why gettint your second developer job is easier (22:27)
Quick-fire questions (23:05): Is Web3 dead?!
Why LinkedIn is Luke's main platform, and why he helps aspiring developers (25:33)
Luke's apprenticeship program (28:41)
Job market's tough right now (33:34)
Can you cultivate the right attitude? (36:11)
🧰 Resources mentioned

Danny Thompson on YouTube
Scrimba Podcast: How to become a successful Junior Developer, with Danny Thompson

Scrimba Podcast: Freecodecamp Founder Quincy Larson: Why Learning To Code as an Adult Might Be Easier Than You Think

David Roberts on YouTube
⭐️ Leave a Review
If you enjoyed this episode, please leave a 5-star review here and tell us who you want to see on the next podcast.You can also Tweet Alex from Scrimba at @bookercodes and tell them what lessons you learned from the episode so that he can thank you personally for tuning in 🙏 Or tell Jan he's butchered your name here.

🎙 About the episode
No matter where you are in your career journey - whether you're a new developer just looking to break into the industry or an industry veteran - having a strategic and up-to-date LinkedIn profile is a must. LinkedIn is something we often talk about on this podcast - many people, from experts to recently hired Scrimba students, have shared their tips and tricks for this social network over the course of 130 episodes.
In this episode, we have compiled their best, most actionable advice. If you're looking to refresh your LinkedIn profile this fall, or you're just about to create one for the first time, this is the episode for you!
Tune in for LinkedIn tips from the LinkedIn profile review guy Austin Henline, pastor-turned-developer Chris Mccoy, GitHub program manager Laura Thorson (who has only ever gotten jobs through LinkedIn), and iOS engineer at paypal and career mentor Stephanie chiu.
📻 Listen to the full interviews


How to make your LinkedIn profile stand out according to a LinkedIn expert, with Austin Henline
How Pastor-Turned-Developer Chris Crushed It on LinkedIn and Landed an Internship... and a Job
It's about Who You Know: An Introvert's Guide to Networking (and Becoming Amazing at LinkedIn), with Stephanie Chiu from PayPal
Laura Thorson From GitHub: This Is How You Master the Mindset of a Programmer
🔗 Connect with everybody

Austin: 👨🏻‍💼 LinkedIn, 🐦 Twitter

Laura:👩‍💼 Linkedin, 🌐  Website, 🐦 Twitter, 👨‍🚀 GitHub

Stephanie: 📸 Instagram, 👩‍💼 Linkedin, 🌐 Website, 🐦 Twitter, 👩‍🚀 Github

Chris: 👨🏼‍💼 Linkedin

⏰ Timestamps

Who is Austin Henline (01:32)
Why LinkedIn is a must for aspiring developers (03:00)
What are the most important sections of your LinkedIn profile? (04:04)
How to reverse-engineer what recruiters are searching for (05:26)
Should you be careful not to spam your LinkedIn profile with keywords? (07:54)
How to know if you're ready to put a skill on your LinkedIn (09:37)
Skill assesments (11:37)
Community break! Your tweets and reviews from Apple Podcasts (12:18)
Chris McCoy signed up for LinkedIn halway through Scrimba (14:15)
How to be genuinely present on the platform (15:59)
How to find your tone of voice... and not spread yourself too thin (18:35)
How Chris added Scrimba to his education on LinkedIn and THINGS WENT WILD (19:30)
You shouldn't let LinkedIn replace your portfolio or GitHub profile, but it can be a significant part of your strategy (21:41)
How to make the LinkedIn algorithm work for you, with Stephanie Chiu (22:50)
Keep your goal in mind and remember nobody likes to scroll (24:46)
Check what a recruiter sees on LinkedIn and optimize accordingly! (26:46)
How Laura Thorson went to interview at Facebook and realized they had printed out her LinkedIn profile (28:18)
LinkedIn bio in third person (29:52)
Life-changing advice from a recruiter on LinkedIn (31:24)
What to do if you don't want to make content on LinkedIn (35:07)

⭐️ Leave a Review
If you enjoyed this episode, please leave a 5-star review here and tell us who you want to see on the next podcast.You can also Tweet Alex from Scrimba at @bookercodes and tell them what lessons you learned from the episode so that he can thank you personally for tuning in 🙏 Or tell Jan he's butchered your name here.

🎙 About the episode
Meet Tomáš Lukeš 🇨🇿! Tomáš is an audio engineer turned primary school teacher turned developer! In only nine months, he learned to code alongside a full-time job, created an awesome portfolio, and then landed a job in three business days. What?!
In this episode, you'll discover exactly how he did it! Tomáš will reveal why he approached learning to code as if it were an RPG, how he selected his projects, why going the extra mile while crafting your portfolio is a must, and how you can transform code-alongs into something of your own. You'll also learn the definitive answer to the question of how many hours it truly takes to reach a hireable level of coding proficiency. Tomáš and Alex also discuss job hunting strategies,  the power of persistence, self-discovery,and the importance of knowing the exact industries you want to work in.
🔗 Connect with Tomáš

👨‍💼 LinkedIn
🌐 Website
⏰  Timestamps

How Tomáš went from audio engineering to learning development (01:25)
Why sound technicians make good develoeprs (02:10)
Tomáš had always been interested in coding (03:15)
How Tomáš learned to code alongside a full-time job, and how long did it take? (04:39)
What courses did Tomáš use? (06:35)
Learning coding during the AI boom (07:06)
Community break with Jan the Producer (08:19)
How Tomáš approached projects - by taking course projects and making them his own (10:53)
Why you need good projects to impress HR people (13:59)
Tomáš learned to code at a hireable level in this many hours! (15:12)
How Tomáš approached job hunting, and landed a job in three business days (15:30)
Why Tomáš only applied for local jobs (17:53)
Startups hire quicker than bigger and older companies (19:26)
Why you should say "I don't know" during an interview (21:17)
Quick-fire questions: Tailwind, Josh Tried Coding, and Steve Lacy (23:47)
How to learn to code: persistence and self-discovery (25:54)
Advice for building portfolios (28:44)
Localized job search (33:18)
Trust the process! (34:53)
🧰 Resources Mentioned

Colt Steele on Udemy
Scrimba's Frontend Developer Career Path
Josh Tried Coding on YouTube
⭐️ Leave a Review
If you enjoyed this episode, please leave a 5-star review here and tell us who you want to see on the next podcast.You can also Tweet Alex from Scrimba at @bookercodes and tell them what lessons you learned from the episode so that he can thank you personally for tuning in 🙏 Or tell Jan he's butchered your name here.

🎙 About the episode
Meet Johannes Kettmann 🇩🇪! Johannes is a Fullstack JavaScript Developer from Germany who's also the mastermind behind profy.dev - it’s a React Job Simulator program for aspiring Junior React developers. Originally, Johannes studied physics before transitioning into coding, and he's been working as a freelancer or contractor ever since!
In this episode, dive into Johannes's coding journey and discover why he's all about React. Get ready for tales of his first freelancing gig - it wasn't a walk in the park, but it taught him loads and gave him a taste of freedom. That's why Johannes never considered a 9-to-5 job and embraced contracting. Tune in for the lowdown on why React rocks and the rookie mistakes even experienced developers stumble upon. Curious about a React Job Simulator? You'll learn what it is and why we needed one. Plus, hear what are the skills that aspiring junior developers usually don't have, that can really make you stand out.   
✅ 👨‍💻Sign up for profy.dev with 10% discount using coupon code SCRIMBA at checkout!
🔗 Connect with Johannes

🎓 Profy.dev
👨‍💼 LinkedIn
🌐 Website
🐦 X
⏰  Timestamps

How Johannes went from experimenal physics to software development (01:36)
Johannes started from Android development, but the first steps were shaky (04:51)
Johannes worked on a project for six months... and didn't get paid (07:31)
What Johannes learned from his first freelance experiences, and why he never considered getting a full-time job (08:22)
Freelancing vs. contract work (11:20)
Community break with Jan the Producer (13:06)
Is contracting a good way to get your first job in tech? (15:09)
Is freelancing a good way to get your first job in tech? (16:12)
How Johannes eventually focused on React (17:06)
What is profy.dev? (22:09)
Why code rewiews are cool, and what are the most common React mistakes (26:37)
Quick-fire questions and Kent C. Dodds (31:33)
How can junior developers stand out during job interview process, from the perspective of someone who interviews a lot (37:05)
Should a junior learn TypeScript? (39:19)
Why your personality is important (40:26)
🧰 Resources Mentioned
Podcast: Intentional career building with Kent C. Dodds
⭐️ Leave a Review
If you enjoyed this episode, please leave a 5-star review here and tell us who you want to see on the next podcast.You can also Tweet Alex from Scrimba at @bookercodes and tell them what lessons you learned from the episode so that he can thank you personally for tuning in 🙏 Or tell Jan he's butchered your name here.

🎙 About the episode
Meet Mohamed Amine Hachemi! Mohamed is a full-stack developer who recently landed his first dev job! But that's not the most amazing part of his story. He actually found that job through Instagram! In a world where everyone is applying through LinkedIn, Mohamed decided to take a different approach and utilize social media. In this episode, you'll discover exactly how he did it. And no, it doesn't involve cold DMing.
After completing his law studies, Mohamed realized that a career in law wasn't what he truly desired for the next few decades. He reflected on his childhood interests and rediscovered his passion for coding. With some prior experience in HTML and CSS from editing Blogger templates as a teenager, he immersed himself in front-end development. Eventually, he expanded his skills to backend development when he joined his current company. Tune in to hear more about his coding journey.
🔗 Connect with Mohamed
👨‍💼 LinkedIn⏰ Timestamps

Mohamed was always interested in tech, but he studied law (01:29)
Why Mohamed decided to switch careers (02:21)
How Mohamed learned to code and did editing Blogger templates in his teen years help (04:24)
Why is JavaScript more challenging than HTML and CSS, and how did Mohamed learn it (on YouTube, of all places)? (07:34)
Community break with Jan the Producer (10:26)
How long did it take Mohamed to learn enough to start applying for jobs (12:33)
How Mohamed try the typical job-hunting strategy (applying on LinkedIn) and then decided to pivot to social media (14:06)
Can you land a job on Instagram, and how?! (15:02)
Mohamed's new job, and learning back-end (19:06)
Why you need an internship (20:49) 
Working remotely vs. a saturated job market (21:09)  
What did Mohamed's interview process look like (22:38)
Quick-fire questions: Friends, not followers (23:14)
What happens if you get an internship that doesn't turn into a job afterward? (24:14)
What does an employee want to see from an intern? (25:50)
Mohamed blogged about his learning progress on LinkedIn, but didn't care how many people saw that (27:31)  
Was it difficult to decide to switch careers? (32:40)
Don't truest everything you see on YouTube (33:52)
🧰 Resources Mentioned

Scrimba's Frontend Developer Career Path
Marian Rydzanych on Instagram
⭐️ Leave a Review
If you enjoyed this episode, please leave a 5-star review here and tell us who you want to see on the next podcast.You can also Tweet Alex from Scrimba at @bookercodes and tell them what lessons you learned from the episode so that he can thank you personally for tuning in 🙏 Or tell Jan he's butchered your name here.