How to Build the Best Github Profile for Your Job Search

Mar 04, 2022 by Lane Wagner

I’ve reviewed a lot of resumes, both as an engineering manager and in the monthly resume workshops we do in the Boot.dev Discord group. I’m convinced that these days a developer’s Github profile is just as important as their resume itself. If you haven’t started your first job yet, this advice is doubly important. Anyone looking to hire an entry-level developer is going to be diving into your public Github presence looking to get an idea for where your skill level is at.

Coding Interviews - Why you shouldn’t give homework

Nov 18, 2021 by Lane Wagner

A while back I went through the interview process at a company I won’t name here. The first interview was basically just a phone screen, where I was able to chat with my would-be manager about things like compensation range, tech stack, work duties, etc. It went well! The guy was delightful. I moved on to a second interview, which was a live coding session that lasted 1 hour where I completed two technical problems.

Is a Coding Bootcamp Worth It Compared to a Computer Science Degree?

Mar 29, 2021 by Zulie Rane

When you’re in a position of wondering, “Is a coding bootcamp worth it?” you should look at several factors. Coding bootcamp costs, on average, around $13,000. This holds true no matter if you choose to attend coding bootcamp in person or online, though there’s a lot of variance in how much coding bootcamp costs, ranging from $3,000 to $20,000 depending on the language, the length, and who’s running it. You should also look at alternatives.

Can You Get a Programming Job with Just an Associate’s Degree?

Mar 22, 2021 by Lane Wagner

Changing majors is a tale as old as time. A degree that would normally require four years to complete can quickly turn into a more expensive endeavor that takes five or six years for a student that can’t decide what they want to study. The interesting thing about programming jobs is that they don’t require a degree at all, but if you at least complete an associate’s degree, you’ll have a better chance of landing that first job.

Where Can You Get a Programming Certificate Online?

Mar 14, 2021 by Zulie Rane

There are two main options to get a programming certificate online - online courses and universities. There are two ways to get a programming certificate online - universities and online courses. In the simplest possible terms, a programming certificate is something that lets you walk up to an employer and say, “Hello, yes, I know how to SQL. Here’s a piece of paper that proves it. You should hire me.”

The Two Classes of Software Engineer

Mar 05, 2021 by Lane Wagner

“Software engineer” has become a ubiquitous term for people who write, deploy, architect, or sometimes even simply test code. In reality, I think there are two classes of “software engineers”; those who understand computer science well enough to do challenging, innovative work, and those who just get by because they’re familiar with a few high-level tools. The laziness with which the tech industry has adopted the term “software engineer” has made it harder for us to distinguish between the two.

7 Ways for Beginner Coders to Monetize Programming Blogs

Feb 26, 2021 by Lane Wagner

Why shouldn’t your hobby earn you money? Programming is a very lucrative skill to have, whether as a professional career, a freelance gig, or even just a hobby. For programmers who know how, there’s a real opportunity to turn their knowledge and expertise into cold hard cash. When you combine the ability to program or code with the ability to write in a way that resonates with an audience, that’s a jackpot.

Top 8 Tricks to Learn Coding Fast

Feb 22, 2021 by Lane Wagner

The journey to becoming a gainfully employed software engineer can feel long. The good news is, you can learn smarter not harder. Apply these eight tricks and you’ll be learning to program a lot faster than the average bear. 1. There are no shortcuts. Learn the basics first There are so many coding boot camps, crash courses, and YouTube videos making huge promises that they can teach you how to code and land you a job in just a few short weeks.

What Do Computer Scientists Do?

Feb 17, 2021 by Lane Wagner

At work, computer scientists build and deploy programs, algorithms, and systems to solve real-world problems. In most tech jobs, they spend the majority of their time working in teams on new software products. Some computer scientists are more research-oriented however, and may spend time developing new algorithms or pushing the boundaries of what academia knows about certain CS questions. It’s important to understand that most students with a computer science degree become developers or software engineers.

Is There a Case for Programmers to Unionize?

Feb 15, 2021 by Lane Wagner

I’ve seen a lot of buzz recently about software developers wanting to form unions. I’m particularly interested in this topic while I’m #indiehacking boot.dev, where my goal is to provide a free-to-audit university-quality CS education. I also want to point out that at the time of writing I’m a full-time software developer working for a separate company (not boot.dev). I’m not a manager and boot.dev is just a side-project. As of right now, I’m pretty sure I’m a member of the proletariat.