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Jamison Dance

Industry Speaker Interview

What is your role in the Javascript community/Current job and what are your primary responsibilities?

I started the JavaScript Jabber podcast in 2012. I help run the Utah Valley UtahJS meetup. I co-organize React Rally, a community React.js conference in Salt Lake City. I do the Soft Skills Engineering podcast (https://softskills.audio) with Dave Smith, a rad human being. A common theme in all this stuff is I enjoy giving people a platform to share what they’re excited about and helping others learn from excited people.

I run a consulting company called Fivestack (https://fivestack.computer) which specializes in early stage startups and people problems. My primary responsibilities at Fivestack are feeling guilty about never updating the website and applying the bogosort algorithm to our emails but sometimes I also write code.

What was your background before?

I studied computer science with an emphasis in bioinformatics in college. Before that I was a gentleman of ill repute.

Does culture play a vital role in choosing your employment?

Yes? I work for myself so I make my own culture to some extent. Culture in this case is more about habits and taking care of myself. How I’m feeling has a huge effect on my work, so it is something I think about a lot.

If I were to take a full-time job culture would be a big deal, but I’m not sure you’d find anyone who would say they didn’t care about culture. I value kind people, small egos, and fun problems. It turns out fun problems are everywhere!

What makes you excited about programming?

Lots of things! Creating something out of nothing is what drew me to programming in the first place. Figuring out a new skill or framework or bug is intoxicating. Functional programming has been a fun puzzle to dive in to for the last few years, and I’m sure there are more puzzles ahead of me.

I’m most excited about how people come together to build things, and programming is a lens to explore that.

What do you like to do in your free time while not coding?

I actually don’t code very much in my free time. I read, exercise, play videogames, snowboard in the winter, hang with my family, and compulsively check Twitter.

A few months ago I started playing D & D with a group of people from UtahJS, and it is an outrageous amount of fun.

[devpointlabs]

What I Learned About Grit and Success at DevPoint Labs

We talk to many individuals who want to learn to code and start a career in web development or UX design. These conversations typically follow a pattern. We talk about our curriculum, the learning format, our activities, what students can build, and what career services we offer. The bottom line: do we provide our students with what they will need to succeed? Some students define success as learning how to become a competent and productive web developer. This is what leads to a happy and fulfilling career. However, during these conversations, we try to guide them into discussions about grit and their willingness to work hard and succeed.

So, what is grit? Merriam-Webster defines grit as; firmness of mind or spirit: unyielding courage in the face of hardship or danger. In the context of a coding bootcamp like DevPoint Labs, we would define grit as; an unparalleled work ethic with focus on long term goals paired with an eternal passion of learning and curiosity.bootcamp like DevPoint Labs, we would define grit as; an unparalleled work ethic with focus on long term goals paired with an eternal passion of learning and curiosity.

Grit is the great equalizer that levels the playing field for all. Grit is the underdog that throws the game winning touchdown. We would love to believe that we have some “secret sauce” for success, but I think we only provide half of the ingredients for said sauce. The real secret to succeeding at DevPoint Labs is all about grit. It is the vital ingredient our students need to bring to the table, so we can make that secret sauce together as a team and community. I would argue it’s the single most important indicator for success in our course.

We have personally observed the success of many of our students who have exemplified grit and what it embodies. It’s not about who is the most talented in class, or who came in with the most coding experience. It’s not the best note-taker, fastest learner, the person who types the fastest, or talks the most. I think you get my point.

More often than not the student with the most experience and most talent rarely end up being the top student in the class. Every so often we run into these experienced know-it-all students who come in with bad coding habits and are not humble enough to grow where they need it most. The students who will do whatever it takes end up being the top performers. These individuals stay late and come early. They go to meet-ups and finish our extra credit assignments. They typically have little to no prior experience, but what they do have is grit. They can even be slow to pick things up and struggle until graduation, but through perseverance and hard work, they have all succeeded in landing that web development job. To be candid (and I’m ashamed to have thought this) I’ve had my doubts about a couple of these students, and wrongly assumed they wouldn’t be successful in this field. Boy, was I wrong and I’m happy to admit it! They showed me an unwavering desire to keep pushing through and constantly try harder. They refuse to quit, and they become great examples that anyone can do this if they want it bad enough.

To be clear, we don’t ever give up on a student! We will stay late with them and use everything in our tool belt to help them succeed. It’s our responsibility and part of what we have to offer, but the student’s attitude and motivation is the most important key to success.

Grit is Contagious

In the four years of educating we have seen a wide variety of individual personalities and classroom politics. This makes every cohort different and special with quirks and kinks, for better or worse. There have been a few special occasions where an entire cohort has grit. It’s very remarkable to see this happen and something I’m grateful to have been part of. This occurs when the majority of students are humble, hungry, and feel a responsibility to look after their fellow peers. Suddenly, everyone in the class wants to work hard and help each other. When we all stay late, nobody wants to be the one to leave class first, and we as educators catch the grit bug and grind through those after-office hours to go the extra mile and pursue success.

The Struggle is Real

The reality is — not everyone has it. Whether the grit debate is nature or nurture we do our best to nurture each cohort of students to have grit. So, what do we focus on to embrace it? First, having empathy and letting your guard down opens the door for other characteristics to flourish. By leaving your ego at the door, it allows you to be receptive to what we teach and care for not only yourself, but your peers. If someone is struggling with a concept, but you understand it, why not share your knowledge? Teaching someone else forces you to truly understand something and reveals any gaps in what you think you know. This is why teaching yields some of the most fruitful progression in learning.

Next, we try to embrace the struggle. Better yet, stop beating yourself up for failing. We have a poster in class that says. “Coding is hard. You’re not stupid. Move Forward.”

You’re likely going to fail 50 times in a day between errors, merge conflicts, or bugs. Know that continually being frustrated and confused is part of the process, so the only logical thing to do is accept it, do your best to learn from it and move on.

Showing up is half of the battle day in and day out, because “It’s the daily grind that sharpens the axe. (Jocko Willinks)”

Don’t give up. Persevere until the end. Stay late to build and rebuild the same project with deliberate practice. Constant learning is asking why things work the way they do to understand what you’re practicing. I believe a focus on the macro and micro level here is important when you’re in the trenches. On the macro level, you need to remind yourself what your goals are. Why are you working toward it? What is your end goal and why is it worth it?Your mindset here should be a marathon and not a sprint. On the micro level, we need to create small attainable goals daily, and celebrate those small achievements. By the end of the day, you can allow your mind to be at ease with what you have accomplished despite your daily failures.

Powering Through Low Moments

Grit can be a roller coaster with emotional highs and lows. As educators, it’s our job to create the confidence and optimism needed to succeed and learn. Without fail by week three and four the students confidence have essentially been beaten out of them. At times students may experience moderate to extreme self-doubt. This is where we rally the troops to give that needed pep talk. Many times we invite alumni as guest speakers to share their experience, and how they endured until the end.

Sometimes it’s just a matter of blowing off some steam with your fellow peers. One of our favorite DPL activities is the Bowling Classic. It’s staff versus students and if the students win we throw a big pizza party. If the staff wins we threaten them by scrubbing the classroom floor, but we’re all bark and no bite and sometimes throw a pizza party anyways.

Other low moments that we see in class is envy and impostor syndrome. This kind of thinking can poison the mind and sap any motivation that’s left in the tank. This is a topic that I want to focus on in a follow-up post, but what I will mention is we can use these feeling as tools to achieve our long-term goals. We all have our own unique experiences and challenges. Not everyone learns the same way or has the same context for a given lesson and theory. Stop comparing yourself to others so we can focus your energy on what makes you productive.

Lastly, by keeping a close eye on each student. We know when to step in and coach them through these low moments to keep a focus on what matters most. Having graduated many cohorts, we’re confident in our processes and encourage students to have faith in the process, too.

What I have learned about grit is it can be a powerful tool to create your version of success and a happy life. Use it wisely and know that you don’t always have to blaze the trail alone. Stay humble, hungry for knowledge, and remember to have some fun.

Chow.

[devpointlabs]

Developer Spotlight: James Thompson @ MAVENLINK

James is a software engineer who has worked with web technologies since 2003. He got started programming in elementary school in the early 90’s. He also serves as a lay pastor, overseeing educational ministries, for the First Baptist Church of Provo. He completed a BA in Christian Ministry from the New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary in 2006, the same year he started specializing in Ruby and Rails development.

Q&A

What is Mavenlink?

Mavenlink is a Software-as-a-Service company aiming to change the way professional service organizations run their business. We are building a new class of project management, business intelligence, and resource planning tools specifically tailored to the needs of the professional services industry. Our solutions help the companies we serve better understand, grow, and otherwise improve their businesses.

What is your role at Mavenlink and what are your primary responsibilities?

I started at Mavenlink in October of 2015 as a Software Engineering Team Lead. In that role I helped establish our Salt Lake City engineering office with just myself and one other engineer by providing local insight and initial community engagement to help grow our team to nearly a dozen team members; including hires in the areas of Quality Assurance, Product Management, and User Experience. I also provided leadership for our first fully local SLC engineering team to establish sound agile practices within the company’s existing process goals and expectations. Today I have moved into the a role as a Principal Software Engineer. My focus is more purely technical, although as a senior team member I’m responsible to lead by example when it comes to the practices and processes that make our teams more effective. This means I spend my days engaged in pair programming, and normal development work. But, I also invest time identifying ways to teach other team members how to improve their effectiveness, and provide higher level technical leadership around architectural decision-making.

What was your background before you joined Mavenlink?

Before coming to Mavenlink I worked with smaller teams, and sometimes on my own, developing back office and other business utility software for small and medium sized companies. I have a lot of experience with content management and ecommerce software systems, as well as IT systems automation and service providing. I spent several years working as an independent contractor for companies like the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Foundation and Ligonier Ministries. Given my educational background all my development skills have been self-taught, and all of my professional growth and development has come through consistent investment in myself and my own skill development.

As a software developer, what did you first think about coding bootcamps and what stood out about DevPoint Labs?

I only became aware of developer bootcamps about three years ago when I started working at a company who had previously hired a DevPoint graduate. In the years since, I’ve had the opportunity to work with several others from bootcamp backgrounds; including numerous at Mavenlink. I think bootcamps meet a current market need for software developers, but the real value of a team member for any company is defined by an individual's personal ambition, love of learning, and commitment to on-going growth and development. DevPoint does a good job getting talented individuals started in a good direction, but no education can give someone the right attitude, focus, and drive they need to be successful in the long-term.

How does Mavenlinks’ culture differ from other tech companies culture?

One of our most distinctive cultural features is we are highly collaborative. Lots of companies will say the very same thing, but we take things to a totally different level because of our commitment to the principles and practices of Extreme Programming. Pair programming is the normal way we develop our software, and I can tell you from over a decade of experience that makes us very different. Most companies might let their teams dabble in pair programming, but we do it every day both in person, and remotely. And, we also rotate engineers between pairs on a frequent basis, and between teams regularly to help break down knowledge silos and encourage everyone to be constantly and consistently learning.

What makes you excited about programming?

It is an industry cliche, but I like solving problems. Scott Adams, the creator of the Dilbert comic, once stated that “[e]ngineers like to solve problems. If there are no problems handily available, they will create their own problems.” I tend to get excited about two things as a software engineer: exploring hard problems and finding interesting solutions. Ask some of my coworkers about me and metaprogramming with Ruby and you will likely get at least a few amused smirks, chuckles, or interesting stories. I’m somewhat known by colleagues for being able to do things with Ruby that are at the same times clever and insanely bad in practice. I will, at times, offer convoluted, but entirely effective, programming solutions for the sheer amusement of seeing my pair fumble through understanding code that works but has no business ever being committed for production use.

What do you like to do on your free time and not coding?

I spend a good bit of my free time programming, not as much as I used to; but still a good deal. When I’m not programming I will often read about programming, or programming-related topics. I collect books and have first editions of a number of classic programming works like “Compilers: Principles, Techniques, and Tools;” “The Art of Prolog;” and “Programming Systems and Languages.” I also collect and read comics and books on numerous other topics; including christian history and theology. I also enjoy cooking a lot and always enjoy when the weather gets above fifty degrees and allows me to reliably use my wood-fired smoker to prepare pork, brisket, sausage, lamb, and the occasional prime rib roast.

Come meet James & hear him as the keynote speaker at our upcoming Launch Day. RSVP Here. 

[devpointlabs]

DevPoint Labs Launches Unique Partnership with U of U Professional Education

DevPoint Labs launches a unique partnership with University of Utah Professional Education. (PR) 

U of U ProEd Web Development Program

DevPoint Labs, the first coding school and highest rated program in Utah, has now partnered with University of Utah Professional Education to launch a full-time 11 week web development program. The course will provide adults looking to change careers with web development skills from the most affordable program in the nation.

In today’s digital economy, coding skills are the most demanded across all types of careers and professions. Forbes & LinkedIn noted that web development skills of full-stack developers dominate the pay scale and employer desirability. DevPoint Labs has empowered hundreds with skills in Javascript, Ruby on Rails, HTML, CSS and backend data management since its inception in 2013. Silicon Slopes is a hotbed for technology companies with increased demand for highly-skilled tech workers.

“We are excited to announce a partnership with University of Utah’s Professional Education department that will provide more opportunities for people to transition into a rewarding tech career,” said Nhi Doan, Founder of DevPoint Labs. “Our mission from the start has always focused on helping people transition into technology careers through our accelerated training led by industry experts. With this partnership, we are able to lower the cost of the program so that more people can have the opportunity to transition into a tech career. We are fortunate to work with the largest provider of higher education in the state and help fill the skills gap.”

The University of Utah Professional Education Web Development Program, powered by DevPoint Labs, offers intensive full-time training. The curriculum will cover basic programming principles and extensive bootcamp training in full-stack Ruby on Rails, Javascript, ReactJS, HTML, CSS, jQuery, Postgres and more. Career services are also provided for students to get a leg up in preparing for a career in web development, like resume building, projects portfolio and mock interviews. The program leverages DevPoint Labs’ expert instructors who have extensive knowledge and experience working in the field. The program will utilize DevPoint Labs’ vast alumni network and connections with Utah’s most prominent tech companies. The program will cost is $9,995 and will launch on May 15th, 2017 at the University of Utah Sandy Center (10011 Centennial Pkwy #100, Sandy, UT 84070).

“We are excited to partner with DevPoint Labs to bring our students top-tier coding and comprehensive web development training.  Key principals within the DevPoint management structure are University of Utah graduates; we are proud to work with them to grow their excellent products and nurture their ideas, which began to take shape while they were attending the University.  We are especially excited to offer their full-time, intensive program—with its career changing potential—to our professional student base!”  - Dr. Denis R. Petersen, PMP, Director, University of Utah Professional Education

About DevPoint Labs: DevPoint Labs is Utah’s premier provider of technology accelerated training programs in Web Development, UX Design, and Data Analytics. Led by industry expert and small classes, the focus is to arm and empower students with technology skills that are career focused.

Sources: https://devpointlabs.continue.utah.edu/

(https://www.coursereport.com/schools/devpoint-labs) - Student Reviews on Course Report. 

(Forbes & LinkedIn) - High demand jobs in tech. #Javascript #LearnToCode #developer #JobsInTech 

[devpointlabs]

CSS Tutorial: Understanding and Using the Grid System

CSS frameworks are great if you are just starting out. While learning CSS you might feel frustrated with trying to move your <div> around to the place you want it to stay. Luckily for us, we are able to use some CSS frameworks that give us the grid system. 

What are some CSS frameworks we can use?

Before we get into the grid system here is a list of CSS frameworks that give us the grid system:

• Bootstrap

• Materialize

• Skeleton

Materialize is my personal favorite. It gives me the grid system and more styling options for my HTML. I will be using its documentation to show you some examples of how to use the grid system. 

What is the grid system?

The grid system gives us 12 columns that will always be equal to each other no matter the size of the browser. Before we specify how many columns we want we want to wrap our code in a <div> with a class of ‘row’.

The advantages here is that you can specify how many columns a <div> may have. So let’s say you want to have 3 columns for your website to make it nice and pretty like this.

Well for each one of those columns you would specify the columns to equal 4 since 12 columns / 3 = 4 columns, so on the browser, they would only take up that amount. Take a look at the 12-column grid above the picture, you would notice that each content section takes up 4 columns. Instead of wrestling with your own CSS to try and even out your columns you can use a CSS framework to give you the grid system and make styling easier. Below is the source code to create it. 

Notice that the wrapping <div> has a class of ‘row’. Within that <div> there are other <div> that have the class of ‘col s4 m4 l4′. Do not worry about what the letter in front of the 4 means yet, but focus on 4. Each one of these <div> with a ‘col 4′ means it will take 4 of the 12 columns available to it. 

Responsiveness

Another advantage of using the grid is responsiveness to the browser size. When creating websites we must think of the user first. What if the user is on mobile or a tablet? Their screen will affect how your website will look. The grid system solves the problem of different screen sizes. Now let’s get back to the <div> with the class ‘col s12 m4 l4′. The ‘s’, ‘m’, and ‘i’ is referring to the size of the screen. So ‘s’ is small, ‘m’ is medium, and ‘l’ is large. If it’s on a small screen it will take all 12 columns, 4 columns on medium, and 4 columns on large. A small screen would be considered mobile phones, medium would be for tablets, and large would be a desktop size screen. Being able to specify how big you want your content depending on the size of the user’s screen will greatly improve your website accessibility. 

Here at DevPoint Labs, we emulate a real dev environment that allows for students to learn and apply new technologies to help them become great developers. Our full-time and part-time web development courses are taught by actual developers that are entrenched in the community; giving you great feedback on what is current and marketable. To learn more about our courses, visit us at DevPointLabs.com.

[devpointlabs]

Developer Spotlight: B. Holt

Intro

Brian Holt is an American soccer player who currently plays for New York Cosmos in the North American Soccer League. Brian has also graduated from the Juilliard School of Culinary Arts, takes part in Civil War reenactments, and is the only male to ever be named Miss South Davis County.

In addition to his penchant for making 💩 up, Brian is a senior UI engineer at Netflix where he works on the signup and payment processes. Previous to Netflix he also worked at Reddit, Needle, and KSL. He also done some workshops for Pluralsight and Frontend Masters and is a regular panelist on Front End Happy Hour Brian is a native of Salt Lake City who currently resides in San Francisco.

Q&A

What is your role at Netflix and what are your primary responsibilities?

I work mainly in two areas: client side development and “middle-end” development. The client code is all written in React and CSS and is pre-rendered on the server before it’s sent down. I focus on the non-member home page (the page you hit if you go to netflix.com not as a member) and the sign up process. The “middle-end” is a Node server that gathers all the requisite information from our various microservices, provides that data to React, server-side renders it, and responds to the request.

What was your background before you joined Netflix?

I used to work for the Reddit office that was in Salt Lake City. Many people don’t know that Reddit had a Salt Lake office and they don’t anymore. I was the director of marketplace front-end development before they moved me to work on Reddit’s new mobile web site.

Before Reddit I worked at a startup in Bluffdale called Needle and before that I worked on KSL Classifieds and KSL Cars.

As a software developer, what did you first think about coding bootcamps and what stood out about DevPoint Labs?

Dev bootcamps are definitely needed and a worthwhile investment for those looking to enter the field of product engineering. I wish they had been around when I was getting started. Right now there’s still a shortage of people who can come into a company and just start making features, a position that a dev bootcamp will quickly equip you to do. A dev bootcamp is going to equip you with the vocabulary and minimum working knowledge needed for you to learn to solve any problem that product engineering will throw at you.

In particular what impressed me about DevPoint Labs are the leaders: Nhi, Ty, and Will. Here are three guys who aren’t trying to rip you off but legitimately working to give you the best chance at learning and excelling in the field. There are plenty of dev bootcamps out there content to take your money and then leave to fend for yourself; with DPL you’re as much paying for the education as you are for network it’s going to get you.

How does Netflix culture differ from other tech companies culture?

Netflix espouses the mantra of “Freedom and Responsibility.”  You are free to do whatever you see best but you are also responsible for your actions. In practice it means Netflix treats us like adults. You can spend company money on whatever you think is best but make sure it’s a good idea first. I really enjoy that aspect of Netflix because it means there’s very little process and we’re free to just go and do the things we need to get our jobs done the best way we know how.

What makes you excited about programming?

The infinite expanse of things I can learn. I only know a very, very tiny of piece of what’s possible with programming and I’m learning more and more every day. These days I’m digging further into functional and functional reactive programming and it’s proving to totally alter the way I view programming. Never stop learning!

What do you like to do on your free time and not coding?

Travel! Travel is definitely my most favorite thing to do when I have the time and resources to do so. In the past two years my wife and I have visited Poland, Iceland, Italy, China, Australia, and New Zealand in addition to all of our domestic travels. Beyond that, you can probably find me parked in front of my TV watching Stranger Things or getting my butt handed to me at Overwatch.

Brian will also be the main guest speaker at Launch Day Fall 2016 coming up on Thursday October 13th, 2016. More information on the event and RSVP here. 

[devpointlabs]

Alumni Takeover With Tasha Johnson

My journey to becoming a developer was unexpected, to say the least. My dad is a doctor and I always expected that I would do something similar. 

The idea of anything remotely computer related never crossed my mind! Following my father’s footsteps in the medical field, I went ahead and got my nursing degree. For me, there wasn’t much to think about. My dad had always provided a great example to me of how life should be. He was always happy. He served others and it was something to want in life. 

MY OWN PATH

I enjoyed being a nurse, much like my father enjoyed being a doctor. Then something changed. I married a wonderful man and have been blessed with two children that I love dearly. I was juggling work and had to choose between spending time with my family or resting. What I wanted the most was to be with my family and see them grow. Slowly, I realized that the medical field provided more stress than joy for me. 

I took a brief hiatus from being a nurse. I wanted to spend time with my family and friends. Then, a good friend of mine invited me to a technology workshop aimed at women. This was something computer-related. It was not my cup of tea, so I was surprised by how much I loved it! For me, this was it. It was something that I could be passionate about and share with my family without taking time away from them. I was en route to becoming a developer! 

THE MORE YOU KNOW

I have been soaking in as much coding knowledge as I possibly can from books and online code schools like Codecademy. The more I learned the more I wanted to know, but the independent study of something that technical for a beginner level was difficult. I needed some mentorship and time to really get into the heat of things. What I needed was hands-on help that I would not get on my own. 

“The ability to exercise my creative thinking and problem solving skills is refreshing and empowering.”

My friend recommended looking into a boot camp. She was a graduate of DevPoint Labs and encouraged me to seek out the mentorship that I needed. She was in the same position I was not long ago. Her encouragement and friendship, the high praise she sang of the program at DevPoint Labs got me excited. 

BEST DECISION EVER

After consulting and doing much research, I applied for the After Hours JavaScript course. It was scary, but is one of the best decisions I have ever made! I just completed the course. I created a project with my group that I am very proud of and I realized that this was my path. The ability to exercise my creative thinking and problem-solving skills is refreshing and empowering. I feel that although I am very new to this world of code and development I identify with being a web developer more than I ever did as a nurse. I feel like I have found my niche and it feels like home. 

[devpointlabs]

Why DevPoint Labs Coding School Offers Free Housing

Love coding? Check √. Apply to coding boot camps? Check √. Received acceptance letter? Check √. Now where do I find room and board? Here at DevPoint Labs we know what it’s like for students to press pause on your life to achieve what many deem impossible. We know you can reinvent yourself and career into software development in as little as three to six months.  

We’re in an exciting and fortunate position to watch our students reinvent themselves every quarter. It’s beautiful and motivating to say the least, however it comes with a lot of stress  and hard work (even before class begins). This is why we’re one of the few coding schools to offer free student housing. Easing the burden that comes with a big commitment like this. 

I have been in your shoes. Once upon a time in the beginning of 2013 I embarked on this journey to The Starter League in Chicago. The school that created this movement of coding boot camps. I didn’t know anything about Chicago (besides Scruff McGruff’s address) or what the neighborhoods were like and where to live. I had to rely on photos online to decide if this is where I would call home. Fortunately I was able to connect with a classmate (now a good friend) and rent a room from his uncle. It was an empty home so it was still less than ideal, but I didn’t care. I knew I could do anything for three months.   

My story is exactly what we don’t want our students to go through. We want students to focus on what is important like studying the prep work and ensure you start day one with a solid foundation. Not scrambling to find roommates to help pay for rent or what neighborhoods to live in. We will take care of housing if you take care of owning your education. 

For detailed information about the DevHouse go to our site here.

Let’s hear from Brian Phelps who is currently living in the DevHouse taking the Fall Cohort 2016 After Hours JavaScript class. Brian is an East Coast kid that calls Connecticut home. In his downtime you can find him running around online playing Counter Strike.

So what has it been like living in the DevHouse? “Living in the DevHouse has been great! It’s only a few blocks from the campus and a lot is provided here. I only need to buy groceries, everything else is provided.” What is it like traveling to and from the campus? “Traveling to campus is only a few minute walk, which isn’t bad at all.”  Did you have a private or shared room? “My roommate and I share a room, and it’s been pretty sound.” Was housing a deciding factor for you? “The DevHouse was definitely a deciding factor for me coming out-of-state; and not having a place to stay otherwise.”

[devpointlabs]

To Get that Programming Job, You Need More Than Coding.

My visit at a programming bootcamp

Coding bootcamp students need to bring together their skills.

Not too long ago, I visited a coding bootcamp where I was asked to speak about networking. These bootcamps are intense. My friend running the program told me that being in the class is like having a full-time job. They learn the ins and outs programming, jargon that I am familiar with, but don’t fully understand, so I gave them advice on what I know best- networking.

So they’ve been learning how to set up virtual environments, unit testing, and all things JavaScript. It’s exciting, but it is important to remember that your networking and coding skills make a great 1-2 punch.

Maximize Your LinkedIn

Nothing says professional network better than LinkedIn. Make sure that you have a professional photo that screams out your desire to join the community (so no pictures where we have to figure out which one you are). This is where hiring managers, recruiters, and everyone involved in bringing in new talent to a company are looking.

There’s more to be found on that subject inside the Hirevue blog.

That Killer Resume

People say that the resume is dead. Whatever you decide to believe in, it is always good to have one handy. Your bootcamp should be providing you with help on how to create resumes tailored to positions that you find interesting. If not, find someone to tutor you on creating that resume. There are many places online, at your local library, or this podcast to help you get started.

Pro Tip: If you decide to use a template, don’t be locked in the areas/fields that they tell you to fill. Write everything down and brainstorm for your first draft.

Be With the Community

The tech community is filled with vast resources and people that are ready and willing to help someone that genuinely wants to make programming a career. User groups are everywhere and attendance in them help you get to know people on a more personal level. Most user groups set aside time for people to mingle and talk about opportunities that are available in their respective companies. People like working with their friends and becoming their friend might just pave the way for that dream job.

Last Advice

Coding skills, people skills, all these come together to help you sell yourself. Gain those skills and be confident in all that you do!

Gabe Villamizar is the Director of Social Selling at Hirevue. Villamizar has five years of related work experience in social selling lead generation, social media marketing and online marketing strategy in the SaaS B2B industry. He has extensive multi-cultural experience with the ability to develop and implement new SaaS social marketing tactics to build strong B2B relationships and generate targeted leads. Villamizar is well known for the ability to think creatively, adapt quickly, and take on a leadership role.

[devpointlabs]

The Calm Before the Storm

Author: Instructor Konrad The dust has barely settled from the summer 2015 DevPoint Labs Full Stack and Front End cohorts. We are feeling the feelings of empty nest syndrome. It's amazing how well you can get to know people in eleven weeks. While it has been sad for us to see the students go, we are excited about the possibilities that lie before them in their new careers and pursuits (several of the students have already acquired jobs or internships!).   

The best part of saying goodbye to one cohort is that it's the precursor to welcoming the next batch of soon-to-be web developers into our lives. In one week, we will begin the fall cohorts. Nearly 30 new students will be spending hours and hours every week in our classroom typing their precious little fingers down to the bone in order to pursue their dream careers. How exciting!    

To all of you new students out there that may be reading this, I look forward to meeting you and can't wait to see what you are capable of. I assume you are all extremely busy right now cranking through the prep work. (Hopefully most of you are going above and beyond the expectations of the prep work.) You should expect a test on day one to see how well you comprehended the prep work. I can't stress enough how important it is to be prepared to hit the ground running. And work on your typing speed and accuracy! I don't want to see any hunting and pecking.    

The calm is now upon us. We've spent this ephemeral calm waxing the floors and polishing our curriculum. The next storm is coming. We are ready.

[devpointlabs]

Things to Consider When Joining a Programming Bootcamp

Author: Sir William Liang

Thinking about taking the leap and joining a programming bootcamp? Well here are some things to prepare and think about before taking the leap and joining DevPoint Labs or any other coding bootcamp.

Programming needs to be your #1 Priority for 11 Weeks. They say the best way to learn a language is to immerse yourself into the language. Programming is no different. If you want to be a great programmer, you need to put in the work to become one. So whether it be your spouse, children, pets etc… Let them know and plan to be away from home for most of the day, and with the time you do have at home, you should be spending at least 2 hours studying after class as well. You have 11 weeks to start or pivot into your new career, make it your #1 priority to do so.

The Better You Type, The Easier the Course Will Be You may think you’re a typing wizard, but you’ve never seen a senior developer code. Programming Bootcamps go by fast and so do the instructors typing. I believe that you should have a 60-80 wpm to really keep up to speed.

Want to test out your typing speed? Test your skills here.

Programming is HARD… So Work With Your Own Rhythm, Not Against It. Everybody learns differently. Some are book learners, others take a more visual approach towards learning. The time it will take you to learn a concept may take longer (or even shorter) than others. Don’t compare yourself with everyone else in class. Everyone has their own pace, so work with your own rhythm. If you know one particular concept is hard for you, it may take you longer than another to start implementing that code into your projects. What is important isn’t that you memorized every single line of syntax. It’s more important to know why you are doing it that way or the theory behind the code. Remember… Programming is HARD. It will take time, effort and a lot of headaches to get through the course. Realize that this might be one of the toughest tasks you’ve had to embark on but I promise you this. If you put in the time and effort, it will also be one of the most rewarding journeys as well.

Schedule Time-boxes If we could just drop everything in our lives and learn to program 24/7. Everybody would be able to be a programmer. But we don’t, we have families, responsibilities and things to do on a daily basis. Schedule your time out to get things done and try your best to stick to that schedule. Things will pop up and alter your plans, but as long as you try your best to make time to study among other things, you will be less stressed about forgetting things or not putting enough time into the course.

Know your own strengths and weaknesses. You don’t have to be an expert at everything(no one is), but clearly understanding what you do know and what you don’t know is beneficial. Work hard on the things you’re good at, work harder on the things you’re not.

Take Breaks When you have been staring at the same code for the past hour and don’t know why it isn’t working, take a break! Clear your mind or do something fun for 10-15 min. Forget about solving the error for a bit and come back to it. You’ll be surprised at how taking a break and coming back can help recharge the mind.

Bootcamps are a journey with plenty of ups and downs. If you are ready to take the leap, (have the right attitude & motivation), put in the effort and commit yourself to doing everything in your power to become a programmer. With our community and support, we have no doubt that you will succeed.

[devpointlabs]

The Real Programming Truth: Myths Debunked

Computer-related professions rank high in “top jobs” for 2013 according to sites such as money.usnews.com, forbes.com, and yahoo.com. Jobs in web and software development command an average annual salary of $90,000 in the U.S. with with predictions by the Bureau of Labor Statistics that 140,000 brand new positions will be created by 2022.

While job security, stable income and employment opportunities may be sufficient reasons to build a solid foundation in web development and services, we want to dive further into the importance of technological growth and debunk some myths while we’re at it.

Myth # 1: Programming is for Geeks, Nerds and Geniuses

As with any talent or skill you want  to master, coding requires time, patience and effort. You aren’t magically going to become a computer genius overnight, but you will become a better programmer the more time you put in. Based on Malcolm Gladwell’s book Outliers: The Story of Success “to become an expert in a field of study, it merely takes 10,000 hour of focus and practice on the topic at hand.” How about you couple that philosophy with a coding bootcamp to help accelerate your expertise? Time and talent go hand in hand and after the first couple of hours everyone is on the same playing field.

Myth # 2: Programming is Boring

Think about some of your interests, whether its food, hobbies, music, traveling or exercise. How do you research more about what you like, connect with that community or find that restaurant with a delicious, perfectly baked chocolate soufflé? Most likely, you’ll need to connect to the web for more information. Programming is everywhere and it affects our daily interaction with our friends, family and peers. When was the last time you opened Facebook, browsed the REI or Backcountry websites, or checked out your cart on Amazon? Programming is dynamic and it allows us to connect with the rest of the world. Room for creativity is endless, so don’t let that keep you from learning.

Myth # 3: It’s Just Not for Me

Refer to myth #2.

Myth # 4: Learning (“insert name of language”) will not be useful because if I want to work here they use (“insert name of another language”)

Everyone needs to starts somewhere. At DevPoint Labs, we teach Ruby on Rails, brush up your skills in HTML and CSS, and introduce you to Javascript. With a good foundation in one language, many go on to learn other programming languages in a matter of years. For example if you talk to senior level developers and they say that they program in Python, they could pick up Ruby easily once they learn the difference in syntax. That’s possible with any language you pick as your foundation. We teach Ruby because of its demand in the marketplace, its readability, and powerful syntax. Programming can be for anyone! 

[devpointlabs]

Student Spotlight: Jason Carter

“Their pork dumplings can only be described as bite sized explosions of savory soupy goodness,” says student spotlight star of the week Jason Carter when talking about his best meal at Din Tai Fung in Washington. And what’s a better way to enjoy that soupy goodness than in the midst of Seattle rain? Jason has lived in a number of cities but can only truly call Seattle home-  from the rain, the trees, the coffee, the liberal-indie-techie culture to now their newfound sports dominance (go Seahawks!)- Seattle has all bases covered.

    After attending a traditional college and being unsatisfied with the culture and the curriculum, Jason jumped on the opportunity to attend the local DevPoint Labs after eyeing a number of developer bootcamps. Jason had some exposure in web development  when updating a company’s WordPress site, but not to the extent of DevPoint Labs. Jason says DevPoint Labs’ curriculum goes above and beyond his hopes and expectations. In his free time, Jason likes to peruse Reddit because there’s a subreddit for any interests out there. His are /r/learnprogramming, /r/futurology, and /r/firstworldanarchists.

    Entrepreneurship shows no boundaries. Back in grade school when Jason took care of caterpillars, he resold ownership for his caterpillar three times! Creative minds start young. We’re excited to have witnessed the incredible  growth, creativity and knowledge that all of the students have acquired over the past 8 weeks.

With his eye on the future of tech, Jason would be incredibly disappointed if there was only 3 days left on earth, but he’d want to go out with a bang and experience weightlessness in a zero g plane quickly followed by a skydive out the exit. Jason plans on landing a developer job after graduation and possibly starting up a business on the side. To future students and aspiring coders, Jason says the best solution is to “Google it. There’s a wealth of knowledge on the internet to help you if you look for it.”

[devpointlabs]

DevPoint Labs: Winter Launch Day 2014

DevPoint Lab’s winter class’s graduation day, or as we call it, Launch Day, is quickly approaching. We will be celebrating the completion of 11 rigorous weeks of instruction, hands-on labs, and group projects that have allowed our students to fine-tune their web development skills. Launch Day will allow students to exhibit their polished web applications to the local tech community.

Here are 5 reasons why you should attend Launch Day:

1. 18 unique students - Each student comes from different educational backgrounds and specialities. Every DevPoint Lab applicant is thoroughly reviewed and interviewed, and each member brings a unique skillset to the table. There are coders that write, coders that crunch numbers, ninja coders- you name it, we got it.

2. Presentations - Students will be demonstrating the practical web development skills they have developed during their coursework. Their projects will showcase unique websites that utilize stylish responsive design, HTML5/CSS3, Ruby on Rails, Javascript/JQuery, APIs, and the list goes on...

3. Fresh talent -  Our students leave our program with the understanding that learning to code is a never ending process. They strive for perfection and have an insatiable desire to develop …..

            4. Refreshments - Everyone loves free food.

5. Networking. Prospective students, our newest class, alumni, local tech companies, as well as our hiring partners are all invited to join us.

March 28th, 2014 from 1:00pm - 4:00pm MST

      RSVP for your spot today! Space will be limited.  

[devpointlabs]

Student Spotlight: Mike Blom

DevPoint Labs values the unique backgrounds of the students here. When pairing their past experience and knowledge with coding, students are able to become their own best and unique developer. Use what you know as leverage, and with a lot of determination, nothing is too far out of reach.

Originally born and raised in The Netherlands, Mike Blom made the move to the United States at the age of 16. Mike previously had a 10 year government career before deciding he wanted to code at DevPoint Labs. Though Mike has experimented with website builders, he has never spent time to learn to build them from scratch and he found that DPL was a great local solution. Learning to code at DPL is great for Mike to focus more on being home with his family. After graduation, he hopes to hone his craft for a couple months and land a job as a Rails developer.

    When asked what he would do with his last three days on earth, Mike said, “Follow Noah’s example and start building a rocket ship, with my family at my side I’d launch to space, and then colonize another planet.” After dedicating a majority of his time and learning to code and supporting his family, Mike says he likes to wind down on his favorite website: ESPN.com.

On his way out Mike left sound advice for aspiring coders, “Be honest with yourself! If you think you’re going to magically lose weight by paying a bunch of money for pills, lean cuisines and other supplements you are wrong! Ultimately the only thing that works is dedication, discipline and knowing how to funnel frustration. The same goes for programming. All our brains are wired fairly similar and we’ve all figured out the best ways for us as individuals to learn. Apply those tactics to your training and always hold yourself accountable to your own work ethic. This is hard, but if you have the right mind and dedicate your time to it YOU CAN DO IT!”