My name is Christine, and I'm a front and Web developer.

I actually just started programming six months ago, and I found my first def job about three months.

So now I've been a web developer for about 3 to 4 months now, and I really love it.

So this talk, I'm just gonna give a little background, um, about myself and my interest in coding.

And also how what I did to win my first job.

Um, So I graduated from the University of Oklahoma about four years ago with the political science degree, and I didn't really know what exactly did do with the political science degree.

I was confused and lost, and so I decided that I wanted to be a lawyer and be a makeup artist.

Be other different things.

I had so many different hobbies that I wanted to D'oh and I contemplated thought about it and I realized that those were the type of jobs that I might not be interested in The long run.

And so I got into coding when I landed my first job in the marketing field and I worked with HTML templates and busy wig and a lot of the stuff that I did before was mainly just, um, coating Ah, the tables inside the wizard wig.

Very simple stuff.

And I realized that I wanted to do more in life.

I didn't want to stay at my old job because, you know, I just feel like I will plateau quickly.

So I looked around for different types of classes.

I looked into getting a computer science degree, but I realized that you don't really need a computer science degree to do Web development.

And I really like Web development because I like art and design.

So I feel like that will be something I'm good at.

So I looked around online for some classes, and a lot of the classes were really expensive.

One class to learn.

JavaScript was about two grand that I saw.

And so I was like, you know, I feel like I could find something else, you know, maybe try different routes, some other classes That may be cheaper.

Um, and then I saw okay, coders, which is where I met Carson.

He was one of my instructors, okay?

Coders and had helped me a lot throughout my journey, so I just say Thank you, Carson.

Very, very much.

Uh, so I found Okay, coders.

And it's basically a six month module or six modules, six months long, boot camp class every Saturday.

And you learned everything.

About what?

Development?

Starting with beginning with HTML CSS.

You learn how to use your command line.

You learn how to use your gift hub, where you push all your files and into get have and then also javascript libraries, which is really, really important if you're looking to be a friend and developer.

Um, so, yeah, uh, I attended boot camp for about six months.

In a lot of the work, I had to code after practice coating every single day and get better.

Um, the classes were only four hours long every week, and I knew that you have to put extra work into, um, you have to put in the extra work outside of class.

So, you know, I studied a lot.

I read all my documentation.

That's probably the most important thing.

Is reading your documentation starting out.

And that's what I did I use on my online resource is I practice on code academy.

You to me, um, linda dot com.

Those air Great if you want to get to coating those were great on my resource is to take and practice on.

I'm also asked a lot of help from people I joined Tekla Homa met a lot of the great developers in the community.

And just getting advice from people or people who have experience in this type occur really helped me, um, love being a developer even more the excitement of, you know, seeing people creating so many cool things.

It's your sorry butt creating a lot of cool things.

It's just amazing.

And and I think that's why we all want to be developers is that we want to create something and build something of our own.

And so, um, anyways, I practice a lot, and then I was also looking for a job at the same time, knowing that I'm probably not qualified, but I gave it a shot.

Anyways, I just kept trying, and, um, I attended job fairs and brush up my resume.

Um, I created a portfolio.

I created a lot of side projects and pushed everything to my get hub to show that I put in a lot of work, even if I know my code wasn't that great?

I just pushed everything into my get hub.

And then, um, finally got my first Deb job.

Um, at a marketing company who's willing to take this opportunity opportunity on me, even though they know that I'm probably I'm still really new and not fully qualified.

Um, I got the job and I was really excited.

Got a little content, and about two weeks ago, I actually almost lost my job because I wasn't practicing enough outside of work.

And that's the most important things that I want to tell you guys starting out as a developer, if you have not much or no prior program experience, you have to practice.

Even when you get the job, you have to practice outside work.

And I just I got to content was to Happy's and I relaxed.

And then, you know, I was in a very tough spot where they said that I need to improve or it just won't work out.

And I was given two weeks to show improvement at my job, and I did it and thank you.

It was very it was a lot of work.

Um, I just whatever I did at work, I showed them and I had better communication with my senior developers.

That's also one important thing that you guys have to know is communication with your fellow developers.

That was one thing that I didn't do very well.

I was the type of person that I wanted to learn everything.

My friend and skills weren't even that great.

And I wanted to learn to do PHP and sequel in all of the back end.

And I took in work that I don't even know what I was coding.

They gave me pish me and sequel, and I'm just sitting here trying to figure it out.

When I realized that sometimes you have to say no.

When you're not ready for something, you have to say no.

And so I was honest to them and said, Hey, I'm I'm not ready for this yet and I need a practice on my front and skills and that's what I did.

Uh, so when you get your new job, when you get your developer job, make sure you are fluent with all your languages before jumping into something else for me, I just I just wanted to learn everything.

I couldn't say no because I was scared to say no.

I wanted.

I wanted to learn everything and be good at everything.

And sometimes you know it's you have to take it one step at a time.

I thought, being a developer meetings, you have to know, you know, react.

You have to know angular, even though at my job we use Jake weary like I wanted to learn, react and angular.

I want to do all these things, but I know I have to take it one step at a time, and that's the important thing.

Another thing is, besides, that is getting feedback from your senior does.

And you know just your fellow developers that you're working with, especially when you're new.

Getting feedback is great knowing your work process, like how you're doing, always asked them how my doing.

Do you think I'm doing okay?

Because I know everyone has their own different techniques.

So it's best to just have a good communication and getting feedback from your peers.

And another one is never stopped practicing.

Always keep learning.

I'm still in the learning process right now.

I mean, a couple of weeks ago, I was here trying to debug a bootstrap carousel, and I feel embarrassed debugging a boost.

Drop care.

So because I'm like, Well, this is so simple.

Like, why can't I get it?

But I learned that it's still a learning process for me.

I'm still I'm still learning.

I still continue to grow it.

Sometimes it's okay to ask for help, even something so simple, like bootstrap carousel or learning how to use bootstrap.

It's never embarrassing to ask questions because you actually learn from asking questions.

Just don't ask the same questions over and over.

Ask and absorb the sea.

Most important thing yet and then another thing is Oh, yeah, this is probably important, too, but charter use the same I d.

Ease as your fellow developers.

I know we all have, you know, a preference that we use like I like visual studio code.

Um, that's just my preference, but I know like at my job and stuff, we use PHP storm or like Adam and stuff like that.

I just think it's you don't You don't have to do it, but I think it helps with the workflow in the process.

When you use the same idea as your hello, piers.

That usually helps a lot.

And then another tip is when you get your first project, it's always good to white.

Board it out, draw map of how you're going to bode your website.

You know, have an idea before you actually start coating.

That was my mistake to is I didn't really have an idea.

And so I kind of just started coding random things when you have to wipe work it out, you have to talk to your boss.

Don't try to take initiative with anything.

No.

Well, don't try to take initiative with everything.

I'm not letting your fellow developers no, always, always tryto white board it up, and then another thing is, um, a little lost side projects.

If you have anything you're interested in building, do it after work hours, you know, take the weekend off.

Don't go out with your friends.

Like, if you have to improve, you have to just start practicing more, more both Something cool.

Like I won't eventually build a nap.

But I don't know what happened.

Fair, godly.

Uh, another thing is, don't be afraid to try new things called something different.

Don't code the same thing over and over right now.

Since I'm still pretty new, I am practicing on building my J quarry maps.

I've built a couple of maps before, and, uh, but I'm still practicing.

Um, not that great with the map.

I'm learning how to style maps with Java script.

So build something new.

Try something new at least every single week, and you'll get better and just learn that way.

Um, see what it was we get.

It's, um so that's all I really have with the tips and advice.

Um, my story is just really practicing.

Using your online resource is talk to your peers also have good communication with your boss.

Um, when finding a job, push yourself out there, join organizations.

That's what I did.

You know, I joined Tekla Homa.

I joined freak.

Oh, can't I talked with my instructors?

That's the most important thing.

Is just communicating with fellow developers that could give you really good advice.

And also don't take criticism as an insult.

Always take criticism as something you can prove and learn from.

And that's the most important thing is ah, and then, yeah, getting feed bag full side projects draw a map.

Um, that's really all that I have.

I know it's kind of short, but if anyone has any questions or Yeah, well, my interview was actually very short.

Um, I didn't really take a test or anything.

I know some companies require you to take a test.

I actually, um, took a test a couple weeks before that with a major recruiter when I was trying to find a job just testing my job script.

And I didn't write on that, but they didn't hire me on, uh, another company so that I was very motivated to learn and try new things.

And also, they like the fact that I'm a previous job.

I wore many hats like, I did all the digital content at my job, and I was lucky enough because the company I work for really needed someone.

And so I got the job as a web developer.

Yeah.

Now it's I just told him my experience and everything and gave him my portfolio.

And then yeah, from there, um, the most useful thing that I did was mainly reading my documentation.

Her in the beginning out.

I can't I can't say this enough.

But reading your documentation is so, so important.

That's what I spent my time doing.

Um, outside of work now issues reading through everything carefully.

And even though I was in boot camp class, I miss like the little things here and there because I was trying Thio code out my portfolio.

But even when I coded out, it's still wasn't it wasn't good.

I did.

A lot of what I did was I would always inspect where I click, inspected my console and then just go in there in a debug.

But when you actually read your documentation clearly and thoroughly, it really helps you to understand what you're doing a lot more so I can just coat it out now fluently rather than having to inspect all the time.

So I did that in the just practice a lot online outside of work.

Um, that was probably the most useful things that I did as a developer.

Dan.

Well, it's, like so like on bootstraps, saying, you know, it gives you all the elements and stuff so they have bigger columns, how to build bootstrap columns, how to do responsive media queries and stuff like that when you really read it through?

It helps you understand how to build your columns on your Web page.

When I started out, I didn't know that in every div container there well, columns and reading that part made me understand that now, instead of having to inspect my element every time, I know that if I were to build two columns is just automatically column MD six column nd six and so forth.

So it's like reading your documentation really helps you understand that.

And also, once you get your html CSS and, um, those skills down, it'll help you understand Java script more because you're learned how to use Dom elements.

And that's the key thing.

So, yeah, really read your documentation?

Um, anybody else?

Yeah, well, now, eight months, because I've been in my job for about 3.5 months now.

Um, but I got actually got my first job at my last module.