Exponential Growth - How to Break Into Tech

Empowering Junior Developers and Lifelong Learning, with John Crickett Nov 28, 2023

John Crickett is a software engineer, content creator and coach to thousands of junior developers. In this conversation he shares his personal journey into tech, as well as the origin story for his free resource: https://codingchallenges.fyi.

Chapters:

(00:31) Introduction

(04:23) First Tech Job - Dawn of the Internet

(07:40) Then & Now - Rapid Advancement in Tech

(10:44) The Importance of Soft Skills

(14:00) Transitioning From IC to Management, and Back

(27:36) Becoming VP of Engineering

(35:32) Working with AI

(38:50) Special Guest Appearance - Eddie!

(40:15) Advice for Being "Made Redundant"

(48:11) Content Creation & CodingChallenges.fyi

John's Links:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/johncrickett/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/johncrickett
Substack: https://codingchallenges.substack.com/
Website: https://codingchallenges.fyi/

Empowering Women in Tech as a Microsoft Developer, with Jade Wilson Nov 14, 2023

Jade Wilson is a Software Developer at Microsoft, based in the United Kingdom. Although she studied Computer Science in college, Jade's initial onramp into tech was anything but a walk in the park.

In addition to dealing with discrimination early on, Jade discusses the hardships of balancing job searches, becoming and growing as a developer, and parenting. She also shares her views on empowering women in tech, and shares the importance of overcoming self-doubt, encouraging persistence and confidently express oneself.

Chapters:

(00:45) Intro

(04:56) College Studies

(11:05) First Interviews & Landing Her First Job

(20:57) Working through problems

(25:40) Getting recruited by Microsoft

(36:34) Biggest Struggles Being Remote

(41:51) Empowering Women in Tech

(45:13) A Day in the Life at Microsoft

(55:07) Experience with Azure Cloud

(59:17) Using AI Tools

(01:02:48) Content Creation

(01:11:45) Hot Seat

Jade's Links:

Social links: https://jade-codes.dev
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jade-codes/

Horses to Developer, with Mckenzie Noel Oct 31, 2023

Mckenzie Noel is a software developer at Winsupply. Not that long ago, she was teaching horseback riding lessons to children. In this conversation we learn about how she pivoted into a tech adjacent role, and then becoming a developer.

Chapters:

(00:46) Intro

(04:19) Horses

(07:14) An Opportunity Presents Itself: Winsupply

(14:35) Discovering a Passion for Programming

(21:14) Tech Elevator

(25:34) Lessons Learned / Advice

(43:08) LinkedIn, and Networking

(48:37) Hotseat

Mckenzie's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mckenzie-noel/

English Major to Expedia, Amazon Senior Manager and Co-Founding Storytellers AI, with Kirsten Lum Oct 24, 2023

A 9 year analytics veteran of Amazon and Expedia, Kirsten Lum led dozens of leaders across core applied science, economics, as well as experience instrumentation and data architecture at global scale.

Today, Kirsten oversees all aspects of data science, product, and engineering at Storytellers AI, a company she cofounded.

In this conversation, Kirsten shares her personal journey into tech, as well as many nuggets of wisdom she's collected over the past decade.

Fun fact: Kirsten was was selected for Amazon's top tier leadership program (500 out of ~1,500,000 employees worldwide selected each year).

Chapters:

(00:36) Intro

(02:32) Kirsten's Early Story

(08:30) Getting Out of the Freezer

(11:42) Shots on Goal: Landing a Role at a Startup

(17:03) Being Humble and Teachable

(27:09) The Resume: 2-Part Framework

(34:41) Expedia to Amazon (2nd Crisis)

(42:48) "Licorice Jelly Beans"

(46:02) Amazon to Storytellers (3rd Crisis)

(58:10) Hiring - What She Looks For

(01:02:44) Hot Seat Questions

Kirsten's Links:

https://www.storytellers.ai/
Twitter/X: https://twitter.com/machsci

Programming, Business and Becoming The Fractional CTO, with Oshri Cohen Oct 17, 2023

Oshri Cohen is a Canadian businessman, self-taught developer, former founder and executive at multiple startups. Today he serves the role of Fractional-CTO to multiple businesses, a model he has popularized in North America.

In this conversation Oshri shares his journey into tech, making (and losing) millions early in his career, and gives his unique perspective on traditional education, software development, business and more.

Chapters:

(00:41) Intro

(03:19) Learning to Code - The Vigilante Period

(10:11) Failing Traditional School & Early Dev Jobs

(23:34) Making Millions and Losing it All

(30:26) Climbing to CTO

(36:39) The Fractional CTO is Born

(48:23) Hot Seat Questions

Oshri's Links & Mentioned Resources:

- Oshri's Personal Site: https://www.oshricohen.me/

- Oshri's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/oshricohen/

- Mage AI: https://www.mage.ai/

Archeology To Software Engineer at Accenture, with James Reagan Oct 10, 2023

James Reagan learned to code in his late thirties, doubling his salary and landing a role as a Software Engineer at Accenture.

He previously served in the Marine Corps, and also contracted as an archaeologist for almost half a decade.

James shares his journey into tech, battling physical and mental setbacks, finding mentorship and community, and creating content that eventually translated into warm job leads.

Chapters:

(00:46) Intro

(01:58) Early Education & Experience

(06:15) Year in Ireland

(08:46) Archeology to Marine Corps

(13:12) Physical and Mental Struggles

(17:31) Marine Corps to Programming

(22:09) Becoming Intentional

(26:46) Vets Who Code, and Finding Mentorship

(32:19) Hack Reactor, Networking and Interviews

(44:56) Landing the Job & Doubling his Salary

(49:52) Using Generative AI

(52:05) Hot Seat Questions

James' Links:

- Personal Site: https://jpreagan.com/

- Twitter/X: https://twitter.com/jpreagan_

- Front End Masters: https://frontendmasters.com/

- Vets Who Code: https://vetswhocode.io/

- Hack Reactor Bootcamp: https://www.galvanize.com/

Becoming the Worlds Happiest Software Engineer and Empowering Junior Developers, with Erik Andersen Oct 03, 2023

Erik Andersen is a Senior Engineer at Yum Brands. He's also a volunteer and advocate for junior developers everywhere, as well as a co-organizer for the Dallas Software Developers meetup group.

In this conversation Erik shares his journey into tech, along with the tips, tricks and lessons learned along the way.

Chapters:

(01:00) Intro

(01:44) Erik's Journey into Tech

(07:32) Story time: Erik's Initial Job Search

(11:28) Traditional Education and 4.0 Students

(16:12) What would Erik do Different?

(19:21) First Jobs and Internships

(22:18) How to Stand Out

(27:26) Thoughts on Data Structures & Algorithms

(32:13) Working for Consultancies

(38:58) Developer to Manager, and Back Again

(40:43) Growing from a Junior to a Senior Developer

(43:31) Content Creation

(47:53) Hot Seat Questions

Erik's Links:

https://thehappydeveloper.bio.link/
https://www.youtube.com/@junior_jobs
https://www.linkedin.com/in/ebandersen/

2024 Apprenticeships & Internships: Microsoft Leap Overview, LinkedIn REACH Update, Hubspot, SpaceX, Intel and More Sep 29, 2023

In this episode I summarize the Microsoft Leap Software Engineering Program, which is open at the time of this video.

I also discuss the status of the next cohort of LinkedIn REACH engineers, and share several internships that are open now or in the near future, including: - Hubspot - SpaceX - Intel You can view the full Microsoft Informational Webinar here: https://youtu.be/7SVxh7lTthg Chapters: (00:14) Overview (00:57) Microsoft Leap Apprenticeship Intro (02:14) Leap's 3 Pillars (03:08) Common Profile of a Leap Apprentice (10:14) Interview Prep (12:21) Referrals, Tips and Final Thoughts (14:37) Guided Application Walkthrough (19:07) LinkedIn's REACH Apprenticeship Update (20:36) Tech Internships Open Now or Soon Interviewing Resources Mentioned in the video: - YouTube Video mentioned at 12:26 for Interviewing at Microsoft: https://youtu.be/8Myx-vy0csM?si=QQFnOJrS1DcF4RvE - https://www.pramp.com - Book: Cracking the Coding Interview - https://www.amazon.com/Cracking-Coding-Interview-Programming-Questions/dp/0984782850

Working at Microsoft, Startups and Raising Millions at Okteto with Ramiro Berrelleza Sep 26, 2023

Ramiro Berrelleza is the founder of Okteto, a company that prides itself on allowing teams deploy cloud environments with a single click.

Before founding Okteto, Ramiro worked at Microsoft, alongside Satya Nadella before he became CEO. He would go on to work at ElasticBox and Atlassian.

In our conversation Ramiro shares what makes non-traditional candidates unique, what he looks for when hiring them and why a startup might not be the right choice for a recent bootcamp graduate.

Chapters:

(01:46) Growing up in Mexico

(07:02) Mindset on Moving to America

(10:27) Message to Career Changers

(12:20) Working with Satya Nadella at Microsoft

(18:50) Working at Startups vs. Big Companies

(32:17) Founding Okteto

(42:10) What Okteto looks for when hiring

(47:57) Hot seat questions

Ramiro's Links:

- Website: https://www.okteto.com/

- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ramiroberrelleza/

- Twitter/X: @rberrelleza @oktetohq

Minister to Developer. Landing a job in a tough economy, with Coleman Escue Sep 19, 2023

Coleman Escue landed a full time role as a software developer in one of the toughest job markets in recent memory.

His path was anything but conventional:

Minister.
Chiropractic assistant.
Electrician.

Rather than view his path as a set of unrelated experiences, Coleman realized he was accumulating skills.

In time, he would leverage those skills to pierce a veil of early rejection and setbacks, landing a dream role as a professional developer.

Chapters:

(0:00) Preview

(01:05) Coleman's Intro

(06:28) Ministry School

(12:05) Pastor Interviews vs. Technical Interviews

(18:55) Discovering Programing

(20:20) Becoming an Electrician

(25:37) Transferrable Skills & Per Scholas Bootcamp Deepdive

(35:10) The Job Hunt

(42:35) Landing the Job

(47:50) Hot Seat Questions

(51:53) Parting Words

- Coleman's LinkedIn Profile

- Per Scholas, the Bootcamp Coleman attended.

Leveraging Humility as a Junior Dev, Executive and Startup Founder with Dan Lines Sep 12, 2023

Dan Lines is the Co-Founder and COO at LinearB. From his early days as a junior dev, to becoming the youngest junior exec and now a startup co-founder, two pillars of Dan's success have been humility and empathy.

In this conversation we discuss:

How to land a role as a junior dev without a CS degree
Co-founding a company
Improving the developer experience
Starting and growing a Podcast

Dan's Links:

Sonic and Hotels to LinkedIn Program Manager with Raymond Lorenzana Sep 05, 2023

Raymond Lorenzana Jr. is the Program Manager for LinkedIn's REACH Apprenticeship program. Before that, he used to work at Sonic and Marriot Hotels before landing an internship at Google.

Raymond shares how he overcame "not being the smartest kid" growing up, dealing with imposter syndrome and how he eventually went on to work for some of the biggest names in tech.

LinkedIn’s Apprenticeship Just Opened: Program Deepdive & Community Questions Sep 01, 2023

LinkedIn's REACH Apprenticeship program just opened. I do a deep dive on the application process, what you can expect and the many benefits that are included.

Chapters:

(00:00) Preview

(01:09) What is the REACH Program?

(03:20) Benefits

(06:53) The Hiring Process

(09:32) Application & Essays: Artificial Intelligence / Machine Learning Apprentice

(23:58) Application & Essays: Backend Engineer Apprentice

(35:17) REACH Program FAQs

(40:35) Exponential Growth Community Q&A

(49:10) Closing / Summary

Links:

Program Details: https://careers.linkedin.com/reach
James' LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/james-hudnall/

Freelance to Senior Engineer at Wisely with Caleb Mellas Aug 29, 2023

Caleb Mellas is a Senior Software Engineer at Olo, the company that acquired Wisely. He talks about learning to code, progressing to the senior level and being part of a hundred million dollar acquisition.

Links:

- Caleb's Newsletter

- Caleb's LinkedIn

Programming, hundred-million dollar exits and founding a company with Ori Keren Aug 22, 2023

Ori Keren is Co-founder & CEO at LinearB, a company focused on Software Delivery Management for Engineering Leaders.

Prior to starting LinearB, Ori was VP of R&D at CloudLock, which was eventually acquired by Cisco . Before that, he managed an engineering group at Interwise that was eventually acquired by AT&T.

With more than 15 years of management experience, Ori shares his journey into tech, as well as advice for those trying to do the same.

Ori's Links:

- LinkedIn Profile

- LinearB, Ori's company

Construction to Software Developer with Luke Hovee Aug 15, 2023

Luke Hovee is a Software Engineer at CollegeHouse. Before this, he served time in the Army and also worked construction.

Luke's LinkedIn

Concrete to CEO and Business Mogul with Nik Froehlich Aug 08, 2023

Nik Froehlich is the Founder and CEO of Saritasa, a leading US-Based Software Consulting & Development Firm with 140+ employees. He shares his journey into tech, entrepreneurship and building an empire from the ground up.

Nik's links:

- https://www.saritasa.com/

- LinkedIn Profile

Army to Senior Product Manager at Salesforce with Nicu Parente Aug 01, 2023

Nicu Parente is a Senior Product Manager at Salesforce, Army veteran and content creator.

Nicu's Links:

- Personal Website

- Free Tech Resources

- Connect with Nicu

- LinkedIn Profile

Army to Software Engineer at Zillow with Joshua Huston Jul 18, 2023

Growing up in Arizona, Joshua Huston used to think the internet ran itself. Today he influences a small portion of it as a Software Engineer at Zillow.

In this conversation, Josh takes us on a journey that starts in a small town in Arizona, time in the Army and National Guard, pivoting into tech as an analyst at Zillow and eventually into Software Engineering.

- Joshua's LinkedIn Profile

June 2023 Community Wins & Recap Jul 11, 2023

This week we're celebrating community wins, and recapping some of the underlying themes of last month's episodes.

We hear from Lane Hamilton and Taiyo Scanlon-Kimura, each of whom recently graduated from a software engineering bootcamp. We dive into their progress, lessons learned and also what they each have planned as next-steps.

Show Links:

- Lane's LinkedIn

- Taiyo's LinkedIn

Want to share your own win on a future episode? Contact me https://www.linkedin.com/in/james-hudnall/https://www.linkedin.com/in/james-hudnall/.

Business to Head of Engineering at Capgemini with Casey Dai Jul 04, 2023

Growing up, Casey Dai was immersed in Entrepreneurship at an early age. This naturally led him to pursue a career in business. Soon, Casey found himself wanting for more data-driven decisions, leading him to pivot into the world of data. Today, he's the Head of Data Engineering at Capgemini.

In our conversation, Casey shares the framework that helped him reinvent himself multiple times, including negotiation strategies, his stance on interviewing and learning how to learn.

Links:

- Casey's LinkedIn

- Casey's Substack

Liberal Arts to Frontend Engineer with Jordan Manley Jun 27, 2023

He knew his resume was horrible.

A lost decade. Impossible to convey his newfound programing skills.

He was competing against people that checked all the right boxes and held the fancy degrees.

But rather than admit defeat, Jordan Manley took a first-principles approach.

He played to his strengths, and would soon land a developer role in New York, the city of his dreams.

Jordan's story is a tale of exploration, perseverance and an inspirational ability to constantly put himself out there.

Episode Links:

- Jordan's LinkedIn Profile

- CodeTrack: www.CodeTrack.dev

- CodeTrack (Branded Version): www.pursuit.codetrack.dev

Oilfield to Software Quality Engineer with Mauricio Marques Jun 20, 2023

Growing up in Brazil, Mauricio Marques started from humble beginnings, but he didn't let that stand in the way of his goals. At 17 he went to work, and soon found himself managing a team. Over the next several years Mauricio explored many different paths before he landed on a role in software quality engineering. His is a story about preparation, determination and a fiery passion for continuous growth.

Pt 2: English Major to Senior SWE at Amazon, Google and Block with Andy Wong Jun 13, 2023

Andy returns to the show to continue where we left off last time. Rather than content creation and his initial learnings, this time Andy focuses more on what it took for him to pivot from his junior positions into roles with Amazon, Google and now Block.

English Major to Senior SWE at Amazon, Google and Block with Andy Wong May 30, 2023

Andy Wong considered himself the weakest graduate of his bootcamp cohort. Studying English and Psychology in school, it would've been easy to give up and pursue something else. But not Andy. He doubled down and started reading some of his brothers Computer Science textbooks. Eventually, he got his shot. Today, Andy has worked at some of the biggest names in tech - Amazon, Google and now Block. But getting there was anything but straightforward.

Andy's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/andykeewong/

Oil Rig to Software Engineering with Geraldo Gomes May 16, 2023

“I was so excited with the idea of not having to wear coveralls again.” Just a few years ago, Geraldo Gomes was working on oil rigs. Today he writes software from his home office. In this conversation he shares his story of overcoming addiction and an unsustainable career path to move into one he previously only ever dreamed of.

Retail to LinkedIn Program Manager with Lyssa Jackson May 09, 2023

Despite humble beginnings, Lyssa Jackson developed a strong sense of self worth and belief in herself at an early age. The seeds of entrepreneurship were planted during high school, when none other than LinkedIn Founder Reid Hoffman gave a speech at her school, along with a copy of a book that would completely change her life.

It wasn't a straight line, but Lyssa overcame adversity from all angles as she blazed her own path into tech. Today, she's a Program Manager at LinkedIn, a content creator and a mentor. Her story is a masterpiece of execution, determination and grit.

⭐️ Lyssa's Website: https://heylj.com

Truck Driver to Flutter Developer with Khalid Warsame May 02, 2023

A few years ago, Khalid Warsame drove trucks for a living, spending more time away than he did at home. Today, he works from his home office as a flutter developer. He shares his journey, which included starting his own companies, finding inspiration from YouTube creators and explaining how he worked through rejection and bumps along the way.

- Khalid's Website: https://khalidwar.com/

- Khalid's other links: https://bio.khalidwar.com/

Mentioned Resources:

- Dorian Develops: https://www.youtube.com/@DorianDevelops

Biology Major to Product Support Engineer with John Bui Apr 25, 2023

Growing up, John Bui never pictured himself in a corporate job.
A career in tech? Not in his wildest dreams.
John faced a lot of pressure to succeed from an early age.
This led him into a field he didn't enjoy.
Despite the setbacks, John followed his interests.
He refused to settle as he slowly blazed a trail into tech, working at several startups.
In this weeks conversation, John shares the strategies he used, the trials and tribulations, as well as the many lessons learned along the way.

Automotive Parts Sales to Software Developer with Andrew Clarkson Apr 18, 2023

Andrew Clarkson used to change jobs every year. But he wasn't wandering aimlessly; he had a plan. Andrew learned something something from each, snowballing into a career that now finds him working from his home office.

He talks about his foray into programming, how he learned to code, and shares the networking techniques that helped land his first job in tech.

Additional Resources:

- Andrew's Links: https://linktr.ee/aclarkson

Lawyer to Google Engineer and Beyond with Zubin Pratap Apr 11, 2023

It was September, 2016. Zubin was sitting in bed, when he came across a quote that would alter his life trajectory: “He who says he can and he who says he can’t are both usually right.”

Zubin didn’t sleep that night. In the blink of an eye, he taught himself to code, and soon found himself working alongside some of the brightest engineers in the world at Google.

Additional Information:

- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/zubinpratap - Twitter: https://twitter.com/zubinpratap - YouTube: / @zubinpratap - Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/zubinpratap - FreeCodeCamp: https://www.freecodecamp.org/news/aut... - Courses: https://www.matchfitmastery.com

School Teacher to LinkedIn UX Engineer with Katherine Lewis Apr 04, 2023

Business school. Marketing intern. School teacher. Katherine Lewis walked many paths before landing a role at LinkedIn as a Reach Apprentice UX Engineer.

When she decided to pursue a career in tech, she flipped the script on the traditional job search, landing multiple offers.

Katherine shares her stance on mindset, positive thinking and overcoming adversity.

If you think the best way to land that first tech job is through applications…this episode is for you.

Additional Resources:

Podcast: No Barriers - https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/no-barriers/id1437865007
The Leon Foundation - https://www.leonfe.org/
Opportunity Made - ⁠https://www.opportunitymade.com/⁠

Marine Biology to LinkedIn Technical Program Manager with Liz Wheeles Mar 28, 2023

She didn’t graduate from college. At times, she was told she’d never succeed. None of that stopped Liz Wheeles from making moves that eventually saw her work at some of the biggest companies in tech. Today, she's a Principal Program Manager at LinkedIn.

Chiropractor to Military Spouse to AWS Developer with Cynthia Pottin Mar 21, 2023

“I have to grow, or I have to go.”

Groomed to go to college, Cynthia Pottin initially pursued a medical path, falling in love with anatomy and physiology.

This led her to chiropractor school, which resulted in her opening and operating her own practice for half a decade.

She then met her future husband, who was enlisted in the military.

The constant relocation requirements eventually caused her to shut down her practice.

Others might give up on career aspirations at this point.

Not Cynthia.

Today, she’s is an Apprentice Software Developer at AWS.

We discuss continuous learning, getting comfortable with discomfort and how Cynthia broke into tech at Amazon.

Additional Information:

- Cynthia's LinkedIn Profile: https://www.linkedin.com/in/cynthia-pottin/

Mentioned Resources (includes affiliate links):

📖 Mindset: The New Psychology of Success, by Carol Dweck

Psychology to LinkedIn Customer Security Specialist with Deya Garcia Mar 14, 2023

A former psychology major and pharmacy tech, Deya Garcia eventually found a path to tech through a combination of interest-led learning and support from her friends and family. Today, she's a Customer Security Specialist at LinkedIn, and also a content creator.

Additional Info:

⭐️ Deya's LinkedIn Profile

⭐️ Deya's Newsletter: Stories of Chicago

Political Science to LinkedIn Developer with Barry Johnson Mar 07, 2023

Growing up, Barry Johnson thought he wanted to be a lawyer. In college, he discovered he wasn’t interested in pursuing that path, and embarked on a journey of self discovery that eventually landed him a role at LinkedIn as an Apprentice backend engineer.

Additional information:

⭐️ LinkedIn Profile - https://www.linkedin.com/in/barryjjohnson11/

Mentioned Resources (includes affiliate links):

📖 Atomic Habits

📖 The Four Agreements

🎙️ CodeNewbie

Security Guard to LinkedIn Security Analyst with Justice Sanders Feb 28, 2023

A former security guard, Justice Sanders had a desire to become more. He explains how he studied different fields to increase his knowledge, and taught himself to code. He overcomes tremendous adversity and today is a Third Party Security Analyst at LinkedIn.

Additional Information:

⭐️ Justice's LinkedIn Profile

⭐️ Year Up Program

Mentioned Resources (Includes Affiliate Links):

📖 Talking to Strangers - Malcom Gladwell

📖 The Power of Broke - Daymond John

🎙️ David Goggins on Joe Rogan

Makeup & Motherhood to LinkedIn Developer with Madiha Goheer Feb 21, 2023

Madiha Goheer grew up in Pakistan, the youngest of 7 siblings. From an early age, she showed signs of wanting to prove herself capable in a society that didn’t provide equal rights to women.

After coming to the US, Madiha built a mini-makeup empire, before COVID and the birth of her first child caused her to regroup. Refusing to yield, Madiha explored her interests, began studying programming, attended Hackbright Academy and eventually landed a role at LinkedIn as a REACH Apprentice backend engineer.

She has one of the strongest resolves I've ever come across, and is living proof that we determine our outcomes.

Additional information:

LinkedIn Profile

Geography to LinkedIn Technical Recruiter, with Joan Li Feb 14, 2023

Growing up in China, Joan Li was exposed to markets and business at an early age. She came to America for college, studying Geography "just because." She didn't have any plans when she graduated. She didn't apply to any jobs and felt like she was far behind everyone else.

But instead of thinking that she was stuck, she drove to New York and started networking. She found an internship in the newspaper, and quickly learned the ins and outs of business, programming and recruiting. Today, she's a Technical Recruiter at LinkedIn.

In our conversation, Joan shares actionable advice to help jobseekers work with recruiters, including ways to stand out from the pack.

Additional information:

🌟 Joan Li's LinkedIn Profile

Marine Corps to Principal Product Manager at Microsoft with Joey Cruz Feb 07, 2023

Joey Cruz came from humble beginnings. He scrimped and saved for years to buy his first computer. Supported his family when most were playing outside. Put himself through college. Found a home in the Marine Corps. He knew he wanted to work in tech, but he didn’t know how. He most certainly figured it out. Today, he’s a Principal Product Manager at Microsoft, and is building a community for Hispanic & Latinx tech professionals and allies. His story is one of passion, perseverance and a deep respect for the Marine Corps.

Additional information:

🌟 Joey's LinkedIn Profile

🌟 Joey's Non-profit - https://www.somos.tech/

🌟 Microsoft's MSSA Program

Resources Mentioned in the Episode (includes affiliate links):

📖 Grit - Angela Duckworth

📖 Making Things Stick

📖 Checklist Manifesto

📖 Cracking the coding interview

🎙️ Podcast: The Cyber Wire

🎙️ Podcast: Darknet Diaries

Business Admin to Engineering Manager at Scratch with L.E. Nichols Jan 31, 2023

Growing up in an unprivileged and underserved area, Computer Science wasn’t even on L.E. Nichols' map. She didn’t let that stop her from diving into code head first, later surfacing as an Engineering Manager at the Scratch Foundation.

Along the way, L.E. created an astonishing portfolio of work, published books and founded several communities, including a non-profit.

Additional information:

Mentioned Resources (includes affiliate links):

📖 C# for Dummies

📖 .NET for Dummies

📖 Cracking the Coding Interview

📖 System Design Interview

Theatre to LinkedIn Growth and Product Strategy Manager with Geri Silver Jan 24, 2023

A former Psychology and Theater major, Geri Silver followed a path of interest-led learning and eventually broke into tech at Quora. Today, she’s a Senior Growth and Product Strategy Manager at LinkedIn. In this episode, we explore her path into tech, which included a year abroad, battling career uncertainty and learning to craft her story.

Additional information:

🌟 Geri's LinkedIn Profile

Mentioned Resources (includes affiliate links):

📖 Ikigai

📖 The Interestings

📖 Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow

📖 The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People

📖 Outwitting the Devil

Architecture to SRE at LinkedIn with Devin Krizwold Jan 17, 2023

Bartender. Voice actor. Architect. Devin Krizwold tried a little bit of everything before becoming a Site Reliability Engineer at LinkedIn. He overcomes an early struggle with formal education, embarks in a cross-country trip to find himself and tells the tale of applying to LinkedIn from the beaches of Hawaii.

Additional information:

Mentioned Resources (includes affiliate links):

Public Relations to Data Science at LinkedIn with Joy Opsvig Jan 10, 2023

Joy Opsvig didn’t major in engineering, math or statistics. She also didn't let that stop her from becoming a data scientist at LinkedIn. This episode reveals a path of public relations, living as a digital nomad and her eventual transition into the world of data science.

Additional Information:

Joy’s LinkedIn Profile
Neopets (the game that gave Joy her first exposure to programming).

Mentioned Books (If you make a purchase, a portion helps support the show, at no additional cost to you):

Mentioned Podcasts:

Mel Robbins

Mechanical Engineering to LinkedIn SRE with Mammadu Diallo Dec 27, 2022

A former mechanical engineer, Mammadu got burned out during the 2020 pandemic, took ownership and massive action. He explains how he leveraged the Qwasar Silicon Valley program and community to help him transition into a Site Reliability Engineer at LinkedIn.

More About Mammadu:

Qwasar Program Links:

Mentioned Podcasts

Other Mentioned Resources:

From Teaching Music to Systems Engineering at LinkedIn with Jesse Brink Dec 20, 2022

A teacher for over a decade, Jesse Brink reinvented himself and is now a Systems Infrastructure Engineer at LinkedIn. Listen to his story as we uncover exactly how Jesse navigated a career transition.

Additional Information:

Jesse’s Donors Choose project
Jesse's LinkedIn Profile

Mentioned Books:

Mentioned Podcasts:

Psych-major turned LinkedIn developer with Michael Feldmann Dec 18, 2022

I talk with Michael Feldmann, a psychology major turned software developer at LinkedIn and beyond. Michael talks about how he explored many different paths before becoming a software developer at LinkedIn. He also shares his experience learning how to code, interviewing and building a dynamite portfolio of projects from an early age.

Welcome to Exponential Growth How to Break into Tech Dec 18, 2022

Welcome to the Exponential Growth - How to Break into Tech Podcast! In the pilot episode I talk about the motivation behind the show, along with my personal story of breaking into tech as a Software Engineer at LinkedIn.

My story is raw and uncut. Many of the topics were uncomfortable for me to discuss, but I hope my struggles help empower others realize their dreams.

YouTube video explaining the game I played.

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Exponential Growth – How to Break Into Tech

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