Back to Regularly Scheduled Programming
Posted December 24, 2018
Year two of my full-stack knowledge acquisition journey is here. Time to take stock of what I've learned and fine-tune my skills for whatever's next.
Things I didn't know a year ago
When I set up my Github repo in January 2018, I didn't know how important those little green squares would become. Every one of them represents a project I've worked on by myself or with others. I think any time version control is involved, you should get a purple square — because it's definitely harder to keep your own stuff up to date without overwriting others.
Besides hosting my apps on Github and Heroku, a year ago I'd never used a library or framework. (Vanilla JavaScript is so 2003, amirite?) I'd also never built an interactive app, or even a database in anything other than Excel. In the era of Big Data, understanding databases is a good skill to have. That said, I still lean toward front-end roles due to my previous HTML and CSS experience and interest in UX.
2019 learning goals
I've completed an intensive program, built a new portfolio from scratch, and explored new languages and frameworks on my own. But maybe the biggest lessons lie ahead. Because it's not enough to follow directions, show progress in Github or even pass a coding test. Understanding what to use when and why ... these are the questions I should be able to answer better by this time next year.
Project-wise, my 2019 goals include:
- Along with my dev partner Patrick Kearney (who has his own amazing portfolio), improve Bee-Z Street with UX search directions, more searchable data, and a more realistic, savable garden page
- Automating my blog — method TBD
- Creating a game called Dev Quest — players start as dev students and try to acquire enough points to reach their first job. Platform TBD
Putting your goals in writing is the first step toward making them happen. I can't wait to revisit this next year and see how many I fulfilled!
Choosing a path is (at least) half the battle
Another big takeaway from the past year is discovering no certificate program, nano degree or subscription-based learning tool is all-encompassing. My full-stack program skimmed over ES6; as a result, I wasn't well prepared for a React course I recently started ... then stopped. A recruiter I've worked with tells me AEM is the big trend for 2019, but some preliminary research tells me Adobe Experience Managers require a "bigger breadth of knowledge" than ordinary developers. Since most aspiring developers can't afford to create a practice AEM environment, it may be hard to acquire that knowledge.
Maybe there's no magic bullet for becoming a developer, but listening to people who've already found success in the field is always a good strategy. That's why I plan to heed the sage advice I've been given by so many great KC professionals and:
- Utilize HackerRank.com's "Interview Preparation Kit" to practice, practice, practice
- Put more thought up front into which framework or library is right for the job, and
- Document the journey in this blog
It's not boot camp, but I do have a year-two plan I expect to work on regularly. Time to stop reminiscing and return to regularly scheduled programming!