Do you learn javascript and get a JavaScript Developer job?
Expect nothing but excellence from yourself!
Hold yourself to a high standard, soon it’ll become a habit to do things with quality in mind and you won’t know any other way of doing things but the best possible way.
When I started developing software I didn’t just want to write code I wanted to do everything necessary for a piece of software to be perfect. When you have this absolute NEED for doing things the right way you develop an intuition when you’re doing good work. The other very important skill you develop is how to find the absolute best learning resources to further your career.
If there’s one thing you should take away from this article is this: Do your work the right way, everything else is bullshit. Quality people will notice and soon you’ll be in good company, I guarantee it!
How was your University time?
My University time was very frustrating but it helped me learn a powerful lesson: Always question and evaluate who you listen to, not everyone is worth your time.
When I got to college I thought I finally made it, I was finally going to learn from experts better than me but I ended up being completely disappointed in the “experts” when I realized that most of them either didn’t know what they were talking about or weren’t as skilled as I was. They knew enough to keep their jobs but they weren’t as passionate about software development as I was, they weren’t using their free time to read software development books or complete online courses like I was.
If I listened to these “experts” I would never have gotten to the level I am now. Be careful who you listen to and be very protective of your time.
Why did you seek out a career in this field?
You could say that a carer in software development found me rather than the other way around. I was constantly around computers since I was 3 years old and I was always curious how they worked, especially computer games ( what a cliche, am I right? Like every other developer,I got in to software development because I wanted to make video games ) but I always thought it was so complicated that I would never be able to learn how to write applications.
That all changed when I was 14 and a friend showed me C and just how easy it was to write code that actually did something! Because I wanted to be better than him I quickly took up C++, to counter me my friend started coding in Visual C# which was at the time ( year 2005. ) probably the best language to learn since desktops and Windows OS were the most popular platforms back then so I followed him and started coding in Visual C# but I didn’t stick with it for very long.
When I was 17 ( 2007. ) I noticed that smartphones as a platform for developing software were eating up desktops but they both used the internet, that’s when I realized that no matter what device comes around the Web will keep growing so I started learning JavaScript – which was a joke at the time, seriously, if you said that you were a JavaScript developer everyone would laugh and tell you that you’re a “script kiddie“. I stuck with JavaScript because I saw it’s potential, I like it so much that currently I only want to develop Web apps with JavaScript.
What was your first job or nuggets from jobs you had that helped you to get to where you are today?
My first few jobs were creating web sites for friends and family that payed little to no cash at all but it was fun and I learned a lot about working with clients.
The thing that surprised me the most that every single client I had back then wasn’t as passionate about their web site as I was, that made me realize that they had other things to worry about but to me it was the first thing I thought about when I woke up and went to sleep.
I stopped calling them in for meetings where I’d talk for hours about animations and all the awesome tech I’d be using to create their web site, clients usually want to pay you to solve their problem they don’t care how you do it just that you do it. You’re the expert.
These experiences taught me that being an excellent software developer isn’t just about how great you are at writing code, you also need people skills that will help you handle clients and work in teams.
How did you prepare for an interview?
This might be a bit controversial but I think if you need to prepare for an
interview you’re not doing it right.
I always have a story, a narrative about myself in my head that I can present to a client or employer at a moments notice and as I grow as a software developer I also change and update my story.
Because of this I’m never nervous when talking to clients or potential employers and that aura of confidence can be the difference between getting a job or getting rejected.
Books that helped you?
If you’re a JavaScript developer you absolutely need to read “You Don’t Know JS” by Kyle Simpson!
Things are changing very fast in the industry, how do you keep yourself updated?
You’re not gonna believe this but the answer to this question is Twitter. It’s a very fast platform, just by finding a few quality accounts to follow and logging in for 5 – 10 minutes every 5 hours will expose you to tonnes of cool new concepts, ideas and experiments for you to try out. Give it a go!
The other platform I really like is Medium. It’s a reading platform that has lots of quality articles and a lot of really good software developers are using it to spread ideas and show off their work. I highly recommend it.
What can you recommend on CV?
I’d recommend having it clean and updated by constantly removing old information and putting in your freshest achievements.
Your CV alone isn’t going to get you that job you want but it can get you noticed and called in for an interview with a potential employer. There’s nothing that’ll get you labeled as “boring” faster than a dull CV with too much information on it.
Advice for someone looking for job?
We’re living in the internet age with infinite potential to network, meet new people, find jobs and show off your work at your fingertips. USE IT! Write blog posts or Medium articles, create YouTube videos, record podcasts, create tutorials, be active on forums and other online groups, reach out to other experts in your field! These are just some methods that anyone with an internet connection can use to promote themselves, their work and why they’re right for the job in our awesome online world.
Also, don’t forget when you’re being interviewed you’re also interviewing your potential employer. Ask questions about things that matter to you: “What benefits do you offer?”, “How can I advance in your organization?”, “What methods do you use to keep employee job satisfaction up?”, “How do you handle toxic employees?” these are a couple of example questions but you get the idea.
Remember, no job is better than going every day to a job you hate.
Why do you think you were selected among other candidates?
Just Google-ing my name will show you that I’m very serious about my work. It doesn’t take a lot of effort for a potential client or employer to see the value that I can provide them and that’s exactly what I do. I’m very proud of my brand and I’m not afraid to say it and be vocal about it. Learn from my example!
What I do now
CityX – I’m the CTO of CityX. CityX is a web design studio that I started with my friend and partner Nemanja Banjanin – one of the best graphic designers in the industry. CityX blends premium design with high quality code and we make sure to build web sites that will get you noticed!
JSGuru – I’m a senior full stack JavaScript developer at JSGuru. JSGuru is a customer-centric software development company with a collection of awesome software developers ready to make your app come to life.
