Reader, Yeah I know what I said. But so much has happened and I can't stay silent about it. I like to share as I build. This course is coming along nicely. Remember I told you I was quitting my newsletter to do this? You probably don't. It's fine. My plan was: Make a portfolio website (check) Create better projects Build my dream QA course Turns out bullets 2 & 3 go well together. This is the first course of many. For each course, I'll build the project I ask you to build, as I build the...
24 days ago • 1 min read
The last stop on the QA Job Hunt Express And not just because it's the 69th email I've sent It's been a ride. Maybe you loved it, maybe you hated it. Maybe you opened 1 out of 69 emails I've sent and forgot to unsubscribe. But it's been a thrill to write for you. So why am I hanging it up? Simple, I'm bored ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ Well, not entirely that. I'm embarking on a new chapter in my professional journey. Well, that's not quite right, either. Simply put, I'm refocusing my energy on building. Not...
2 months ago • 3 min read
You're going to hate me, but this was a pun. I've been reading ghost stories about Door County. A book I picked up when we moved to town. One thing that strikes me as odd is how friendly all the ghosts are. You think of "ghost" and immediately a horror movie comes to mind. Some demon or violent spirit who wants to eat your soul. Sometimes it's easy to forget not all ghosts want to hurt people. Some are just hanging around because they have "unfinished business," and that isn't always a bad...
2 months ago • 2 min read
Reader, I've gotten a lot of DMs along the lines of: "Teach me this, mentor me on that, work with me 1:1, hold my hand." I'm not trying to be mean. I'm hoping to give some of you a reality check. If you need someone to guide you before you even get started, you're in the wrong industry. This is my main criticism of bootcamps. Most folks who succeed after attending a coding bootcamp didn't need the bootcamp in the first place. It's a confidence issue, plain and simple. Instead of seeking a...
2 months ago • 2 min read
No, actually, I'd like to know how I can solve a problem for you. Just watched Deadpool & Wolverine last night. Wolverine like to call people "bub". Got a minute? Reply to this email with the problem you'd most like help with. Could be anything. Interviewing, learning automation, whatever. Something to help you land a job, though, ideally. Happy Saturday. Cheers, Steven
2 months ago • 1 min read
Have you ever heard the phrase, "What got you here won't get you there?" Think about someone starting out on their learn-to-code journey. Does it make sense for them to build every project from scratch? Of course. That's how they learn. They need to understand all the parts that make up the whole, and how those parts work together. Otherwise they'll end up in a place commonly known as "Tutorial Hell," where they write code they don't understand. But what happens after you've nailed the...
2 months ago • 2 min read
Yeah, I know. You said you'd send daily emails, what gives? Well if you couldn't tell, I was trying something new last month, and it took a lot out of me. I needed a break. But I did some thinking. You can read about what's coming next here. If you don't want to leave your inbox right now to go look, let me give you the short version. But first, I want to touch on the elephant in the room: What was all that "QA Sidekick System" stuff was about last month? I tested the job hunters' market to...
2 months ago • 3 min read
Reader, My friend's a high school Java teacher. Anyone who says teaching in public schools doesn't make a good salary doesn't teach Java. But my buddy was fed up with it: Spends more time wrangling kids than teaching Early mornings driving to work Late nights grading papers Reached peak salary for his level He and I talked maybe once a year up til last October when he started his TripleTen bootcamp journey. Fast-forward to today and he's finished the Software Engineer curriculum, internship &...
3 months ago • 2 min read
Reader, I've been working on my talk. It's bringing up a lot of old memories, plenty is bubbling up to the surface. Funny thing is it's not a very old story. I only started in tech 5 years ago. Feels like a lifetime, though. But with the market the way it is today, and the pandemic scare mostly behind us, it feels like a different world. My mentor and I met to go over the rough draft of my slide deck, and of course she tore it to pieces. But it's going to be even better now because of it....
3 months ago • 2 min read