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Discussion on: It is never too late to change careers

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chrisjabb21 profile image
Christopher Fouad Jabbour

Thanks for sharing your experience Patricio. I can relate to this and not knowing what I wanted to do. I myself have been having struggles of my own with getting my first software development job after college with a masters in IT security and only self taught experience ( alot of rejection and no work experience due to some hardships) of web development with courses and a coding bootcamp. I been studying hard, trying to work on projects on the side, and blog more about what I learn. I might have an opportunity coming up but still trying to push and learn. I been trying to find a community and network with others in this field when i can and find my niche in programming. Sorry for the long comment.

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patferraggi profile image
Patricio Ferraggi

Hey Christopher, no worries about the length of the comment 😊. Sounds like you are doing everything correctly, as you said creating side projects is a good way of learning and showcasing what you can do. If it is possible, try to find a project that is as "Real Life" as possible, blogging is also a great way to show passion and get your name out there. I am not sure if you are already doing it but consider joining meetups or local user groups, networking is such a big part of getting your first step into the industry. Generally speaking, people that go to meetups are just as passionate as you so they are more than willing to help you out getting your foot in the door. If you need someone to maybe look at your LinkedIn/Resume to see if there is anything missing just hit me on Twitter.

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chrisjabb21 profile image
Christopher Fouad Jabbour

Thanks man, i appreciate it. Hey you are in luck, I have been going to meetups starting this year (wish i did it sooner than later, I was fighting imposter syndrome) and even networking events in my city. I went to one before the pandemic to and it helped me be comfortable with those events and learn. They can be a drive from where live but I am glad I am trying it when I can. I mostly designed websites but i am trying to make picture list of all the websites I made. I have deployed some simple projects on my github in the past as well. By "Real Life" do you mean a project that solves a problem (like ordering a pizza or looking for pets to adapt) uses a database, MVC, or something like e-commerce shop or dating app. Or would both be good? I had my sights on a bigger project myself or expanding on other projects i made as ideas. Hey that means alot. I will hit you up on twitter as well. I just been busy learning and putting all my social media on my Dev account.

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patferraggi profile image
Patricio Ferraggi

Hey, that is good to hear. When everything goes back to normal continue doing that. By real life I mean something that is more than a tutorial, usually when you build your own stuff you encounter many many problems, those problems teach you stuff you didn't expect. Sure hit me on Twitter when you feel like it