On Bootcamps, Networking, and Job Hunting During a Recession, with Don the Developer

<p><strong>🎙 About the episode</strong></p><p><br><strong>Meet Don Hansen 🇺🇸!</strong> Don is a software engineer and developer mentor who helps aspiring juniors land their first opportunity. He's also a Youtuber, podcaster, and streamer who met his first boss on Twitch!</p><p>In this episode, Don and Alex talk about career changes, leaving a good first impression, and the state of the job market right now. You'll learn whether you should consider attending a coding bootcamp or stick to a self-directed path, how to see past the marketing copy on a coding bootcamp's website, and how to actually look at networking (especially if you're bad at it). Don also shares valuable insights on all the things you might be doing wrong if you're just starting your job search.   </p><p><strong>🔗 Connect with Don</strong></p><ul> <li><a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/donthedeveloper/">👨‍💼 Linkedin</a></li> <li><a href="http://donthedeveloper.tv">🌐  Website</a></li> <li><a href="https://www.youtube.com/@DonTheDeveloper">📹 Youtube</a></li> <li><a href="https://www.twitch.tv/donthedeveloper">📹 Twitch</a></li> </ul><p><strong>⏰ Timestamps</strong></p><ul> <li>Don always coded as a hobby (01:19)</li> <li>Bridging the gap between a hobbyist and a professional: it's a shift in mindset (02:56)</li> <li>How to keep coding playful while maintaining discipline (05:02)</li> <li>How did Don go about getting his first coding job? (06:23)</li> <li>Don met his first boss on Twitch! (07:20)</li> <li>Why is providing transparency very powerful + are you curious about coding? (09:01)</li> <li>What Don learned from failed job applications (11:21)</li> <li>How you should think about networking (13:10)</li> <li>Ad break! Next week, it's <a href="https://scrimba.com/podcast/dont-be-afraid-to-take-breaks-but-make-sure-to-keep-going-juggling-learning-to-code-and-a-full-time-job-with-scrimba-student-marleigh/">Marleigh Morgan</a>! (14:52)</li> <li>Fight shyness with exposure (16:21)</li> <li>How <a href="https://scrimba.com/podcast/code-like-n