Send us a text Wondering where to take your first step in the tech world? Should you aim for a fast-paced startup, a steady mid-sized company, or a giant like Google? In this episode I share my personal journey through all three—from a stressful startup experience to working at Fortune 100 companies. Learn the pros and cons of each environment, and…

Send us a text In this interview, Dagna Bieda, an accomplished software engineer and author of "Brain Refactor", shares how she struggled with communication as a developer and how she had to "refactor" her own mindset to reach the next level in her career as well as: Common pitfalls that most software engineers make in their career Why "mindset" is…

Send us a text Let me be clear: junior developers are necessary. They are also risky to hire. Let's explore the economics of hiring juniors, how to de-risk yourself and what the hell "junior" really means. Also - here's my email if you want any targeted advice: brian@parsity.io Include your Github and LinkedIn and I'll give you my 3 cents! PS. We h…

Send us a text Aaron went from rapper to New York City Transit worker to working at some of the largest names in tech including Coinbase, Docker and Meta (Facebook). This story isn't really about tech or money, but that's a piece of it. The real story is about refusing to settle, rising above your circumstances and creating options in life when you…

Send us a text The problem with the tech advice you get on LinkedIn, X and TikTok is that it doesn't reflect reality. The loudest voices dominate the space and create an echo chamber. Luckily, Stack Overflow surveys tens of thousands of developers every year to find out: - what professional developers REALLY think about AI taking their jobs - the t…

Send us a text Parsity grad Nils decided to change careers at 44 from professor of music to software engineer. His story may not seem typical but in many ways it follows the same pattern that has worked for other career changers: - He worked on real world projects in exchange for credibility. - He was open to hybrid opportunities. - He went outside…

Send us a text 15 years ago I made money by trading various substances for cash. I was hooked on drugs, alcohol and living like a loser. It took 3 near death experiences, 2 children, 1 intervention and too many sleepless nights to count before I changed my ways. The transition from criminal addict to nerdy software engineer was tough and there are …

Send us a text I used to hate admitting my mistakes when I was a more junior developer. Over the years, I've made some embarrassing blunders. I've thought I was going to be fired a dozen times. You can not avoid making mistakes as a software developer. It's part of the learning process. There are a few common problems most developers will encounter…

Send us a text Should I even be telling you this? I mean I own a coding bootcamp. The reality is that you don't need a degree OR a coding bootcamp to be a hire-able developer but there's a reason why the majority of software engineers have some formal education. Let's go over a plan for you to learn the basics of web development on your own and whe…

Send us a text Pessimists are often right. Optimists are often successful. When you're doing something new like learning to code, you don't have any "proof" that you will be good at it. Your brain wants to find patterns to protect you from an uncertain future. You scroll IG, YouTube or LinkedIn and are inundated with horror stories which affect you…

Send us a text Learning to code isn't enough. 10 years ago, being able to write some HTML, CSS, Jquery and JavaScript could land you a job. Honestly, you can still make money just knowing these basics. But, if you want career where you work on interesting problems and are highly compensated, there are 3 skills you're going to need which we'll explo…

Send us a Text Message. William Ray is a YouTuber, coder, and recent bootcamp graduate. We discuss how he went from a background in behavioral health to freelancing in the tech industry, overcoming addiction, the challenges of the job market, and the importance of time management. William shares his experience of learning Java and Vue, the signific…

Send us a text What happens AFTER the "I'm hired" post on LinkedIn? Once the "congratulations" comments and initial excitement wears off, reality sets in. "Did they make a mistake when they hired me?" "Can I do this?" "Will I be fired?" You are now a software developer in charge of writing code for applications that users rely on. Let's explore som…

Send us a text Megan Dias is a top 1% career coach on UpWork. She's also the career services coordinator at Parsity. She did not hold back on this episode where we discuss: - the reality of the tech job market and what's changed since the pandemic - why you probably shouldn't use the "Open to Work" banner - when to show off your GitHub profile and …

Send us a text It's been a hell of a 2024 so far. I bought a business (Parsity.io), got laid off, interviewed a ton and then got hired. Check my LinkedIn if you don't believe me. Let's explore 3 lessons from this layoff that I think you can apply to your job search as a software engineer no matter what stage you are currently at. Shameless Plugs 🧠 …

Send us a text Jack Herrington is the mastermind behind the YouTube channel Blue Collar Coder where he does deep dives on React, JavaScript and front end concepts. He shares his impressive 40-year journey in coding that began at age 13 and has remained close to the front end and excelled in software with only a high school diploma! From working at …

Send us a text Let's tackle the widespread fear that AI will replace software developers. Get a high level overview of how AI and large language models like ChatGPT work and why they produce such mid code. We go over why junior developers should limit their AI usage or risk becoming exceptionally mediocre developers as well as a better way to use A…

Send us a text Special guest Bhupinder Singh, an engineering leader and author of 'Interview Champion', shares his decades of experience in tech, from starting coding at 12 to working with Fortune 100 companies. Learn how Bhupinder collected offers like Infinity Stones from top tech companies after getting obsessed with interviewing like a champion…

Send us a text Learning JS is tough because you're trying to learn it the same way you learned in school. The ONLY way you can be a hire-able developer is to write code, NOT memorization. Let's go over a practical, hands-on approach to learning and take these resources below to get your hands dirty. Lastly, join us at Dev30.xyz to learn with some p…

Send us a text Learning to code is tough but it's not enough. Too many developers end up as glorified typists or code-bots. As a code-bot you will write code, given a clear set of instructions, that might even work. You will fix easy bugs, update the colors of buttons and might even write some simple features. The danger of being a code-bot is that…

Send us a text Your VS Code Shortcuts here including a video. Shameless Plugs 🧠 ​Parsity​ - a coding program for career changers ​🚀 dev30​ - learn JS in 2024 and get a massive discount to Parsity ​🤵🏽‍♂️ Brian's LinkedIn​ Already a developer? Check out 👉 Not Another Course Serious about joining Parsity - schedule a call with me ☎️…

Send us a text I chat with Carly, a former Parsity student who learned to code, didn't quit her job and instead decided to become a freelance web developer. I love stories like hers. Carly talks about the reality of joining a coding bootcamp program, finding time to code with a full time job, her externship experience with Parsity and advice for ea…

Send us a text My son just turned 18 and graduated high school. I started my career in coding at 30 and I often wonder where I'd be if I started earlier. Terrible habit. If I had full control over my kids' lives - this is how I'd structure their careers as software engineers so they would be much further along in the game than I am at my age. None …

Send us a text Let me tell you about the WORST interview I've ever had when I made it on site at Google back in 2019. My worst fear came true in this interview with the single worst interviewer I've ever had. It also exposed some serious knowledge gaps that led me to finally learn how to conquer tech interviews, increase my confidence and my boost …

Send us a text Sometimes, developers and content creators use too many personal stories to make big claims. This creates an echo chamber online, making you believe things that might not be true. Here’s what the real world looks like for most developers: Most developers don’t work for big tech. You’re more likely to fix old code than build new featu…

Send us a text We dive into the world of over-employment with our special guest, the Secret Developer. 🤫 Discover how he transitioned from a non-traditional background into tech, managed to secure multiple contract roles and successfully juggles his responsibilities across various jobs. The Secret Developer breaks down his interview experience, fin…

Send us a text There is an overwhelming amount of information available for aspiring software developers, let's explore a structured strategy called reverse engineering to simplify the path towards landing a job. We will look at the ONLY project you need to build on your way towards becoming a software developer as well as an opinionated list of te…

Send us a text Learning to code is hard. Getting a job as a developer requires an entirely different approach. David Roberts is a software developer and recruiter with decades of experience. He explains the game of getting hired from a recruiters perspective, how you can make it easier to be "discovered" on LinkedIn and thoughts on job guarantees. …

Send us a text I've started too many failed businesses to count. First there was the diary app. Then there was the 3 years I worked on a startup for real estate transactions. The real-time CSS tool. A learning management system. The SAAS app for actors to upload their auditions. I finally found some success with a small business I created which mad…

Send us a text Could there be a worse time to learn to code? I was nearly 30, had been sober for less than 2 months and had a 1 year old and 8 year old at home. I worked an office job which I just started and drove Lyft and Uber on the side. There was no time. So I had to create time. In the process of learning how code, I learned the 2nd most impo…

Send us a text In today’s episode, we chat with another Brian, a founder, mentor, and recurring guest at Parsity. Brian shares his fascinating journey from being a self-taught developer to working as an engineering manager at IBM I asked Brian what he would do if he was a bootcamp grad in today's job market and he has some practical and actionable …

Send us a text 4 little letters almost got me fired. LGTM. "Looks good to me" As a software developer you'll be reading code much more than you will be writing it. Part of your role will almost certainly include looking over your peers' code and giving them feedback. These are called PRs or peer reviews. I sucked at PRs until our lead developer cal…

Send us a text For the last 10 years I've been writing code for a living and also worked at several bootcamp programs. I now own Parsity, a coding bootcamp. I also went to 2 bootcamps myself! I know they can work wonders and change lives. I've also seen a lot of people who failed to make the transition to software engineer. That sucks. Let's explor…

Send us a text I met a junior developer with 7 years experience. His resume actually looked pretty good. When we started the interview though… oof. He struggled with a simple problem that required iterating over an array and merging some objects. How was this possible? Let's explore how to avoid a similar fate and how you can shorten your path to s…

Send us a text Ryan Talbert, author of 101 Tips: TypeScript, React, and JavaScript has a hell of a developer origin story: Part 1: Went to school for entrepreneurship Part 2: Scammed by a shady developer who stole his life savings Part 3: Learned to code from tutorials Part 4: Becomes a software engineer and LinkedIn personality Part 5: This interv…

Send us a text I’m going to break down the strategy that took me from an underpaid, mediocre developer to an engineering leader through a series of strategic job hops. Shameless Plugs 🧠 ​Parsity​ - a coding program for career changers ​🚀 dev30​ - learn JS in 2024 and get a massive discount to Parsity ​🤵🏽‍♂️ Brian's LinkedIn​ Already a developer? Ch…

Send us a text React is the single most popular framework for the world's most popular programming language: JavaScript. Yes, you must learn it. In this episode we go over: - What is React, why you care and changes to know in 2024 - How much JS is enough before you learn React? - Server side rendering vs client side rendering - What the heck is Nex…

Send us a text As an engineering manager I've had the privilege of promoting engineers on my team and offering people their first role in tech. It's one of the most rewarding parts of the job. Besides all the meetings of course... that's the icing on the cake 😉. Unfortunately, I've also had the not so fun task of promoting people OUT of the team 😬.…

Send us a text This week, I interviewed Vanessa Vun who switched careers at 35 and went from clinical lab scientist to software engineer. She doesn't have any hacks or shortcuts to landing her first role in a tough market, just practical advice that you're probably not reading online. You can connect with her here: Vanessa's LinkedIn ​G​​ot an idea…

Send us a text Could AI ever replace the entire software development industry? Should you still learn to code? Lets tackle the misconceptions and fears head-on, demystifying the hype around AI tools like Devin AI, and shining a light on the importance of critical thinking. In a world where sensational headlines blur the lines between fact and ficti…

Send us a text Here's a scary realization: there is no 1 path to learn coding. There are many and not every one will work for you. Guest Ilya Dorman challenges conventional coding education and some of my opinions on how to learn to code. We talk about how understanding your own learning process and aligning your personal and professional expectati…

Send us a text Congratulations! You landed your first software engineering role. Now an entirely new and much longer game begins. I remember the feelings of joy when I got hired and then my anxiety kicked in: "What will they expect me to know?" "Will I get laughed out of the room?" "Am I gonna get fired?!" Let's explore what you can expect on your …

Send us a text Stack Overflow interviewed 90,000 developers to understand the software developer landscape. This survey is a goldmine for developers who are wondering what they should learn next and what current professionals are using to pick up new skills, write code and share their software. You can check it out here: Stack Overflow 2023 Develop…

Send us a text You want to build an amazing side project but you don’t know where to start. ❌ TODO app? ❌ Clone of that other app that you use? ❌ Tutorial project? When I’m not sure what I want to build, I do this: Start with the data - what API can you use which may have some interesting information? What features can you construct around the API?…

Send us a text Everybody and their mother, including me, has been telling you to just learn in public. Anna Miller is co-founder of Code Career Mastery and has a different take on creating a brand online, making genuine connections and shortening your path to HIRED. Honestly, this was one of the most refreshing takes I've heard on building a person…

Send us a text In the last 2 years alone, I’ve read through at least 100 resumes for open positions at my current company for junior developers. In addition, I’ve done around 500 calls with developers from around the world and seen hundreds more resumes and LinkedIn profiles. As an engineering manager, when I get sent a stack of resumes to look thr…

Send us a text We hear a lot of success stories about bootcamp grads AFTER they’ve landed their first role. What about those who are in the middle of learning to code? I sit down with Levy, a current student in a coding bootcamp who’s juggling work, life and learning how to build software. Levy shares what he wishes he’d known before starting a cod…

Send us a text Maybe I've fooled you. To be transparent, I've screwed up a lot over the years as a developer. I’ve blown up production a few times. I deleted the column without a back up. I pretended to understand and f*cked things up. I learned a lot, got yelled at a few times and embarrassed too many times to count. Now I can share my takeaways w…

Send us a text Learning data structures and algorithms (DSA) isn't JUST a smart interview skill, it will boost your confidence as a software engineer, give you a deeper understanding of computer science fundamentals and they can even be fun once you know how to use them. If you're self teaching or just starting out with code, they can be intimidati…

Send us a text How much do you really need to know to start freelancing? What should you charge? How do you get your first client? Matt Cascardi, my friend and former mentor breaks down how he went from psychology major to freelance developer using a boots on the ground strategy to get clients. Matt got his clients the old school way and this a pat…