ALTERNATE UNIVERSE DEV

The Scrimba Podcast

Ask Better Questions, Get Better Jobs: How Spencer Sped up His Interview Process and Got an Offer Only Four Days after the First Interview

🎙 About the episode


Meet Spencer Dye 🇺🇸! Spencer is a new developer who recently got his first dev job! In the past, he was a designer, but before that, he studied to become a biologist, and then, an accountant! While moonlighting as a designer during his studies, he discovered Webflow, and from there, realized that development is... kind of fun?

In this episode, you'll hear how Spencer learned to code, kept up his motivation by practicing stoicism and filling in a habit tracker, and ultimately landed his first dev job after only five months since he decided to change careers. Alex and Spencer discuss whether you should focus on any job or only the jobs you like, why your background is your asset, and are your coding skills the only thing you should focus on. You'll hear how Spencer interviewed his interviewers and focused on making a human connection - which resulted in one of the shortest interview processes we've heard about on the pod!

Plus: YouTube recommendations, your tweets, and many words of encouragement.

🔗 Connect with Emre

⏰ Timestamps

  • How Spencer went from computers to design to biology to accountancy, back to design, and eventually, into development (01:25)
  • Before learning frontend, Spencer freelanced as a designer and worked with Webflow (03:03)
  • Spencer dropped out of college and decided to learn development (03:44)
  • How Spencer created his own curriculum and why he used a habit tracker (04:40)
  • What challenges Spencer faced while learning to code (06:17)
  • Nobody teaches problem-solving, but it's essential (06:51)
  • It only took Spencer five months to learn to code at a hireable level (07:53)
  • Community break! Here's what you've been tweeting and posting on LinkedIn (08:35)
  • Interviewing is a skill (11:17)
  • What's the benefit of focusing only on opportunities you find exciting (12:07)
  • How stoicism helped Spencer during his job search (12:46)
  • What Spencer found surprising during his job search (14:23)
  • Why the job Spencer ended up getting had the most effortless interview process compared to the previous ones (15:06)
  • Where does Spencer work now? (16:30)
  • Did Spencer's previous experience in design help him in his new role? (16:56)
  • Another advantage: Spencer interviewed his boss! (17:49)
  • On transferable skills (18:18)
  • Quick-fire questions: favorite frontend YouTube channels, future coding plans, and English breakfast tea (18:52)
  • Why Spencer chose a career in coding (21:03)
  • Webflow jobs vs. coding jobs (22:37)
  • How Spencer got the job within five days of his first interview (24:29)
  • Spencer's interview process and interviewing his interviewers (22:54)
  • Focus on making a human connection! (26:47)
  • Did Spencer have a tech interview? (29:35)
  • Your coding skills are not the only thing (30:31)
  • Why it's important to practice interviewing (32:45)
  • Spencer's tip: Apply at the same company through multiple channels! (33:30)
  • Closing advice: You will get better! Just focus on the smallest steps. (34:58)  

🧰 Resources Mentioned

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