Syk Houdeib: ‘Front-end dev… I still have to pinch myself!’

Final question: was it all worth it for you, Syk?

I don’t think the answer to this one will surprise anyone who’s listened this far, but still – I felt it’s nice to wrap this up on Syk’s high:

Well, that’s a wrap – this is where our conversation ended. Many thanks to you, Syk, for taking the time to talk to me, and for your disproportionate patience and kindness.

Top 3 take-aways from Syk’s experience

1. Start applying for jobs as soon as you have mastered the basics. If you have your HTML & CSS, a reasonable command of JS, a few projects on your GitHub profile, and a bit of an idea about one of the JS frameworks (React, Vue, Angular) – start applying immediately, even if you don’t feel ready. Remember, you’ll never be ready unless you start working. More importantly? It’s not YOUR job to decide if you’re ready – it’s the interviewers’. Plus, the sooner you get a handle on the whole interviewing process, the better off you’ll be down the road. So, start applying (and drop a line in the comments below to let us know how it went!) Also, if you see a job that you like and you think you’re not a good match, don’t be shy; reach out to the company – you just might be surprised! Remember, your drive, your transferable skills and your motivation might just be what they need – even if they don’t know it yet!
   
2. When deciding which companies to apply to for your first position, go for the team first – don’t let the financial offer drive your application. As a junior, in your very first role – your priority is to consolidate what you’ve learn, to reach both depth and breadth with your skills – and you can best do that in a supportive team. No amount of money will compensate for a supportive environment; in fact, you might take home a little extra money, but unless you’re properly supported in your first role, both your productivity and your motivation (and ultimately your transition itself) might end up taking a fatal blow. When interviewing – remember, it’s not just them who are interviewing you; you get to interview them as well – and if you’re not feeling it… keep looking. (Ok, so maybe Syk didn’t put this is quite so many words; what can I say… I got carried away because I feel this is THAT important for you).
   
3. Finally, to keep growing and stay relevant, start your own weekly development afternoon / evening, and even the occasional weekend-long development bootcamp; use the time to catch up with industry reads, new trends, take courses and even try your hand at writing to increase your visibility and perceived expertise. Not a fan of writing? Try podcasting or video creation instead. Either of these will, in time, help establish you as a voice in tech, increase your network and overall will make you more employable. Here’s one last input from Syk:

The resource bit

Interested to follow Syk?

Easy – here are all his deets:

• Personal blog: https://blog.sykhoudeib.com
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/syknapse
• Github: https://github.com/syknapse
• LinkedIn: https://es.linkedin.com/in/syk-houdeib

All the goodies he mentioned

Finally, here are some of the things he mentioned:

• Lola Market, of course 🙂
• #100daysofcode
• Jira
• HTML, CSS, JS
• JS frameworks: React, Vue, Angular
• GitHub
• Sprints, stand-up meetings (Agile software development)
• Text editors
  
• Plus check out my Roadmap: Getting started with web development which will help you 🤞chart your way.

Hey, if you found Syk’s story as inspiring as I think it is:
– please be sure to share it with a friend who could use it &
– drop a comment below to let us know what you thought and if you’d like more stories like this!
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