Portfolio is live and LinkedIn updated

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     It has been over two weeks since my last post and things have been busy. During that time I was finally able to get my portfolio live using GitHub Pages. It was relatively easy, easier than I thought it would be at least. I have limited experience with GitHub and the online resources that I was looking at made it seem like deploying a repository was pretty complicated. Luckily I was able to locate a YouTube video that walked me through the steps and it only took a few minutes. I was able to link my projects to my portfolio and post an URL to my LinkedIn page. I also updated my LinkedIn page to reflect that I am looking for a coding job. I deleted all of my prior work experience, which is no longer relevant to the field I am attempting to get hired in. 

    Let's pause a moment to silently thank the unsung heroes of YouTube and StackOverflow. The developers who take the time to upload tutorial videos, or respond to coding questions. As a new coder, I am constantly Googling everything trying to find a solution to my problem. Most of the information I read or watch isn't very helpful to my specific situation. But then there's always the one random video, or post, that's like a rainbow in the thunderstorm. That rainbow is why I code. I like to think of myself as a professional problem solver. In my current job, I'm the person you go to solve problems. Whether it's finding a way to make a certain task easier, or fixing an error, I have team members from every department reaching out to me for my insight. Nothing beats the feeling of finally finding the solution, or things coming together in the end so that you get to see your hard work pay off. That's what drew me to coding and the reason I love it. 

    I have applied to at least 10 positions so far. My goal is to apply for at least one job a day, even if I'm not qualified for it. I'm probably underqualified for every job listing that is posted, but I'm not going to land my coveted dream job in tech if I never apply for anything. I haven't heard back from any posting, other then an email response stating that they would not be moving forward with my application. It's actually been pretty hard to find jobs to apply for. They all want experience with languages or technology that I don't have. A lot of them want degrees and 10+ years of working in the field as well.

    Also during this time, I have been trying to improve my JavaScript skills. I've been working on a certificate in JavaScript Algorithms and Data Structures from FreeCodeCamp. I'm probably around 40% complete. I'm hoping to have it finished by the end of March. If I'm being honest, I wish I would've learned something other than JavaScript for my first programming language. I understand that it goes hand in hand with HTML and CSS when it comes to web development, but I feel like JavaScript has a steep learning curve when it comes to being a complete novice. It's definitely been difficult for me to grasp some of the more complicated methods. I feel like if I had learned something a little easier my first go, then JavaScript wouldn't appear so complicated. I'm actually planning to start learning Python once I have a better handle on JS. Research that I have conducted stated that it's pretty beginner friendly and easier to learn than JS. I've seen more job postings for Python than JS also. Hopefully learning another language will make it easier to land my first job.

    I think I might be starting to hit burnout after going strong for months. I work full time at a mentally demanding and stressful job. I also have a family, complete with a toddler child, and what free time I have is usually spent coding. During work I typically listen to self-help or coding podcasts. There's not  a whole lot of down time for my mind. Coding also typically means sacrificing sleep at night and I don't get a whole lot of sleep in mornings. I end up feeling guilty if I take any time off to rest because it feels like my goals are so out of my reach. Any time off will make them more unattainable. I still have to much to learn. The thought that one day all of my hard work and personal sacrifices will finally pay off when I land my dream job. 

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