Bootcamp in AppWorks School
After 5 months of intensive learning (plus 1 month of remote learning) at AppWorks School for frontend development, I completed my personal project, GitDate - a dating and event website for digital nomads. This marks the journey I embarked on, and I am now employed as a frontend developer.
π² βThe best time to plant a tree is 20 years ago. The second-best time is now.β π²
It all began in the summer of 2022 when I completed my writing residency at CanSerrat in Barcelona, Spain. This was also two years after I had graduated from my MBA and the pandemic. During that time at home, I managed to finish one book and took some online courses, including SQL and Python, which were provided by the Information System Training Program of Computer Science and Information Engineering at National Taiwan University. However, I still felt that I lacked the experience and skills needed to work as a programmer.
As a result, I decided to apply for a coding bootcamp, specifically the AppWorks School, in early 2022, just before embarking on my writing residency in Spain. The application process and interviews were crucial steps for enrollment in the bootcamp. AppWorks School offers valuable resources and is highly competitive, so they want to ensure they select the right candidates to join. What they are looking for are not just programming abilities but also a strong motivation to transition to a career in programming.
ποΈ What I have prepared before the AppWorks School?
(1) Detailed application form to address my self-learning in programming, and side projects of web (though just wordpress blog), also my previous work experience with other programmers and product managers.
(2) Introduction video. Though it is optional to have the video, I still recorded it simply but show my face in the video.
(3) No regrets. Now or never. It could be very challenging during the bootcamp and even after, but it is my decision, I take the full responsibility to embrace the consequences.
𧳠During AppWorks School
(1) From 0 to 1: Starting from scratch and learning on our own, as frontend developers, we began with the basics of HTML, CSS, and JavaScript ES6 before delving into ReactJS. These subjects weren't taught through traditional lectures; instead, we tackled them through daily and weekly problem-solving tasks. It was up to us to seek out solutions and implement them using documentation, tutorials, and assistance from our fellow classmates.
Personally, I discovered that I learn more efficiently through video tutorials rather than documentation. As a result, I predominantly relied on YouTube channels and Udemy courses to acquire the skills needed to implement features like sliders and state management (reducer, Redux).
Some recommendation of channels and courses I have subscribed:
π developedbyedl
π Jack Herrington
π Ben Awad
π React - The Complete Guide 2023 (incl. React Router & Redux)
π ηΆ²ι εη«―ζ‘ζΆ React θΆ ε ₯ι
(2) Group project: Within a 10-day timeframe, our 4-person team, consisting of two front-end and two back-end engineers, implemented a new feature on the e-commerce website we had built from scratch using ReactJS. As a team, we successfully integrated features such as live streaming and a coupon system.
(3) Personal project: We were tasked with developing and presenting our personal projects within a 5-week timeframe using the Scrum development methodology. During each sprint, we conducted demos to ensure that our project was on the right track. As front-end developers, we utilized Firebase as our database and API to render content on our website.
(4) Job hunting: Alumni from previous batches conducted mock interviews with us as part of our job preparation. These interviews proved to be some of the most challenging I've experienced. The alumni were aware of our weaknesses and encouraged us to improve them to the best of our abilities. For instance, live-coding tests assessed our ability to enhance website performance using ReactMemo and useCallback.
(5) Landed on the job: Employment achieved, but the learning journey continues. I have worked in Taiwan banking service for 7 months, then I moved to Amsterdam NL π³π± in Aug 2023 to works as a junior frontend developer. π«
π² I am glad that I planted the tree. π²
Maybe you are also hesitate to plant the tree or not, feel free to ask me!
π Calendly: Book a meeting!
For those who might be interested:
β¨ Application of AppWorks School: AppWorks School
β¨ Project GitDate's GitHub could be found here: GitDate