Forem: Treehouse

Lean on your Support Network

Treehouse — Mon, 17 May 2021 19:49:16 +0000

You won't always have the right answers... that's normal and okay. The road to success is not paved by doing everything on your own.

💡 One of our Treehouse Values is: "Learning fast is better than being right".

"Don't be afraid to ask questions. Don't be afraid to ask for help when you need it. I do that every day. Asking for help isn't a sign of weakness, it's a sign of strength. It shows you have the courage to admit when you don't know something, and to learn something new."

– Barack Obama

💚 Build your Support Network

One of the keys to success is knowing when you need support and being brave enough to reach out for help.

Your loved ones, family, and friends are an integral part of your Support Network as you strive toward your learning and life goals. Know that they are there for you... and that it's okay to lean on them.

Join or create a community of designers or coders that you vibe with. Ask questions and share your challenges. You'll be amazed at how quickly your skills and understanding will grow.

And remember... when others reach out to you for support... return the love and keep the support flowing. When we support each other... we learn, grow, and build a more empowered world.

💬 Join the conversation

Who and/or what community is a big part of your Support Network? Leave a comment below!

Don't give up on your dream job

Treehouse — Mon, 10 May 2021 20:51:17 +0000

Let's get real – the job hunt is not easy.

Pursuing your dream job can be especially difficult if you don't have a college degree, no real-world experience, and you're trying to make a career switch while juggling learning and other daily life commitments.

The truth is... breaking into tech takes fierce determination and hard work. You likely won't get a job offer on the first, second... or even the third try... but does this mean you shouldn't pursue your dream job? Absolutely not!

“You miss 100% of the shots you don’t take."

– Wayne Gretzky

Set yourself up for the long game with all the tools, resources, and support you need. While there's no one-size-fits-all formula for success – there are some recommended practices to help you stand out in the hiring process.

📝 Keep a spreadsheet or project file of all the companies and roles currently hiring that you want to pursue
💼 Build an up-to-date LinkedIn profile + resume
✨ Display a portfolio of your projects online
💬 Network with folx in tech on social
🛠 Contribute to open-source projects on GitHub
💻 Practice for the Technical Interview
📚 Keep learning and getting better

Wherever you are in the process - know that if you keep pursuing your dream job, you will eventually land it. Don't give up. 💙

⬇️ Check out these resources

Start building your roadmap to success – here are some resources to help you along the way.

✨ Learning is not a destination... it's a lifelong journey

Treehouse — Mon, 03 May 2021 19:21:13 +0000

While the path may be full of twists and turns, bumps and burns... there are some essential checkpoints that will help you along the way.

🏞 Find your path

As your learning journey begins, you may feel overwhelmed with all of your options. Which programming language should you start with? Front-end, back-end, design, something else?!

Take a deep breath... and know that there's no wrong place to start. What interests you the most? What feels like it will be the best starting point for you? Just start somewhere... and grow from there.

🌱 Learn and grow

Once you've found and committed to your learning path, you're well on your way! Design a learning groove that works for your daily lifestyle. If learning 15 minutes per day is most beneficial for you, go for it!

Again, there's no wrong way. Just make sure you set yourself up for success with reasonable daily goals so you are building momentum. Be sure to also take breaks so that you can digest everything you're learning - you'll come back fresh!

💬 Ask for help

You may encounter challenges along the way. You may sail right through. One thing's for sure, you will eventually come upon roadblocks - it's part of the journey! It's important to surround yourself with folx and resources that can help you unblock things and move forward.

Be sure to reach out to your loved ones and friends for support. Build or join a community that you can reach out to and ask for help when challenges arise. Utilize your resources - Google-it, Stack Overflow-it, Dev.to-it.

Overcoming challenges along the way will help you to successfully learn... and your support networks and online resources are key to that success.

🛤 Stay on track

There may come a point along your learning journey where you start to deviate from the path... you might miss a day (or a few). That's okay! Life happens. The most important thing is to hop back on the track when you are able and start moving again.

You may have needed a bit of time to digest everything you've been working with. Just don't give up on your goals - know that you can reach the top of that mountain you're climbing.

✅ Achieve your goals

Whether you're working on small daily goals, or big picture goals... reaching those achievements is vital to feeling like you're getting somewhere on your learning journey. It will propel you from success to success.

We know it's not always easy. Be sure to give yourself some props! You are doing an amazing job juggling life alongside learning. Keep receipts of your achievements so that you can refer back to them if you feel like giving up or if Imposter Syndrome sets in.

Once you've accomplished your goals – go after new ones. The key to being a lifelong learner is doing it for the love of learning... and finding joy in the growing process.

Keep going - don't give up! 💜

💬 Join the conversation

Every learning journey is unique. Are there any other essential checkpoints you have to keep you motivated and growing? Leave a comment below!