How I Learned to Code in 6 Months - And Got Into Google

Summary

In this inspiring video, the creator shares their journey from never having written a line of code to landing a job as a software engineer at Google in just over six months. They detail their path, from misconceptions about coding to enrolling in a boot camp, overcoming early struggles, and immersing themselves in coding challenges and projects. They also highlight the role of persistence, self-learning, and a focused mindset, culminating in the pivotal Google interview experience. The story offers valuable insights into how dedication and hard work can lead to unexpected career transformations.

Takeaways

• 😀 The speaker went from never writing a line of code to landing a software engineering job at Google in just over six months.
• 😀 The speaker started their coding journey after realizing that many career paths they were interested in required coding skills.
• 😀 Initially, the speaker had misconceptions about coding, believing it was something for people who had started young or were naturally inclined to it.
• 😀 The speaker applied to coding boot camps and was accepted into four, eventually choosing Fullstack Academy in New York City.
• 😀 The boot camp had preparatory materials to get students started with basic coding skills before classes began, and the speaker started learning JavaScript and fundamental concepts.
• 😀 The speaker got hooked on coding interview questions and challenges, particularly through CodeWars, a website that offers coding puzzles and challenges.
• 😀 The coding boot camp was an intense and immersive experience, requiring the speaker to dedicate 14-hour days to coding, including both structured classes and self-directed projects.
• 😀 The speaker worked on projects that doubled as opportunities to learn algorithms, with projects like pathfinding and sorting visualizers, which combined coding with learning complex concepts.
• 😀 After completing the boot camp, the speaker initially failed a phone interview with Lyft, which led to a humbling realization about the need for more focused interview prep.
• 😀 The speaker then focused on interview prep for 10 days before their Google interviews, learning Python in the process, and ultimately succeeded in the interviews, landing the job at Google.
• 😀 In total, the speaker's journey from writing their first line of code to getting hired at Google took about six months, which they consider a highly transformative and rewarding experience.

Q & A

What was the main motivation for the speaker to learn coding after college?

The speaker realized that many career paths they were interested in, such as launching a business or working in product management and venture capital, required coding skills.

How did the speaker feel about coding before they started learning it?

Initially, the speaker had a misconception that coding was only for people who had been learning it from a young age and had little interest in it, partly because of negative past experiences with HTML and CSS.

What was the first experience the speaker had with coding?

The speaker wrote their very first line of code while applying to coding boot camps in June 2016, using preparatory materials provided by the boot camps.

What type of coding boot camps did the speaker apply to and attend?

The speaker applied to four coding boot camps and chose to attend Fullstack Academy in New York City, which had a four-month program.

How did the speaker prepare for the coding boot camp?

In July 2016, the speaker took a break and played video games, and in August, they started doing basic coding exercises from the boot camp's preparatory materials, which required just a few hours of coding per day.

What made the speaker immerse themselves fully in coding during the boot camp?

The speaker recognized the importance of the boot camp for their career and treated it as a serious commitment, spending long hours—up to 14 hours a day—coding and engaging in coding-related activities.

How did the speaker get involved in CodeWars, and how did it help them?

The speaker became very involved in CodeWars, a platform for coding challenges, which helped them improve their problem-solving and coding skills by consistently completing challenges and rising through the platform's ranks.

What approach did the speaker take with their coding projects during the boot camp?

The speaker strategically chose projects that not only developed their coding skills but also helped them learn concepts like algorithms and programming language theory. For example, they created visualization tools for pathfinding and sorting algorithms.

How did the speaker handle their first coding interview failure?

After failing a phone interview with Lyft, the speaker learned that the coding challenges on CodeWars weren't enough to prepare for real coding interviews, so they focused intensely on interview prep for the next opportunity.

What was the speaker's strategy for preparing for their Google interviews?

The speaker dedicated 10 days to intensive coding interview prep, teaching themselves Python and using online resources and books to prepare for Google and other interviews. This preparation led to their success in the interviews.