How To Get a Remote Job From a Tier-3 College | #136 The Sanskar Show

Summary

This video transcript features a discussion on self-taught programming, the importance of networking, and open-source contributions. The speaker emphasizes that getting a job in programming is more about meeting the right people than just coding skills. They share their journey from learning to code at 14, building products, and winning hackathons. The speaker also advises on how to find projects, contribute to open-source, and leverage social media for networking. They stress the value of continuous learning and applying skills over formal education.

Takeaways

• 😀 Programming job opportunities are often more about networking than just coding skills.
• 🔗 Open source contributions are an excellent way to meet people and build a professional network.
• 🎓 Learning to code can be self-taught, with resources like YouTube videos and online courses.
• 🛠️ Building products and projects is a practical way to apply and enhance coding skills.
• 🏆 Winning hackathons and creating notable projects can significantly boost a developer's profile.
• 🌐 Social media, especially platforms like Discord and Twitter, play a crucial role in remote work and networking.
• 💼 For remote job opportunities, it's important to have a strong online presence and contribute to communities.
• 🎯 Choosing a niche and attending related events or conferences can help in meeting like-minded professionals and potential employers.
• 📈 The demand for skills in areas like AI and blockchain is high, but it's important to stand out from the crowd.
• 🌟 Front-end development skills are a good starting point for anyone looking to get into blockchain or crypto.
• 🔄 The cycle of contributing to open source involves finding projects, making contributions, and potentially securing a job within that project.

Q & A

What does the interviewee suggest is more important than coding skills for getting a job in programming?

The interviewee suggests that networking and meeting the right people is more important than just coding skills for getting a job in programming.

How did the interviewee learn to code?

The interviewee learned to code primarily through YouTube videos and self-learning, without any formal programming training.

What is the significance of open source contributions according to the interviewee?

Open source contributions are significant as they allow individuals to meet people and build a network, which can lead to job opportunities.

How does the interviewee recommend managing the balance between building products and studying?

The interviewee suggests that skills can be developed over time, but networking cannot. Therefore, one should focus on building connections and contribute to projects to gain practical experience.

What niche did the interviewee choose to specialize in?

The interviewee chose blockchain technology as their niche, specifically focusing on the Solana ecosystem.

What was the first major product the interviewee built?

The first major product the interviewee built was 's.fund', which won the Coindesk Aon, one of the biggest hackathons in crypto.

What is the interviewee's perspective on internships?

The interviewee sees internships as an opportunity to learn and meet supportive people, rather than just a stepping stone for a job.

What advice does the interviewee give for someone looking to get into crypto?

The interviewee advises watching educational videos, joining Discord communities like Superteam, and learning front-end development skills as a starting point.

How does the interviewee recommend finding and contributing to open source projects?

The interviewee recommends finding open source projects on platforms like GitHub and Discord, and then contributing by creating pull requests or engaging with the development team.

What is the interviewee's view on the importance of social media for networking?

The interviewee views social media platforms like LinkedIn, Twitter, and Discord as important tools for networking and finding job opportunities.

What is the interviewee's strategy for balancing college work and personal projects?

The interviewee balances college work and personal projects by prioritizing important lectures and finding time during the day to work on personal projects.

Outlines

00:00

💻 Learning to Code and Networking in Programming

The speaker discusses their self-taught journey in programming, emphasizing that finding jobs is more about networking than just coding skills. They highlight the importance of open-source contributions and joining communities like Discord for meeting people in the industry. The speaker shares their learning process, which was primarily through YouTube videos, and stresses the importance of applying knowledge through projects. They also talk about balancing building products and studying, choosing a niche, and the skills required for remote work, including the role of social media in networking.

05:01

🎓 College Experience and Learning to Code

The speaker reflects on their college experience, noting a shift from disliking DSA and LeetCode to understanding their value in practicing skills. They advocate for building projects to apply knowledge and discuss their own exploration phase where they focused on fitness and socializing before seeking internships. The paragraph covers learning resources like YouTube and Udemy, and the importance of contributing to open-source projects for gaining recognition and building a network. The speaker also shares their first open-source contribution and how it helped them connect with people in the ecosystem.

10:02

🤝 The Importance of Networking and Choosing a Niche

This paragraph focuses on the importance of networking and choosing a niche for career growth. The speaker advises attending niche-specific events to meet like-minded people and potential employers. They discuss the ineffectiveness of merely connecting on LinkedIn without genuine engagement and suggest having meaningful conversations as a better approach. The speaker also touches on the challenges of finding jobs in trending fields and the value of being in demand due to specialization.

15:04

🌐 Securing Remote Jobs and the Power of Open Source

The speaker provides insights on securing remote jobs, suggesting that the skill set required remains the same, but networking strategies might differ, with social media playing a significant role. They discuss the use of platforms like GitHub for finding remote work and mention 'super team earn' for crypto-related opportunities. The paragraph concludes with advice on how to approach contributing to open source, find projects, make contributions, and potentially secure a job within that project, emphasizing the value of offering something of value to gain attention.

Keywords

💡Open Source Contributions

Open source contributions refer to the act of contributing to open source projects, which are projects where the source code is made available to the public for use and modification. In the context of the video, the speaker emphasizes the importance of contributing to open source as a way to meet people in the industry and gain valuable experience. An example from the script is the speaker's own contribution to an open source project called 'salana base app' which helped them get noticed and connected within the crypto ecosystem.

💡Discord

Discord is a communication platform designed for creating communities through voice, video, and text channels. It is mentioned in the script as a place where one can join communities related to their interests, such as programming or crypto, to network and learn from others. The speaker suggests using Discord to connect with like-minded individuals and contribute to projects, which can lead to job opportunities.

💡Remote Work

Remote work refers to employment where one works from a remote location, typically their home, using digital tools to communicate and collaborate with team members. The video discusses the possibility of securing remote jobs, especially in the tech industry, and how skills and networking are crucial for making this a reality. The speaker suggests that platforms like GitHub and social media can be instrumental in finding remote job opportunities.

💡Crypto

Crypto, short for cryptocurrency, is a digital or virtual currency that uses cryptography for security. The video script frequently mentions crypto, particularly in the context of blockchain technology and the Solana ecosystem. The speaker shares their experience of building products in the crypto space and suggests that students interested in crypto should start by joining communities like the Super Team Discord.

💡Programming

Programming refers to the process of writing, testing, debugging, and maintaining the source code of computer programs. The script revolves around the speaker's journey of learning to code independently and how programming skills are fundamental to building products and securing jobs in the tech industry. The speaker shares that they learned to code through YouTube videos and online courses.

💡Networking

Networking refers to the cultivation of professional relationships to exchange information, advice, or contacts. In the video, the speaker highlights the importance of networking for job opportunities, suggesting that it is often more about 'the people you meet' than the code itself. They recommend attending events, engaging on social media, and contributing to open source projects to build a professional network.

💡GitHub

GitHub is a web-based platform that provides Git repository hosting services. It is mentioned as a platform where developers can showcase their work, contribute to open source projects, and find job opportunities. The speaker suggests that GitHub can be a valuable tool for students looking to break into the industry, as it allows them to demonstrate their skills and connect with potential employers.

💡Internships

Internships are temporary positions with an organization, often used for on-the-job training. The script discusses the speaker's experience with internships as a way to gain practical experience and meet people in the industry. They mention an internship with Flash Trade, a perpetual trading exchange, as an example of how internships can lead to valuable learning experiences and connections.

💡Hackathons

Hackathons are events where programmers and other people involved in software development collaborate intensively on software projects. The speaker mentions winning the Coindesk Aon hackathon in 2023, which was a significant milestone in their career. Hackathons are presented as opportunities to build products, showcase skills, and potentially win prizes or recognition.

💡Front-end Development

Front-end development refers to the development of the user interface and user experience of a website or application. The video script suggests that front-end development skills, such as knowledge of React or Next.js, are crucial for building products and are a good starting point for those interested in crypto or web development.

💡Social Media

Social media refers to websites and applications that enable users to create and share content or participate in social networking. The speaker discusses the role of social media in networking and job hunting, particularly platforms like Twitter, LinkedIn, and Discord. They advise using social media to connect with professionals in one's field of interest and to stay informed about industry trends.

Highlights

Programming job acquisition is more about networking than just coding skills.

Open source contributions are an excellent way to meet people in the industry.

Discord communities like Super Team are open platforms for networking and learning.

Learning to code was primarily through YouTube videos and self-study.

Building products and studying involves balancing time effectively.

Choosing a niche and attending related events can help in meeting like-minded people and potential employers.

Skills can be developed over time, but connections cannot.

Social media, especially LinkedIn, plays a significant role in remote job acquisition.

The life cycle of contributing to open source includes finding projects, making contributions, and potentially getting a job.

Building the product 's. fun' won the Coindesk Aon hackathon in 2023.

The importance of creating valuable products and giving them out for free to gain recognition.

Creating something called 'salana base app' was the first grant from Super Team.

Having a job mindset is not necessary; focusing on personal projects and growth is equally important.

DSA (Data Structures and Algorithms) is important but should be applied to real-world projects.

Exploring various interests and maintaining a healthy lifestyle is crucial alongside programming.

For those interested in crypto, starting with front-end development is recommended.

GitHub and mlHax are platforms for finding remote jobs and projects.

Open source contributions can lead to significant financial rewards and career growth.

The process of contributing to open source involves finding projects, making pull requests, and networking with the development team.

Transcripts

I've completely learned to code on my

own programming and getting jobs in

programming is less about the code and

more about the People You Meet how do

you find people who can give you jobs so

open source contributions is best way to

meet people and discords like super team

so open

source I put it out anyone can use it

for free for their learning so how did

you go about learning to Cod it was

mostly YouTube videos if you are always

learning like there then there's no

point learning right until you're able

to apply that so bro how do you manage

building products and studying skills

skills you can develop over time but

Lobos of connect you can't develop over

time so what kind of events should they

go to so choose a niche if someone wants

to get a reward job if they want to work

remotely how can that be made possible

what skills are required what networking

is required to get to that level the

skill set Remains the Same everything

Remains the Same the network might

change a little and I think social media

plays much more of a role there so tell

me the life cycle of that person

contributing to open source how will

they find the project how will they make

contributions and then ultimately how

can they ask for a job in that

particular

project

okay so from writing your first line of

code to today how is that that Journey

been like what's that learning curve

been like and through the way have you

done any internships any jobs any

products you have built if you can just

share them in adust I've completely

learned to code on my own I've never

like any formal programming training so

that's completely like uh figure out a

roam around find out so that's been

there uh coming to products and projects

I've like built MP products and various

projects so one major product I buil was

s. fun so it was last year around 2023

we won the coindesk Aon so that was a

huge price one of the biggest hackathons

in crypto that was a major Thing One

initial fun product I buil was in Python

like everyone was making Javis around

the time you know like Iron Man

replicating Javis in Python with pi

audio and everything so I did that that

was a really fun product I learned a lot

with that yeah I've done bunch of

internships I'm doing one right now with

flash trade it's a Perpetual trading

Exchange in Dubai so yeah learning

experience has really good people I've

met along the way have been really

supportive and yeah mostly I think

programming and getting jobs in

programming is less about the code and

more about the People You Meet

interesting point you mentioned ke

getting a job or an internship is more

about the people you know right so being

14 in India how do you find people who

can give you jobs so when you're 14 just

go around dram around explore things you

like go on the internet I wish I had

internet before yeah go around and find

out so YouTube is there so you will meet

people along the way as you put in the

hard work so I met a bunch of people not

because I had some really cool Twitter

profile but because I did some work for

them or helped them along the way so

open source contributions is best way to

meet people and discords like super team

so when you say open source you

guide what was your first interaction

with open source and then how did you

make your cont contributions so open

source I put it out anyone can use it

for free for their learning and now when

bunch of people are using it for free

and it is something actually valuable

people come back to they'll get credit

to you it's doesn't really have to make

money when you're 14 you don't really

care about money that much so yeah just

create something that's valuable give it

out for free don't give out the whole

thing of

course and let other people contribute

to it you contribute to other people's

code and you'll just collectively make

something that's really good for the

world you know so personally I made

something called salana base app so that

was my first Grant from super team so

yeah salana was really new at that time

everyone was looking for developer tools

this was something like a basic or base

application that's required when you

create a salana application it was built

in react yeah and that got me really

popular and connected to people in the

ecosystem so take me through the jour

journey of your high school and then

coming to college like what did you have

in mind what were your goals do did you

look for a Fang job when you got out of

college so what was your mindset like

coming into college I was like I never

really had a job mindset what I want to

do is hey I want some free time to do my

own thing I don't want a initially Fang

job or something cuz I don't like being

constrained I like moving at my own

speed doing my own things and my own

speed initially fast companies go really

slow so that's something I didn't really

like and most people were into DSA and

Lead code and everything initially I

hated that but over the time as I was

there and the hosts and people are doing

this I understood their point of view

that yeah this is cool but this is only

like practicing sword fighting and not

going to war at any time so go to the

war build projects and build products so

that's only the way you can apply your D

skills and everything my coming to back

to my mindset it was like yeah I don't

want to do anything for 3 months I

didn't do any I didn't write any code

for 3 months I just explored talk to a

bunch of people uh make bunch of friends

explore Sports and yeah get into fitness

that was my major goals and then after

those three months were over yeah I

started looking for internships I

started looking for product ideas again

so how did you go about learning to core

yes you started at 14 right yeah you

learned on your own so I'm assuming you

watched YouTube videos tutorials what

did you do it was mostly YouTube videos

and so my father had U UD me access and

yeah mostly used UD me that was there

but I never i' I had a bunch of UD

coures I've never finished one like I've

had I left courses at 20% 50% as I got

the initial value so yeah look at

YouTube videos now the start gbd I wish

that was there sooner so once you have

like initial logic building skills that

you get from programming just go to tjb

solve a bunch of questions and I think

that's why lead code could be really

good or like solve a bunch of questions

get a bunch of examples from chart gbd

and you should be good to go with the

language syntax next is your own logic

building and emergence skills so yeah

let's say someone in college right now

wants to get started with crypto yeah

they want to get into this space so what

should be their first step go around

watch a bunch of YouTube videos don't

watch Traders videos YouTube is filled

with that stuff trading videos will

destroy you will end up losing money

there are lots of good articles best

place is to like just go to the super

team Discord public is there what is

super teams super team is basically a

bunch of skilled people coming together

to solve world's problems using crypto

specifically salana it's just an

Community where you come they'll support

you really skilled people and yeah you

can create your own thing getting into

crypto go to the supernum Discord

introduce yourself or WR your motor and

there's a bunch of learning resources

there uh I think best way is okay

watching there's a channel called

whiteboard crypto so it's really good

for Theory I even I used it back in my

day so whiteboard crypto is really good

uh yeah after you have B done bunch of

videos I think it's good that you have

some front end development skills you'll

be able to create some basic products

that's how I started off I I react

nextjs so that's the good to know

typescript but JavaScript works well

yeah and there's a bunch of Open Source

libraries so you'll be able to use bunch

of them not specifically on salana even

ethereum and any other

chain I think front end development is

the first skill you would need then you

can go with your language of choice Russ

solidity or simple node back ends that's

up to you so let's go step by step you

mentioned that front end knowledge

should be your first step right so

now and what level of efficiency should

one be at to move to the next step if

you are always learning like this then

there's no point of learning right until

you're able to apply that so best way is

learn react learn react hooks States and

everything all the react Basics do that

no need to complete the course just good

enough that you're able to create a

website that's able to do whatever you

like does not have to be crypto or

anything so yeah it's as simple as a gym

work website get out right as a template

project

and then yeah move forward GitHub has a

lot of Open Source crypto libraries and

you'll have a lot of support

documentation and tutorials now in

YouTube so use them and create a simple

front end project as simple as hey I can

use this nexj template simple create

next app and I can connect my wallet and

I can send a transaction like I can send

a transaction to you so bro how do you

manage building products and studying

umle

especially in colleges so I work on

lectures sometimes so we have this

lectures practical balance

stuff so workr lectures as a student you

should be really sure of what you want

to do of course you have to figure out

over

time so sometimes I work around lectures

if it's important if not I able to find

some time during the day like lectures

so that's how like I balance my time SKS

skills you can develop over time but

Lobos a connect you can't develop over

time like either you have to be good you

you have to be involved so programmers

orch students like a general image

so so people maintain LinkedIn that's

good good go to that but until unless

you go to events you talk to people it

won't be happening H so what kind of

events should they go to so choose a

niche I choose my nishe as blockchain

you can choose a niche as machine

learning AI or cyber security anything

you like there's bunch of conferences

happening go to the events you'll meet

likeminded people you meet like-minded

employers and if let's say a student in

their first year meets an employer so

what should they do on meeting upon with

them um don't talk about employment

first

thing then why would I offer anyone just

connect with them you know have some

distinction like rich people going to go

is actually a cringe thing but it's

actually works business deal happens

over a golf right so just talk with them

talk about the latest thing in your

niche suppose there's a new chain talk

about the new chain if you're going to a

blockchain confence or like talk about

the existing things that can happen

display a knowledge but don't make it

obvious P Bro you mentioned be at a

place where there is demand yeah if you

want jobs right so in your opinion with

your experience 2024 25

26and if they want the

job so recently this specialization

thing secondary in a college bunch of

people took a they don't even know

python Basics right there's over Supply

every job Ro recently has AI in them

right it's good and there are some

really good AI job roles and there are

some really good AI people right and

they will get jobs if you're top 1% top

10% of your field there's no problem

finding jobs but if you're part of that

bunch of sheeps that just took AI or

took any field because it was popular

like people who do crypto back in the

day right if because it was popular

okay few of them worked out few of them

worked hard and got forward but most of

them did not they just dumb shs and now

they're in AI right

so there will be

demand we are living in capitalism yeah

how can students use social media may be

specifically uh Discord Twitter and

Linkedin so LinkedIn everyone uses start

quite cringe nowadays everyone makes F

of it but still everyone has to use it I

don't use LinkedIn as much so yeah

LinkedIn is good if you are actually

connecting with people LinkedIn invite B

is not connection so don't connect but

if you're able to set up a meet like a

15 minutes meet with anyone perfect if

you're able to find your niche of people

on Lon and if you're able to find your

Niche on Twitter perfect interact with

them comment with them cold dming always

works Discord okay you join communities

people asking questions all the time

it's good to reply to them if you know

them or like good to follow up but you

have to be active you have to show up

every day so most people don't do that

most people just dis install Discord

they'll join a few communities and yeah

no one is ghosting after week if someone

wants to get a reward job if they want

to work remotely how can that be made

possible what skills are required what

networking is required to get to that

level

it's equally of the same

value but it's working the same way so

the skill set Remains the Same

everything Remains the Same the

networking might change a little and I

think social media plays much more of a

role there yeah and it's much better to

connect with people like just get them

on a 10 minute 15 minute Google meet as

simple as that discuss something with

them what happens is let's talk about

someone second year from a tier three

College in India right they want to

connect with some CEO in the US and you

mentioned connect up with them on a

10minute call okay so what steps can

they do to make that

happen Okay so demand Supply

H un go he will be respected he will

have a lot of attention why would you

reply to your message do you have some

value suppose their company is coming

with something new right a new prototype

right suppose it's Silicon Valley and

they make nucleus right and you can add

something to that nucleus compression

algorithm right they might reply they

might forward it to their team or it's

not the best idea to reach out to the

COO directly reach out to someone on the

specific team right

and then move forward so yeah until

unless you have some value for the

person in front of you there's no point

of playing or to any cold CM bro are

there some platforms as well

specifically people can get remote jobs

I I don't know about other platforms I

think best place GitHub but gck works

but don't read G like it's a DSA

platform like it's not repe yeah so G is

good it's hard to crank but it's good so

in crypto the something called super

team earn it's a super team product you

can get bounties there and job

applications are open there so you can

apply for bounties you'll get paid for

it if you get in the top three prices

it's not limited to development jobs

it's Li it has content video marketing

everything so you'll be able to find

something there if you in crypto rest I

think GitHub gck and ml Hax has their

own platforms right yeah bro what I feel

is open source is a very important

aspect of growth in a developers career

open

source like at the age of 16

18 I have talked to various students Jo

College doing remote jobs making huge

amounts of money Joi graduates don't

make

annually

so is open source

contributions so let's talk about

that second year third year student they

have basic knowledge of a Tex tag let's

say m take now they want to contribute

to open source so tell me the life cycle

of that person contributing to open

source how will they find the project

how will they make contributions and

then ultimately how can they ask for a

job in that particular project so

suppose you know M and you know a little

bit of blockchain development right you

don't specifically have to do anything

you know how to connect those types

script libraries as basically start

right now what you can do is hey this

project has something open source

encryp away promote software so that's

there so you can just go to discords and

you can find all the repositories that's

there all the that'ss are open to

contribution right so you will be able

to find something and then you can pull

up a pull request so I think that's the

basic let's go to the more people side

of things so you'll be able to connect

with the moderators you'll be able to

connect with the development team on

discords if it's a smaller project much

better get an early get some equity and

you'll be able to do better right right

so even if you avoid the equity part of

things so just connect with the

development team talk to them hey I want

to contribute something I'm not looking

for much of a combination and yeah let

me know if you have something they will

reply value they will reply to you

awesome man awesome awesome thank you so

much for coming to the studio sharing

your insights and experience I loved it

and I hope the audience learned

something from it thank you so much

thank you thanks for doing this awesome