Episode 5 - the n00b Never Stops

Junior Developer Toolbox

Do you feel like a total n00b sometimes, overwhelmed at the sheer volume of things to learn? Well the bad news is that never quite goes away – you’ll always have more to learn, and feel like you’re back at square one. But that’s the good news too! You will always be challenged and need to work hard to stay on top of new trends and technology. Embrace the n00b-ness!

In this episode we talk about how we work to continue our learning.

0:51 – Sharpening the Tools
Erin: New Treehouse course – beginning iOS & Swift track

Dave: Giving a job interview – my first time on the other side of the table!

“Some of those cliche questions … there aren’t really right or wrong answers.”

Jason: Deep dive into Angular 2, tokens and OAuth

7:18 – Opening the Toolbox
How do you continue your learning?

Tips for learning through video tutorials:

• Do a couple tutorials over the same topic
• Pause the video before they show something, and take your own stab at it
• Follow along, but make changes to what’s being built – get creative
• Make sure it’s up to date!

19:18 “You can think of objects as nouns, and functions as verbs”

Learning How to Learn!

• Highly recommended, free online course on Coursera, and a book by Barbara Oakley
• We’re naturally wired to learn languages – and there are definitely parallels to programming languages
• Modes of thinking – focused thinking versus diffused thinking
• “Cramming” and short-term versus long-term memory
• the Pomodoro technique – 25 minutes of focus, 5 minute break/reward
• “Chunking” – breaking concepts down into bite-sized pieces
• Strategies to deal with procrastination and overwhelm

24:33 “Give your brain room to breathe, when you’re consuming a lot of new material”

31:10 “I have so much homework, I’m just gonna go play video games”

The Growth Mindset is the attitude that you can work hard and improve your understanding of a subject, versus thinking you just don’t get it because you’ve hit your limit and you’re not smart enough.

44:37 – Erin’s Job Search Update

Terms of the Trade

4:56 – JWT Tokens – a JSON object that is defined in RFC 7519 as a safe way to represent a set of information between two parties. The token is composed of a header, a payload, and a signature.

5 Easy Steps to Understanding JSON Web Tokens (JWT)

https://jwt.io/

4:58 – OAUTH Framework – An open protocol to allow secure authorization in a simple and standard method from web, mobile and desktop applications.

https://oauth.net/

OAUTH Definition – Tech Target

43:47 – Non-Disclosure Agreement (NDA) – a contract by which one or more parties agree not to disclose confidential information that they have shared with each other as a necessary part of doing business together.

NDA 101: What Is a Non-Disclosure Agreement? – Rocket Lawyer

Nondisclosure Agreement – The Balance

46:10 – Non-Compete Agreement – a contract between an employee and an employer, where the employee agrees not to enter into competition with the employer after s/he terminates employment.

What is a Non-Compete Agreement? – The Balance

Learn More about Noncompete Agreement – Rocket Lawyer