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July 09, 2018
PowerToFly VIP
Virtual VIP Lunch & Learn: Find Your Learning Style
Become a PowerToFly VIP To Attend For FREE!
Everyone learns a bit differently, and by discovering your learning style, you could turn years of learning into just a few months.
Doctor Faith Wallace, former college professor turned programmer, has used the 'schema theory' in conjunction with Harry Potter, to help future coders everywhere determine the learning style (and resources!) they need to become a skilled programmer in this on-demand webinar (Free for PowerToFly VIPs!).
In this discussion, Dr. Wallace will be answering all of your follow-up questions, as well as any new questions you may have when determining your learning style and how to become a successful programmer!
Click here to sign up and become a PowerToFly VIP!
Dr. Faith Wallace is a front-end developer and former college professor with 10 years of experience teaching teachers how to teach and students how to learn. She leveraged her background in education for a new career as a developer. Faith, however, never left education and applies what she knows about education to help people learning to code.
July 05, 2018
Webinars
Alohomora: Unlock the Door to Successfully Learning Code
On-Demand Webinar
If only learning to code were as simple as waving a magic wand... but what if it can be?
(Register now and watch the training session anytime. You will receive a separate email in your inbox with a link to the seminar after you have completed your purchase. If you would like to access all of our on-demand webinars for free, sign-up for aPowerToFly VIP membership.)
Doctor Faith Wallace, former college professor turned programmer, has used the 'schema theory' in conjunction with Harry Potter, to help future coders everywhere determine the learning style (and resources!) they need to become a skilled programmer.
In this 45 minute webinar, Dr. Wallace will not only help you determine your specific learning style, but she also provides a list of tried-and-true resources that will help you take your skills to the next level.
June 25, 2018
Webinars
Alohomora: Unlocking The Door To Successfully Learn To Code
On-Demand Webinar
If only learning to code were as simple as waving a magic wand... but what if it can be?
(Register now and watch the training session anytime. You will receive a separate email in your inbox with a link to the seminar after you have completed your purchase. If you would like to access all of our on-demand webinars for free, sign-up for a PowerToFly VIP membership.)
<p><em></em>Doctor Faith Wallace, former college professor turned programmer, has used the 'schema theory' in conjunction with Harry Potter, to help future coders everywhere determine the learning style (and resources!) they need to become a skilled programmer.</p><p>In this 45 minute webinar, Dr. Wallace will not only help you determine your specific learning style, but she also provides a list of tried-and-true resources that will help you take your skills to the next level.FAQs:</p><p>1. This webinar is on-demand. What happens after I purchase?</p><p>After completing the Eventbrite registration process, you'll receive an email with a link to the on-demand presentation. This link is unique to you, and shouldn't be shared with others.</p><p>2. What is your refund policy?<br/>Because this webinar is on-demand, no refunds will be given.</p><p>3. Is there a charge for each lesson, even if it's in a series?<br/>Yes, there is an additional charge for each lesson whether it is stand alone or in a series.</p><p>4. I haven't received my confirmation email with the link to the presentation, what should I do?<br/>Sometimes our confirmation emails can be blocked by email providers or get buried in a junk folder. If you haven't received your confirmation email within 24 hours, email us at <a target="_self">hi@powertofly.com</a> so we can resend your link.</p><script src="https://www.eventbrite.com/static/widgets/eb_widgets.js"></script><script type="text/javascript"> var exampleCallback = function() {
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May 21, 2018
Career and Interview Tips
What to Look for When Choosing a Bootcamp
Partner Content
This piece was written by Erica Freedman, Client and Content Specialist at SwitchUp.org
For many, a coding bootcamp can be the perfect opportunity to switch to a tech career. These programs can be offline or online, part-time or full-time, and generally require far less time and investment that a four-year degree.
If you think a coding bootcamp could be a great fit for your career goals, you're probably wondering how to get started.. What do you look for when trying to choose a bootcamp? How do you know if it's the right fit? No matter the focus, the core components that make the best programs stand-out from the rest are consistent. To make things easier, we've compiled a list of the most important things to consider when comparing coding bootcamp programs.
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<h2>What Are Your Goals?</h2><p>Much like college or university, we ask potential students to consider their personal, financial and career-focused goals. Are you trying to: </p>
<ul class="ee-ul"><li>Acquire new skills?</li><li>Increase your salary?</li><li>Land your first job?</li><li>Find more fulfillment at work?</li></ul>
<p>These are all vastly different reasons to invest in bootcamp programs. Some bootcamps are focused on job placement while others are targeted at university graduates looking to transition into more specific career tracks.</p>
<p>Read school summaries or about sections as a first step towards understanding the program and school. You'll also want to weight whether the format of the school is the best fit for your goals, as bootcamps range from part-time, online programs to rigorous in-person courses.</p><h2>Capitalize on Free Events</h2><p>Don't be afraid to go to the school for a free coding session or info session. Often, code bootcamps have these events listed on Facebook and Eventbrite. Some schools host events on a monthly or even bi-weekly basis, and offer intro courses, basic code skills, or a deeper dive into their program. </p>
<p>Attending one of these sessions may enable you to:</p><ul class="ee-ul"><li>Connect with teachers or administrative staff</li><li>Give you a taste of their learning process</li></ul><ul class="ee-ul"><li>Clear up anything unclear on the school website</li></ul>
<p>Such sessions are both cost and risk-free. Plus, many schools offer them in an online format, so you can easily attend from anywhere! You only have skills and experience to gain from attending.</p><h2>Career Services</h2><p>Many schools boast one-on-one mentorship, a career services team or even a job guarantee after you graduate from their program. With a strong career services department, a bootcamp can help students land high-paying, quality careers that are aligned with their personal and professional goals. When you research a bootcamp, see if they:</p>
<ul class="ee-ul"><li>Offer mentorship</li><li>Help you practice interviewing</li><li>Aim their curriculum towards portfolio development</li><li>Guarantee jobs after graduation</li></ul>
<p>Note: We used the word quality when referring to job placement above. Transparency is key when looking at job placement statistics. Make sure you ask not only if students are being placed in jobs after graduation, but also typical job titles and graduate salaries.</p><p>When comparing job outcomes statistics, be sure to ask your school for a third-party verified outcomes report. These reports will give you a detailed breakdown about how a school reports and publishes outcomes. </p><h2>Pricing and Financial Support</h2><p>Compared with university programs, bootcamps are known for offering significantly lower upfront tuition. Many programs offer additional discounts or scholarships, or in-house financing that offers interest-free loan options. If you are intimidated by the thought of funding your dream, know that there are options. </p>
<p>The cost of the bootcamp itself can also play a huge role in determining your perfect program. Bootcamps can have very low costs depending on their location, level of one-on-one support and a slew of other factors. </p>
<p>Scholarships are also a great option for students in a financial bind. Many bootcamp programs offer diversity scholarships. This comprehensive <a href="https://www.switchup.org/blog/women-in-tech-a-comprehensive-scholarship-guide" target="_blank">Women in Tech</a> Scholarship list offers bootcamps focused on bringing more women into the tech space. </p>
<p>Are you a veteran? There are bootcamps that accept the <a href="https://www.switchup.org/blog/coding-and-data-science-bootcamps-that-accept-the-gi-bill" target="_blank">GI Bill</a> as well. </p><h2>See What Students Have to Say</h2>
<p>Because regulations for tech programs vary, prospective students can depend on the experiences and feedback of alumni to find quality programs. "There are currently 120 in-person bootcamps and hundreds of part-time and online programs available worldwide," based on <a href="https://www.switchup.org/research/are-coding-bootcamps-worth-it-job-placement-market" target="_blank">SwitchUp's research</a>. While choice can be good, it can also make it difficult to find what is just right for you. </p>
<p>Many bootcamp alumni leave reviews on site like Quora, <a href="https://www.google.com/search?q=Grand+Circus+Detroit,+1570+Woodward+Ave,+Detroit,+MI+48226&ludocid=12211797649278574694#lrd=0x883b2d33d89a51e1:0xa9790542da332066,3" target="_blank">Google</a>, <a href="http://facebook.com/GrandCircusco" target="_blank">Facebook</a> and Medium, or on a review site like <a href="https://www.switchup.org/bootcamps/grand-circus" target="_blank">SwitchUp</a>.</p>
<p>Personal accounts are important because they take students beyond marketing statsor publicity, and provide valuable first-hand experience. Their on-the-ground perspective is unlike anyone else's. It can help you understand the big picture, from the beginning of your research through to your career in tech. </p>
<p>The reviews on <a href="https://www.switchup.org/" target="_blank">Switchup</a> include how programs helped students before, during and after their attendance. If you're curious about pre-work, info sessions, career services or even the application process, all of these details can be found on the alumni reviews page for each individual school.</p><br>There is a lot to consider when choosing a <a href="https://www.switchup.org/research/best-coding-bootcamps" target="_blank">coding bootcamp</a>, but the research is worth it. This is a huge investment of time and money. A little effort will go a long way as you change careers and follow your dreams.
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April 27, 2018
Career and Interview Tips
No Slackers Here: 4 Tips for Successfully Learning to Code
Learning To Code Is Hard, But You Can Do It!
Learning new skills can be frustrating. The natural ups and downs on the path to progress can cause learners to become stuck, encounter mental blocks, or even give up altogether. As a former college professor in the field of education, I can say with certainty, a little knowledge about educational psychology goes a long way when you want to be a successful student of code. With a few tips, you can take charge of your learning and persevere.
<h2>Set Reasonable Goals</h2>
<p>Clever marketing will make you think you can learn Python in a day or JavaScript in a week. The truth is: you probably can't, and that's okay. If you are a beginning coder, there is a lot to learn. Sure you could memorize vocabulary words for key concepts, but there is no getting around the fact that it takes time to process the logic of writing programs and practice to make your code work. You have to start with reasonable goals, both short-term and long-term.</p>
<p>Your short-term goals might be to work through the Introduction to jQuery section of <a href="https://www.codecademy.com" target="_blank">Code Academy</a> this week or solve two <a href="https://www.codewars.com/" target="_blank">Code War</a> challenges over the weekend. Short-term goals are incredibly important because they give you a sense of accomplishment to motivate you to complete the long-term goals. </p><p>Your long-term goal might be to complete the Front End Certificate for <a href="https://www.freecodecamp.org" target="_blank">FreeCodeCamp</a> in 8 months with a career goal of getting your first developer job in a year. </p>
<p>Be sure you give yourself a realistic timeframe to complete your goals. A timeframe keeps you on task, as long as it is sensible. If the Udemy course you are taking has over 40 hours of videos, an unrealistic goal is to sit at the computer for 20 hours over two days and complete it. </p>
<h2>Be Picky With the Resources You Choose</h2>
<p>The resources that are available to learn code are vast!</p>
<p>I just looked at a <a href="https://medium.freecodecamp.org/470-free-online-programming-computer-science-courses-you-can-start-in-april-433e50dfdc57" target="_blank">blog post</a> that referenced over 400 free courses to take in April 2018 alone! And that's a good thing. With so much variety, you can afford to be picky. Not every course or project is going to fit your needs, so don't try to force yourself into it. The result will most likely be frustration and the feeling that you just don't have what it takes. </p>
<p>Knowing your learning style will help you immensely. Think about how you best learn new information and always play to those strengths. People generally have a few dominant learning styles with the most common being <strong>auditory</strong> (do you listen to a lot of audio books or podcasts), <strong>verbal/linguistic</strong> (would you rather read the book instead of listen to it), <strong>visual</strong> (do you color code information, do you prefer figures and diagrams), or <strong>kinesthetic</strong> (do you learn by doing – manipulating and building). </p>
<p>If you are an auditory or verbal/linguistic learner, many resources are going to fit your needs like FreeCodeCamp, Code Academy, Udemy courses, developer podcasts. But if you are a visual or kinesthetic learner, you might need a different type of approach. For learning JavaScript, a visual learner might like <a href="https://grasshopper.codes" target="_blank">Grasshopper</a>. A kinesthetic learner might enjoy the <a href="https://javascript30.com" target="_blank">JavaScript 30 Challenge</a> by WesBos or <a href="https://watchandcode.com/p/practical-javascript" target="_blank">Watch and Code</a> by Gordon Zhu. Whatever your style, be sure to evaluate the resources you choose so that they meet your needs.</p>
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<h2>Build Early and Often</h2>
<p>There is really no way around it. If you want to be a developer, you have to build. </p>
<p>Experts say that you need to practice a skill for over 60 days consecutively in order for it to become a habit, and it takes over 10,000 hours of practice to become an expert in something. In other words, the more you practice, the quicker you learn. The good news is, you don't have to be an expert. You just have to be able to build and troubleshoot at the beginning. Here's where goal setting is important – how many hours per week or month can you realistically set aside for building? </p>
<p>Once you have some coding basics down, you will naturally become inquisitive about how to do something on a website or application. Take those inquiries and make them a reality. One night out of curiosity, I looked up how to play audio files on a website, so I built a quick page with my top 5 list of songs to code to (<a href="https://fwallacephd.github.io/top5records/" target="_blank">here</a>). It was a small, manageable project that used very beginner level code and took just a couple of hours to build. That's what is amazing about being a developer. If you can think of it, you can build it. What are you interested in besides code? Are you a dog trainer? Or a ghost hunter? Maybe a ballroom dancer? Whatever it is, you can build something around it. You're a developer!</p>
<h2>Get Involved</h2>
<p>My favorite part of the Harry Potter series is that Harry is not alone. Learning magic, like code, is hard, especially when the most evil wizard of all time is trying to kill you, but Harry's friends Ron and Hermione give him strength and motivation, and eventually they defeat You-Know-Who. This makes sense from the theoretical perspective of social constructivism — that we construct our knowledge through interactions with others, where each of us has strengths. </p>
<p>That's the goal of most study groups: to create a shared community of coders from various backgrounds with a variety of strengths. While everyone is generally working on their own projects, we happily help each other out when the need arises, and members love to collaborate on projects together. If you aren't sure how to find a study group, start with some online groups and see if there is FreeCodeCamp chapter in your area. I attend their study groups regularly.</p>
<p>Study groups are one thing. Meetups are another. My local JavaScript and Python groups have monthly meetings with guest speakers that both teach and inspire with a range of topics and projects, and the JavaScript meetings always have food which is a plus! I also attend events sponsored by WomenWhoCode. They have great workshops, code sessions, speakers, hack-a-thons, and put on a fabulous 2-day conference in the summer, and they started social events! Who doesn't want to see the next big superhero movie with 50 of your tech friends? </p>
<p>Join meetup.com and see what's available in your area. Contributing to these groups is the best way to overcome imposter syndrome, the feeling that you are a fraud. </p>
<h2>Final Thoughts</h2>
<p>Let's face it: learning to code is hard. It's much more than a set of foreign languages - it's a system of thinking, transforming that thinking into programs that work, and if you are lucky, you'll have a flair for design on top of that. The journey is going to be long and frustrating at times, but you can do it. Always set reasonable goals. Evaluate resources to meet your needs. Build projects based on your inspiration. Get involved in the coding community. Most importantly, take time to reflect on how far you have come. You're doing great. </p>
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