It’s the Sunday following my second week of Tech Elevator’s .NET coding bootcamp.
As I expected, the course material got a little more difficult this week. We dug deeper in the C# language, learning about things like string manipulation, class creation, namespaces, and encapsulation. While the first week focused mainly on syntax and basic programming logic, we’re now taking a step back to learn about the design of complete programs. These topics will allow me to break projects into smaller, more executable pieces.
The homework exercises we complete each day take less time, but are more complex. The first week’s homework was as basic as programming gets; writing simple command line programs in the main method. We’re now creating classes which hold several methods and variables. The scary thing is you can complete most of the homework by following simple directions without completely understanding of the subject matter. I’ve made a point to read about these concepts in detail and seek out explanations from my instructors when necessary.
Since I expect to have a full-time job as a software developer in 3 months, I’m starting to do some networking with the local developer community. I’m using the ‘Meetup’ app to find developers’ groups, and attend at least one meeting per week. This Thursday I attended the Central Ohio .NET Developers Group. There I met a recruiter from TEK Systems who seems like a solid partner. I also introduced myself to a couple of local software developers, one of whom promised to let me know about any openings for junior-level developer positions.
As the bootcamp’s workload becomes less demanding, I’m thinking about some side projects to work on throughout the process. Creating new software while going through the bootcamp could add to my credibility; after all, a software developer is only as good as his or her portfolio. One idea is to develop a Google Chrome Extension which verifies news sites as being unbiased and factually accurate. I’ve always been passionate about economic and political issues, and the 2016 presidential election has brought distrust between people and their news sources. By developing a tool which does the background research for the reader, I could help regular people know what news can be trusted or discredited. More news on my side project to come!
I can’t wait to go back tomorrow and learn more! As always, if you want to get in touch, find me at joeosterfeld@gmail.com