{"componentChunkName":"component---src-components-posts-layout-index-js","path":"/rules-for-beginners/","webpackCompilationHash":"6fd724ef40842b910a04","result":{"data":{"mdx":{"id":"5ed3f538-de6b-53cc-a37b-cb85650c35f3","timeToRead":7,"body":"function _extends() { _extends = Object.assign || function (target) { for (var i = 1; i < arguments.length; i++) { var source = arguments[i]; for (var key in source) { if (Object.prototype.hasOwnProperty.call(source, key)) { target[key] = source[key]; } } } return target; }; return _extends.apply(this, arguments); }\n\nfunction _objectWithoutProperties(source, excluded) { if (source == null) return {}; var target = _objectWithoutPropertiesLoose(source, excluded); var key, i; if (Object.getOwnPropertySymbols) { var sourceSymbolKeys = Object.getOwnPropertySymbols(source); for (i = 0; i < sourceSymbolKeys.length; i++) { key = sourceSymbolKeys[i]; if (excluded.indexOf(key) >= 0) continue; if (!Object.prototype.propertyIsEnumerable.call(source, key)) continue; target[key] = source[key]; } } return target; }\n\nfunction _objectWithoutPropertiesLoose(source, excluded) { if (source == null) return {}; var target = {}; var sourceKeys = Object.keys(source); var key, i; for (i = 0; i < sourceKeys.length; i++) { key = sourceKeys[i]; if (excluded.indexOf(key) >= 0) continue; target[key] = source[key]; } return target; }\n\n/* @jsx mdx */\nvar _frontmatter = {\n  \"title\": \"6 Rules for Beginners\",\n  \"date\": \"2018-09-24\",\n  \"excerpt\": \"These are the 6 rules I wish I lived by on my journey towards a career in web development & design. Although I wouldn’t change any part of my journey and could not be more grateful for how everything turned out, I think I could have saved myself much distress had I stuck to these rules more closely.\"\n};\n\nvar makeShortcode = function makeShortcode(name) {\n  return function MDXDefaultShortcode(props) {\n    console.warn(\"Component \" + name + \" was not imported, exported, or provided by MDXProvider as global scope\");\n    return mdx(\"div\", props);\n  };\n};\n\nvar layoutProps = {\n  _frontmatter: _frontmatter\n};\nvar MDXLayout = \"wrapper\";\nreturn function MDXContent(_ref) {\n  var components = _ref.components,\n      props = _objectWithoutProperties(_ref, [\"components\"]);\n\n  return mdx(MDXLayout, _extends({}, layoutProps, props, {\n    components: components,\n    mdxType: \"MDXLayout\"\n  }), mdx(\"p\", null, \"I recently started my first job as a UI Developer & Designer. This was roughly a year and a half from the day I decided I wanted to pursue this as a career. Looking back, I realize there was a lot of unnecessary frustration and anxiety I caused myself in my pursuit. So below are the rules I wish I would have lived by on my journey towards a career in web development & design. Although I wouldn\\u2019t change any part of my journey and could not be more grateful for how everything turned out, I think I could have saved myself much distress had I stuck to the rules below.\"), mdx(\"p\", null, \"This was penned almost as a letter to my former self, but I feel the struggles I had are universal, so my hope is that this can act as a guide for others, perhaps not just those pursuing a career in tech.\"), mdx(\"br\", null), mdx(\"h2\", null, \"Rule #1: Always start from where you are\"), mdx(\"p\", null, \"You\\u2019re here, right now, and this is where you\\u2019re meant to be. Cliche maybe, but also true. Embrace the step you\\u2019re currently taking, and take it with confidence and pride. Don\\u2019t punish yourself for not being where you think you should already be.\"), mdx(\"p\", null, \"Maybe you\\u2019re 6 months in, wondering why no one has hired you. You feel like you have the skills necessary for a junior position, what gives? Well guess what, you\\u2019re not doing all of this just so you can get a job, you\\u2019re doing it because you enjoy it. Maybe you\\u2019re looking to mentors or experts in the field with envy, wondering if you\\u2019ll ever achieve their stature. The truth is, they\\u2019ve just been doing it longer than you, and they\\u2019re still learning, just like you. Maybe you\\u2019re kicking yourself thinking \\u201Cman, if I had just started 5 years ago I\\u2019d be a pro by now.\\u201D Where does that get you? Instead, think of all the others out there who wanted to pursue this career but gave up because they thought they weren\\u2019t smart enough, mathematically minded enough or (insert other lame excuse here) enough.\"), mdx(\"p\", null, \"Goals are important, they remind you of where you\\u2019re going and why you\\u2019re doing what you\\u2019re doing. However, if you\\u2019re only thinking about the end goal, you miss what\\u2019s right in front of you and you\\u2019re not fully focused on the task at hand. This ultimately just keeps you from your goal even longer.\"), mdx(\"br\", null), mdx(\"h2\", null, \"Rule #2: Remember, you\\u2019re not an imposter\"), mdx(\"p\", null, \"You become a web developer the day you decide you want to be one. From there, the only differentiating factor between you and the \\u201Cprofessional\\u201D is experience, and of course, knowledge. But knowledge is acquired, it\\u2019s not given to you. As mentioned in the previous rule, the \\u201Cexperts\\u201D are just those of us that have been learning longer. They have not been hand-selected by a committee and endowed with superhuman capabilities \\uD83D\\uDC7D.\"), mdx(\"p\", null, \"We\\u2019re all on the same learning journey, just at different points. NO ONE is ever done and no one can ever know it all. Those who do think they know it all have given up on continuous learning and will slowly realize that their skills are no longer relevant and the industry has passed them by.\"), mdx(\"p\", null, \"The tribulations of Imposter Syndrome abound in the web industry. It\\u2019s definitely a thing, look it up. Just remember you\\u2019re not alone in feeling like you don\\u2019t belong, worried that someone is going to find out \\u201Cyou\\u2019re not worthy\\u201D and kick you out of the party. We all feel this way sometimes. It would be a lot easier if you could just study for a test and by passing it you officially became a certified Web Developer and were given a \\u201Clicense to code.\\u201D That also sounds very boring and rigid, I don\\u2019t like it and neither would you.\"), mdx(\"br\", null), mdx(\"h2\", null, \"Rule #3: Build stuff\"), mdx(\"p\", null, \"There\\u2019s no way around it, this is the best way to learn and in some ways the only way to learn. What will you be paid to do as a professional coder? To code. What\\u2019s the best way to learn how to do something? Do the thing. I can\\u2019t put it more clearly than that.\"), mdx(\"p\", null, \"Looking back I realize I virtually wasted hours going through tutorials and simply \\u201Ccoding-along\\u201D with the instructor. Videos, blogs, tutorials, these are all immensely valuable resources, but are just supplements to help you build something of your own. Before starting a tutorial, start a project. Once that project is in motion, you\\u2019ll inevitably get to a point where you\\u2019re stuck, that\\u2019s where you reach for a blog or tutorial that explains how to do that specific thing. Repeat that same pattern over and over and get used to it, because that\\u2019s basically the life of a developer.\"), mdx(\"p\", null, \"This applies to design as well. Want to learn? Start a project. Design a blog, or an online portfolio. You may still be staring at a blank canvas when you decide to look online for inspiration or ideas, but then you come right back to the canvas and get to work. It\\u2019ll be uncomfortable, you\\u2019ll be wondering if what you\\u2019re doing is any good, and chances are it won\\u2019t be, at first. It\\u2019s a lot easier and more comfortable to just pop on a video tutorial, thinking that when the course is through you\\u2019ll be a master, but it\\u2019s only through building things of your own that you\\u2019ll begin to see progress.\"), mdx(\"br\", null), mdx(\"blockquote\", null, mdx(\"p\", {\n    parentName: \"blockquote\"\n  }, \"\\u201CI am always doing that which I cannot do, in order that I may learn how to do it.\\u201D \", mdx(\"br\", null), mdx(\"br\", null), \"\\n-Pablo Picasso\")), mdx(\"br\", null), mdx(\"h2\", null, \"Rule #4: Put yourself out there\"), mdx(\"p\", null, \"We\\u2019ve all seen the stats on how most jobs are acquired through referral. If not, a quick Google search should suffice for you to find out that the majority of jobs are not acquired by those who simply apply online. I got my first job through a referral, and so did my friend who referred me (shout out to Scott Stewart \\uD83D\\uDE4F). Companies are looking for someone they can trust. They want to make sure their candidate is responsible, respectable, and qualified enough that somebody else would stick their neck out to recommend them. This in turn means they are less of a risk to the company.\"), mdx(\"br\", null), mdx(\"p\", null, \"Start by telling everyone you know what you are up to. Tell them you are looking to start a new career in tech. Tell the whole world you are a web designer and eventually the world will agree with you when you\\u2019re sitting at your computer, getting paid to design for the web.\"), mdx(\"br\", null), mdx(\"p\", null, \"When applying to jobs online without a referral, go into it with the mindset that you are just trying to get some interview reps in. You\\u2019ll be lucky to get an interview, and the job is almost always going to go to someone who was referred vs. someone who was not. It may not be \\u201Cfair\\u201D but it\\u2019s the way it is. There\\u2019s no point in fighting against this practice, and the longer you do, the longer you will be applying to jobs cold, thinking this is FINALLY the one that will give you a break.\"), mdx(\"br\", null), mdx(\"h2\", null, \"Rule #5: Be you, it\\u2019s enough\"), mdx(\"p\", null, \"You have unique traits, strengths that differentiate you from others in the field, focus on those and highlight them. This is important to keep in mind in every step of the job hunt, but especially in interviews. You may be lacking in professional experience as a web developer, but your past experience in another field may be an asset. Your lack of experience alone can be an asset in some cases. I had a phone interview once where I was told they were ONLY looking for candidates with little to no experience. Newcomers are generally more hungry, motivated, and can be molded to the company\\u2019s liking through guidance and training.\"), mdx(\"br\", null), mdx(\"p\", null, \"When interviewing, be relaxed and comfortable in your own skin. Have the mentality of \\u201Chey, it would be great if this turns out to be a fit for both of us, but if not, I\\u2019m satisfied with where I\\u2019m at, just building and creating things for the sheer joy of it.\\u201D This takes the pressure off you and allows you to enjoy the experience. Have fun with it! It\\u2019s either going to lead to something more or not, and to a large extent that\\u2019s out of your control. So simply control what you can, your state of mind.\"), mdx(\"br\", null), mdx(\"p\", null, \"If and when you are turned down for a position, it\\u2019s simply because it wasn\\u2019t the right fit, or the right timing, not because the universe is out to get you. When you do get the career of your dreams, it\\u2019s not going to magically complete you and make all of your troubles go away. You\\u2019ll still be you, and that\\u2019s okay, because you\\u2019re already good enough.\"), mdx(\"br\", null), mdx(\"h2\", null, \"Rule #6: It\\u2019s not everything\"), mdx(\"p\", null, \"Once I discovered that the career I was dreaming of was one in web development, I began feverishly striving towards it, as if nothing else mattered. Although our culture tells us that the #nodaysoff mindset is necessary to achieve anything worthwhile, it\\u2019s not always the most healthy or sustainable approach.\"), mdx(\"br\", null), mdx(\"p\", null, \"This approach can put you in a frenzy and cloud your judgment, in turn leading you to focus your energy in non-productive ways. This is especially true when you are learning something as complicated as computer engineering. You can\\u2019t hack your way through it (get it \\uD83E\\uDD13), and just throwing time at the problem usually doesn\\u2019t work either. So instead, before sitting down at the computer, make sure you\\u2019re in the right frame of mind. This means eating well and regularly, getting enough sleep, exercising, spending time with family and just unplugging. These are the obvious and basic guidelines that everyone knows but are all-to-easy to overlook or disregard.\"), mdx(\"br\", null), mdx(\"p\", null, \"You may think you\\u2019re doing the productive thing by hacking away even when you know deep down you\\u2019re running on empty. Take a break. Maybe you\\u2019re becoming overwhelmed with frustration at a problem you just can\\u2019t seem to solve, but still fighting like mad to solve it. Go for a walk, grab a snack, or just call it a day. I promise you everything will still be there when you get back, and with a re-energized mind you\\u2019ll likely solve that seemingly difficult problem with ease. Don\\u2019t get me wrong, there is a time and place for working long and hard to get something done. And hey, we all get carried away sometimes, if you weren\\u2019t a passionate, hard-working individual you wouldn\\u2019t be pursuing this career in the first place. Ultimately, although coding and designing can bring you immense joy and a great career, it\\u2019s not everything. It\\u2019s certainly not worth sacrificing the MOST important thing, the thing that enables you to pursue this in the first place, your physical and mental health.\"), mdx(\"br\", null), mdx(\"blockquote\", null, mdx(\"p\", {\n    parentName: \"blockquote\"\n  }, \"\\u201CWork is a rubber ball. If you drop it, it will bounce back. The other four balls\\u200A\\u2014\\u200Afamily, health, friends, integrity\\u200A\\u2014\\u200Aare made of glass. If you drop one of these, it will be irrevocably scuffed, nicked, perhaps even shattered.\\u201D \", mdx(\"br\", null), mdx(\"br\", null), \"\\n-Gary Keller from the book \\u201CThe One Thing\\u201D\")), mdx(\"br\", null), mdx(\"p\", null, \"Thanks for reading!\"));\n}\n;\nMDXContent.isMDXComponent = true;","frontmatter":{"title":"6 Rules for Beginners","date":"September 24, 2018"}}},"pageContext":{"isCreatedByStatefulCreatePages":false,"id":"5ed3f538-de6b-53cc-a37b-cb85650c35f3","previous":null,"next":{"id":"8c517f71-bd36-564e-8e65-912f9f3c619c","fields":{"slug":"/what-music-can-teach-us-about-design/"},"frontmatter":{"title":"What Music Can Teach Us About Design"}}}}}