On the latest episode, Podcast Brian interviews his former student Testing Brian on his career, from starting out in the kitchens of Alabama to going back to school in his late 30's, to becoming a successful QA engineer. The guys chat about testing and its importance to the modern software ecosystem, and the challenges involved with learning how to break things in a structured manner.
\n\nNOTE: This episode was recorded at the end of February. The live company event mentioned in this episode was cancelled and the hosts are WFH full time now. Fortunately the podcast was always remotely recorded, so no interruption to our schedule!
\n\nPlease stay safe and hopefully this podcast gives you something fun to listen to while you're staying inside.
\n\nFollow us on Twitter @mvcpodcast.
\n\n00:00:00 - Intro00:00:47 - Bama's backstory00:06:11 - Back to school later in life00:08:45 - Swamp coolers to dev jobs00:16:38 - How to write your own job description00:24:49 - What is QA?00:30:31 - What is automated testing?00:41:17 - Bama's latest challenge00:52:18 - Don't be the deer?00:58:26 - OutroBen's dad Joe just had to make it a three-peat. He's back again with updates on what it's like to look for a new job at 60, how to deal with recruiters, how to promote yourself online, and most importantly, whether the advice we gave him was actually any good! Advice and experience is shared that's applicable for professionals at any point in their career.
\n\nFollow us on Twitter @mvcpodcast.
\n\n00:00:00 - Intro00:00:42 - Job search update00:10:54 - 20th vs. 21st Century job searching00:23:45 - Getting practice at finding a job00:38:59 - Emotional journeys00:41:32 - We actually give good advice?00:55:08 - OutroThe guys continue their tour of software and software-adjacent roles within an organization. Today's show is all about the roles that are integral to the success of a software product, but aren't directly involved with producing code.
\n\nFollow us on Twitter @mvcpodcast.
\n\n00:00:00 - Intro00:01:37 - UI/UX Designer00:16:34 - Testing/QA00:28:00 - DBA00:42:22 - Dev Ops00:49:08 - Product Owner00:59:23 - Project Manager01:07:00 - OutroThe guys continue their discussion from last time on how to decide what kind of developer to become. They talk team size preferences, whether you like to be on the frontier or work with established best practices, and finish up with the importance of UI/UX to a project and how you might decide if that's a possible path for juniors. Stay tune for the next episode where they will get into all the other jobs that surround the core development team.
\n\nFollow us on Twitter @mvcpodcast.
\n\n00:00:00 - Intro00:00:21 - Big team or small team?00:14:22 - Best practices vs. wild west frontier00:24:52 - UI/UX and its importance to a product00:36:04 - OutroBen and Brian explore the different kinds of developer you can become and how you might go about picking a platform/language to learn. There was so much to talk about, we needed to cover this in two episodes, so stay tuned for more next time.
\n\nFollow us on Twitter @mvcpodcast.
\n\n00:00 - Intro00:25 - Where do you start?03:24 - What do you like?12:50 - Front end vs. back end21:28 - Are you a math person?42:46 - OutroBen and Brian sit down with Brandi Bailey, a lifelong learner and a current iOS student at Lambda School. Brandi recounts her earliest memories of exploring the world of programming all the way to her current struggles and triumphs of learning iOS programming as a second career. She has lots of great advice to impart to others who may be on the same journey or about to start down the path of learning to code.
\n\nBig thanks to @blubrandi for coming on the show and sharing her story!
\n\nSorry for missing our previous episode date. Ben was under the weather, but we're back on track. Talk to you again you in two weeks!
\n\nFollow us on Twitter @mvcpodcast.
\n\n00:00:00 - Intro00:00:31 - Brandi gets the programming bug00:04:41 - Brandi's professional journey00:10:58 - Developer training and the Ivory Tower00:23:32 - Imposter Syndrome: for junior and senior devs alike00:42:27 - Brandi paints her perfect picture of life post-Lambda School00:51:29 - OutroHappy Festivus everyone! On this last episode of the year, Ben and Brian tell you about all the tech things that have annoyed them so far in 2019, as well as their biggest tech accomplishments and a vision for a possible future in 2020.
\n\nA departure from out usual style, but we wanted to bring you something hopefully a little more fun for the end of the year.
\n\nWe hope you all enjoy the holidays and remind you to take the opportunity to step away from the computer and any tech learning you might be doing to enjoy a breather. Breaks often produce an even better understanding of the learning material when you return.
\n\nSee you next decade!
\n\nFollow us on Twitter @mvcpodcast.
\n\n00:00:00 - Intro00:02:25 - Inscrutable error messages00:05:22 - Computer problems are the worst00:08:12 - So this is a grievance00:12:38 - Tech hiring: why is it so bad?00:19:15 - What happened Apple?00:22:10 - Mega Corps: where good products go to die00:26:21 - Huge mega corps: do we need them?00:28:33 - Surveillance capitalism00:35:48 - Accomplishments for the year00:39:41 - A vision of a possible future00:44:17 - OutroBen and Brian discuss the age-old and never ending debate on code structure and organization. They help disambiguate requirements from conventions and some stuff that's just one person's opinion.
\n\nFollow us on Twitter @mvcpodcast.
\n\n00:00 - Intro01:36 - Code syntax04:17 - Code formatting11:59 - Coding with your team, not against it28:45 - Coding to conventions41:01 - Personal preferences59:38 - OutroBen and Brian discuss the happy news of Brian's new job and what might be the best practices for starting off a new job on the right foot. They chat about everything from making a good first impression, to relationship building with co-workers and leadership, to work in your personal life that can lead to more happiness at your job.
\n\nFollow us on Twitter @mvcpodcast.
\n\n00:00:00 - Intro00:04:45 - Making a good first impression00:14:29 - Managing your manager00:26:37 - Building relationships in-person00:35:18 - Attributes of a quality co-worker00:44:58 - Happy and fulfilled person, happy employee00:56:36 - OutroBen and Brian chat with their first returning guest of the podcast, Ben's dad Joe! He's back and he's got news (and a little wisdom) to share with everyone. Listen to find out what it's like to be on the job hunt at 60 years old and how the challenges faced in that scenario are in some ways remarkably similar to when you're just starting out in your career.
\n\nFollow us on Twitter @mvcpodcast.
\n\n00:00:00 - Intro00:01:17 - Joe's career news00:06:03 - 21st century job search00:17:16 - Marketing yourself00:27:40 - Finding a new job in your sixties00:44:55 - OutroBen and Brian dive into a discussion about how to sell yourself during the interview process. They talk about the importance of having a personal elevator pitch, how to change your approach with each kind of person you'll encounter in the interview, and how best to approach each step to ensure you've done your best to showcase your skills and abilities.
\n\nFollow us on Twitter @mvcpodcast.
\n\n00:00:00 - Intro00:00:35 - Adapt your story to different audiences00:06:38 - The phone screen00:42:25 - Selling yourself to individual contributors00:53:54 - Talking to a (or the) manager00:59:23 - Executive review?01:04:41 - OutroThe guys run through the advantages and usefulness of attending and potentially speaking at technical conferences. They provide advice on how to find the right conference and techniques for maximizing your experience while you're there.
\n\nFollow us on Twitter @mvcpodcast.
\n\n00:00 - Intro02:15 - Cost of attending conferences05:32 - Conferences we've attended14:01 - Which conferences to attend?16:51 - Networking benefits at conferences36:54 - Speaking at conferences46:49 - What should you talk about?57:40 - OutroThe guys sit down with Lee Warrick, a junior front end web developer who recently attended a local bootcamp after years of being a firefighter and nurse. They talk about his transition from healthcare to programming, how the college experience differed from his development training, how he keeps his skills sharp on the job, and how you can run a bunch of extracurricular activities for developers, but maybe just attending some is at least as effective a use of your time.
\n\nWe really enjoyed having Lee on the show and hope that his story can inspire our listeners who might be on the fence about learning programming.
\n\nFollow us on Twitter @mvcpodcast.
\n\n00:00 - Intro01:28 - Lee's developer story09:31 - Biggest surprise of developer life13:56 - Advice to your younger self23:08 - How do you keep learning after school?38:14 - Can your job actually be fun?40:36 - How to keep from burning out?46:44 - Choosing the right extracurriculars56:53 - OutroPaul Hudson's cautionary comments about using too many learning systems at once
Ben and Brian discuss the importance of nurturing other interests besides coding, and how to maintain a healthy work/life balance. Whether you're just starting out, in the middle of an intense school program, or involved in a busy work schedule, it's important to give yourself opportunities to engage in life outside of code. Also, it's our 1 year anniversary! Thanks so much for listening, and we're super excited for the next year of the podcast!
\n\nFollow us on Twitter @mvcpodcast.
\n\n0:00 - intro
\n0:48 - work/life balance and why it’s important
\n7:05 - exercise
\n14:00 - socializing with other humans
\n29:45 - mindless and mindful entertainment
\n47:03 - cultural experiences
\n51:30 - build a new and healthy habit
\n54:08 - outro
Ben and Brian discuss how the educational landscape has changed since they became educators. They touch on how to create a nurturing classroom environment despite the pacing of the technnology industry and both the improvements and setbacks in they've experienced in teaching and mentoring on software development.
\n\n00:00 - Intro01:10 - Changes in technology09:21 - Expectations of juniors20:04 - Institutional landscape34:05 - Improvements/setbacks in teaching development53:47 - Advice: how to navigate constant changeSeason 2 has arrived and Ben and Brian are back after a much appreciated hiatus! Thanks for sticking with us. On the season premiere episode, they discuss how to build a public narrative around your current career achievements as well as the goals you have for your future career goals.
\n\nFollow us on Twitter @mvcpodcast.
\n\nWelcome to the season finale of Model View Conversation! We hope you've enjoyed learning and growing with us. It's been almost a year since we started the show, which is hard to believe. Even though this is the end of season 1, don't worry. We've got some exciting plans for season 2 and we'll be back before you know it!
\n\nIn this special episode, Ben and Brian speak to a man with over 30 years of experience as a developer and database administrator. He also happens to be Ben's dad. Joe Gohlke joins us and has lots of wisdom to impart in this special season finale episode. It was a very engaging talk and is filled with great advice for junior and senior developers alike.
\n\nFollow us on Twitter @mvcpodcast.
\n\n00:00 - Intro01:02 - Joe's developer story06:47 - Communicating with non-technical colleagues14:31 - Working with (for) non-technical management32:32 - Interjecting in a mixed crowd48:33 - Ask questions the right way57:32 - Gushing praise is always welcome!1:00:12 - OutroThe guys return to finish their discussion of the different ways you can engage in learning about programming. This time they delve into online courses, bootcamp and other concentrated learning environments, and the importance of building stuff on your own and with others to demonstrate mastery of concepts.
\n\nFollow us on Twitter @mvcpodcast.
\n\n00:00 - Intro00:21 - Online courses07:14 - The illusion of mastery12:36 - Bootcamp vs. online course14:06 - Exercise sites16:37 - Bootcamps30:37 - Meetups and conferences39:00 - Building your own stuff43:33 - Building with others51:06 - OutroBen and Brian discuss many different ways you can get started and learn about programming. So many ways in fact, we had to break it up into two parts! In this one we talk about books, onine tutorials, and podcasts. If none of those work for you, fear not as we tackle several more learning methods in part II. Stay tuned for that.
\n\nFollow us on Twitter @mvcpodcast.
\n\n00:00 - Intro01:17 - Ways to learn: books21:01 - Online Tutorials30:54 - Pro tip: contribute to open source34:58 - Podcasts as a learning tool45:45 - OutroBen and Brian discuss what it's like working with non-technical people or for a fundamentally non-technical company and how to navigate that as a programmer. They share their experiences with that at previous and current jobs as well as their best practices for advancing your ideas and showcasing your skills to a non-technical audience.
\n\nFollow us on Twitter @mvcpodcast.
\n\n00:00 - Intro02:54 - Feeling valued and having context on a software team11:24 - Interacting with non-technical team members32:48 - Introducing tech to your non-tech employer42:47 - The tech wizard fallacy59:45 - OutroBen and Brian discuss the important phenomenon of imposter syndrome and how it can create real roadblocks for developers in their career advancement. They discuss their own struggles with it both as juniors and even now as senior devs and what can be done to overcome it.
\n\nFollow us on Twitter @mvcpodcast.
\n\n00:00 - Intro00:57 - Updates on our progress (or lack thereof)09:28 - Imposter syndrome: what is it?35:03 - Work environments can make you feel wore39:39 - Ways you can create accountability53:49 - OutroOn this very special episode of Model View Conversation, the guys interview one of Ben's former iOS students, Shane Nelson, to see what he's been up to since graduation and how his career has progressed. Shane also has some questions for the hosts on how he can advance in his career to becoming a mid level engineer.
\n\nFollow us on Twitter @mvcpodcast.
\n\n00:00 - Intro00:54 - Shane's post school career so far15:58 - Bootcamps are not real life20:28 - Being a dev vs. training to be a dev27:52 - Goals of a junior to become mid level33:20 - Extracurricular activities for advancement43:19 - Brian's journey to mid level48:52 - Ben's journey to mid level55:50 - Become the go-to person07:24 - Advice for beginners14:20 - OutroWe have an exciting announcement we wanted to share. This is not like our usual episodes, but don't worry, we'll be back with our regularly scheduled programming next time. Please consider checking out our livestreams if live coding and seeing the full process of app development interests you!
\n\nCheck out our livestreams on Twitch.
\n\nFollow us on Twitter @mvcpodcast.
","summary":"We have an exciting announcement we wanted to share. This is not like our usual episodes, but don't worry, we'll be back with our regularly scheduled programming next time. Please consider checking out our livestreams if live coding and seeing the...","date_published":"2019-03-04T06:00:00.000-05:00","attachments":[{"url":"https://aphid.fireside.fm/d/1437767933/f959d9d4-10d4-4ac9-805c-d3c0a94f1b24/0651c760-e7ed-46e8-8795-566cddb8cc59.mp3","mime_type":"audio/mpeg","size_in_bytes":21636042,"duration_in_seconds":1329}]},{"id":"55c85ac932194183beb26afb948c7e61","title":"Episode 13: The Colonel's Secret Recipe","url":"https://www.mvc.fm/13","content_text":"Ben and Brian talk about where and how they do their daily work and offer advice about how to stay focused when working in potentially busy environments. They end by venturing into a couple of the more popular programming religious wars (spaces ftw!).\n\nFollow us on Twitter @mvcpodcast for updates on new episodes and other fun stuff.\n\nChapters\n\n\n00:00 - Intro\n01:13 - Where to code?\n13:05 - Getting away from the home office\n24:25 - Dealing with noise\n36:23 - Digital environment: editors and IDEs\n54:41 - Outro\n\n\nLinks\n\n\nSony noise cancelling headphones\nAtom\nVisual Studio Code\nSublime Text\nTabs vs. Spaces\nK&R indentation\nAllman indentation\n","content_html":"Ben and Brian talk about where and how they do their daily work and offer advice about how to stay focused when working in potentially busy environments. They end by venturing into a couple of the more popular programming religious wars (spaces ftw!).
\n\nFollow us on Twitter @mvcpodcast for updates on new episodes and other fun stuff.
\n\n00:00 - Intro01:13 - Where to code?13:05 - Getting away from the home office24:25 - Dealing with noise36:23 - Digital environment: editors and IDEs54:41 - OutroBen and Brian are joined this time by their friend and former colleague David Rogers. He's a senior web developer and educator based in Durham, North Carolina. They cover everything from his career history so far to his extensive experience vetting and mentoring juniors. Find out how best to prep yourself for both that interview you've got coming up as well as how to advance in your skillset once you get that first job.
\n\nFind David on Twitter @al_the_x.
\n\nFollow us on Twitter @mvcpodcast.
\n\n00:00 - Intro01:00 - David's career overview10:13 - The ideal junior candidate15:36 - Interviews from the other side of the table25:10 - Interview smartly35:34 - Ideal non-technical skillset37:27 - Keep advancing after the offer letter58:22 - OutroBen and Brian ring in the new year (a little late) by discussing how they approach new year's resolutions and how they might apply that kind of goal making to their professional ambitions. Brian suggests breaking up your yearly goals into more digestible pieces and attacking them iteratively rather than all at once (sound familiar?). They end by discussing some sensible ways to track the progress of their (and your) coding projects to stay accountable.
\n\nFollow us on Twitter @mvcpodcast for updates on new episodes and other fun stuff.
\n\n00:00 - Intro00:52 - Establishing new habits08:56 - Plan for your goals by first choosing some27:46 - Process oriented vs. outcome oriented33:57 - Sensible ways to track progress44:40 - OutroYou need experience to be considered for a position, but how do you get it? Working on your own project is a great way to prove your skillset and showcase your unique vision. So what do you work on? How do you show off your work? What size project should you tackle? Should you collaborate with someone else?
\n\nThese questions and more are discussed on the latest episode of MVC.
\n\nFollow us on Twitter @mvcpodcast for updates on new episodes and other fun stuff.
\n\n00:00 - Intro01:56 - Start small07:04 - Don't overly rely on external dependencies19:55 - Showcase your work32:06 - What should you build?39:01 - Working with others...48:48 - OutroBen and Brian tackle the tricky subject of job salary negotiation. How do you even start? What is on the table and what isn't (hint: everything is)? How do to you navigate this process when you don't have much leverage in the industry? Be sure to listen as we provide some great tips for getting the compensation you deserve.
\n\nFollow us on Twitter @mvcpodcast for updates on new episodes and other fun stuff.
\n\n00:00 - Intro00:56 - Everything is negotiable15:34 - Don't answer right away28:41 - Treat it as a game52:28 - Set your own review date55:35 - OutroThe guys dig into the ever scary topic of technical interviews. They share war stories about good (and bad) interviews they've been on themselves, how they'd like to steer interviews into more productive discussions, and even provide some useful questions you can ask your potential employer to look for potential red flags. Remember, you're interviewing them too.
\n\nFollow us on Twitter @mvcpodcast for updates on new episodes and other fun stuff.
\n\n00:00 - Intro10:08 - Here's probably every interview you'll attend26:03 - Interviewing best practices37:30 - Turn the tables and ask your own questions57:13 - OutroBen and Brian continue their discussion of how to get your first (or second) job as a new developer. This time it's all about resumes and applications. They discuss their own resumes and how they typically approach the average dev job posting. Do's and don't's for how to best spend your time on your resume, how to interpret a job posting, and how to short circuit the whole process to get ahead of the pack.
\n\n0:00 - Intro1:10 - Resumes and how to write them7:06 - Alternatives to a resume16:30 - How resumes can fail you32:03 - Applications and how to read them43:11 - Short circuit the application process53:19 - OutroThis episode marks the beginning of a new series centered around the topic of getting your first job as a junior developer. In this episode Ben and Brian provide an overview of the things you might be concerned with regarding the hiring process. In the next 3 episodes, they'll examine each part of the process and provide insight and advice for ensuring you get a great development job that both plays to your strengths and challenges you to improve.
\n\nAlso be sure to check back here and follow us on Twitter @mvcpodcast for updates on new episodes and other fun stuff.
\n\n0:00 - Intro4:19 - Our experiences hiring and getting hired14:24 - Good ways of finding work31:44 - You don't necessarily have to marry your first date41:29 - OutroJonny B and Caleb Stultz are here to discuss their own paths to development and what it's like to now be teaching others to code. Topics include things they wish they'd known when they started, how much work really goes into making online coding courses, and some great resources for learning to build iOS apps.
\n\nIf you're interested in learning how to build iOS apps with Swift, be sure to check out Jonny and Caleb's awesome online course, iOS 12 Masterclass.
\n\nAlso be sure to check back here and follow us on Twitter @mvcpodcast for updates on new episodes and other fun stuff.
\n\n00:00 - Intro00:47 - Developer stories14:50 - Learn it the easy way18:23 - The call of the classroom23:29 - How it's made32:34 - Hardest part of learning to code41:31 - Resources for learning iOS46:58 - Follow the guests/outroBen and Brian ponder whether work/life balance is possible and if so, how to obtain it, particularly if you are new to the industry. Topics include: whether it's possible to have software development as a hobby if you already do that for your day job; identifying signs of imbalance; detecting and combating burnout; and how to get the right amount of life back into your schedule if you've found yourself too focused on work.
\n\n00:00 - Intro/is work-life balance possible?13:59 - Work not ending vs. s/w as a hobby19:13 - Signs of imbalance20:29 - Burnout30:43 - Regaining balance38:33 - OutroBen and Brian discuss the pros and cons of working in groups as a junior developer. They continue by imagining the ideal characteristics of a group dynamic to foster juniors and build up their skills. Lastly, they give some advice on how to recognize and leave a bad dev team as well as some tips on how to build your online reputation.
\n\n00:00 - Intro00:40 - Working in groups05:26 - Reality TV of learning11:27 - Ideal group characteristics for juniors33:02 - Pros/cons of working in groups39:20 - Rescuing yourself from a bad team45:02 - Build an online reputationBen and Brian discuss self learning in this episode. Topics include: being unafraid of experimentation with new languages and techniques, learning how to learn, and resources that help facilitate learning.
\n\n00:00 - Intro00:15 - Will this break?04:00 - Don’t be afraid to experiment15:19 - Programmers aren’t magicians17:43 - Skateboarding on the first try is hard23:47 - Learning how to learn25:24 - Driving stick can become second nature, and so can coding31:01 - Learning Swift after Javascript is like learning Spanish after English37:21 - Resources to learn the process of learning48:51 - Final thoughtsCoursera Course by Dr. Barbara Oakley
Make It Stick by Peter C. Brown, Henry L Roediger, and Mark A. McDaniel
Enki Learning App on Google Play or Apple App Store
Free Code Camp - Learning site for HTML, CSS, Javascript
We're on the air! It's been a long time coming (for us at least), but we've finally gotten all our i's crossed and t's dotted (we may have some work to do yet). Welcome to Model View Conversation, a tech education podcast devoted to those new to the tech industry, and those who sometimes wish they were. We'll be covering a lot of ground with the show, but this first one hopefully will allow us to tell you about ourselves and what we hope to accomplish with this crazy idea. Don't forget to subscribe in your podcast delivery device or app of choice to keep up with all the fun.
","summary":"We're on the air! It's been a long time coming (for us at least), but we've finally gotten all our i's crossed and t's dotted (we may have some work to do yet). Welcome to Model View Conversation, a tech education podcast devoted to those new to the tech industry, and those who sometimes wish they were. We'll be covering a lot of ground with the show, but this first one hopefully will allow us to tell you about ourselves and what we hope to accomplish with this crazy idea. Don't forget to subscribe in your podcast delivery device or app of choice to keep up with all the fun.","date_published":"2018-08-30T12:00:00.000-04:00","attachments":[{"url":"https://aphid.fireside.fm/d/1437767933/f959d9d4-10d4-4ac9-805c-d3c0a94f1b24/547245d0-8f0b-48c4-affd-61f3f6718fba.mp3","mime_type":"audio/mpeg","size_in_bytes":14602002,"duration_in_seconds":890}]}]}