Blog
Practical advice for stuck developers
Job search strategy, portfolio building, interview prep, and the truth about the entry-level market.
Job Search
How to Onboard Into a New Codebase Without Drowning
Most new engineers try to understand everything at once and get nowhere. Here's a systematic approach to onboarding into a new codebase that actually works.
12 min read
Job Search
How to Make the Most of an Unpaid Internship as a Developer
An unpaid internship only pays off if you leave with something concrete. Here's how to make sure you get a portfolio piece, a strong reference, and documented experience, not just busy work.
11 min read
Job Search
How to Get a Reference When You've Never Had a Tech Job
"Who can vouch for your technical work?" is one of the harder questions in an early career job search. Here's where references actually come from when you haven't worked as an engineer yet.
10 min read
Job Search
How to Work on a Real Codebase Before You Have a Job
Building your own projects teaches you to code. Working in someone else's codebase teaches you to be an engineer. Here's how to close that gap before you're hired.
12 min read
Job Search
Freelancing as a Junior Developer: Is It Worth It?
Freelancing sounds like a shortcut to experience, but competing on Upwork against offshore developers on price is a trap. Here's when freelancing actually works for junior devs.
11 min read
Job Search
How to Find and Apply for Unpaid or Stipended Startup Internships
Startup internships are one of the most direct paths to real engineering experience. They're also rarely posted anywhere. Here's how to find them, evaluate them, and land one.
11 min read
Job Search
What Happened to Thinkful (Chegg Skills)? What Graduates Should Do Now
Thinkful was one of the most mentor-forward bootcamps in the industry. After its acquisition and rebrand by Chegg, the program effectively closed. If you graduated from Thinkful or Chegg Skills and are still job searching, here's what to focus on.
10 min read
Job Search
How to Get Real Software Engineering Experience Before Your First Job
The experience catch-22 is real, but it's not unsolvable. There are six viable paths to real engineering experience before your first job, and a clear way to evaluate which is right for you.
15 min read
Job Search
Launch School Review: The Slow Path That Actually Works (and When It Doesn't)
Launch School is one of the few programs that genuinely resists the speed-to-employment framing that defines most bootcamps. That's its strength and its limitation, depending on where you are.
11 min read