Tássia

Do you think that your background gives you many advantages as a junior developer now?
To be honest, I don’t think so. Even though I have a degree in computing, I have never worked as a developer. After graduation, I focused on being a teacher and helping others. So, my feeling is that I knew the concepts, but I was lacking the most important skills: working in real projects and solving problems with a team.

What made you interested in a career as a developer? And do you remember what was the first moment when you realised you want to try programming?
I love the fact that you can turn any ideas into real products that can improve people’s lives. All you need is a computer and your coding skills. I don’t remember when I decided to try programming, because it has been a long journey. The fact is that I used to think that being a developer was too hard, and I didn’t feel ready for it. SmartCoding appeared at the right time and has given me the confidence I needed.

Are there any blogs or books you have read about programming that you can recommend to newbies?
One of the most useful platforms I have found is Treehouse. They have high-quality courses, and you can have a free 7-days trial. I also love w3schools. For those taking the full-stack web dev course, it is a fantastic website. It’s easy to understand, and it’s full of examples.

What are the advantages and challenges of learning at SmartCoding?
It’s great to be in a group of women who share similar feelings and concerns. You feel you can make more mistakes without worrying about judgments. The other good thing is that you have this chance of working on something real and use real tools like GitHub to collaborate with the team. The challenge is that you have a lot to learn, and it’s hard to understand how everything is connected. You see a webpage and you have no idea how much technology is involved in it. To get the app up and running, you need several components. It’s hard to get a broad picture.

What have you learnt so far?
I have learned so much. I built a Django app that could communicate both with an HTTP client and a mobile application. To build that app, I discovered a new world full of endpoints, views and templates. Together with all those new concepts, I wrote my first lines in Python. I also built a React App and learned about components, states, props, Javascript, JSX, HTML and CSS. I also learned how to write automated tests for both the frontend and the backend, which is super cool. It’s a lot, but I’m now confident I can learn and be good at whatever I want.

Is there any programming language that you’re struggling with and what are your tips to handle that?
I’m struggling with JavaScript right now. I have already struggled with other things in the past which seem to be easy today. I think the secret is to ignore that voice in your head telling you to give up because you are not good enough. Keep moving forward. If you practice and work hard, you will get the skills you want.

What is your dream job after the course? Do you have any expectations?
Do you know anything about the IT job market in Sweden?
Even though the course is preparing me to be a full-stack web developer, I enjoy the backend side more and would be glad to get a job as a backend developer. But I have to say that I would not be disappointed if I was hired as a full-stack web dev, though.

Would you like to develop your own product by using what you’ve learnt during the course? If not now, maybe in the future?
Definitely! I’ve recently bought a domain, tassiaserrao.com, and I’m planning to have my portfolio there. So, when I finish the course, I will work on some ideas. I want to build something useful, improve my knowledge and show my skills.

Which language would you prefer to use in your future job and why?
I would love to work with Python. I feel the syntax is simple to understand and helps the programmers to code in fewer steps as compared to other languages. The other reason is that Python is used by some of the biggest tech companies like Uber, PayPal, Google, Facebook, Instagram and Netflix.

Looking from a time perspective, is there anything you would change, do differently, as it comes to start learning to programme?
Yeah, I wish I hadn’t doubted myself for so long. My advice is: take a chance, see what happens. You might feel you are not ready but try it anyway. I have lost opportunities waiting for that 100% of skills, but today I no longer do that.

What should all the beginners in programming be ready for?
I guess all beginners should be ready to work hard and to be headstrong. Programming is a skill, and it takes a lot of practice to master it. It’s also intimidating in the beginning because there are a lot of new terms and complicated subjects. However, if you survive that, you can make it.

Any final words of wisdom? ☺
There is a course I did that changed my life: How to Learn Math by Stanford University.
I wish everyone could do that course too. They show scientific evidence of how the brain works and how you learn whatever you want. It’s free of charge, and very short – only six lessons. The course focuses on math, but you can apply it for any subject you want. Watch it. It can be a life changer for you as well.