What do you do if you want to stay up-to-date in application development after a layoff?

It is important to continuously hone programming skills for an engineer to be effective and the online courses are a great way to give you a head start learning a new language or design or architecture patterns. These courses offer a flexible way to use the laid off period, to reflect on the past experiences and venture into new domains that you're passionate about. Earning those completion certificates are a testimony of your proficiency level and enable you to handle the interviews with confidence.

The flexibility of self-paced online learning is appealing but requires careful management. Before starting a course, evaluate its relevance to your current skills and target role. Consider if you can showcase these skills in practical scenarios like interviews. It's also crucial to apply what you learn. Develop a GitHub project to demonstrate your new skills. This not only reinforces your learning but also acts as a portfolio piece for potential employers, distinguishing you in the screening process. Such practical demonstrations of your skills highlight your ability to turn theoretical knowledge into real-world applications, positioning you favorably in a competitive job market.

You need to be aware of your target market and polish your skills accordingly. This requires an honest introspection of your skills as an application developer. Assessing where your strengths lie and where there's room for improvement will guide your efforts in honing the specific technical proficiencies and understanding the industry needs that will make your applications successful in the market.

Independently of being laid off or not, similar to all other technical fields application development is a domain that requires continuous learning, upskilling and an adaptive mindset. Thus, make sure you learn the fundamentals which makes transitioning from tech to another less frictional!

After a layoff and a longer-than-anticipated job hunt, I realized the importance of maintaining my application development skills. That's why I decided to enroll in the Execute Program. Currently, I'm working on JavaScript, TypeScript, and SQL courses. The spaced repetition format has been a game-changer, allowing me to grow my skills while navigating the job market. I also completed a 12-week language agnostic course called 'Seeing In Code,' which included weekly live seminars. The interactive nature of the course kept me engaged in learning and updated with the latest industry practices. The key to benefitting from an online course is to find something that works for your learning style and commit to it!

Networking is critical to staying connected and informed in the tech industry, especially after a layoff. I've actively participated in events from Women Who Code, Women Impact Tech, and WomenHack, both online and in real life. Additionally, I make it a point to foster one-on-one connections with professionals from my networks, staying in touch through Slack communities and LinkedIn. These connections keep me updated on industry trends while providing invaluable support and camaraderie, reminding me of the importance of human connection to overall well-being.

Identify the leading recruiters in your area and initiate contact with them. Additionally, reach out to friends and family employed at your target companies; their referrals can significantly boost your chances of getting noticed by the HR department. Networking within your circle can open doors to valuable opportunities.

Consider limiting the amount of time you spend looking for and attending networking events. We're lucky in the tech industry in that we have a natural tendency to congregate in online communities using asynchronous communications like forums, social media groups, and chat channels. These communities do a good job of keeping out marketers, middlemen, and other self-interested parties. Some of the best connections in tech can come from making honest, regular contributions to online communities with people who share common interests

The easiest way for me to engage in open-source projects is through hackathons. They provide invaluable hands-on experience to keep skills sharp in application development post-layoff. Collaborating with diverse teams on these projects enhances my technical abilities and communication skills while expanding my network within the developer community.

Contributing to open source projects is an excellent way to stay sharp and relevant. It allows you to work with the latest technologies while collaborating with other developers. You can find projects on platforms like GitHub that match your interests and expertise. This hands-on experience not only improves your coding skills but also shows future employers your practical knowledge and your ability to work as part of a team. Moreover, it's a chance to make meaningful contributions to the software community.

To stay at the forefront of application development, I've developed a routine of reading technical content with my morning coffee before diving into my online courses for the day. Subscribing to newsletters like Kent Beck Software Design, Level Up Coding, and Diversify Tech ensures I stay informed about the latest trends, best practices, and diverse perspectives in the industry. This morning ritual helps me start the day with a clear focus and ensures I'm continuously expanding my knowledge base in the ever-evolving technology field.

While it can be challenging to balance job-seeking efforts with personal projects, I strive to build things from scratch, whether it's tackling take-home projects for interviews or honing problem-solving skills with platforms like Neetcode. These endeavors showcase my abilities and keep me motivated to improve continually.

Always have a personal project on the go. This is my secret weapon to staying on top of my skills. Having a real piece of software out in the wild, with real users, where you have to handle every facet of the project, is an excellent way to stay sharp. Whether it's a personal blog that you redesign every 3 months and migrate around different cloud providers, or an app that you built for niche industry, you need to have something that gets you out of bed every day and screams at you "LEARN AND SOLVE THIS"!